Email marketing pricing: what does it actually cost?
A detailed pricing comparison of 8 email marketing platforms at 500, 2,500, 10,000, 25,000, and 50,000 contacts. Includes hidden costs, free plans, and pricing models explained.
“What does email marketing cost?” sounds like a simple question with a complicated answer. The price depends on your list size, which features you need, and which pricing model the platform uses.
This guide gives you the full picture — with concrete prices for 8 platforms at 5 different list sizes, plus the hidden costs nobody talks about.
Two pricing models: contacts vs. emails
Before we dive into numbers, you need to understand the fundamental difference in pricing models:
Per contact (most platforms): You pay based on how many contacts are in your database. Whether you email all of them or just a fraction, every contact counts. This penalizes large lists with low sending frequency.
Per email (Brevo): You pay based on how many emails you actually send. You can have 100,000 contacts without extra cost — you only pay when you send. This rewards large lists with infrequent sending.
This difference means the cheapest choice depends on your sending behavior, not just your list size.
Pricing comparison: 500 contacts
At 500 contacts, several platforms are free. Here’s the full picture:
| Platform | Free plan | Cheapest paid | Included in free |
|---|---|---|---|
| MailerLite | Free (1,000 contacts) | $10/mo | 12,000 emails/mo, landing pages, forms |
| Mailchimp | Free (500 contacts) | $13/mo | 1,000 emails/mo, basic automation, Mailchimp branding |
| Brevo | Free (300 emails/day) | $9/mo | Unlimited contacts, 300 emails/day |
| GetResponse | Free (500 contacts) | $19/mo | 2,500 emails/mo, landing page, forms |
| Klaviyo | Free (250 contacts) | $20/mo | 500 emails/mo, 150 SMS |
| ConvertKit | Free (1,000 contacts) | $15/mo | Landing pages, forms, broadcasts |
| ActiveCampaign | No free plan | $15/mo | Automation, 500 contacts, email support |
| Hermod | Early access | Contact us | AI agents, EU hosting, automation |
Recommendation at 500 contacts: Start with MailerLite free or Brevo free. You don’t need a paid plan yet unless you need advanced automation.
Pricing comparison: 2,500 contacts
This is where prices start to diverge. Free plans no longer cover you, and you’re paying for features.
| Platform | Price/mo | Emails included | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| MailerLite Growing Business | $25/mo | Unlimited | No branding, A/B testing |
| Brevo Starter | $25/mo | 20,000 emails/mo | Unlimited contacts |
| GetResponse Email Marketing | $29/mo | Unlimited | Landing pages, AI tools |
| ConvertKit Creator | $33/mo | Unlimited | Automations, sequences |
| Mailchimp Standard | $45/mo | 30,000 emails/mo | Analytics, send time optimization |
| ActiveCampaign Starter | $49/mo | 10x contacts | Automation, inline forms |
| Klaviyo | $60/mo | 25,000 emails/mo | E-commerce segmentation |
| Hermod | Contact us | — | AI-powered, EU-hosted |
Recommendation at 2,500 contacts: MailerLite or Brevo offer the best value. Mailchimp is hard to justify at $45/mo when competitors offer more for less.
Pricing comparison: 10,000 contacts
At 10,000 contacts, price differences become significant. This is where many businesses start reconsidering their platform choice.
| Platform | Price/mo | Emails included | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brevo Business | $65/mo | 60,000 emails/mo | Marketing automation, A/B testing |
| MailerLite Growing Business | $50/mo | Unlimited | Same features as lower tier |
| GetResponse Marketing Automation | $79/mo | Unlimited | Automation, webinars |
| ConvertKit Creator Pro | $93/mo | Unlimited | Facebook audiences, scoring |
| Mailchimp Standard | $100/mo | 120,000 emails/mo | Comparative reports |
| ActiveCampaign Plus | $186/mo | 10x contacts | CRM, lead scoring, SMS |
| Klaviyo | $150/mo | 100,000 emails/mo | Predictive analytics |
| Hermod | Contact us | — | AI-powered, EU-hosted |
Recommendation at 10,000 contacts: Brevo is the clear price winner with unlimited contacts and fair pricing. MailerLite is also competitive. Mailchimp at $100/mo is hard to justify unless you use their e-commerce features.
Pricing comparison: 25,000 contacts
At 25,000 contacts, you’re paying a serious monthly bill. Choosing the right platform matters.
| Platform | Price/mo | Emails included | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brevo Business | $65/mo | 60,000 emails/mo | Price doesn’t increase with contacts |
| MailerLite Growing Business | $130/mo | Unlimited | — |
| GetResponse Marketing Automation | $169/mo | Unlimited | — |
| ConvertKit Creator Pro | $199/mo | Unlimited | — |
| Mailchimp Standard | $230/mo | 300,000 emails/mo | — |
| ActiveCampaign Plus | $339/mo | 10x contacts | — |
| Klaviyo | $375/mo | 250,000 emails/mo | — |
| Hermod | Contact us | — | — |
Recommendation at 25,000 contacts: Brevo is dramatically cheapest ($65/mo!) because they don’t count contacts. MailerLite at $130/mo is the cheapest contact-based alternative. Mailchimp at $230/mo is hard to defend.
