Cheapest Email Marketing Software: What You'll Actually Pay

Looking for the cheapest email marketing software? Good. Let's skip the fluff and get straight to the numbers.

Here's the reality: the cheapest option isn't always the best value. A $4/month tool that lacks automation will cost you more in wasted time than a $10 tool that actually does the job. I've broken down the real costs, the hidden fees, and what each platform actually gives you at each price point.

This comprehensive guide covers everything from free plans that actually work to paid options under $20/month. We'll also look at what features you're sacrificing at lower price points, how pricing models differ, and which platforms give you the most bang for your buck as your list grows.

Quick Price Comparison

Before we dive deep, here's what you're looking at for entry-level paid plans:

Now let's talk about what you actually get at each price point and which hidden costs might surprise you.

Best Free Email Marketing Options

If you're just starting out, several platforms offer genuinely useful free plans. The key is understanding their limitations before you commit.

Sender (Best Free Plan Overall)

Sender's free plan is hard to beat: up to 2,500 subscribers and 15,000 emails per month at no cost. Unlike most free plans, you get full access to automation, segmentation, and templates. The paid plans start at just $10/month for 1,000 subscribers if you need to scale up.

The catch? You'll have Sender branding on your emails. But for a free tool, that's a fair trade. What makes Sender stand out is that automation and segmentation aren't locked behind paid tiers-features that competitors like Mailchimp restrict to paying customers.

Who it's best for: Ecommerce stores, small businesses, and startups that need solid automation without paying monthly fees. The 2,500 subscriber limit is generous enough to validate your business model before committing to paid software.

Real limitation to watch: While Sender includes automation on the free plan, you're limited to basic workflows. Complex multi-step sequences with conditional logic require upgrading to paid plans.

MailerLite (Best for Beginners)

MailerLite's free plan covers 500 subscribers (down from 1,000 in previous years) and 12,000 emails per month. You also get access to their landing page builder, automation, and a website builder. The interface is clean and beginner-friendly.

The downside: you'll need to display the MailerLite logo in your email footer, and some features like A/B testing are locked behind paid plans. The subscriber limit was recently cut in half, pushing many free users into paid tiers sooner.

What you actually get: The free plan includes one landing page, unlimited websites, email automation (though limited triggers), and 24/7 email support. You won't get auto resend campaigns, custom HTML editor, or multiple automation triggers-those require the Advanced plan at $20/month.

Who it's best for: Solo entrepreneurs, bloggers, and small content creators who prioritize ease of use over advanced features. If you're sending weekly newsletters to under 500 people and don't need complex segmentation, this works.

Brevo (Best for Large Lists)

Brevo takes a different approach-they don't charge based on contacts. Their free plan gives you unlimited contacts but caps you at 300 emails per day (roughly 9,000/month). If you have a big list but only send occasionally, this could work.

The limitation here is the daily sending cap. Time-sensitive campaigns spread across multiple days can be problematic. Also worth noting: the Starter plan keeps Brevo branding on emails unless you pay an extra $12/month to remove it. Check out our full Brevo pricing breakdown for more details.

Real-world scenario: If you have 5,000 contacts but only send monthly newsletters, Brevo's free plan lets you segment your list and send over three days. But for flash sales or time-sensitive announcements? That daily cap becomes a dealbreaker.

What's included: Marketing automation (limited to 2,000 contacts in automations), email campaigns, SMS campaigns (with purchased credits), transactional emails, signup forms, and basic reporting. You won't get landing pages, A/B testing, or multi-user access on the free tier.

EmailOctopus (Generous Free Tier Alternative)

EmailOctopus offers 2,500 subscribers and 10,000 emails per month on their free plan-more generous than both MailerLite and Brevo. Built on Amazon SES, it delivers reliable sending infrastructure at budget prices.

The trade-off: The interface is more basic than competitors. You get email campaigns and basic automation, but landing pages, advanced segmentation, and priority support require paid plans starting at $13.50/month.

