Email Marketing Pricing Comparison 2024: Top Platforms Side-by-Side

Choosing the right email marketing platform isn’t just about features—it’s about aligning costs with your subscriber list size, send volume, and growth plans. In this email marketing pricing comparison, we’ll break down real plans from leading tools like Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign, Klaviyo, ConvertKit, GetResponse, Brevo, and Moosend. All pricing is based on publicly available data as of mid-2024; always check official sites for updates.

We’ll compare starter, mid-tier, and enterprise plans, focusing on monthly costs for 1,000, 5,000, and 10,000 contacts. Practical advice: Calculate your needs by estimating monthly sends (e.g., 4 newsletters = 4x list size) and required features like automation or segmentation.

Why Pricing Matters in Email Marketing

Email marketing ROI hinges on low acquisition costs and high deliverability. Platforms charge based on:

Contacts/Subscribers: Core metric; overages add fees.
Email Volume: Some cap sends; extras cost more.
Features: Automation, A/B testing, or e-commerce integrations bump tiers.
Billing Cycle: Annual discounts save 15-20%.

Practical Tip: Start with free trials (most offer 14-30 days). Export your list to test import fees. Factor in add-ons like landing pages ($10-50/mo extra).

For solopreneurs: Prioritize free tiers up to 1,000 subs. Agencies: Look for unlimited sends.

Mailchimp Pricing Breakdown

Mailchimp’s freemium model suits beginners, but scales expensively.

Free Plan

Up to 500 contacts, 1,000 sends/mo.
Basic templates, no automation.

Paid Tiers (billed monthly)

Contacts	Essentials	Standard	Premium
1,000	$13/mo	$20/mo	$350/mo
5,000	$75/mo	$95/mo	$700/mo
10,000	$110/mo	$140/mo	$1,000+

Pros: Intuitive drag-and-drop. Cons: Send limits (12x contacts on Essentials). Best For: Small lists under 2,000.

Advice: Upgrade to Standard for automations; avoid if scaling past 10k without annual billing.

ActiveCampaign Pricing

Automation powerhouse for mid-sized businesses.

Tiers (monthly)

Contacts	Lite	Plus	Professional	Enterprise
1,000	$29	$49	$149	Custom
5,000	$69	$149	$259	Custom
10,000	$119	$259	$449	Custom

Unlimited sends. Annual: 16% off.

Pros: Advanced CRM/automation. Cons: Steep learning curve.

Advice: Ideal for e-commerce; use site messaging add-on sparingly ($20-50/mo).

Klaviyo Pricing

E-commerce focused, free for small lists.

Free: Up to 250 contacts, 500 emails.

Paid (monthly, scales precisely)

Contacts	Email Only	Email + SMS
1,000	~$20	~$60
5,000	~$60	~$125
10,000	~$100	~$250

Usage-based: $0.001/email after limits.

Pros: Shopify integration. Cons: SMS adds costs.

Advice: Track revenue per recipient (RPR); free if under thresholds.

ConvertKit Pricing (Now Kit)

Creator-friendly, simple scaling.

Free: 300 subs, basic.

Tiers

Subscribers	Creator	Creator Pro
1,000	$29/mo	$49/mo
5,000	$79/mo	$119/mo
10,000	$139/mo	$209/mo

Unlimited sends. Annual: 20% off.

Pros: Visual automations. Cons: Limited reporting.

Advice: Great for newsletters; migrate from Mailchimp for unlimited sends.

GetResponse Pricing

All-in-one with webinars.

Tiers

Contacts	Email Marketing	Marketing Automation	Ecommerce Marketing
1,000	$19/mo	$59/mo	$119/mo
5,000	$45/mo	$99/mo	$159/mo
10,000	$61/mo	$149/mo	$259/mo

Pros: Conversion funnel. Cons: Overage fees.

Advice: Use for funnels; annual saves 33%.

Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) Pricing

Transactional + marketing, pay-per-send option.

Free: 300 emails/day.

Starter

Contacts	Monthly
5,000	$25
10,000	$39

Pro: $65+ for automations.

Pros: No contact limits on sends. Cons: Basic UI.

Advice: Best for high-volume transactional emails.

Moosend Pricing

Affordable automation.

Free: 1,000 subs.

Pro

Subscribers	Monthly
1,000-5,000	$9
10,000	$39

Unlimited sends.

Pros: Cheap scaling. Cons: Newer player.

Advice: Budget pick for startups.

Side-by-Side Pricing Comparison Table

For 5,000 contacts (mid-tier, monthly):

Platform	Starter (~$9-25)	Automation Tier	Notes
Mailchimp	$75	$95	Send limits
ActiveCampaign	$69	$149	Unlimited sends
Klaviyo	$60	N/A	E-comm focus
ConvertKit	$79	$119	Creators
GetResponse	$45	$99	Webinars
Brevo	$25	$65	Transactional
Moosend	$9-16	Same	Best value

Key Insight: Moosend/Brevo win on price; ActiveCampaign on features.

Factors to Consider Beyond Price

Scalability: Mailchimp overages hurt; ConvertKit scales linearly.
Deliverability: All >95%, but test IP reputation.
Integrations: Zapier universal; native for Shopify (Klaviyo).
Support: Free chat on higher tiers.
Exit Costs: Data export free, but rebuild automations.

Practical Advice:

Budget < $20/mo: Moosend free/pro, Brevo.
1k-10k subs: ConvertKit or GetResponse.
E-commerce: Klaviyo/ActiveCampaign.
Calculate TCO: (Plan cost x 12) + (add-ons) - (annual discount).
Trial stack: Test 2-3 platforms simultaneously.

Monitor churn: High unsubscribe? Switch to better segmentation tools.

Best Value Recommendations

Best Overall Value: Moosend—unlimited everything under $40 for 10k.
Best for Beginners: Brevo free tier.
Best Automation: ActiveCampaign (if budget allows).
Best Free: Mailchimp/Klaviyo under 500 subs.

Conclusion

This email marketing pricing comparison shows no one-size-fits-all—match to your list size and needs. For 5,000 contacts, GetResponse or ConvertKit offer strong value at $45-79/mo with full features. Always run trials, project 20-50% growth yearly, and negotiate enterprise deals for 50k+.

Save by annual billing and purging inactive subs (aim <20% inactive). Track metrics like open rates (25%+ goal) to justify spend. Ready to choose? Start with Moosend or Brevo for low risk.

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