- SendPulse scores highest (86/100) for agencies that bill for service rather than resell software: one-click access to every client account, 30 to 50% recurring commission, a free plan for small clients and email, SMS, WhatsApp and Instagram chat from one account.
- ActiveCampaign (83) is the pick if white label is a requirement: a rebrandable agency program with subaccounts, widely reported at about $97 a month for three client accounts.
- Brevo (76) and GetResponse MAX (74) offer subaccounts and white label at enterprise prices; HubSpot (70) is the strongest CRM but charges partners $400 a month for membership unless they buy $400 of software.
- Mailchimp (68), Klaviyo (69) and MailerLite (63) manage multiple clients by switching between separate accounts, with separate billing for each.
- Whatever you choose, authenticate every client's sending domain separately. SPF, DKIM and DMARC belong to the client, not the agency.
Email marketing for agencies is a different purchase from email marketing for one business, whether the agency is a digital agency, a design studio or a freelancer with a client roster. An agency needs one login for many client accounts, a way to bill or earn on each, a white label option if it resells, and a platform that clients will not outgrow. Most “best email marketing platform for agencies” lists repeat HubSpot, Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign and Klaviyo without the client account management, white label and pricing details that decide the choice. This page scores eight platforms on a published 100-point agency rubric.
The short answer. For an agency that runs campaigns for clients and earns on the software, SendPulse scores highest (86/100): the Agency Area gives one-click access to every client account, partners earn 30 to 50% recurring commission, small clients can start on the free plan, and every client list can be used for email, SMS, WhatsApp and Instagram chat. It has no white label. If white label is a requirement, ActiveCampaign (83) is the pick: a rebrandable agency program with subaccounts. Brevo (76) and GetResponse MAX (74) add subaccounts and white label at enterprise prices, HubSpot (70) is the CRM-first option with a $400 a month partner membership, and Klaviyo (69), Mailchimp (68) and MailerLite (63) handle multiple clients by switching between separate accounts.
Prices were read from official pricing and partner pages on September 29, 2026, or, where a page could not be loaded from the US, taken from widely reported figures and written as “about $X”.
Email marketing platforms for agencies compared
| Platform | Score /100 | Client account management | White label | Agency or partner pricing | Partner economics | Vendor DMARC / BIMI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SendPulse | 86 | Agency Area: one-click login, manage client accounts, transfer funds, track commissions | No | Clients pay their own plan; free for 500 subscribers, about $8/mo Standard | 30% / 40% / 50% commission tiers, extended 30-day client trials, personal manager | reject / yes |
| ActiveCampaign | 83 | Agency dashboard with subaccounts | Yes, White Label Agency Partner program | About $97/mo for 3 subaccounts, per-account cost falls with volume | Reseller discount or referral commission, revenue share | reject / no |
| Brevo | 76 | Sub-account management for multi-brand and agency accounts | Via API or Enterprise | Enterprise from about $449/mo; client accounts from about $9/mo | Agency Partner program, volume discounts | reject / yes |
| GetResponse MAX | 74 | Subaccounts under a MAX deployment | Yes, on MAX | MAX from about $1,099/mo | MAX Partners revenue share | reject / yes |
| HubSpot | 70 | Partner dashboard over separate client portals | No | Partner membership $400/mo unless $400+ of software; Starter about $20/seat/mo | Solutions Partner tiers, revenue share | reject / yes |
| Klaviyo | 69 | Multi-account switching; Portfolio not for agencies | No | Client accounts from free (250 profiles) to about $20/mo at 500 | Partner program, directory, partner portal | reject / yes |
| Mailchimp | 68 | Mailchimp & Co dashboard links separate accounts, no consolidated billing | Premium plan only | Client accounts free (250 contacts) to about $13 to $20/mo at 500 | Free program, certification, referral commission | reject / yes |
| MailerLite | 63 | Switch between client accounts, separate billing | Branding removal only | Free 250 subscribers; about $10/mo | 30% affiliate commission | reject / yes |
“Vendor DMARC / BIMI” is our DNS check of each vendor’s corporate domain on September 29, 2026. It shows whether the vendor enforces the authentication its customers are told to set up.