Best for: Businesses comfortable with a utilitarian interface who prioritize subscriber limits over design features. Perfect for newsletters and announcement emails where aesthetics matter less than deliverability.

Cheapest Paid Email Marketing Software

Once you outgrow free plans, these are your most affordable options-and what you're actually getting for the money.

Zoho Campaigns: Absolute Cheapest

At $3/month for 500 contacts (billed annually), Zoho Campaigns wins the price war. Their free plan also covers 2,000 contacts and 6,000 emails/month with 5 user seats included.

What you get: Basic email templates, drag-and-drop editor, A/B testing, and decent reporting. The Standard plan includes unlimited emails, advanced segmentation, dynamic content, and scheduled sending.

What you don't get: The Standard plan is very limited feature-wise. Advanced automation, pop-up forms, and drag-and-drop workflow automation require the Professional plan at $4.50/month (for 500 contacts, billed annually). That jumps to $6/month with monthly billing.

Best for: Businesses already in the Zoho ecosystem. If you're using Zoho CRM, the integration is seamless. Otherwise, you might find the interface clunky compared to dedicated email tools. The learning curve is steeper than MailerLite or Sender.

Pricing as you scale: At 2,500 contacts, you're paying $13.80/month (Standard) or $21/month (Professional). At 10,000 contacts: $49/month (Standard) or $71/month (Professional). The 25% annual discount makes a significant difference-$42 vs $3.50/month at the lowest tier.

Hidden advantage: Zoho's pay-as-you-go email credits never expire. Buy 5,000 credits for $16.40 (500 contacts worth) and use them over months if you send infrequently. Each credit equals one email, and there's no monthly commitment.

Moosend: Best Automation for the Price

Moosend's Pro plan starts at $9/month for 500 subscribers with unlimited emails (monthly billing). If you pay annually, that drops to $7/month. You get conditional automation flows, advanced segmentation, and triggered campaigns-features that usually cost $50+/month elsewhere.

What you get: 110+ email templates, landing page builder, transactional emails, SMTP server, solid reporting including click heatmaps, A/B testing, and 5 team member seats. The automation builder is visual and intuitive with conditional splits, time delays, and behavioral triggers.

What's missing: No free plan (just a 30-day trial with 1,000 subscribers). The UI isn't the most modern. If you're brand new to email marketing, the learning curve is steeper than MailerLite or Sender.

Best for: Bootstrapped startups and ecommerce stores that want serious automation without paying enterprise prices. The ecommerce integrations (WooCommerce, Shopify, Magento) include web tracking that lets you trigger emails based on browsing behavior and track revenue from campaigns.

Scaling costs: At 2,500 contacts: $24/month. At 10,000 contacts: $88/month. At 50,000 contacts: $315/month. The pricing stays competitive compared to ActiveCampaign ($231/month for 10k contacts) or Klaviyo ($150+/month).

Advanced features: Moosend+ lets you add enterprise features à la carte: dedicated IP, transactional emails, custom reporting, SSO/SAML, and additional team members. Enterprise plans include a dedicated account manager and priority support.

Sender: Best Value Under $10

Sender hits a sweet spot between price and features. At $10/month for 1,000 subscribers and unlimited emails (monthly billing), you get automation, segmentation, and SMS capabilities-features that competitors lock behind higher tiers.

What stands out: Even on the free plan, you get full access to automation and segmentation. Most competitors limit these to paid users. The Standard plan (starting at $10/month) includes email and SMS marketing, landing pages, popups, automation workflows, advanced segmentation, and priority support.

Pricing structure: Unlike competitors, Sender's paid plans start at 1,000 subscribers instead of 500. At 2,500 subscribers: $18/month. At 10,000 subscribers: $38/month-significantly cheaper than Mailchimp ($100/month), AWeber ($78/month), or even MailerLite ($73/month) at the same subscriber count.

Best for: Small ecommerce stores that need product emails. Sender can automatically pull product images and prices directly from your site into email templates. The ecommerce automation includes abandoned cart recovery, product recommendations, and order follow-ups.

