Buyer's Guide
Best Email Marketing Tool for Membership Sites
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If you run a membership site, you already know email is how you keep members engaged, reduce churn, and sell upgrades. But most email platforms weren't built for membership businesses—and their per-subscriber pricing can explode as your list grows.
This guide compares the platforms membership site owners actually use, with honest pricing breakdowns at 1,000, 5,000, and 10,000 subscribers. I'll show you which tools integrate cleanly with membership platforms, which pricing models save money at scale, and when a WordPress-native solution makes more sense than a hosted platform.
By the end, you'll know exactly which tool fits your membership model and budget—and when to skip the fancy options entirely.
Quick Comparison Table
| Platform | Starting Price | Free Plan | Best For | Key Limitation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kit | $25/mo (annual) | Up to 10,000 subscribers | Creators selling courses/memberships | Gets expensive above 10k subscribers |
| MailerLite | $10/mo | 500 subscribers, 12k emails/mo | Budget-conscious sites under 5k members | Limited automation on free plan |
| Moosend | $9/mo | 1,000 subscribers | Sites needing full automation on a budget | Less known, fewer native integrations |
| Brevo | $9/mo | 300 emails/day | Large lists with infrequent sending | Per-email pricing confusing for beginners |
| ActiveCampaign | $15/mo (annual) | None | Advanced segmentation and CRM needs | Steeper learning curve |
| Mailchimp | $13/mo | 250 contacts, 500 sends/mo | Absolute beginners | Bills for unsubscribed contacts |
| systeme.io | $27/mo | Up to 2,000 contacts | All-in-one (email + membership platform) | Less flexible than standalone tools |
| FluentCRM | $129/year (one-time) | N/A | WordPress-only sites wanting data privacy | No deliverability infrastructure |
Kit (Formerly ConvertKit): The Creator-Focused Standard
Kit built its reputation serving online course creators and membership site owners specifically. The interface is clean, the automation builder is visual, and the tagging system maps naturally to membership levels.
What makes it good for memberships:
Kit's strength is simplicity around creator workflows. You can tag members by subscription tier, trigger sequences when someone joins or cancels, and segment broadcasts without complicated filters. The visual automation builder makes it easy to map "if member upgrades to premium, send this sequence and remove that tag."
The free plan supporting up to 10,000 subscribers is genuinely useful for new membership sites—most competitors cap free plans at 250-1,000 contacts. That runway lets you build your list before paying anything.
Integration with WordPress membership plugins (Paid Memberships Pro, MemberPress, Restrict Content Pro) works through either native add-ons or WP Fusion. The native integrations are straightforward but basic; WP Fusion unlocks event-based tagging for cancellations, failed payments, and membership expirations.
Real downsides:
Pricing jumps fast. At 5,000 subscribers, you're paying $49/month (annual billing). At 10,000 subscribers, it's $79/month. At 25,000 subscribers, you're at $149/month. If your membership model is high-volume/low-price (think $9/month subscriptions), those costs eat margins quickly.
The email editor is functional but plain. If you want sophisticated design, you'll need to use custom HTML or a template builder. Kit prioritizes plain-text-style emails that feel personal over flashy newsletters.
No built-in CRM or deal pipeline—it's purely email marketing. If you need to track sales conversations or manage a sales team, you'll need another tool.
Pricing: Free up to 10,000 subscribers (with Kit branding on emails). Creator plan starts at $25/month (annual) or $33/month (monthly) for 1,000 subscribers, scaling up as your list grows.
Who it fits: Course creators and membership site owners who value clean automation and are comfortable with plain email design. Best if your list will stay under 10,000 subscribers or if your membership pricing supports $80-150/month email costs at scale.
MailerLite: The Budget Option That Actually Works
MailerLite cut its free plan from 1,000 to 500 subscribers in September 2025, but it's still one of the most affordable platforms once you start paying. At $10/month, you get unlimited emails and decent automation—hard to beat if you're bootstrapping.
What makes it good for memberships:
The automation builder is surprisingly robust for the price. You can create workflows triggered by custom fields (like membership level), segment by behavior, and set up abandoned cart sequences if you're selling membership upgrades.