How we scored email marketing software for agencies
The SenderDirect Agency Score (version 1.0, September 2026) rates each platform from 1 to 5 on eight dimensions, weighted to 100 points. The persona is a marketing agency with 5 to 50 client accounts that runs campaigns as a service, earns on the software where it can, and needs multichannel campaigns for at least some clients.
| Dimension | Weight | What we measured | Data source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Client account management | 15 | One login, switching, access to client accounts, funds and per-client reporting | Official agency pages |
| White label and custom branding | 15 | A rebranded platform or client-facing UI, and the plan it requires | Official pages |
| Cost per client at scale and free tier | 15 | What the agency or client pays per account at 500 to 5,000 contacts; whether small clients can start free | Official pricing; second-hand marked “about” |
| Partner economics | 15 | Recurring commission or reseller margin, client perks, a named partner manager | Official partner pages |
| Reach beyond email | 10 | SMS, WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger and chatbots from the same list | Official feature pages |
| Automation and CRM depth | 10 | Flow builder, conditions, scoring, pipeline | Official docs |
| Vendor’s own sending reputation | 10 | SPF, DMARC policy and BIMI on the vendor’s domain | Our DNS checks, September 29, 2026 |
| Team roles, access and support | 10 | Seats, roles and support on the plan an agency would run | Official pricing matrices |
Why these weights. Client account management, white label, cost and partner economics carry 15 points each because they are the four things an agency asks before it asks about features; white label is the most-searched agency term and gets full weight even though the top-scoring platform lacks it. Reach carries 10 because clients increasingly ask for SMS and chat from the same list. Deliverability carries 10 because it is what this site tests.
Score bands: 80 and above, shortlist for the persona; 70 to 79, strong with one structural gap; below 70, right for a specific agency model only.
What would change the order. If white label is a hard requirement, give it 25 points and partner economics 5: ActiveCampaign moves to first (85) and SendPulse drops to 78. No hands-on tests are claimed; the score is desk research on official documentation, official pricing and our own DNS checks, updated when pricing changes.
The 8 best email marketing platforms for agencies in 2026
1. SendPulse
- Agency Area: log in to any client account with one click, manage it like your own, transfer funds and track each client's plan purchases and your commission
- 30% commission for new partners, 40% for Gold, up to 50% for Platinum; clients you add get an extended 30-day trial; dedicated support and an assigned personal manager
- Every client list works for email, SMS, web push and chatbots on WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook Messenger, Telegram, TikTok and Viber
- Limitation: no white label or custom branding; automation conditions are lighter than ActiveCampaign or HubSpot
SendPulse is an AI-driven email marketing and chatbot platform built for scaling businesses, and its agency program is built around the way most agencies actually work: the client owns the account, the agency runs it. From the Agency Area an agency logs in to each client account with one click, sends campaigns, builds chatbots and configures the CRM as if it were its own, and can transfer funds to a client account when it manages the budget. Commission on client payments starts at 30% for new partners, rises to 40% for Gold partners who complete certification, and reaches 50% for Platinum partners with regular leads and paying clients.
For clients, the pitch is reach. SendPulse helps a business attract leads and convert them into customers with email, SMS, web push, pop-up forms, landing pages and chatbots, and it is a Meta Partner and an official WhatsApp Business API provider, so an agency can bring leads from Instagram and Facebook ads straight into a chat and accept payments inside it. Automation 360 runs multichannel flows, the CRM keeps every channel and request in one place, and SendPulse integrates with 40+ services. Small clients start on the free-forever plan, 500 subscribers and 15,000 emails a month; the Standard plan is about $8 a month at 500 subscribers on annual billing.
SendPulse is an international company with an office in Brazil, useful for agencies with Latin American clients, and it offers team roles and access management plus 24/7 support, with a personal manager for agency partners.
Score breakdown (86/100): client account management 5, white label 1, cost 5, partner economics 5, reach 5, automation and CRM 4, vendor reputation 5, team and support 5.
Cons: no white label or custom branding, so clients see the SendPulse name; automation branching and lead scoring are lighter than ActiveCampaign or HubSpot; the template library is general; the account spans many products, which takes onboarding time; US prices are converted from EUR.