Premium plan difference: The Professional plan adds dedicated IP (for free), SMS credits included monthly, and premium support. This matters for businesses sending 100,000+ emails monthly who need dedicated sending infrastructure.

Brevo: Best for High-Volume Senders

Brevo's Starter plan begins at $9/month for 5,000 emails (unlimited contacts). If you have a large list but send infrequently, this pricing model can save you serious money.

The catch: The Starter plan keeps Brevo's branding on your emails. Removing it costs an extra $12/month-which brings your actual cost to $21/month. Their Standard plan at $18/month removes branding and adds landing pages, A/B testing, unlimited automation (vs 2,000 contact limit on Starter), and multi-user access.

How the pricing actually works: You pay based on emails sent, not contacts stored. Starter: $9/month for 5K emails, $19/month for 10K emails, $39/month for 20K emails. Standard: $18/month for 5K emails, $29/month for 10K emails, $49/month for 20K emails.

Best for: Businesses with large contact lists but moderate sending frequency. If you have 10,000 contacts but only send 2-3 campaigns monthly, Brevo often beats contact-based pricing. Real example: 10,000 contacts sending 2 emails/month = 20,000 emails = $39-49/month vs MailerLite at $73/month or Mailchimp at $100/month.

Multi-channel advantage: Brevo includes SMS marketing (pay per credit), WhatsApp campaigns (Professional plan and up), web push notifications, and basic CRM functionality. For businesses running multi-channel campaigns, this bundled approach saves on separate tool costs.

Professional plan benefits: Starting at $499/month for 150K+ emails, you get WhatsApp campaigns, web push, contact scoring, AI segmentation, advanced ecommerce features, and priority support. For a deeper look at what you'll actually pay, see our Brevo review.

MailerLite: Best Balance of Price and Usability

MailerLite's Growing Business plan starts at $10/month for 500 subscribers with unlimited emails (monthly billing). Drop to $9/month with annual billing. The interface is genuinely easy to use, and the feature set is solid.

What you get: Unlimited emails, 3 user seats, 100+ email templates, drag-and-drop editor, automation builder, landing pages (unlimited), websites, popups, digital products selling, and 24/7 email support.

Advanced plan at $20/month adds: Unlimited users, AI writing assistant, custom HTML editor, multiple automation triggers, Facebook custom audiences, promotion popups, and live chat support (plus priority email support).

Pricing across tiers: At 2,500 subscribers: Growing Business $25/month, Advanced $50/month. At 10,000 subscribers: Growing Business $73/month, Advanced $132/month. At 50,000 subscribers: Growing Business $315/month, Advanced $560/month.

Best for: Small businesses that want something that "just works" without wrestling with a complicated interface. The email editor is intuitive, templates are modern and mobile-responsive, and the automation builder uses a visual workflow approach that's easier than code-based systems.

Recent changes to watch: MailerLite cut their free plan from 1,000 to 500 subscribers, pushing more users into paid tiers. The Growing Business plan is competitive for small lists but becomes expensive compared to Sender or Brevo as you scale past 10,000 contacts.

Enterprise option: For 100K+ subscribers, MailerLite offers custom Enterprise pricing with dedicated account manager, dedicated IP, landing page and newsletter design services, and priority support. Expect custom quotes in the $1,000+/month range.

Mid-Range Options Worth Considering

If you can stretch your budget slightly past $10/month, these options offer features that justify the extra cost.

Mailchimp: Not the Cheapest, But Worth Mentioning

Mailchimp used to be the go-to budget option. Not anymore. Their free plan now caps at just 500 contacts and 1,000 emails per month (down from 2,000 contacts). The Essentials plan starts at $13/month for 500 subscribers, limited to 5,000 sends.

The dealbreaker for many: Mailchimp charges for unsubscribed contacts. Every person in your account counts toward your limit, even if they've opted out. This adds up fast. If you have 1,000 contacts but 200 unsubscribed, you're paying for 1,000-not 800.

