Running a church isn’t just preaching on Sunday.
It’s planning events, replying to messages, managing volunteers, and making sure everyone (from first-time visitors to lifelong members) feels seen and supported.
You shouldn’t need a full tech team just to send an email.
- Maybe you want to welcome newcomers with a warm note.
- Send a prayer request to 200 people in one click.
- Or remind everyone about this weekend’s service, potluck, or youth gathering.
Email can do all of that—if you’ve got the right tool.
BUT: Most email platforms weren’t built for churches. They’re too complex, too expensive, or just too much.
This guide breaks down the best email tools that actually work for churches—so you can connect faster, reach more people, and focus on your calling, not your calendar.
Key Takeaways From Our Guide
This list contains the top-rated church email marketing tools: 1) Encharge • 2) Mailchimp • 3) Constant Contact • 4) Breeze • 5) Brevo • 6) VerticalResponse • 7) MailerLite.
Here’s a shorter version:
- Encharge – Best for automation and segmentation
- Mailchimp – Best for small churches starting out
- Constant Contact – Best for event emails and RSVPs
- Breeze ChMS – Best all-in-one church tool
- Brevo – Best for email + SMS on a budget
- VerticalResponse – Best for basic free emailing
- MailerLite – Best for design + nonprofit discount
Above is a list of the best email marketing platforms designed for churches.
Bear in mind, that’s just the short answer — if you’re looking a for a detailed comparison, please keep reading this guide.
I’ll break down everything in just a bit.
Contents
Why Do Churches Need Email Marketing Software?
Answer: Churches need email marketing software to effectively communicate with their congregation, automate tasks like event reminders and donation appeals, and personalize messages for different groups (e.g., donors, volunteers).
Though, these are 4 of my favourite reasons:
- Efficient Communication: Send event updates, announcements, and prayer requests directly to the congregation.
- Automation: Automate newsletters, reminders, and follow-ups to save time and stay consistent.
- Personalization: Segment your audience (donors, volunteers, newcomers) for targeted, relevant messages.
- Track Engagement: Measure open rates, clicks, and conversions to improve communication strategies.
Essentially, it saves time, improves engagement, and helps track the impact of communications, ensuring that important updates reach the right people at the right time.
What to Look for in a Church Email Service Provider
You’ll need to select one that fits your unique needs — whether you’re managing event invitations, prayer requests, or donation appeals. The right platform will help you engage your congregation, communicate effectively, and save time.
Here are the key factors to consider.
1. Simple, Intuitive Design for Volunteers
Church staff and volunteers aren’t always tech-savvy, so it’s essential to pick an email service provider with an easy-to-use interface.
Look for platforms with drag-and-drop email builders, pre-designed templates, and simple automation tools that don’t require any technical expertise to manage.
2. Congregation Segmentation and Targeted Messaging
Your church community includes donors, volunteers, new members, and regular attendees.
A good email provider will allow you to segment these groups easily, so you can send personalized messages for different needs—whether it’s a donation request for one group or event reminders for another.
3. Nonprofit-Friendly Pricing and Discounts
Churches operate on tight budgets, so finding an email service provider that offers nonprofit pricing or discounts is crucial. Ensure the platform offers cost-effective plans based on your congregation size and provides all the essential features for growing your church community without breaking the bank.
7 Best Email Marketing Software for Churches
As of 2025, these are the best email service platforms for churches: Encharge, Mailchimp, Constant Contact, and 3 other tools.
Join me as we start to explore them!
1. Encharge
- Free Trial: 14 days
- Paid Plans: Start at $79/month
- Our Rating: ⭐️ 4.9/5
- Best For: Churches seeking to automate communications, nurture member engagement, and streamline outreach efforts
Encharge is more than just an email tool — it’s a comprehensive platform designed to help churches automate their communication processes.
Whether you’re welcoming new visitors, sending out weekly service reminders, or following up on prayer requests, Encharge enables you to create personalized journeys that resonate with your congregation.