2. ActiveCampaign
- White Label and Branded Agency Partner programs: use, resell and brand the platform as your own
- Agency dashboard with subaccounts and automated campaign deployment; agencies set their own resale price
- The deepest automation builder in the group, with CRM and lead scoring
- Limitation: about $97 a month minimum for 3 subaccounts; SMS is an add-on; no BIMI on activecampaign.com
ActiveCampaign is the reference platform for agencies that sell marketing automation as their own product. The Agency Program is billed monthly per paid, active resold account, widely reported at about $97 a month for the first three subaccounts with a per-account cost that falls as the agency adds clients. The agency collects payment from clients and sets its own margin, and the white label option removes ActiveCampaign’s branding from the client-facing product.
The trade-offs are cost at the low end and channel breadth. An agency with one or two small clients pays for capacity it does not use, SMS is an add-on, and WhatsApp arrives only through integrations. On our DNS check activecampaign.com enforces DMARC at reject but publishes no BIMI record.
Score breakdown (83/100): client account management 5, white label 5, cost 3, partner economics 4, reach 3, automation and CRM 5, vendor reputation 4, team and support 4.
Cons: minimum agency spend before the first client pays; SMS priced separately; no WhatsApp or messenger channels natively; no free tier for client accounts; no BIMI.
3. Brevo
- Sub-account management for agencies and multi-brand groups, each with its own contacts, campaigns and settings
- SMS credits on every plan; WhatsApp campaigns on Professional; DMARC at reject with subdomain policy and BIMI on brevo.com
- Agency Partner program with tiered commissions and volume discounts
- Limitation: subaccounts and white label sit on Enterprise, widely reported from about $449 a month; WhatsApp only on Professional
Brevo’s sub-account feature is the cleanest multi-client structure after ActiveCampaign’s, and Brevo bills by emails sent rather than contacts stored, which suits clients with large lists and modest sending. The catch is where the agency features live: sub-account management and white label are Enterprise, and WhatsApp campaigns start on Professional at EUR 499 a month. Individual client accounts are cheap, from EUR 7 a month (about $9) on Starter, but Starter has no automation.
Score breakdown (76/100): client account management 4, white label 3, cost 3, partner economics 4, reach 4, automation and CRM 4, vendor reputation 5, team and support 4.
Cons: agency features gated to Enterprise; WhatsApp gated to Professional; no automation on Starter; EUR pricing for US buyers; phone support only on Professional and above.
4. GetResponse MAX
- Subaccounts under one MAX deployment, branding customization and white label on MAX
- MAX Partners: revenue share and dedicated partner support
- Limitation: quote-based, widely reported from about $1,099 a month; no free tier for client accounts
GetResponse MAX is the enterprise arm of GetResponse and one of the few platforms besides ActiveCampaign that goes deep on white label marketing automation. It fits an agency that already has the client base to fill a four-figure monthly plan and wants dedicated IPs, priority support and webinars in the same contract. For an agency with a handful of small clients it is out of range.
Score breakdown (74/100): client account management 4, white label 4, cost 2, partner economics 4, reach 3, automation and CRM 4, vendor reputation 5, team and support 4.
Cons: highest entry price in the group; quote-based pricing; no messenger channels; no free tier; overkill below roughly ten client accounts.
5. HubSpot
- Solutions Partner Program with tiers, revenue share, co-marketing and a partner dashboard over client portals
- The strongest CRM in the group; Marketing Hub Starter about $20 a seat a month with 1,000 marketing contacts
- Limitation: from July 15, 2026 the partner membership costs $400 a month unless the agency subscribes to $400 or more of HubSpot products; partners must run Professional or Enterprise software; no white label
HubSpot is named in a quarter of the agency searches we captured, and for agencies whose clients need a CRM it earns the place. The economics changed in 2026: the Solutions Partner membership is now $400 a month, waived only for partners spending at least that on HubSpot software, and partners must hold a Professional or Enterprise subscription. Each client remains a separate HubSpot portal, so client account management is a partner dashboard rather than subaccounts, and there is no white label.
Score breakdown (70/100): client account management 4, white label 1, cost 2, partner economics 5, reach 3, automation and CRM 5, vendor reputation 5, team and support 4.
Cons: $400 a month membership or software minimum; Professional or Enterprise software required to be a partner; no white label; Marketing Hub Professional about $800 a month per client; SMS is an add-on.
