Email Marketing Pricing and Cost Guide
What you will actually pay, beyond the sticker tier. The three pricing models, current entry prices, and the add ons and ceilings that quietly grow the bill.
The price you see is rarely the price you pay
Email tools advertise their cheapest tier at their smallest list size. The real bill depends on three things: how the tool prices, how big your list is, and which features sit behind a higher plan. Understand the pricing model first and the rest of the math gets simple. This guide lays out the three models in the market, current entry prices, and where costs hide.
All figures are verified against vendor sites as of June 2026 and can change often, so treat them as a starting point and check the vendor for current pricing. Every score we cite is an editorial assessment against the rubric in how we vet.
Current entry pricing at a glance
Entry prices are the lowest paid tier at the smallest list size, billed monthly unless noted; several tools discount 10 to 20 percent on annual billing. Verified against vendor sites as of June 2026; check the vendor for current pricing.
Editorial scores from our reviews, for orientation: ActiveCampaign 92, MailerLite 90, Brevo 89, Mailchimp 85, GetResponse 84, Constant Contact 81. Scores are assessments against our rubric and are never for sale.
Three ways email tools charge
Most tools, including Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign and Constant Contact, price on the number of contacts you store, with a monthly send limit on top. Simple to read, but the bill climbs as your list grows whether or not those contacts are active, so prune regularly.
Brevo and a few others bill on emails sent and let you store contacts for free or cheaply. This wins when you hold a large list you mail less often than its size suggests, and loses if you mail your whole list frequently.
MailerLite prices on subscribers and includes a high monthly send multiple, often around ten times your tier. Good value for steady senders who want one predictable number.
The add ons to budget for
Entry paid plans run roughly $9 to $20 a month at a small list size, as of June 2026, with free tiers available from MailerLite, Brevo, Mailchimp and GetResponse. The cost rises with your contact count and the features your tier unlocks. Check the vendor for current pricing.
Yes, with limits. MailerLite is free to 250 subscribers, Brevo allows 300 emails a day with unlimited contacts, and Mailchimp is free to 250 contacts, all as of June 2026. Free tiers usually add vendor branding and lock some automation. Verified June 2026; check the vendor for current pricing.
Almost always because your list crossed a pricing tier, or because a feature you turned on sits in a higher plan. Per contact tools step up as the list grows, so removing inactive contacts and reading the next tier before you grow keeps the bill predictable.
One email when the rankings move. The shortlist, the tradeoffs, the price changes. No filler.