Quick answer: Our top pick is GetResponse, followed by Mailchimp and Kartra. Entry prices start near $59/mo. All 5 are compared below on price, strengths and the key trade-off of each, so you can match one to your needs.
Choosing the right tool here comes down to fit, not hype. This guide rounds up the 5 tools we'd actually recommend for ms, with what each does best, what it costs, and who should pick it.
Rankings here reward real-world fit over feature counts: how each tool performs on the exact job above, what it costs, and how quickly a new user gets value. Prices reflect public plans at the time of writing.
No free plan; Kickstarter/Basic from ~$89/mo up to Growth and Pro tiers.
Course and membership creators
The picks, ranked
1. GetResponse All-in-One Marketing
All-in-one email marketing with automation, webinars, landing pages and AI campaign tools. A strong default when webinars + email in one tool is the priority.
Why it's on this list: One of the few platforms that bundles webinar hosting directly with email marketing and automation. Built for sMBs and course/webinar sellers who want email plus webinars and landing pages in a single subscription.
Standout features:
Built-in webinar hosting (up to 100 attendees on Marketer)
Best-known email marketing brand with audience tools, automations and an all-in-one marketing suite. A strong default when brand-name familiarity is the priority.
Why it's on this list: The household-name email tool: easiest to recognize and start with, though no longer the value leader. Built for brand-conscious beginners and small businesses who want a familiar, polished tool and aren't price-optimizing.
Standout features:
Predictive segmentation and send-time optimization (higher tiers)
Marketing CRM and reporting dashboards
Standout strength: Good for beginners getting started quickly.
Worth knowing: Billing counts subscribed, unsubscribed and non-subscribed contacts.
Pricing: Free up to ~500 contacts; Essentials, Standard and Premium tiers scaling with contacts.
All-in-one platform combining email, funnels, checkout, memberships and helpdesk. A strong default when funnels + email + checkout in one is the priority.
Why it's on this list: Combines email, funnels, checkout, memberships and a helpdesk so online businesses can run on one stack. A natural fit for online businesses and course/membership sellers who want one platform instead of stitching tools together.
Standout features:
Built-in helpdesk and calendar/scheduling
Webinars (Growth+) and funnel simulation
Standout strength: Strong checkout, affiliate and membership features.
Worth knowing: Pricing scales by contact count; webinars/quizzes gated to Growth+.
Pricing: No free plan (trial); Starter from ~$99/mo up to Growth and Professional tiers.
All-in-one funnels, email, courses and affiliate management with a generous free tier. Picked here for how cleanly it handles solopreneurs on a budget.
Why it's on this list: An all-in-one funnel/course/email platform with a free tier that is actually usable, not a time-limited trial. Made for solopreneurs and beginners on tight budgets who want funnels, courses and email in one cheap (or free) tool.
Standout features:
Unlimited email sends on every plan including free
Blog and website builder with custom domains
Standout strength: Cheapest all-in-one for funnels + courses + email.
Worth knowing: Free plan is permanent (no credit card) with unlimited email sends.
Pricing: Free plan (real, not trial); Startup ~$17/mo; Webinar ~$47/mo; Unlimited ~$97/mo.
All-in-one course, membership and digital product platform with built-in email marketing and funnels. Picked here for how cleanly it handles course and membership creators.
Why it's on this list: The premium all-in-one for course and membership creators who want email built into their product platform. Built for course creators, coaches and digital-product sellers who want one platform for content, email and checkout.
Standout features:
Coaching, communities and podcasting tools
0% transaction fees
Standout strength: Polished, reliable platform with strong creator tooling.
Work backwards from the one job you most need done. Match it to the entry whose ‘why it's on this list’ lines up, sanity-check the pricing against your budget, then shortlist two and trial them on the same real task. Whichever clears your workflow with the least friction is your pick.
FAQ
What is the best option in this list?
For most people, GetResponse is the strongest all-round pick in this guide, but the right choice depends on your budget and exact workflow.
Are there free options?
Yes — GetResponse, Kartra, Systeme.io and Kajabi offer a free plan or tier, so you can validate fit before paying. Check each entry's pricing line above.
How were these tools chosen?
Each pick is judged on fit for the specific job in this guide — its real strengths, pricing and who it suits — using features and facts drawn from independent reviews and the vendors' own documentation, cited in Sources below.
How often is this guide updated?
We revisit pricing and rankings regularly as vendors change plans and ship features.
Sources
The features, strengths and facts cited for each pick above are drawn from these independent reviews and vendor pages: