by Alkan Balkaya · Last updated: 2026-07-09

Best Keap Alternatives for Email Marketing and Automation

The best Keap alternatives for email marketing and automation include Mailsoftly, ActiveCampaign, HubSpot, Mailchimp, and Brevo. With Keap’s Pro plan starting at $299 per month, these platforms deliver comparable or superior automation, segmentation, and campaign building at lower cost. The right choice depends on your priority: e-commerce, creator audiences, CRM depth, or balanced value. Mailsoftly offers a free plan with 500 contacts and 2,000 emails per month, paid plans from $39 per month billed annually, plus free hands-on migration.

Keap (formerly Infusionsoft) built its reputation on combining CRM functionality with email marketing automation. For years, it was the go-to platform for growing businesses that wanted sophisticated workflows without enterprise complexity. But the landscape has shifted. Keap’s pricing now starts at $299/month for its Pro plan, putting it out of reach for many of the growing businesses it originally served.

Comparing options? See our full roundup of the best marketing automation software for the complete picture.

Quick context: Mailsoftly offers transparent pricing, free hands-on migration, and human support. 500 contacts and 2,000 emails per month, no credit card.
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The gap between what Keap charges and what competitors deliver has never been wider. Platforms like Mailsoftly now offer AI-powered automation, advanced segmentation, and intuitive campaign builders at a fraction of the cost. Whether you need a simpler tool for newsletters or a full marketing automation suite, the alternatives below cover every use case and budget. This guide gives you the pricing, features, and honest trade-offs for each option so you can compare email marketing platforms without the sticker shock.

I have tested and evaluated each of these platforms based on their automation capabilities, ease of use, pricing transparency, and deliverability track record. Here is what actually matters when choosing your next email marketing platform.

Why Are Businesses Leaving Keap?

Businesses leave Keap for three reasons: pricing that starts at $299/month and climbs fast, a dated campaign builder rooted in Infusionsoft, and bundled CRM and invoicing features many teams pay for but never use. For most growing businesses, leaner platforms deliver the same automation for a fraction of the cost.

Read enough? Try Mailsoftly free with 500 contacts and 2,000 emails per month, no credit card.Start free with Mailsoftly →

Keap was a pioneer in combining CRM with email automation for growing businesses. The problem is that pioneering spirit has not kept pace with the market. Three issues dominate the conversation around Keap today:

Pricing that scales against you. Keap’s Pro plan starts at $299/month for 1,500 contacts. Their Max plan jumps to $399/month. For a growing business with 5,000 contacts, you are looking at $400 or more per month before add-ons. Compare that to platforms offering similar (or superior) automation for $39 to $100 per month, and the math stops working.

A dated interface. Keap’s campaign builder still carries the DNA of Infusionsoft, a system known for its steep learning curve. Newer platforms have invested heavily in drag-and-drop editors, visual automation builders, and template libraries that make campaign creation accessible without training.

Feature overlap you pay for but do not use. Keap bundles CRM, invoicing, appointment scheduling, and pipeline management into every plan. If you already use a dedicated CRM like HubSpot or a scheduling tool like Calendly, you are paying for redundant features. Most businesses need focused email marketing and automation, not an all-in-one suite they only half-use.

What Should You Look For in a Keap Alternative?

Focus on four things: automation depth, transparent pricing, deliverability, and migration support. These criteria predict long-term satisfaction better than feature-count checklists. The Salesforce Marketing Intelligence Report found that marketing teams waste an average of 12 hours per week on tools that do not integrate well, which applies directly to your Keap replacement decision.

Personalization at scale has become table stakes in email marketing. The platforms that win are those that let you segment deeply and personalize dynamically without requiring a developer or a six-week onboarding period. If you are still building your strategy, our guide to Email Marketing Fundamentals covers the concepts that make automation pay off. Keep these criteria in mind as we walk through each alternative.

What Are the Best Keap Alternatives for Email Marketing?

The eight platforms below cover every common Keap use case, from creator newsletters to e-commerce revenue flows and full CRM automation. Each entry leads with who it fits best, then explains the trade-offs so you can shortlist quickly.

1. Mailsoftly

Best for: Small to mid-sized businesses that want AI-powered automation without enterprise pricing.

Mailsoftly was built for the exact segment Keap has priced out: growing businesses that need sophisticated automation without paying $300 or more per month. The platform combines an intuitive drag-and-drop email builder with AI-driven segmentation that automatically groups contacts based on behavior, engagement patterns, and predicted interests.

Where Mailsoftly truly differentiates is its approach to marketing automation. Mailsoftly’s AI-powered Marketing Automation Software lets you create multi-step workflows with conditional logic, time delays, and dynamic content blocks without writing a single line of code. The visual builder shows you exactly how contacts flow through your sequences. For a detailed side-by-side breakdown, see our Keap vs Mailsoftly comparison.

2. ActiveCampaign

Best for: Teams that need deep automation with built-in CRM capabilities.