Encharge’s best features for Churches:
- Visual Automation Builder: Craft customized email sequences for various church activities
- Behavior-Based Triggers: Send emails based on member interactions, such as event sign-ups or donations
- Segmentation: Organize contacts by ministry involvement, volunteer roles, or engagement levels
- Integrations: Connect seamlessly with tools like Stripe, Typeform, and popular CRMs
- Email Personalization: Tailor messages to individual recipients for a personal touch
- A/B Testing: Optimize email content and subject lines to improve engagement
- Automates personalized church communications
- Ideal for visitor follow-ups and ministry-specific emails
- Segments congregation based on involvement and interests
- Supports long-term engagement and discipleship efforts
- Not specifically tailored for church use, but adaptable
- Lacks pre-designed sermon or ministry templates
- Higher cost compared to basic email tools, but consolidates multiple functions
Encharge’s use cases for Churches: Welcome new visitors with a warm intro series. Set up automated reminders for Bible studies, prayer groups, or Sunday services.
Trigger follow-up emails after events or giving. Encharge helps churches stay consistent with their outreach, while freeing up time for ministry.
Why Encharge is the best email service provider for Churches: Encharge empowers churches to maintain meaningful connections with their congregation through automated, personalized communication.
Encharge’s features allow for efficient management of outreach efforts, ensuring that each member feels valued and engaged.
Encharge’s pricing for Church email automation:
- Up to 1,000 subscribers — $49/month
Ideal for smaller congregations or churches just starting with email automation. Includes all features. - Up to 5,000 subscribers — $99/month
Great for growing communities that need advanced workflows and segmentation across different member groups. - Up to 10,000 subscribers — $149/month
Best for larger churches running multiple campaigns, newsletters, and follow-ups for various ministries.
2. Mailchimp
- Free Plan: Up to 500 contacts and 1,000 emails/month
- Paid Plans: Start at $13/month
- Our Rating: ⭐️ 4.0/5
- Best For: Churches that want a familiar name and easy email templates
Mailchimp is probably the most well-known email tool on this list — and for good reason. It’s beginner-friendly, comes with plenty of design options, and works well for churches that want to send out weekly updates, devotionals, or event invites without overthinking the tech.
That said, as your list grows, so does the price.
And many churches eventually hit a wall with automation unless they upgrade.
Mailchimp’s church features:
- Drag-and-drop email editor with mobile-ready templates
- Audience segmentation by group, attendance, or ministry
- Basic automation flows for new visitor welcome or prayer follow-up
- Canva integration for sermon graphics and event flyers
Mailchimp’s pricing for Churches:
- Free Plan – $0/month
Includes up to 500 contacts and basic features; good for small churches starting out. - Essentials Plan – from $13/month
Adds templates, A/B testing, and basic automations; scales with contact size. - Standard Plan – from $20/month
Offers advanced automations and insights; ideal for growing churches with more complex needs. - Premium Plan – from $350/month
Built for large organizations; includes advanced segmentation and priority support.
Mailchimp use cases for Churches: Send weekly newsletters, sermon recaps, or devotionals. Welcome new guests after Sunday service with a simple email flow.
Design eye-catching invites for Easter, Christmas, or baptisms with Canva integration.
Why Mailchimp works for Churches: Mailchimp is easy to get started with, looks polished, and covers the basics well. It’s a great choice for smaller churches or those just starting to build an email list.
Just keep an eye on costs as your list grows.
Churches can request a 15% nonprofit discount on any paid plan after verification.
3. Constant Contact
- Free Trial: 60 days
- Paid Plans: Start at $12/month
- Our Rating: ⭐️ 4.2/5
- Best For: Churches that want easy setup, event tools, and solid support
Constant Contact is known for being beginner-friendly — and that’s a big win for churches that don’t have a tech team. It gives you all the basics, from templates to list segmentation, and it shines when it comes to event-related emails with RSVP tracking.
It may not be as advanced in automation as others, but it’s reliable, simple to use, and backed by great customer support.
