Email marketing pricing: look beyond the monthly number

Compare the same audience and send volume

A monthly price only makes sense when it describes your actual workload. Write down active contacts, campaign frequency, and automated sends. Use the same numbers for every vendor.

Build a cost worksheet

Mailchimp and Brevo are useful candidates to investigate because packaging can matter as much as individual features. See Mailchimp vs Brevo.

The packaging difference shows up immediately in list prices: Mailchimp Essentials starts at $13/mo for 500 contacts (contact-count tiers, billed monthly), while Brevo Starter starts at $9/mo for 5,000 emails/month billed monthly (10% off billed yearly). HubSpot prices differently again: Starter starts at $15/seat/mo billed annually ($20 billed monthly), by seat rather than by audience. The same small newsletter can carry a very different bill once contacts, sends, or seats grow.

Check what happens when you grow

Model the next likely audience size, not an optimistic ten-year forecast. Check whether crossing a limit changes only the bill or also interrupts sending.

The step-ups are concrete: Mailchimp Standard starts at $20/mo for 500 contacts billed monthly and Brevo Standard at $18/mo billed monthly, so compare each vendor’s price at your projected contact count and send volume, not at the advertised floor. These are US list prices verified against vendor pricing pages in September 2026; confirm current terms on the vendor’s site.

Include setup, template migration, and the time needed to rebuild automations. A small monthly saving may not justify a disruptive switch.

Keep your evidence

Save the vendor plan, date, billing term, and relevant limits beside your worksheet. Recheck them before purchase. Prices cited in this guide are US list prices verified against vendor pricing pages in September 2026; confirm current terms on the vendor’s site.

Browse email marketing software and Mailchimp alternatives to build a manageable shortlist.