6. Klaviyo
- Multi-account access switches between client accounts from one login; partner program with a partner portal, directory listing and client health dashboards
- Native SMS and push; the deepest ecommerce flows and predictive analytics
- Limitation: no white label; Portfolio centralizes billing but is not recommended for agencies; ecommerce vocabulary throughout
Klaviyo is the platform ecommerce agencies standardize on, and its partner portal and client health dashboards are built for that relationship. It is weaker as a general agency platform: there is no white label, the Portfolio feature that consolidates billing is designed for brands with several stores rather than agencies, and pricing by active profile, about $20 a month at 500, climbs quickly for large lists.
Score breakdown (69/100): client account management 3, white label 1, cost 3, partner economics 4, reach 4, automation and CRM 5, vendor reputation 5, team and support 4.
Cons: no white label; no agency subaccounts; active-profile billing; no WhatsApp; email support on Free for 60 days only.
7. Mailchimp
- Mailchimp & Co: free partner program, certification, Experts Directory listing and referral commission
- Partner dashboard links client accounts and switches between them; 5 seats and 4 roles on Standard
- Limitation: each client is a separate account with its own bill; platform white label only on Premium; SMS is an add-on
Mailchimp is the platform many small clients arrive with, and Mailchimp & Co makes managing those accounts tolerable: one dashboard, quick switching, certification and a directory listing that brings referrals. It is not an agency platform in the ActiveCampaign sense. There is no consolidated billing, no subaccounts, white label is limited to the Premium plan, and the free plan stops at 250 contacts and 500 emails a month.
Score breakdown (68/100): client account management 3, white label 2, cost 3, partner economics 4, reach 3, automation and CRM 4, vendor reputation 5, team and support 4.
Cons: separate accounts and bills per client; white label on Premium only; small free plan; SMS add-on; no messenger channels.
8. MailerLite
- One login switches between client accounts; paid plans from about $10 a month; DMARC at reject and BIMI on mailerlite.com
- 30% affiliate commission
- Limitation: the free plan was cut to 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails a month on July 1, 2026; branding removal but no rebranded platform; email only
MailerLite’s agency page promises simple multi-account switching, and it delivers exactly that: separate accounts, separate plans, separate bills. Paid plans remove MailerLite branding from emails and forms, but there is no white label platform on your domain, and there is no SMS or chat. The July 2026 free plan cut, from a generous tier to 250 subscribers, removed its main advantage for agencies with very small clients.
Score breakdown (63/100): client account management 3, white label 2, cost 3, partner economics 3, reach 2, automation and CRM 4, vendor reputation 5, team and support 4.
Cons: no agency dashboard or subaccounts; no white label; email only; free plan reduced in 2026; affiliate program rather than an agency program.
Which email marketing platform is right for your agency
- You run campaigns for clients under their brand and want recurring commission: SendPulse.
- You resell a platform under your own brand: ActiveCampaign; GetResponse MAX at enterprise scale.
- Clients need SMS and WhatsApp campaigns from one list: SendPulse, then Brevo.
- Clients need a CRM more than a campaign tool and can pay for Professional: HubSpot.
- All your clients are ecommerce brands: Klaviyo.
- Clients arrive already on Mailchimp: Mailchimp & Co.
- Many very small clients on a tight budget: MailerLite or the SendPulse free plan.
How agencies run client email programs without deliverability surprises
The platform is half the job. The other half is keeping each client’s sending reputation separate and healthy.
- One sending domain per client. Never send client campaigns from the agency’s domain. Each client authenticates its own domain with SPF, DKIM and DMARC; the agency only manages the account. Generate the records with the SPF generator and the DMARC generator.
- Subaccounts or separate accounts, never shared lists. A shared account mixes reputations and violates most platforms’ terms. Use subaccounts (ActiveCampaign, Brevo, GetResponse MAX) or client-owned accounts (SendPulse Agency Area, Mailchimp & Co, Klaviyo, MailerLite).
- Check every client domain before the first send with the Sender Reputation Checker, and again after any DNS change.
- Bill transparently. Under a commission model the client pays the vendor and the agency earns on it; under a resale model the agency pays the vendor and invoices the client. State which one you use in the contract.
- Report per client, not per agency. Client account management dashboards exist for this: opens, clicks, complaints and unsubscribes per client account, monthly.