Constant Contact’s best features for Churches:
- Drag-and-drop email builder with ministry-ready templates
- RSVP tracking and event management features
- Basic list segmentation by age group, small group, or role
- Social media scheduling built into the platform
Constant Contact pricing for Churches:
- Lite Plan – from $12/month
Basic email features for small churches (templates, welcome emails, social posts); up to 500 contacts. - Standard Plan – from $35/month
Adds A/B testing, pre-built automations, segmentation, and social ads; better for growing churches. - Premium Plan – from $80/month
Full marketing suite with dynamic content, SEO tools, advanced automation, and Google Ads; for larger teams.
Constant Contact use cases for Churches: Send event invites with RSVP tracking for baptisms, holiday services, or church potlucks. Create email lists for different ministries or teams. Keep members updated weekly — even from your phone.
Why Constant Contact works for Churches: It’s simple, reliable, and gives your church all the essentials for email communication — with the bonus of built-in event tools and top-notch support if you need help along the way.
4. Breeze ChMS
- Free Trial: 30 days
- Paid Plans: Flat $72/month
- Our Rating: ⭐️ 4.3/5
- Best For: Churches that want email and full church management in one place
Breeze isn’t just an email marketing tool — it’s a full Church Management System (ChMS) with built-in email and text capabilities. If you want to manage your member database, track giving, check people into events, and still send great-looking emails, Breeze does all of that under one roof.
It’s not as advanced as standalone email platforms for automation, but if you want simplicity and all your church tools in one dashboard, it’s hard to beat.
Breeze’s best features for Churches:
- Built-in email and SMS messaging
- Member database with tags and filters
- Online giving tools and donation history tracking
- Event check-ins and volunteer management
This is how much Breeze ChMS costs:
- Flat pricing: $72/month
Includes unlimited users and access to all features — no hidden fees or tiered plans. - Key features:
Member management, event scheduling, email/text communication, donation tracking, volunteer coordination, and mobile access. - Best for:
Small to mid-sized churches that want a simple, all-in-one church management system with predictable pricing.
Breeze ChMS use cases for Churches: Use Breeze to manage members, track giving, and communicate with your congregation — all from the same place. Send text or email reminders, coordinate events, and keep everything organized in one tool.
Why Breeze ChMS works for Churches: It’s built from the ground up for church life — not just email. If you want one system to handle members, communication, and giving, Breeze is a simple, all-in-one option that saves time and avoids tool overload.
5. Brevo
- Free Plan: Up to 300 emails/day with unlimited contacts
- Paid Plans: Start at $9/month
- Our Rating: ⭐️ 4.3/5
- Best For: Churches that want both email and SMS on a budget
Brevo is a great pick for churches looking to stay connected through both email and SMS without spending much. The free plan is generous, and its paid plans are based on email volume — not contacts — so you’re not penalized as your church community grows.
You also get basic automation, strong segmentation tools, and the ability to send quick announcements via text, which is great for service reminders or last-minute updates.
Brevo’s best features for Churches:
- Email + SMS marketing in one place
- Drag-and-drop email editor with clean templates
- Automated follow-ups and scheduling
- Segmentation by group, ministry, or engagement
- Transactional emails (great for confirmations or receipts)
Brevo’s cost for Churches:
- Free Plan: Allows up to 300 emails per day with unlimited contacts. Includes features like customizable templates, drag-and-drop editor, transactional emails, and basic automation.
- Starter Plan: Starts at $9/month for 5,000 emails. Offers no daily sending limit, basic reporting, and the option to remove Brevo branding for an additional fee.
- Business Plan: Begins at $18/month for 5,000 emails. Includes advanced features such as marketing automation, A/B testing, advanced analytics, landing pages, and multi-user access.
- Enterprise Plan: Custom pricing tailored to specific needs. Offers unlimited contacts, advanced integrations, dedicated account management, and personalized onboarding.
Brevo use cases for Churches: Send last-minute SMS service reminders, follow up with new visitors via email, or manage multilingual outreach from the same dashboard. Perfect for churches with members spread across time zones or platforms.