What you get at each tier: Essentials ($13/month for 500 contacts): Removes Mailchimp branding, adds A/B testing, basic automation, and 24/7 email/chat support. Standard ($20/month for 500 contacts): Adds behavioral targeting, custom templates, dynamic content, and send-time optimization. Premium ($350/month for 10,000 contacts): Multivariate testing, advanced segmentation, comparative reporting, unlimited seats.

Why people still use it: Brand recognition, extensive integrations (300+), and robust ecommerce features including product recommendations and abandoned cart automation. The interface is polished, templates are well-designed, and reporting is detailed.

The math that doesn't work: For the same price as Mailchimp Essentials ($13/month), you could get Brevo with 5,000 emails and unlimited contacts, or Sender with 1,000 subscribers and unlimited emails. At 10,000 contacts, Mailchimp charges $100/month vs Sender at $38/month or Moosend at $88/month.

If you're currently on Mailchimp and want to see all your options, check out our guide to the best email marketing software.

AWeber: The Veteran Choice

AWeber's pricing starts at $15/month for 500 subscribers with their Lite plan (monthly billing). Annual billing drops that to $12.50/month. The Plus plan unlocks behavioral automation and advanced analytics at around $30/month.

What you get (Lite plan): Unlimited emails, drag-and-drop email builder, landing page builder, signup forms, basic automation, email templates, integrations with major platforms, and support via email.

Plus plan additions: Sales tracking, behavioral automation, split testing, advanced message analytics, web push notifications, and priority phone/chat support.

Why AWeber costs more: They've been around since 1998 and have excellent deliverability. If your emails consistently land in spam with budget tools, AWeber might be worth the premium. Their deliverability team actively monitors sender reputation and works with ISPs to maintain inbox placement rates.

Where it makes sense: Service businesses, coaches, consultants who prioritize deliverability and support over price. AWeber's email support is responsive, and phone support (on Plus plans) helps non-technical users troubleshoot issues quickly.

We have a partnership with AWeber, so you can try AWeber here if you want to test their deliverability and support quality.

GetResponse: All-in-One Marketing Platform

GetResponse positions itself beyond just email marketing-they include landing pages, webinars, conversion funnels, and website builder. Email Marketing plan starts at $15.60/month for 1,000 contacts (with annual billing).

What's included: Unlimited emails, landing pages, website builder, signup forms, autoresponders, basic automation, and hundreds of templates. Marketing Automation plan ($48.40/month for 1,000 contacts, annual billing) adds advanced automation, webinars (up to 100 attendees), sales funnels, and contact scoring.

The webinar advantage: If you need webinar functionality, GetResponse bundles this into their Marketing Automation plan. Standalone webinar tools like Zoom cost $15-20/month, making GetResponse's bundled pricing competitive for businesses running regular webinars.

Where it falls short: For basic email marketing, GetResponse is pricier than Sender, Moosend, or MailerLite without offering meaningfully better email-specific features. The all-in-one approach appeals if you need multiple tools, but email-only users pay for features they don't use.

Hidden Costs to Watch For

The sticker price isn't always the full story. Here are hidden costs that can double your actual spending:

Branding Removal Fees

Several platforms charge extra to remove their logo from your emails:

If professional appearance matters (and for most businesses, it should), factor these costs into your budget from the start.

Contact Counting Quirks

How platforms count contacts dramatically affects your bill:

Mailchimp: Counts ALL contacts including unsubscribed. If you have 2,000 total contacts but 500 unsubscribed, you're billed for 2,000. Solution: Regularly archive or delete unsubscribed contacts.

MailerLite: Counts only active unique subscribers who received an email in the past 30 days. More favorable for businesses with seasonal sending patterns.

Brevo: Unlimited contacts on all plans, charged by emails sent. Best for large lists with infrequent sending.

Sender, Moosend, Zoho: Count active subscribers only. Unsubscribed contacts don't count toward limits.