How much does email marketing for agencies cost
| Agency model | SendPulse | ActiveCampaign Agency | Brevo | HubSpot | Mailchimp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 small clients, 500 contacts each | Free, or about $8/mo per client on Standard | About $97/mo for 3 subaccounts, then per account | About $9/mo per client on Starter | Partner membership $400/mo unless $400+ of software | About $13/mo per client on Essentials |
| 10 clients, 2,000 contacts each | About $20/mo per client | Per-account pricing on the Agency Program, quote | Enterprise from about $449/mo, or about $17/mo per client on Standard | Marketing Hub Professional about $800/mo per client | About $45/mo per client |
Second-hand figures are marked “about”. Under a commission model SendPulse pays 30 to 50% of each client’s payments back to the agency; under a resale model ActiveCampaign and GetResponse MAX agencies add their own margin.
Before you send: the authentication checklist for every client domain
- Publish an SPF record that includes the platform (SPF checker).
- Turn on DKIM signing and verify the selector (DKIM checker).
- Publish DMARC, start at p=none, move to quarantine within a month (DMARC checker).
- Keep the client’s domain on the client’s account so the reputation stays with the client if they leave.
The “Vendor DMARC / BIMI” column shows which vendors enforce this on their own domains. Every vendor in this group enforces DMARC at reject; ActiveCampaign is the only one without BIMI.
Sources
- SendPulse for agencies (official), read September 29, 2026: https://sendpulse.com/partners/agency
- SendPulse pricing (official, EUR page), read September 29, 2026: https://sendpulse.com/prices
- ActiveCampaign agency partner page (official), read September 29, 2026: https://www.activecampaign.com/partners/agency
- Brevo sub-account management and pricing (official), read September 29, 2026: https://www.brevo.com/features/sub-account-management/
- HubSpot Solutions Partner entry requirements and 2026 membership (official), read September 29, 2026: https://www.hubspot.com/2026-entry-and-tiers-policy-for-hubspot-solutions-partners
- Mailchimp & Co (official), read September 29, 2026: https://mailchimp.com/help/about-mailchimp-and-co/
- MailerLite free plan update (official help center), read September 29, 2026: https://www.mailerlite.com/help/free-plan-update-faq
- Klaviyo partner program and multi-account access (official), read September 29, 2026: https://www.klaviyo.com/partners
- ActiveCampaign Agency Program price, GetResponse MAX price, Brevo Enterprise price and Mailchimp USD prices: widely reported 2026 figures, written as “about $X”
- DNS checks of vendor domains (SPF, DMARC, BIMI): our own lookups, September 29, 2026
Frequently asked questions
What is the best email marketing platform for agencies in 2026?
On our 100-point agency score, SendPulse ranks first (86) for agencies that manage client accounts and earn recurring commission, ActiveCampaign second (83) for agencies that need a white label platform to resell, and Brevo third (76). The choice turns on one question: do you resell software under your brand, or run campaigns for clients under theirs?
Which email marketing platforms offer white label for agencies?
ActiveCampaign has a dedicated white label agency program. GetResponse MAX offers branding customization on its enterprise tier, and Brevo offers white label through its API or Enterprise plan. Mailchimp limits platform white label to Premium. SendPulse, HubSpot and Klaviyo do not offer white label.
ActiveCampaign or HubSpot for an agency?
ActiveCampaign if you resell and want subaccounts under your brand at a predictable price. HubSpot if your clients need the CRM and you can justify the Solutions Partner membership, which costs $400 a month from July 2026 unless you subscribe to $400 or more of HubSpot products.
Can an agency manage multiple client accounts in Mailchimp?
Yes, through Mailchimp & Co, a free partner program that links separate client accounts to one dashboard and lets you switch between them. Each client still has its own account, plan and bill, and there is no consolidated billing.
How do agencies earn money from email marketing platforms?
Two models. Referral or agency commission: SendPulse pays 30% to new partners, 40% to Gold and up to 50% to Platinum partners on client payments; Mailchimp, Klaviyo and Brevo pay referral commissions or volume discounts. Resale: ActiveCampaign and GetResponse MAX sell agencies subaccounts at a discount that the agency marks up.
Is there a free email marketing option for small agency clients?
SendPulse's free plan covers 500 subscribers and 15,000 emails a month per client account. Mailchimp and Klaviyo free plans stop at 250 contacts and 500 emails a month. MailerLite's free plan was cut to 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails a month in July 2026. ActiveCampaign, HubSpot Marketing Hub and GetResponse MAX have no free tier for client accounts.