Why Brevo works for Churches: It’s flexible, affordable, and gives you multi-channel outreach without the complexity. Especially helpful for churches that serve diverse or mobile congregations and want reliable communication tools.
6. VerticalResponse
- Free Plan: Up to 300 contacts and 4,000 emails/month
- Paid Plans: Start at $11/month
- Our Rating: ⭐️ 4.1/5
- Best For: Small churches that want a free, no-fuss way to stay in touch
VerticalResponse is a simple, budget-friendly platform that covers the basics.
For smaller churches, the free plan might be all you need — it includes decent templates, list management, and the ability to schedule emails in advance.
It’s not built with deep automation or personalization in mind, but if you just need to send out weekly emails, updates, or announcements, this keeps things easy.
VerticalResponse’s cost for Churches:
- Basic Plan – Starting at $13/month for up to 500 contacts
Includes unlimited emails, customizable pop-up forms, landing pages, automated follow-ups, and live customer support. - Pro Plan – Starting at $19/month for up to 500 contacts
Offers all Basic features plus advanced reporting, A/B subject line testing, delivery rate review, and 10 Test Kit credits per month. - Pay-As-You-Go – Ideal for infrequent senders
Purchase email credits as needed, with prices starting at $25 for 1,000 emails.
VerticalResponse use cases for Churches: Send your weekly service update, create a quick Easter or Christmas email, or remind members about an upcoming event. Great for small congregations that need simple and effective email communication.
Why VerticalResponse works for Churches: It’s a no-frills tool with a generous free plan. Perfect if you just need to stay in touch without dealing with tech headaches or high costs.
7. MailerLite
- Free Plan: Up to 1,000 subscribers and 12,000 emails/month
- Paid Plans: Start at $10/month
- Our Rating: ⭐️ 4.5/5
- Best For: Churches that want modern emails, easy automation, and a great nonprofit discount
MailerLite is a favorite for churches that want a fresh-looking email without needing a designer. It’s simple, clean, and gets the job done — whether you’re sending devotionals, event invites, or organizing follow-up emails for new visitors.
It also offers a 30% nonprofit discount, which makes it one of the best value picks for ministries that want both design and automation power at a low price.
MailerLite’s best features for Churches:
- Drag-and-drop email editor with clean, modern templates
- Automation builder for welcome emails, giving reminders, etc.
- Landing pages for events, sign-ups, or volunteer calls
- Segmentation based on behavior, tags, or engagement
MailerLite’s cost for Churches:
- Free Plan: Allows up to 1,000 subscribers and 12,000 emails per month. Includes basic features like drag-and-drop editor, automation, landing pages, and surveys.
- Growing Business Plan: Starts at $10/month for up to 1,000 subscribers. Offers unlimited emails, access to additional templates, dynamic emails, and 24/7 email support.
- Advanced Plan: Begins at $21/month for up to 1,000 subscribers. Adds features such as promotion pop-ups, Facebook custom audiences, multiple automation triggers, and 24/7 live chat support.
- Enterprise Plan: Custom pricing for organizations with over 100,000 subscribers. Includes dedicated account management, deliverability consultation, and other tailored services.
MailerLite use cases for Churches: Send clean, modern emails for sermons, events, or devotionals. Automate sequences to follow up with new guests or nurture consistent giving.
Use landing pages for youth sign-ups or missions.
Why MailerLite works for Churches: It’s affordable, flexible, and offers just the right balance of design and automation. Especially useful for churches that want to look professional without spending a fortune.
