Tools I actually use to run the Revenue Engine.
Not a review site. Not a ranking. The tools that sit behind SendFocus, my client work, and every Revenue Engine I build. If it's not here, I don't use it.
Every "Try [Tool]" link on this page — Beehiiv, Kit, GetResponse, Brevo, and Constant Contact — is an affiliate link. If you sign up through one, SendFocus earns a commission at no additional cost to you. In compliance with the FTC's 16 CFR Part 255 endorsement guidelines: Carlos only recommends tools he actively uses with paying clients, and commission rates do not influence which tools appear here or the order they're listed in. If a higher-paying tool came along that didn't meet the bar, it wouldn't make this page.
Tools are the cheapest part of running a newsletter business.
Most operators spend six months picking the perfect email platform and two hours thinking about what they're going to email people. That's backwards.
Every tool on this page is one I've used to ship real revenue for real clients. Some are best in class. Some are simply the tool I happen to trust after years of watching them hold up under pressure. Where I have a preference between two tools in the same category, I say so.
A few of these links are affiliate links. If you buy through them, I get paid. If that changes which tool I'd recommend, I wouldn't put my name on this page.
Where the revenue actually happens.
The platforms I recommend depending on who you are and what you're trying to do. All of these work. The choice is about fit, not quality.
The best email platform for operators in 2026.
Beehiiv was built for people who think of a newsletter as a business, not a blog. Segmentation that actually works, native monetization surfaces, referral mechanics, ad network, and genuinely clean deliverability. This is what SendFocus runs on. It's what I recommend first to every new client unless there's a specific reason not to.
Primary ESP for SendFocus and the Sender Society cohort. Sends the Revenue Engine nurture sequence, the weekly newsletter, and every segmented campaign.
Try BeehiivThe creator's ESP, maturing into a real platform.
Kit is the right answer if you're a creator selling digital products, courses, or coaching — and you care about tagging subscribers by behavior across a complex funnel. The visual automation builder is still best in class. Commerce is solid. I'd pick Kit over Beehiiv only if your whole business runs on behavior-tagged product sequences.
For creator clients with layered product ladders, Kit's tagging model is faster to build out than Beehiiv's equivalents.
Try KitThe workhorse for ecommerce and course operators.
GetResponse quietly built one of the most complete marketing toolkits in the space. ESP, landing pages, webinar hosting, AI email writer, and a shockingly good automation builder. If you run an ecommerce brand or a course business and you want one platform doing the job of four, this is it.
Recommended for ecommerce clients who need ESP + landing pages + automation under one roof. Also the tool I point agencies at when they need a multi-client setup.
Try GetResponseThe hybrid for anyone sending transactional + marketing email.
Brevo (née Sendinblue) is in a league of its own because it does SMTP, transactional, and marketing email from one account. If you run a SaaS product or an ecommerce store where transactional email volume matters as much as campaign volume, Brevo's pricing model makes more sense than anyone else's. Pay for what you send, not for how many contacts you store.
Recommended for SaaS clients who need to unify product email and marketing email under one roof.
Try BrevoThe right answer for traditional small businesses.
Constant Contact gets dismissed in operator circles, but if you're a small local business that needs to send a clean monthly email to a 2,000 person list and not touch anything technical, it's perfect. The UI is stable, deliverability is solid, and the learning curve is the shallowest in the category.
Recommended for brick and mortar clients, traditional B2B operators, and anyone who wants to run email without wanting to become an email operator.
Try Constant ContactStill unsure which one?
One sentence per situation. Pick the closest match.
- If you're a creator with products or a course→ Beehiiv first, Kit if you need deep tag-based funnels.
- If you run ecommerce→ GetResponse for automation depth, Beehiiv if you want simpler reporting.
- If you run a SaaS product→ Brevo for unified transactional + marketing, GetResponse if you need marketing-only.
- If you run a local or small traditional business→ Constant Contact. Don't overthink it.
- If you're starting from scratch in 2026→ Beehiiv. The platform is moving the fastest and the features compound.
Pick one. Ship.
The tool is the cheapest part of running a newsletter. Six months of indecision costs more than any ESP ever will. Pick the one that fits your situation, sign up today, and come back in 90 days when you've actually shipped something.
If you want the framework that turns whichever tool you pick into actual revenue, the Revenue Engine is free, 32 pages, and in your inbox two minutes after you drop your email.
Disclosure: Beehiiv, Kit, GetResponse, Brevo, and Constant Contact links on this page are affiliate links. If you purchase through any of them, SendFocus earns a commission at no additional cost to you. We only recommend tools Carlos actively uses with clients. Commission structure does not influence which tools appear on this page.