Constant Contact Alternatives for Churches (2026)

TL;DR: For churches wanting simple email without the learning curve, Groupmail offers the best balance of ease-of-use, human support, and nonprofit pricing—with a straightforward 30% discount on all paid plans. MailerLite provides a solid free tier for smaller congregations, while Flocknote combines email and texting specifically for churches. Constant Contact works but costs more than most alternatives and locks nonprofit discounts behind annual prepayment.

If you're a church administrator frustrated with Constant Contact's pricing or complexity, you're not alone. Many churches signed up years ago when the platform was simpler, only to find themselves paying more each year for features they never use. The good news: several alternatives now offer better value for organizations focused on member communication rather than marketing automation.

Disclosure: We're the team behind Groupmail—simple email software for organizations since 1996. We'll be upfront about where we fit and honest about alternatives.

Why Churches Need Simple Email Tools

Church communication isn't marketing. You're not nurturing leads through a sales funnel or A/B testing subject lines to maximize conversions. You're keeping your congregation informed about service times, sharing prayer requests, announcing potlucks, and building community.

Yet most email platforms—including Constant Contact—have evolved to serve e-commerce businesses and marketing teams. They've added automation workflows, landing page builders, CRM features, and AI-powered optimization tools. For a church secretary sending the weekly bulletin, this complexity creates unnecessary friction.

The result? Many churches find themselves paying for features they'll never touch while struggling to accomplish basic tasks. When your volunteer coordinator just needs to email the youth group about Sunday's event, a 15-step automation builder isn't helpful—it's overwhelming.

💡 Tip: Before evaluating any email tool, list what you actually need. For most churches: a simple editor, contact management, basic open-rate tracking, and reliable delivery. Everything else is a bonus.

What to Look For in Church Email Software

When comparing alternatives to Constant Contact, prioritize these factors:

Simplicity over features. Can a volunteer with basic computer skills send an email within 10 minutes of signing up? If the answer requires watching tutorial videos or attending a webinar, keep looking.

Nonprofit discounts. Most email platforms offer some discount for churches and nonprofits, but the terms vary widely. Some require annual prepayment; others apply discounts to all plans. Check the fine print.

Honest pricing. Beware of platforms that count unsubscribed contacts against your limit or charge overage fees for exceeding monthly send caps. Churches often have legacy contacts who've moved away—you shouldn't pay for people who can't receive your emails.

Reliable support. When something goes wrong before Sunday's service announcement, you need help from real people—not chatbots or forums. Check whether support is included with basic plans or reserved for premium tiers.

Deliverability. The best-designed email means nothing if it lands in spam folders. Look for platforms with strong sender reputations and proper authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC).

7 Best Constant Contact Alternatives for Churches

1. Groupmail

Best for: Churches wanting simplicity with human support Pricing: Free (500 contacts) | Starter €25/month | 30% church discount on all paid plans Website: groupmail.io

Groupmail takes the opposite approach from platforms chasing enterprise features. Built specifically for organizations—not marketers—it focuses on doing one thing well: helping you send updates to your members without complexity.

The editor is intentionally simple. You won't find 47 template categories or AI-powered subject line generators. Instead, you get a clean interface where you can write your message, add images, and send—typically within 10 minutes of creating an account.

What sets Groupmail apart for churches is the 30% nonprofit discount applied to all paid plans without requiring annual prepayment. Unlike Constant Contact's tiered discount structure (20% for 6-month prepay, 30% for 12-month), Groupmail's discount works whether you pay monthly or annually.

The BYOSMTP (Bring Your Own SMTP) model might initially seem like extra work, but it offers real advantages. By connecting your own email service (like SendGrid or SMTP2GO), you control your sender reputation and often reduce costs significantly.

Support comes from real humans who respond personally—not chatbots or ticket queues. For church staff juggling multiple responsibilities, getting a genuine answer quickly matters more than having access to a knowledge base with 500 articles.

Key Takeaway: Groupmail is purpose-built for organizations that want to send member updates without becoming email marketing experts. The nearly 30-year track record and human support provide stability that newer tools can't match.