Feature Tier Lockouts

Many platforms advertise low prices but hide essential features behind expensive tiers:

Automation limitations: Zoho Campaigns locks drag-and-drop workflow automation behind Professional plan ($4.50/month vs $3/month Standard). Brevo limits Starter plan automations to 2,000 contacts; unlimited requires Standard at $18/month.

Landing pages: Brevo Starter ($9/month) doesn't include landing pages-you need Standard ($18/month). Mailchimp Essentials ($13/month) includes 3 landing pages; Standard ($20/month) gives unlimited.

Multi-user access: Many platforms limit users on lower tiers. MailerLite Growing Business includes 3 users; Advanced offers unlimited. Moosend Pro includes 5 users; additional users available on Moosend+ or Enterprise.

A/B testing: MailerLite free plan doesn't include A/B testing-requires Growing Business ($10/month). Zoho Campaigns includes A/B testing on Standard plan.

Overage Charges

What happens when you exceed your plan limits?

Auto-upgrade systems: MailerLite automatically upgrades paid accounts to the next tier when you exceed subscriber limits. You're charged the higher rate immediately.

Sending pauses: Brevo pauses campaigns when you hit monthly limits but notifies you beforehand. You can purchase additional credits or upgrade to continue sending.

Overage fees: Some platforms charge per-email overages. MailerSend charges $1.20 per 1,000 additional emails. GetResponse charges 5-15 cents per email over limit.

Annual Billing Requirements

The lowest advertised prices often require yearly payment. Monthly billing typically costs 20-30% more:

Moosend: $7/month annual vs $9/month monthly (22% savings annually)

MailerLite: $9/month annual vs $10/month monthly (10% savings annually)

Zoho Campaigns: 25% discount on annual subscriptions vs monthly

GetResponse: 18-30% discount on annual/biennial plans

Annual commitments reduce flexibility but significantly cut costs. Calculate your 12-month cost either way before committing.

Add-On Costs

SMS marketing, dedicated IPs, and premium support often cost extra:

SMS credits: Brevo charges $0.025-0.11 per SMS depending on country. Sender charges $0.015-0.045 per SMS. For 1,000 SMS messages monthly, expect $15-100 additional spend.

Dedicated IP: Brevo charges $25/month per dedicated IP. Zoho Campaigns offers dedicated IP on request (custom pricing). Sender includes dedicated IP free on Professional plan.

Advanced support: Priority support, phone support, and dedicated account managers typically require enterprise plans. Moosend Enterprise includes dedicated account manager; Pro plans rely on email/chat support.

Contact-Based vs. Email-Based Pricing

This matters more than most people realize. Understanding which model saves you money requires knowing your sending patterns.

Contact-Based Pricing Explained

How it works: You pay based on how many subscribers you have, regardless of sending frequency. Most include unlimited or high-volume email sends.

Best for: Businesses that email their list frequently (weekly newsletters, multiple campaigns per month, ongoing engagement).

Platforms using this model: MailerLite (unlimited emails), Moosend (unlimited emails), Sender (unlimited emails), AWeber (unlimited emails), Mailchimp (limited by tier).

Example calculation: 5,000 contacts, sending 4 campaigns/month (20,000 total emails/month).

Contact-based pricing rewards high-frequency senders. The more you email your list, the better the value.

Email-Based Pricing Explained

How it works: You pay based on how many emails you send. Contact storage is unlimited or has very high limits.

Best for: Businesses with large lists but infrequent sending (monthly newsletters, seasonal campaigns, event-based emails).

Platforms using this model: Brevo (unlimited contacts), SendGrid (contact + email hybrid), Amazon SES (pure email volume).

Example calculation: 10,000 contacts, sending 1 campaign/month (10,000 total emails/month).

Email-based pricing rewards low-frequency senders. If you email quarterly or have large lists with low engagement, this saves money.

Hybrid Approaches

Some platforms offer both models or tiered combinations:

Mailchimp: Charges by contacts but limits email sends per tier. Essentials includes 10x your contact limit in sends (500 contacts = 5,000 sends/month).

SendGrid: Marketing Campaigns pricing combines contact storage (up to specified limits) with email sends.