The email editor is drag-and-drop, modern, and produces clean designs without coding. Landing pages and pop-up forms are included at every tier, which matters if you're growing your list through content upgrades or lead magnets.
Deliverability is solid—MailerLite maintains good sender reputation, and emails consistently hit inboxes in my testing.
Real downsides:
The free plan dropping to 500 subscribers makes it less useful as a long-term free solution. You'll hit that ceiling quickly if your membership site gains traction.
Integrations with membership platforms are less mature than Kit or ActiveCampaign. You can connect via Zapier or WP Fusion, but there's no native Paid Memberships Pro add-on. Setup requires more technical comfort.
Automation triggers are less granular than enterprise platforms. You won't get the same level of behavioral tracking or conditional logic that ActiveCampaign offers.
Pricing: Free for 500 subscribers and 12,000 emails/month. Paid plans start at $10/month for unlimited emails, scaling by subscriber count ($20/month for 2,500 subscribers, $30/month for 5,000).
Who it fits: Membership site owners on tight budgets who need professional emails and basic automation. Best if you're under 5,000 subscribers and don't need complex membership-event triggers.
Moosend: The Underdog With Full Features at Low Prices
Moosend isn't a household name, but it punches above its weight for membership site owners who need automation without the Kit price tag.
What makes it good for memberships:
Moosend offers advanced automation—conditional splits, time delays, custom field triggers—starting at $9/month. That's the same feature set Kit charges $49/month for at similar list sizes.
The free plan supports 1,000 subscribers (double MailerLite's current limit), and you get unlimited emails on paid plans. The drag-and-drop editor is clean, templates are modern, and deliverability is reliable.
List segmentation is flexible. You can segment by custom fields (membership tier, join date, last login) and create dynamic segments that update automatically. This matters when you're sending different content to free vs. paid members.
Real downsides:
Fewer native integrations with WordPress membership plugins. You'll likely need Zapier or WP Fusion to connect Moosend to Paid Memberships Pro or MemberPress. That adds either another monthly cost (Zapier) or a one-time investment (WP Fusion at $297).
Moosend's brand recognition is lower, which can matter for support resources. Fewer YouTube tutorials, community forum posts, and third-party guides compared to Kit or Mailchimp.
Reporting is solid but not as detailed as ActiveCampaign. You get open rates, click rates, and revenue tracking, but not the deep funnel analytics enterprise platforms provide.
Pricing: Free for 1,000 subscribers with unlimited emails. Pro plan starts at $9/month (annual) for unlimited emails, scaling by subscriber count ($16/month for 2,500 subscribers, $24/month for 5,000).
Who it fits: Budget-conscious membership site owners comfortable with Zapier or WP Fusion for integration. Best if you need real automation features but can't justify Kit's pricing as you scale past 5,000 subscribers.
Brevo (Formerly Sendinblue): When Per-Email Pricing Saves You Money
Brevo uses a fundamentally different pricing model: you pay for emails sent, not subscribers stored. For membership sites with large lists but infrequent sending, this can save 80% compared to per-subscriber platforms.
What makes it good for memberships:
If you have 20,000 members but only send 2-3 emails per month, you're paying for 60,000 emails/month on Brevo—around $39/month. On Kit, 20,000 subscribers costs $125/month regardless of how often you email. The savings compound as your list grows.
Brevo includes SMS marketing and a basic CRM at every paid tier. If you want to text members about expiring subscriptions or track support conversations, you don't need another tool.
Transactional email (password resets, purchase confirmations) is free up to 300/day. Most membership sites need transactional email, and Brevo handles it in one platform.
Real downsides:
Per-email pricing gets expensive if you send frequently. If you email your list daily or run complex drip campaigns, you'll burn through your email allocation fast. Calculate your actual monthly send volume before choosing Brevo.
The automation builder is less intuitive than Kit or ActiveCampaign. Workflows require more technical setup, and the interface feels dated compared to modern competitors.
Integration with WordPress membership plugins requires Zapier or custom API work—no native add-ons. You'll need technical chops or developer help to connect Brevo to Paid Memberships Pro.