2. MailerLite

Best for: Churches needing a strong free plan Pricing: Free (500 subscribers) | Growing Business $10/month | 30% nonprofit discount Website: mailerlite.com

MailerLite has earned a reputation as the budget-friendly choice for small organizations, and their nonprofit program reinforces this positioning. Churches receive a 30% discount on paid plans after providing documentation of their tax-exempt status.

The free plan supports up to 500 subscribers with 12,000 monthly emails—generous for small congregations. You'll get access to the drag-and-drop editor, automation builder, and landing pages, though you won't have access to newsletter templates until you upgrade.

For churches with limited budgets, MailerLite's pricing at scale remains competitive. The Growing Business plan starts at $10/month for 500 subscribers, rising to $25/month for 2,500 and $39/month for 5,000.

The platform strikes a reasonable balance between simplicity and capability. It's more feature-rich than Groupmail but less overwhelming than Constant Contact or Mailchimp. Churches comfortable with technology will appreciate the automation options for new member welcome sequences or event reminders.

One consideration: MailerLite's free plan includes their logo on your emails, which can look unprofessional for official church communications. Budget for the paid plan if branding matters to your congregation.

3. Flocknote

Best for: Churches wanting email + text messaging in one platform Pricing: Free (under 40 members) | Starts at $8/month based on member count Website: flocknote.com

Unlike general-purpose email tools adapted for churches, Flocknote was built specifically for religious organizations. This shows in both the feature set and the company culture—they understand that church communication differs fundamentally from business marketing.

The standout feature is combined email and text messaging. When you send a note through Flocknote, members receive it via their preferred channel—email for those who prefer detailed updates, text for those who want quick notifications. This hybrid approach improves reach, especially for time-sensitive announcements.

Pricing scales based on member count rather than contact tiers, which can be more predictable for budgeting. Churches under 40 members use it free; larger congregations pay based on their roster size. All plans include unlimited sends—no worrying about hitting monthly limits before sending your Sunday bulletin.

Flocknote Complete adds a member database, household management, attendance tracking, and online giving for an additional $75/month. For churches seeking an all-in-one solution, this consolidation can simplify administration.

The trade-off: Flocknote focuses specifically on churches, so you won't find the advanced marketing features available in general-purpose platforms. For most congregations, this is a feature, not a bug.

4. Mailchimp

Best for: Churches needing extensive integrations Pricing: Free (500 contacts) | Essentials $13/month | 15% nonprofit discount Website: mailchimp.com

Mailchimp remains the default choice for many organizations simply because of name recognition. The platform offers robust features, extensive integrations, and a familiar interface that many volunteers may already know.

However, several factors make it less ideal for churches than it once was.

The 15% nonprofit discount—while better than nothing—falls short of competitors offering 30% or more. And unlike Constant Contact, Mailchimp counts all contacts against your limit, including unsubscribed members. For churches with long membership histories, this inflates costs unnecessarily.

Pricing has also increased substantially over the years. The free plan now limits you to 500 contacts and 1,000 monthly sends (with a 500 daily cap)—down from 2,000 contacts previously. The Essentials plan at $13/month provides more headroom but lacks scheduling and advanced automation.

Where Mailchimp excels is integration breadth. If your church uses specific tools for donations, events, or member management, Mailchimp likely connects with them. This ecosystem lock-in keeps many organizations on the platform despite higher costs.

For churches willing to invest time learning the platform, Mailchimp's automation capabilities are genuinely powerful. But for simple weekly bulletins and event announcements, you're paying for complexity you won't use.

5. Buttondown

Best for: Small churches wanting minimal, writer-focused email Pricing: Free (100 subscribers) | $9/month at 100+ | 50% nonprofit discount Website: buttondown.com

Buttondown takes minimalism seriously. Built by a small, independent team, it focuses on the writing experience rather than marketing features. For church leaders who see their newsletter as a pastoral letter rather than a marketing campaign, this philosophy resonates.

The 50% nonprofit discount—the highest on this list—makes Buttondown exceptionally affordable. A church with 500 members would pay roughly $9/month after the discount, compared to $35/month or more on other platforms.

The interface feels different from traditional email marketing tools. It supports Markdown for those comfortable with it, offers a clean writing environment, and avoids the template-heavy approach of competitors. Emails look more like personal letters than marketing campaigns—which may be exactly what your congregation prefers.