Zoho Campaigns: Standard/Professional plans charge by contacts with unlimited emails. Pay-as-you-go email credits offer alternative for occasional senders (unlimited contacts, pay per email).

Real-World Comparison

Let's compare actual costs for different business scenarios:

Scenario 1: Weekly newsletter, 3,000 subscribers
Sending: 4 emails/month = 12,000 emails/month

Winner: Sender at $20/month

Scenario 2: Monthly newsletter, 15,000 subscribers
Sending: 1 email/month = 15,000 emails/month

Winner: Brevo at $29/month (saves $29-99/month vs contact-based)

Scenario 3: Daily promotional emails, 5,000 subscribers
Sending: 20 emails/month = 100,000 emails/month

Winner: Sender at $28/month (email-based pricing becomes expensive for high-frequency sending)

Best Cheap Email Marketing Software by Use Case

Different business types have different priorities. Here's what actually works in practice:

For Ecommerce

Top pick: Sender ($10/month for 1,000 contacts)
Why it wins: Integrates with Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, and Magento. Automatically pulls product images and prices into email templates. Includes abandoned cart recovery, product recommendations, and purchase follow-up automation. Significantly cheaper than ecommerce-focused alternatives like Omnisend ($11/month for 500 contacts) or Klaviyo ($30/month minimum).

Runner-up: Moosend ($9/month for 500 contacts)
Similar ecommerce integrations, advanced automation builder, and web tracking that links email campaigns to revenue. Slightly more expensive than Sender as you scale but offers more sophisticated workflow capabilities.

Premium option: Klaviyo (starts $20/month for 251-500 contacts)
Purpose-built for ecommerce with deep Shopify integration, predictive analytics, and advanced segmentation. Expensive but justified for serious online stores doing $10K+/month revenue where the advanced features drive meaningful lift in customer lifetime value.

For Newsletters and Content Creators

Top pick: MailerLite ($10/month for 500 subscribers)
Why it wins: Clean editor, straightforward interface, and features focused on newsletter delivery rather than marketing automation. The landing page builder helps grow subscribers, and the website builder lets creators establish online presence without separate tools.

Runner-up: Brevo ($9/month for 5,000 emails)
Works well for creators with large audiences but monthly sending frequency. If you have 10,000 subscribers but send one newsletter monthly, Brevo costs $18/month vs MailerLite at $73/month.

Specialized option: ConvertKit (starts $9/month for 300 subscribers)
Built specifically for creators, bloggers, and course creators. Includes creator-friendly features like landing pages optimized for lead magnets, tagging instead of list management, and easy digital product delivery. More expensive than MailerLite but the creator-focused UX justifies the premium for many users.

For Agencies Managing Multiple Clients

Top pick: Brevo Standard ($18/month starting point)
Why it wins: Multi-user access included, unlimited automation, and client sub-accounts available. Email-based pricing means you're not paying for every contact across all clients-just what you send.

Runner-up: Zoho Campaigns Agency Edition ($583/year for 10,000 contacts)
Specifically designed for agencies managing multiple client accounts. Includes white-label options, client management dashboard, and shared contact pools. Works especially well for agencies in the Zoho ecosystem.

Enterprise option: Moosend Enterprise (custom pricing)
Unlimited users, white-label capabilities, dedicated account manager, and priority support. For agencies managing 10+ clients or 100K+ combined contacts, the custom pricing often beats per-client subscription costs.

For SaaS and Tech Startups

Top pick: Moosend Pro ($9/month for 500 subscribers)
Why it wins: Behavioral automation on a budget. You can trigger emails based on user actions, segment by engagement patterns, and build sophisticated onboarding sequences. As you grow and need more advanced lifecycle automation, you'll eventually need ActiveCampaign or Customer.io-but Moosend buys you 12-24 months before that transition.

Runner-up: Sender ($10/month for 1,000 subscribers)
Similar automation capabilities with better pricing as you scale. The API and webhooks allow integration with your product for event-triggered emails.