ActiveCampaign is the closest feature-for-feature match to Keap, minus the extreme pricing. Its automation builder is arguably the most powerful in the mid-market segment, supporting nested conditions, split actions, and goal-based triggers that rival enterprise platforms. If you are exploring ActiveCampaign alternatives as well, it is worth noting that ActiveCampaign itself fills the Keap gap nicely for automation-heavy teams.

The Starter plan at $19/month for 1,000 contacts is a fraction of Keap’s entry price. However, costs climb at higher tiers. At 5,000 contacts the Starter plan runs $99/month, and at 10,000 contacts the Plus plan reaches $239/month while the Professional plan hits $419/month. ActiveCampaign does not offer a free plan, only a 14-day trial.

3. HubSpot Marketing Hub

Best for: Companies that want a full CRM and marketing platform under one roof and have the budget for it.

HubSpot is the opposite end of the spectrum from Keap in terms of ecosystem breadth. The free CRM is genuinely useful, and the Marketing Hub Starter at $15/month for 1,000 marketing contacts makes it an accessible entry point. The catch is the Professional tier: $890/month with a mandatory $3,000 onboarding fee. That is not a typo.

For businesses that live inside the HubSpot ecosystem and need deep integration between sales, marketing, and service, the value proposition is clear. But if you only need email marketing and automation, HubSpot’s Professional tier is even more expensive than Keap. The Starter plan works well for basic email campaigns but lacks the advanced automation workflows that Keap refugees typically need.

4. Mailchimp

Best for: Businesses that prioritize ease of use and brand recognition over advanced automation.

Mailchimp remains the most recognizable name in email marketing. Its drag-and-drop editor is intuitive, the template library is extensive, and the free plan (250 contacts, 500 sends/month) gives tiny businesses a starting point. The Standard plan at $100/month for 5,000 contacts includes basic automation, A/B testing, and send-time optimization.

The downside: Mailchimp charges for all contacts, including unsubscribed ones. That billing quirk can inflate your costs significantly if you have been building a list for years. Automation capabilities are also noticeably simpler than Keap’s. You will not find the same level of conditional branching or CRM pipeline integration here.

5. Brevo (formerly Sendinblue)

Best for: Budget-conscious teams with large contact lists who send moderate email volumes.

Brevo takes a fundamentally different approach to pricing: you pay by email volume, not contact count. All plans include unlimited contacts. The Starter plan at $9/month covers 5,000 emails, scaling to $69/month for 100,000 emails. The free plan allows 300 emails per day with Brevo branding. If you are also evaluating other budget-friendly options, our guide to Brevo alternatives covers additional platforms in this price range.

This model is transformative for businesses with large contact databases but moderate send frequencies. A company with 20,000 contacts that sends two campaigns per month might only need 40,000 emails, which costs $29/month on Brevo versus $300 or more on Keap. The trade-off is that Brevo’s automation builder, while functional, lacks the depth of ActiveCampaign or Mailsoftly.

6. Constant Contact

Best for: Local businesses, nonprofits, and teams that value phone support and simplicity.

Constant Contact has been around since 1995, and its strength is reliability rather than innovation. The Lite plan starts at $12/month for 500 contacts, while the Standard plan at $110/month for 5,000 contacts adds automation and A/B testing. There is no free plan, but a 60-day trial gives you ample time to evaluate.

The platform excels in event marketing, social media integration, and hands-on customer support. If you rely on phone support (something many newer platforms have eliminated), Constant Contact delivers. The automation features, however, are basic compared to Keap. Simple autoresponders and birthday emails work fine, but complex multi-step workflows are not its strength.

7. Klaviyo

Best for: E-commerce brands running Shopify, WooCommerce, or BigCommerce.

Klaviyo is purpose-built for e-commerce. Its native integrations with Shopify, WooCommerce, and BigCommerce pull in purchase data, browsing behavior, and cart activity to power hyper-targeted email sequences. Abandoned cart flows, post-purchase upsells, and win-back campaigns are pre-built and ready to customize.

Pricing is straightforward: free for 250 profiles (500 emails/month), then $100/month for 5,000 profiles on the Email plan. At 10,000 profiles, you are paying $150/month. This is competitive with Keap, and the e-commerce features far exceed what Keap offers. However, if you are not running an online store, Klaviyo’s e-commerce focus means you are paying for capabilities you will not use.

8. Kit (formerly ConvertKit)

Best for: Content creators, newsletter publishers, and solo entrepreneurs.

Kit rebranded from ConvertKit in 2024 and has doubled down on serving creators. The free plan supports up to 10,000 subscribers (with Kit branding and only one automation), making it the most generous free tier by subscriber count. The Creator plan at $89/month for 5,000 subscribers adds full automation and removes branding. If you are comparing similar creator-focused tools, our guide to GetResponse alternatives includes additional options worth considering.

Kit’s subscriber-first model means your entire list structure revolves around tags rather than separate lists. This is powerful for creators who want to segment by interest, purchase history, and engagement without managing duplicate subscribers across multiple lists. The email editor is deliberately minimal, reflecting Kit’s philosophy that plain-text-style emails perform best for creators.

How Much Do Keap Alternatives Cost?

