Quick Summary
Cheapest paid: MailerLite ($9/mo for 500 subs, unlimited emails). Best free: MailerLite Free (1,000 subs, 12,000 emails/mo). Best for volume: Brevo ($25/mo for 20,000 emails, unlimited contacts). Best for creators: ConvertKit Free (10,000 subs, limited features). Best all-in-one: Brevo - email + SMS + chat in one platform.
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Email marketing remains the highest-ROI channel for most businesses - $36 returned for every $1 spent according to Litmus research. But the platform you choose determines whether that ROI comes from a $9/month investment or a $300/month one. The difference is rarely about features. It is about how platforms price growth.
We compared seven email marketing platforms at four list sizes: 500, 2,500, 10,000, and 50,000 subscribers. The pricing gaps are enormous. A platform that costs $9/month at 500 subscribers might cost $159/month at 10,000 - or it might cost $47/month. The ranking below reflects total value, not just the cheapest starting price.
Price Comparison at Every List Size
| Platform | 500 subs | 2,500 subs | 10,000 subs | 50,000 subs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MailerLite | $9/mo | $15/mo | $47/mo | $239/mo |
| Brevo | $25/mo* | $25/mo* | $25/mo* | $25/mo* |
| Mailchimp | $13/mo | $34/mo | $100/mo | $350/mo |
| ConvertKit | $15/mo | $29/mo | $79/mo | $379/mo |
| Constant Contact | $12/mo | $35/mo | $80/mo | $310/mo |
| Moosend | $7/mo | $16/mo | $48/mo | $208/mo |
| AWeber | $15/mo | $25/mo | $66/mo | $388/mo |
*Brevo charges by email volume (20,000 emails/mo on Starter), not subscriber count. Price stays flat regardless of list size.
1. MailerLite
MailerLite Best Value
MailerLite consistently delivers the best price-to-feature ratio in email marketing. The free plan supports 1,000 subscribers with 12,000 monthly emails, a drag-and-drop editor, landing pages, and signup forms. The $9/month Growing Business plan unlocks unlimited emails, auto-resend to non-openers, A/B testing, and removes MailerLite branding.
The platform's interface is the cleanest in the category. There is no feature bloat or confusing navigation. You can set up an automated welcome sequence in under 10 minutes. The email builder includes pre-designed blocks for e-commerce product listings, surveys, and countdown timers.
- Free tier: 1,000 subscribers, 12,000 emails/month, 1 user
- Paid: Growing Business $9/mo (500 subs); Advanced $18/mo (500 subs)
- Pros: Cleanest interface, best free plan, landing pages included, fast setup
- Cons: Strict approval process for new accounts, limited templates on free plan
2. Brevo (formerly Sendinblue)
Brevo Best for Large Lists
Brevo's pricing model is fundamentally different from every other platform on this list. Instead of charging by subscriber count, Brevo charges by email volume. The $25/month Starter plan includes 20,000 emails per month with unlimited contacts. For businesses with large lists and moderate sending frequency, this model can save hundreds of dollars monthly.
Beyond email, Brevo includes SMS marketing, WhatsApp campaigns, and live chat on the same platform. The free plan offers 300 emails per day (about 9,000/month) with unlimited contacts - useful for testing but too limited for active email marketing.
- Free tier: Unlimited contacts, 300 emails/day
- Paid: Starter $25/mo (20K emails); Business $65/mo (20K emails + advanced)
- Pros: Unlimited contacts, email + SMS + chat, volume-based pricing, good deliverability
- Cons: Free plan has daily limit, Starter lacks A/B testing, interface less polished than MailerLite
3. Moosend
Moosend Cheapest Starting Price
Moosend starts at $7/month for 500 subscribers with unlimited emails, making it the absolute cheapest paid option. The platform includes a visual automation builder, landing pages, subscription forms, and real-time analytics. For businesses that want capable email marketing at the lowest possible cost, Moosend delivers.
- Free tier: 30-day trial only
- Paid: Pro $7/mo (500 subs); Enterprise custom
- Pros: Lowest starting price, unlimited emails, visual automation, clean interface
- Cons: No permanent free plan, smaller community, fewer integrations, limited SMS
4. ConvertKit
ConvertKit Best for Creators
ConvertKit (now Kit) was built for content creators - bloggers, podcasters, course creators, and newsletter writers. The free plan supports up to 10,000 subscribers with limited broadcasts and landing pages. The visual automation builder uses a tag-based system instead of list-based segmentation, which is more flexible for creators running multiple content series or products.
- Free tier: 10,000 subscribers, limited features
- Paid: Creator $15/mo (300 subs); Creator Pro $29/mo (300 subs)
- Pros: Generous free tier, tag-based segmentation, creator-focused features, clean editor
- Cons: Limited design customization, expensive at scale, basic analytics
5. Mailchimp
Mailchimp
Mailchimp is the most recognized name in email marketing but no longer the best value. The free plan is limited to 500 contacts and 1,000 emails/month - significantly less generous than MailerLite or ConvertKit. Paid plans start at $13/month but include Mailchimp branding on the Essentials tier and scale aggressively. At 10,000 subscribers, you are paying $100/month versus MailerLite's $47.
- Free tier: 500 contacts, 1,000 emails/month
- Paid: Essentials $13/mo (500); Standard $20/mo (500); Premium $350/mo (10K)
- Pros: Brand recognition, extensive templates, strong analytics, largest marketplace
- Cons: Expensive at scale, restrictive free plan, complex pricing tiers, charges for unsubscribed contacts
6. Constant Contact
Constant Contact
Constant Contact targets small businesses that want guided setup and phone support. The platform is straightforward - drag-and-drop email builder, contact management, basic automation, and event marketing tools. The Lite plan at $12/month includes 500 contacts with 10x contact volume monthly sends. Phone and chat support are available on all paid plans.
- Free tier: 60-day trial only
- Paid: Lite $12/mo (500); Standard $35/mo (500); Premium $80/mo (500)
- Pros: Easy to use, phone support, event marketing, social posting, high deliverability
- Cons: Expensive at scale, limited automation, basic reporting, outdated editor
7. AWeber
AWeber
AWeber is one of the oldest email marketing platforms, operating since 1998. The free plan supports 500 subscribers with 3,000 emails/month. AWeber's strength is reliability and deliverability - the platform has 25+ years of sender reputation infrastructure. The email designer includes an AI writing assistant and a template library of 600+ designs.
- Free tier: 500 subscribers, 3,000 emails/month
- Paid: Lite $15/mo (500); Plus $30/mo (500); Unlimited $899/mo
- Pros: Excellent deliverability, 600+ templates, AI writing, phone support, 25+ years experience
- Cons: Expensive at scale, dated interface, limited automation, charges for unsubscribes
How to Choose Based on Your Situation
Starting from zero: Use MailerLite Free until you hit 1,000 subscribers. The free plan has everything you need to validate your email strategy. Upgrade to the $9/month plan when you outgrow it.
Large list, moderate sending: Brevo's volume-based pricing saves significant money if you have 10,000+ contacts but only send 2-4 emails per month. A 50,000-subscriber list costs the same $25/month as a 500-subscriber list.
Content creator: ConvertKit's free plan supports 10,000 subscribers with tag-based segmentation designed for multi-topic content. The trade-off is limited design options - ConvertKit intentionally favors plain-text-style emails.
Need everything in one platform: Brevo bundles email, SMS, WhatsApp, and live chat. If you would otherwise need separate tools for multi-channel marketing, the consolidation saves both cost and complexity.
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