When to upgrade: If you need emails triggered by in-app events, user behavior tracking across your product, or sophisticated lifecycle campaigns spanning multiple touchpoints, tools like Customer.io ($150+/month) or Autopilot ($49+/month) become necessary despite the cost jump.

For B2B and Lead Nurturing

Top pick: Moosend ($9/month for 500 subscribers)
Why it wins: Advanced segmentation, lead scoring (on custom plans), and multi-step automation workflows. You can nurture leads through complex journeys based on email engagement, website behavior, and lead attributes.

Mid-market option: AWeber Plus ($30/month for 500 subscribers)
Behavioral automation, sales tracking, and integrations with CRM systems. The premium cost buys better deliverability-critical for B2B where emails to corporate domains face stricter filtering.

When to upgrade: When lead volume exceeds 5,000+ and you need CRM integration, lead handoff to sales teams, and multi-touch attribution, platforms like ActiveCampaign ($49+/month) or HubSpot ($45+/month) become necessary.

For Nonprofits and Educational Organizations

Top pick: MailerLite (30% nonprofit discount)
MailerLite offers 30% off all paid plans for verified nonprofits. Growing Business plan: $7/month for 500 subscribers, $17.50/month for 2,500 subscribers, $51/month for 10,000 subscribers.

Runner-up: Moosend (25% nonprofit discount)
25% off annual plans for nonprofits, stackable with the standard 20% annual discount. Effectively 45% off vs monthly pricing.

Best free option: Sender (2,500 subscribers free)
The most generous free tier without nonprofit verification requirements. Perfect for grassroots organizations just starting email outreach.

For Solopreneurs and Coaches

Top pick: MailerLite ($10/month for 500 subscribers)
Why it wins: Simple enough to manage solo, includes landing pages for lead generation, automation for email courses and drip sequences, and the ability to sell digital products directly through email. No team management complexity you won't use.

Budget alternative: Sender free plan (2,500 subscribers)
If you're pre-revenue or validating your coaching business, Sender's free plan includes automation sufficient for basic welcome sequences and nurture campaigns.

Premium upgrade path: ConvertKit ($25/month for 1,000 subscribers)
Once you're earning revenue, ConvertKit's creator-focused features-easy landing pages, tag-based subscriber management, and seamless digital product delivery-justify the premium for many coaches.

Advanced Cost-Saving Strategies

Beyond choosing the cheapest platform, these strategies reduce long-term costs:

List Hygiene Reduces Costs

Regularly cleaning your email list cuts costs on contact-based pricing:

Remove unengaged subscribers: Contacts who haven't opened in 6-12 months cost money but provide no value. MailerLite counts only subscribers emailed in 30 days (favorable), but Mailchimp charges for all contacts (unfavorable).

Archive unsubscribed contacts: On platforms like Mailchimp, unsubscribed contacts still count toward your limit. Delete or archive them to avoid paying for dead weight.

Fix typos and invalid emails: Email validation tools ($10-20/month or pay-per-validation) identify invalid addresses before they hurt your sender reputation and waste sends.

Cost impact example: 5,000 contacts with 1,000 inactive (no opens in 12 months). Removing inactive contacts drops you from $40/month (5,000 tier) to $32/month (4,000 tier) on MailerLite-$96/year savings.

Annual Billing Saves 20-30%

Every platform discounts annual commitments:

Moosend: $7/month annual vs $9/month monthly = $24/year saved

Zoho Campaigns: 25% discount annual = $12-18/year saved on entry tiers

GetResponse: 30% discount biennial = $50-100/year saved

Commit annually only after testing thoroughly. Use 14-30 day free trials to validate the platform works before locking in a year.

Start Free, Upgrade Strategically

Don't pay for features you don't use yet:

Begin with Sender free (2,500 subscribers) or MailerLite free (500 subscribers). Validate your business model, email frequency, and feature needs before paying.

Upgrade when you hit limitations: Not before. If Sender's free plan automation works, don't pay for Moosend's advanced workflows until you actually need conditional splits and behavior triggers.

