If you're running a small NZ business and you've been on a free Mailchimp account since 2021, you've probably hit the ceiling. Mailchimp dropped its free plan from 2,000 subscribers to 500 in late 2024, and the paid tiers have crept up with it.
In 2026, there are better options. Here's a practical breakdown of four tools NZ small businesses actually use.
The short version
| Tool | Entry price (NZD/mo) | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| beehiiv Scale | ~$71 | Newsletter-first businesses |
| ActiveCampaign Starter | ~$25 | Automation + light CRM |
| HubSpot Starter | ~$15/seat | Free CRM with email on the side |
| MailerLite Growing | ~$17 | Simple monthly sends |
beehiiv
Free up to 2,500 subscribers with unlimited sends. The Scale plan (USD $43/mo billed annually, about NZD $71) covers 100,000 subscribers with automation. It takes 0% of paid subscription revenue, vs Substack's 10% cut.
Good fit: newsletter-first businesses, content creators.
Not ideal: service businesses that just need a basic monthly client update.
ActiveCampaign
Starter at USD $15/mo for 1,000 contacts (about NZD $25). The automation builder is one of the strongest in this price range. You can set rules like "if someone clicks this link but doesn't book, follow up after 48 hours" without writing any code.
Watch out: pricing scales fast. At 5,000 contacts on Starter you're at USD $58/mo.
HubSpot
The free tier covers CRM, contact management, email marketing, and forms, no credit card needed. Starter is USD $9/seat/mo (about NZD $15). Best for businesses that want CRM first and email marketing second.
The catch: Professional tier with real automation starts at USD $890/mo. The pricing ladder is steep.
MailerLite
Growing Business plan starts at USD $10/mo for up to 500 subscribers. Not flashy, sends reliably, cheapest credible option for simple newsletters. The CRM is thin -- if you want complex automations, you'll outgrow it.
The honest call
Staying on an expired free plan is the worst outcome. Even MailerLite at NZD $17/mo does more for client retention than a manually sent Gmail blast.
All four integrate with Xero and work with NZ subscriber lists without regional restrictions.
Full comparison with decision-tree by business type: https://tpdowns.com/articles/email-marketing-tools-nz-2026/