Pricing comparison: 50,000 contacts
At 50,000 contacts, your annual email marketing spend is a five-figure number. Platform choice has real financial impact.
| Platform | Price/mo | Annual cost | Emails included |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brevo Business | $65/mo | $780/yr | 60,000 emails/mo |
| MailerLite Growing Business | $210/mo | $2,520/yr | Unlimited |
| GetResponse Marketing Automation | $259/mo | $3,108/yr | Unlimited |
| ConvertKit Creator Pro | $319/mo | $3,828/yr | Unlimited |
| Mailchimp Standard | $350/mo | $4,200/yr | 600,000 emails/mo |
| ActiveCampaign Plus | $489/mo | $5,868/yr | 10x contacts |
| Klaviyo | $720/mo | $8,640/yr | 500,000 emails/mo |
| Hermod | Contact us | — | — |
Recommendation at 50,000 contacts: Brevo saves you thousands annually compared to contact-based platforms. The difference between Brevo ($780/yr) and Klaviyo ($8,640/yr) is massive. Consider whether you truly need the features that justify that price.
Hidden costs
List prices don’t tell the whole story. Here are the hidden costs you should know:
Platform branding
Most free plans and cheap plans include platform branding in your emails (“Sent with Mailchimp”). Removing it typically requires upgrading to the next plan. Budget 50-100% more than the list price.
Premium features behind paywalls
- A/B testing of automation: ActiveCampaign Plus ($186/mo), not Starter ($49/mo)
- Send time optimization: Mailchimp Premium ($350+/mo), not Standard
- Advanced segmentation: Mailchimp Premium, ActiveCampaign Plus
- Dedicated IP: $50-100/mo extra on most platforms
Overage charges
If you exceed your plan’s contact or email limit, most platforms automatically charge a fee. Mailchimp charges overages automatically. Brevo stops sending and asks you to upgrade.
Inactive contacts
Most contact-based platforms count all contacts — including those who haven’t opened an email in 12 months. Clean your list regularly or pay for contacts that never convert.
Integration and setup
Time is money. A platform like ActiveCampaign requires 20-40 hours to set up properly. MailerLite might need 5. Factor in your (or your consultant’s) time as a real cost.
Free plans — what do you actually get?
Free plans are great for testing a platform but rarely enough for serious use. Here are the limitations:
| Platform | Contacts | Emails/mo | Limitations |
|---|---|---|---|
| MailerLite | 1,000 | 12,000 | MailerLite branding, basic automation |
| ConvertKit | 1,000 | Unlimited | No automation, broadcasts only |
| Mailchimp | 500 | 1,000 | Mailchimp branding, 1 audience, basic automation |
| Brevo | Unlimited | 300/day (~9,000/mo) | Brevo branding, no A/B testing |
| GetResponse | 500 | 2,500 | GetResponse branding, 1 landing page |
| Klaviyo | 250 | 500 | Klaviyo branding, basic support |
Best free plan: MailerLite. Most contacts, most emails, most features.
What does it cost in practice?
Here are three typical scenarios:
Scenario 1: Small business (500-1,000 contacts)
- Platform: MailerLite free
- Monthly cost: $0
- Features: Newsletters, landing pages, basic automation
- When to upgrade: When you hit 1,000 contacts or want to remove branding
Scenario 2: Growing business (5,000 contacts)
- Platform: MailerLite Growing Business or Brevo Starter
- Monthly cost: $25-35
- Features: Automation, A/B testing, segmentation
- When to switch: When you need CRM (ActiveCampaign) or AI (Hermod)
Scenario 3: Established business (25,000+ contacts)
- Platform: Brevo Business or ActiveCampaign Plus
- Monthly cost: $65-339
- Features: Advanced automation, CRM, analytics
- Consideration: At this level, the difference between platforms is $1,000-5,000/yr. Choose carefully.
Pricing models explained
Per contact (Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign, MailerLite, Klaviyo, GetResponse, ConvertKit)
You pay for every contact in your database. Advantage: predictable budget. Disadvantage: penalizes large lists and inactive contacts. Clean your list regularly.
Per email (Brevo)
You pay for emails sent. Advantage: unlimited contacts, pay only for usage. Disadvantage: unpredictable budget if you send a lot. Best for large lists with low sending frequency.
AI-powered (Hermod)
Hermod’s pricing model is based on AI agent usage and emails sent. Contact them for current pricing. Advantage: AI functionality included. Disadvantage: pricing not publicly available yet.
How to save money
- Clean your list. Remove inactive contacts quarterly. A contact that hasn’t opened in 6 months costs you money without generating value.
- Choose the right pricing model. Large list + infrequent sending = Brevo. Small list + frequent sending = contact-based platform.
- Pay annually. Most platforms give 15-30% discount with annual billing.
- Start simple. You don’t need ActiveCampaign for your first 1,000 contacts. Start with MailerLite and migrate when the need arises.
- Avoid feature creep. Don’t pay for premium features you don’t use. Most businesses use under 20% of their platform’s capacity.
Conclusion
Email marketing doesn’t have to be expensive. For most small businesses, a spend of $25-60/mo is realistic and sufficient. Start with a free plan, grow into a paid plan, and only switch platforms when you genuinely need features your current one doesn’t offer.
The most expensive mistake isn’t choosing the wrong platform — it’s paying for an expensive platform you don’t fully use. Choose based on your current needs, not what you might need in 3 years.
See our comparison of the best platforms for Danish businesses or read about Mailchimp alternatives if you’re considering a switch.