Pricing: Free plan includes 300 emails/day (9,000/month). Paid plans start at $9/month for 5,000 emails/month, scaling up ($39/month for 60,000 emails, $59/month for 120,000 emails). Unlimited contacts at every tier.
Who it fits: Membership sites with large lists (10,000+ members) who send infrequently—2-4 emails per month. Also good if you want SMS and transactional email in one platform. Skip it if you send daily or run heavy automation.
ActiveCampaign: The Power Tool for Serious Membership Businesses
ActiveCampaign is the platform you graduate to when basic email marketing isn't enough. It's built for businesses that need CRM, sales automation, and deep behavioral tracking alongside email.
What makes it good for memberships:
The automation capabilities are unmatched at this price point. You can trigger sequences based on membership events (cancellation, failed payment, expiration warning), score leads based on engagement, and create conditional workflows that adapt to member behavior.
ActiveCampaign includes a full CRM, which matters if you're selling high-ticket memberships or coaching upsells. You can track deal stages, assign tasks to team members, and manage sales conversations in the same platform as your email.
Integration with WordPress membership platforms is mature—native Paid Memberships Pro add-on, plus excellent WP Fusion support for advanced event-based tagging. You can automate everything from welcome sequences to win-back campaigns for expired members.
Real downsides:
The learning curve is steep. ActiveCampaign has more features than most membership site owners need, and the interface can overwhelm beginners. Expect to invest time in tutorials or hire help for initial setup.
Pricing starts reasonable but scales aggressively. At $15/month (annual) for 1,000 contacts, it's competitive. But at 5,000 contacts, you're paying $79/month. At 10,000 contacts, it's $149/month—same as Kit at that tier.
The email editor is functional but not as modern as Mailchimp or MailerLite. Templates feel dated, and creating beautiful emails requires more design work.
Pricing: Starter plan at $15/month (annual billing) or $19/month (monthly) for 1,000 contacts, including CRM and automation. Scales to $79/month for 5,000 contacts, $149/month for 10,000 contacts.
Who it fits: Established membership sites (1,000+ members) that need CRM, sales automation, and advanced segmentation. Best if you're selling high-ticket memberships ($100+/month) where the email cost is a small percentage of revenue. Overkill for simple membership sites with basic email needs.
Mailchimp: The Brand Name That's Hard to Recommend
Mailchimp is the most recognized email platform, but it's fallen behind competitors for membership site owners. The free plan shrunk to 250 contacts and 500 sends per month—essentially a trial, not a real free plan.
What makes it still relevant:
Brand trust and familiarity. If you've used Mailchimp before, the interface is comfortable. Integrations are plentiful—native connections to most membership platforms exist, even if they're not always well-maintained.
The email editor is polished, templates are modern, and creating good-looking emails is straightforward. If design matters and you're not technically inclined, Mailchimp makes it easy.
Real downsides:
Mailchimp bills for unsubscribed contacts unless you manually archive them. This inflates costs significantly—you're paying for people who can't receive your emails. Competitors don't do this.
Pricing is higher than alternatives with no clear benefit. At $13/month for 500 contacts, you're paying more than MailerLite ($10/month for unlimited emails) or Moosend ($9/month) without better features.
Automation is less powerful than Kit or ActiveCampaign at similar price points. You'll hit limitations quickly if you need complex membership workflows.
Pricing: Free for 250 contacts and 500 sends/month. Essentials plan starts at $13/month for 500 contacts, scaling to $46/month for 5,000 contacts.
Who it fits: Absolute beginners who prioritize brand recognition and easy design over cost efficiency. Honestly, most membership site owners should choose MailerLite or Moosend instead—better value, similar ease of use.
Systeme.io: The All-in-One for Bootstrappers
systeme.io isn't just an email platform—it's a complete membership site builder with email marketing included. If you're starting from scratch and want one tool for everything, it's worth considering.
What makes it good for memberships:
You get email marketing, membership site hosting, course delivery, sales funnels, and affiliate management in one platform starting at $27/month. If you're building a membership site from zero, that's cheaper than buying WordPress hosting + membership plugin + email platform separately.
