Email Marketing Pricing Comparison 2026
Every pricing page shows the entry tier. Here's what it actually costs when your list grows - the number that matters.
Real Costs at Scale
| Platform | 1,000 subs | 10,000 subs | 50,000 subs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moosend | ~$32 | ~$60-70 | ~$270+ |
| MailerLite | ~$15 | ~$73 | ~$250+ |
| Brevo* | ~$25 | ~$65 | ~$100+ |
| Sender | ~$15 | ~$50 | ~$200 |
| GetResponse | ~$19 | ~$95 | ~$299+ |
| Kit | ~$25 | ~$100+ | ~$400+ |
| Mailchimp | ~$20 | ~$110+ | ~$450+ |
| ActiveCampaign | ~$39 | ~$140+ | ~$600+ |
*Brevo bills per-email with unlimited contacts - the 50k column assumes moderate send volume. Exact pricing shifts; verify current tiers.
Pricing Models Explained
Per-subscriber (Mailchimp, Kit, ActiveCampaign, MailerLite): pay for list size regardless of sends. Great for small lists emailed often; brutal for big cold lists.
Per-email/volume (Brevo, Mailjet): pay for what you send, store unlimited contacts. Great for big databases + rare sends.
Flat/unlimited (Moosend's model historically, some Sender tiers): pay a tier, send unlimited. Middle ground.
Hidden Costs
- Unsubscribed contacts billed - Mailchimp historically counted unsubscribed/non-subscribed contacts in your billable total until you archive them
- Automation gating - free/cheap tiers often exclude the automation you actually need (Brevo free, some MailerLite limits)
- Dedicated IP - ~$25-50/mo extra when you outgrow shared IPs
- SMS/transactional - always separate billing
- Annual discount trap - "from $X" assumes annual billing; monthly costs 15-25% more
- Contact recalcs - lists crossing tier boundaries mid-month can trigger immediate plan upgrades
Verdict
- Tightest budget: Moosend or MailerLite (per-sub) or Brevo (per-email)
- Best mid-market value: GetResponse (features per dollar)
- Creator commerce: Kit (priced for it)
- Enterprise automation: ActiveCampaign (priced for it)
- Biggest regret risk: Mailchimp at 50k+ - pricing compounds fast
Rule: model your cost at 2x your current list size, not today's. Migration is painful; pick the platform that's still affordable when you succeed.
Deeper reads: Cheapest email software | MailerLite review | Sender vs Brevo
![Email Marketing Benchmarks 2026: Open Rates, CTR & ROI by Industry [Data Study]](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.unsplash.com%2Fphoto-1551288049-bebda4e38f71%3Fauto%3Dformat%26fit%3Dcrop%26q%3D80%26w%3D1200&w=1920&q=75)