Pricing is the primary reason businesses leave Keap. The table below shows verified monthly prices for each platform at common contact tiers so you can make a direct comparison. All prices are as of 2026-04-15.

*Mailsoftly annual pricing shown. Brevo is excluded from this contacts-based table because it prices by email volume, not contacts. See the Brevo section above for volume-based pricing details.

How Do Keap Alternatives Compare on Features?

Pricing tells half the story. The table below compares the features that matter most when migrating from Keap, including the automation depth, CRM integration, and support channels that influence day-to-day usability. For a broader look at the tools available, our overview of best marketing automation software tools covers additional platforms beyond Keap alternatives specifically.

How Do You Choose the Right Keap Alternative?

The right platform depends on three factors: your primary use case, your contact list size, and your growth trajectory. Match your top priority to a platform below, then confirm the pricing at your current list size. Here is a decision framework based on real-world scenarios.

Whichever platform you choose, plan your migration carefully. Export your Keap contacts with all tags and custom fields intact. Map your existing automations to the new platform’s workflow builder before canceling Keap. Run both systems in parallel for at least two weeks to verify deliverability and catch any gaps in your automation sequences.

How Do You Migrate From Keap Step by Step?

A botched migration can cost you subscribers and revenue. Follow this sequence to ensure a clean transition from Keap to your chosen alternative, and budget two to three weeks for parallel testing before you cancel.

1. Audit your Keap data. Export all contacts, tags, custom fields, purchase history, and automation sequences. Document which automations are actively running and generating revenue.
2. Clean your list before importing. Remove bounced addresses, long-term unengaged contacts (no opens in 12+ months), and duplicates. Starting clean on a new platform protects your sender reputation.
3. Rebuild automations in priority order. Start with revenue-generating sequences (welcome series, abandoned cart, post-purchase) before recreating nurture campaigns and re-engagement flows.
4. Warm your new sending domain. Send to your most engaged subscribers first. Gradually increase volume over two to three weeks. Monitor bounce rates and spam complaints closely.
5. Run parallel systems for 14 days. Keep Keap active while your new platform handles live sends. Compare open rates, click rates, and deliverability metrics before fully cutting over.
6. Cancel Keap after confirming stability. Only cancel once you have verified that all automations are firing correctly, all integrations are connected, and deliverability metrics on the new platform match or exceed your Keap benchmarks.

For a deeper dive into the best marketing automation tools available today, our comprehensive guide covers platforms across every price point and use case.

Ready to switch?Start free with Mailsoftly →
500 contacts, 2,000 emails per month. Free hands-on migration. No credit card.

For the broader landscape, see our full comparison of marketing automation software tools covering 12 platforms across price tiers and use cases.

Looking for a simpler Keap alternative? See why teams switch to Mailsoftly as a Keap alternative — free hands-on migration in 1-2 hours, no contracts, real human support.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does Keap cost compared to its alternatives?

Keap’s Pro plan starts at $299 per month for 1,500 contacts, and its Max plan jumps to $399 per month. For a growing business with 5,000 contacts, costs reach $400 or more monthly before add-ons. Many alternatives deliver similar or superior automation for $39 to $100 per month, which is why cost-conscious teams are switching.

Is Keap worth the price for most growing businesses?

For most growing businesses, no. Keap’s Pro plan starts at $299/month for 1,500 contacts, significantly more than alternatives offering comparable or superior automation. The platform makes sense only if you heavily use its built-in CRM, invoicing, and appointment scheduling in a single workflow. If you primarily need email marketing and automation, platforms like Mailsoftly, ActiveCampaign, and Brevo deliver better value at every list size.

Can I migrate my automations from Keap to another platform?

Yes, but there is no one-click migration. You will need to export your contacts and tags from Keap, then rebuild your automation workflows in the new platform. Most alternatives (including Mailsoftly and ActiveCampaign) offer migration assistance or dedicated support to help you recreate your sequences. Budget two to three weeks for a complete migration with parallel testing.

What is the cheapest Keap alternative with automation?

Brevo offers the lowest entry point at $9/month for 5,000 emails with unlimited contacts. For a contacts-based model with automation, Mailsoftly’s free plan (500 contacts, 2,000 emails/month) lets you build and test automations at zero cost. The Basic plan at $39/month (annual) covers 5,000 contacts with full automation capabilities.

Which Keap alternative is best for e-commerce?

Klaviyo is the clear winner for e-commerce businesses. Its native integrations with Shopify, WooCommerce, and BigCommerce pull in purchase data and browsing behavior to power automated flows like abandoned cart recovery, post-purchase upsells, and win-back campaigns. Pricing starts at $100/month for 5,000 profiles.

Does Mailsoftly have a free plan?

Yes. Mailsoftly’s free plan includes 500 contacts, 2,000 emails per month, access to the visual automation builder, AI-powered segmentation, and email templates. No credit card is required, so you can start building campaigns immediately and test your workflows before you commit to a paid tier.

Alkan Balkaya

Founder & CEO at Mailsoftly

Alkan is the founder and CEO of Mailsoftly, building email marketing tools for businesses of all sizes. He writes about email marketing strategy, deliverability, and the future of marketing automation.