The email tools are solid—automation, segmentation, and unlimited emails at every tier. Since systeme.io hosts your membership site, integration is native and seamless. No Zapier needed.
The free plan includes up to 2,000 contacts, which is generous compared to standalone email platforms. You can test the entire ecosystem before paying.
Real downsides:
You're locked into systeme.io's ecosystem. If you outgrow the platform or want to switch to WordPress, migration is painful. Your membership site and email list are intertwined.
Less flexibility than standalone tools. The email editor is functional but basic. Automation is good enough for most use cases but not as powerful as ActiveCampaign.
Systeme.io is less known than WordPress-based solutions, which means fewer developers, themes, and community resources if you need custom work.
Pricing: Free for 2,000 contacts. Startup plan at $27/month includes unlimited emails, membership site hosting, and course delivery. Scales to $47/month for 5,000 contacts, $97/month for 15,000 contacts.
Who it fits: Bootstrapped creators starting a membership site from scratch who want one platform for everything. Skip it if you already have a WordPress membership site—the migration hassle isn't worth it just for email.
WordPress-Native Options: MailPoet and FluentCRM
If your membership site runs on WordPress and you want email marketing inside your dashboard, MailPoet and FluentCRM are the WordPress-native alternatives.
MailPoet integrates directly with WooCommerce and WordPress membership plugins. It runs on your server, so you own your data and avoid per-subscriber pricing—you pay a flat $15/month to unlock sending through their SMTP service, or use your own SMTP for free. The downside: deliverability depends on your server reputation, and you're responsible for managing IP warming, spam complaints, and blacklists.
FluentCRM is similar but more affordable—$129/year (one-time) for unlimited contacts. It's a true WordPress plugin with no monthly fees if you use your own SMTP. The automation builder is visual and powerful, comparable to ActiveCampaign. The catch: you need to handle deliverability infrastructure yourself, which can be technical.
Who they fit: WordPress power users comfortable managing email deliverability, or sites that prioritize data privacy and want email data stored on their own server. Not recommended for beginners—hosted platforms like Kit or MailerLite handle deliverability infrastructure so you don't have to.
The Verdict: Who Should Pick What
If you're just starting and need a free plan: Use Kit's free tier up to 10,000 subscribers. It's the most generous free plan for creators, and you can upgrade smoothly when revenue supports it.
If you're bootstrapping under 5,000 members: MailerLite at $10/month gives you unlimited emails and solid automation. Moosend at $9/month is even cheaper if you're comfortable with Zapier integration.
If you have a large list (10,000+) but send infrequently: Brevo's per-email pricing will save you hundreds per month compared to per-subscriber platforms. Calculate your monthly send volume first—if it's under 4 emails/month to your full list, Brevo wins on cost.
If you need advanced automation and CRM: ActiveCampaign at $15/month (annual) is the best value for power features. It's overkill for simple membership sites, but if you're managing sales pipelines, complex workflows, or high-ticket memberships, the investment pays off.
If you're building a membership site from scratch: Systeme.io at $27/month bundles email with membership hosting and course delivery. It's cheaper than assembling separate tools, but only if you're starting fresh—don't migrate an existing site just for this.
When NOT to buy any of these: If your list is under 500 subscribers and you only send monthly updates, stick with a free plan (MailerLite or Kit) until your membership revenue justifies paid email tools. Don't pay for features you won't use.
Final Recommendation
For most membership site owners, Kit offers the best balance of creator-focused features, clean automation, and generous free tier. If you're starting out, use the free plan until you hit 10,000 subscribers. If you're already paying for email, switch to MailerLite or Moosend to cut costs by 40-60% without sacrificing essential features.
If your list is large and growing fast, calculate your costs at 10,000 and 25,000 subscribers before committing to any per-subscriber platform. Brevo can save thousands annually if you send infrequently, but only if you actually run the numbers against your send volume.
And if you need serious automation and CRM, ActiveCampaign is the platform you'll eventually want—just make sure your membership pricing supports the cost before you commit.