For very small churches or those sending occasional updates rather than weekly newsletters, Buttondown's free plan covers up to 100 subscribers. The upgrade path is straightforward without the tier complexity of larger platforms.

The trade-off is feature depth. You won't find elaborate automation, detailed segmentation, or the template library available elsewhere. Buttondown assumes you want to write and send—not build marketing funnels. For many churches, this constraint is liberating.

6. Brevo (formerly Sendinblue)

Best for: Churches needing email + transactional messages Pricing: Free (300 emails/day) | Starter $9/month | 15% nonprofit discount (Enterprise) Website: brevo.com

Brevo structures pricing differently from most competitors—you pay based on emails sent rather than contacts stored. For churches with large membership rolls but modest sending frequency, this model can reduce costs significantly.

The free plan allows 300 emails daily—sufficient for many small to mid-sized congregations. Unlike contact-based pricing, you won't pay more just because your membership list grows. You only pay when you send.

The nonprofit discount (15%) applies to Enterprise plans, making it less accessible for smaller churches. However, the volume-based pricing often makes Brevo competitive even without discounts.

Beyond email, Brevo offers SMS marketing, chat, and CRM features. Churches that want to consolidate communication tools might find value here, though the added features also add complexity.

The interface is more marketing-focused than some alternatives, with terminology and features oriented toward e-commerce and lead generation. Churches will need to navigate around irrelevant options, but the core email functionality remains solid.

7. Constant Contact (the incumbent)

Best for: Churches already invested in the ecosystem Pricing: Lite $12/month | Standard $35/month | 20-30% nonprofit discount (prepay required) Website: constantcontact.com

If you're reading this article, you may already know Constant Contact's limitations. But for completeness: the platform offers capable email marketing with good deliverability and decent templates.

The nonprofit discount structure requires prepayment—20% for 6 months, 30% for 12 months. Churches paying monthly receive no discount. This creates cash flow challenges for organizations operating on tight budgets.

Phone support remains a genuine differentiator. Unlike many competitors that limit support to chat or email, Constant Contact offers phone assistance—valuable when you need immediate help before a time-sensitive send.

The platform has grown complex over the years, adding features for social media posting, surveys, event management, and e-commerce. For churches that use these features, the all-in-one approach has value. For those who don't, it's unnecessary overhead.

At current pricing, Constant Contact costs 50-100% more than most alternatives for equivalent contact counts. The question isn't whether it works—it does—but whether the premium is justified for your specific needs.

⚠️ Watch out: Many email tools count unsubscribed contacts against your plan limits. Check the fine print—you might be paying for people who can't receive your emails.

Quick Comparison Table

Which Tool Is Right for Your Church?

Choose Groupmail if you want the simplest possible experience with human support and straightforward nonprofit pricing.

Choose MailerLite if you need a capable free plan and appreciate having automation options available as you grow. The 30% nonprofit discount keeps paid plans affordable.

Choose Flocknote if reaching members via both email and text matters to your ministry. The church-specific features and member database may eliminate the need for separate tools.

Choose Mailchimp if you're already using it and integration with other tools outweighs cost concerns. Migration has real costs—sometimes staying put makes sense.

Choose Buttondown if your church sends occasional updates and appreciates a writing-focused, minimalist approach. The 50% nonprofit discount makes it the most affordable option on this list.

Choose Brevo if you have a large contact list but send infrequently. Volume-based pricing favors churches with modest sending needs.

Stay with Constant Contact if you're using its event management or e-commerce features, or if your team is comfortable with the platform and phone support matters.

Conclusion

For most churches, Constant Contact costs more than necessary for simpler needs. Alternatives like Groupmail, MailerLite, and Buttondown offer better value for organizations focused on member communication rather than marketing automation.

The right choice depends on your congregation's size, technical comfort, and specific needs. But if you've been paying Constant Contact prices for years while only using basic features, it's worth testing alternatives—most offer free plans or trials that let you evaluate without commitment.

Ready to send your first bulletin? Try Groupmail free—set up in 10 minutes, no credit card required. Built for churches and organizations, not marketers.