All Church ESPs, Compared
| # | App Name | Pricing | Score | Pro | Con |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Encharge | $49–$149/mo | ⭐️ 4.9/5 | Strong automation | No church templates |
| 2 | Mailchimp | $0–$350+/mo | ⭐️ 4.0/5 | Easy to start | Expensive at scale |
| 3 | Constant Contact | $12–$80/mo | ⭐️ 4.2/5 | Great for events | Basic automation |
| 4 | Breeze ChMS | $72/mo flat | ⭐️ 4.3/5 | All-in-one system | Simple email tools |
| 5 | Brevo | $0–custom pricing | ⭐️ 4.3/5 | Email + SMS | Clunky builder |
| 6 | VerticalResponse | $0–$19+/mo | ⭐️ 4.1/5 | Generous free plan | No automation |
| 7 | MailerLite | $0–$21+/mo | ⭐️ 4.5/5 | Nonprofit discount | Fewer integrations |
The 14 Benefits of Doing Email Marketing For Your Church
Email marketing isn’t just for businesses — it’s a powerful tool for churches to connect with their congregation, share updates, and inspire action.
Here’s why it’s crucial for your church’s outreach strategy.
- Direct, Personal Communication: Reach your congregation directly without relying on social media algorithms.
- Build Stronger Relationships: Keep your church members engaged with regular updates, prayer requests, and community news.
- Encourage Donations: Send donation appeals and reminders to keep your church’s financial support on track.
- Event Promotion: Easily promote church events and activities, ensuring more people know about them and can RSVP.
- Automate Communication: Set up automated messages for new members, event reminders, or follow-up emails, saving your team time.
- Segment Your Audience: Target specific groups (e.g., volunteers, donors, families) with tailored messages that speak directly to their needs.
- Increase Volunteer Engagement: Keep volunteers informed, motivated, and involved with personalized emails about upcoming tasks and thank-you messages.
- Track Engagement: Measure open rates, clicks, and donations to see what content resonates most with your community.
- Reach the Community Anywhere: Send emails that are mobile-friendly, ensuring that your congregation can read them on the go.
- Enhance Worship Services: Send out weekly service reminders, worship song lists, and sermon notes to prepare your congregation.
- Share Inspirational Content: Deliver uplifting messages, Bible verses, and devotionals that can help strengthen the faith of your community.
- Build a Larger Network: Use emails to invite newcomers to church services, events, or small groups.
- Create a Consistent Presence: Stay in front of your congregation’s minds with regular communication — without overwhelming them.
- Save Money on Communication: Email marketing is a low-cost, high-impact way to reach your congregation without expensive mailouts or advertising.
Email marketing can take your church’s outreach to the next level by improving communication, increasing engagement, and helping with important church functions like fundraising, event promotion, and volunteer coordination.
With the right tools, your church can maintain meaningful connections with your congregation and grow its impact.
The Verdict: Which Email Platform Should Churches Use?
From simple communication to advanced automation, each platform offers different strengths, so it’s important to align your choice with your goals.
For churches seeking a comprehensive, scalable solution that grows with your community, Encharge is the clear winner. Its powerful automation, easy segmentation, and ability to personalize messages at scale make it the best choice for churches looking to engage their congregation effectively.
While other platforms like Mailchimp and Brevo are good for basic needs, Encharge stands out for its robust features that support churches as they grow and connect with their members.
FAQ: Church Email Marketing
1. Is email marketing software for churches expensive?
There are affordable options for churches, with some software offering nonprofit discounts. For example, Encharge offers robust features at a competitive price and frequently provides discounts for nonprofit organizations.
Other tools like MailerLite and Brevo also offer free or low-cost plans with essential features for smaller churches.
2. What features should I look for in email marketing software for churches?
Look for features like:
- Email automation: Automatically send newsletters, event reminders, and donation requests.
- Custom templates: Create visually appealing emails tailored to your church’s brand.
- List segmentation: Target specific groups within your congregation (e.g., volunteers, donors, newcomers).
- Analytics and reporting: Track email performance to optimize your campaigns.
3. Can email marketing software help with fundraising for my church?
Yes, email marketing software can be an effective tool for fundraising. Many platforms, including Encharge, allow you to set up automated campaigns for donation requests, fundraisers, or tithing reminders.
Integrations with payment systems can make the donation process seamless and trackable.
Thank you so much for reading this,
David Ch
Head of Marketing at Encharge