Audit quarterly: Review which features you're actually using. Paying for MailerLite Advanced ($20/month) but not using AI writing assistant, custom HTML editor, or multiple automation triggers? Downgrade to Growing Business ($10/month) and save $120/year.

Pay-As-You-Go for Seasonal Businesses

If you send infrequently, credits beat subscriptions:

Zoho Campaigns email credits: Never expire. Buy 5,000 credits for $16.40, use over 6 months for quarterly newsletters. Cheaper than $3/month × 6 = $18.

Brevo email credits: 5,000 credits for $12.50, never expire. Perfect for event-based businesses (conferences, seasonal retailers) with burst sending needs.

Moosend send credits: Pay only for emails sent, unlimited contacts. Works for businesses with large lists but annual sending (alumni associations, annual membership renewals).

Bundle to Save on Multiple Tools

All-in-one platforms cost more than single-purpose tools but less than multiple subscriptions:

GetResponse: Email + landing pages + webinars + CRM = $48/month. Separate tools: MailerLite ($10) + Leadpages ($37) + Zoom ($15) = $62/month.

Brevo: Email + SMS + WhatsApp + basic CRM = $18/month (Standard plan). Separate tools: MailerLite ($10) + Twilio SMS ($20 avg) = $30/month.

Bundling saves money only if you actually use all features. Don't pay for webinar functionality you won't use just because it's "included."

Referral and Affiliate Discounts

Many platforms offer discounts through affiliates or referral programs:

Moosend: Extra 10% off annual plans through affiliate links (stacks with 20% annual discount for 30% total savings)

MailerLite: 30% discount codes available through partnerships

Brevo: 60% off first 3 months via affiliate codes

Search "[platform name] discount code" before purchasing. First-month or first-quarter discounts let you test affordably.

When Cheap Becomes Expensive

Sometimes paying more saves money. Here's when budget tools cost you more than they save:

Deliverability Issues

The cheapest platforms sometimes have poorer deliverability-your emails land in spam more often. If 30% of your emails never reach the inbox, you're wasting 30% of your sending and losing revenue.

Signs of deliverability problems: Open rates below 15% (industry average is 20-30%), high bounce rates (above 2%), complaints/spam reports increasing.

Solution: AWeber ($15/month) and Campaign Monitor ($11/month) focus heavily on deliverability. The premium pays for itself if inbox placement improves by 10-15%.

Time Wasted on Bad UX

Clunky interfaces cost time. If a $4/month tool takes 2 hours to create a campaign vs 30 minutes on a $10 tool, you're trading $6 monthly savings for 1.5 hours of your time-every campaign.

Calculation: If your time is worth $50/hour, 1.5 hours = $75 value. Paying $6 extra monthly ($72/year) saves $75 per campaign. Send 2+ campaigns monthly and the expensive tool saves money.

User-friendly platforms: MailerLite, Sender, and Moosend prioritize intuitive interfaces. Zoho Campaigns and some budget tools have steeper learning curves.

Missing Features Require Workarounds

Features locked behind expensive tiers sometimes force you to buy separate tools-negating savings.

Example: Brevo Starter ($9/month) lacks landing pages. Buying Leadpages ($37/month) or Unbounce ($99/month) separately costs more than upgrading to Brevo Standard ($18/month) which includes landing pages.

Another example: Platforms without ecommerce automation require separate cart abandonment tools ($20-50/month). Sender or Omnisend include this built-in.

Support Limitations

Budget plans often restrict support to email-only with slow response times. For non-technical users, delayed support costs hours of frustration.

When support matters: If you're launching time-sensitive campaigns (product launches, event registrations, flash sales) and can't afford 24-48 hour support delays, paying for plans with live chat or phone support justifies the cost.

Platforms with strong support even on low tiers: Moosend (24/7 live chat even on $9/month Pro plan), MailerLite (24/7 email support on all paid plans, live chat on Advanced), Sender (24/7 support on paid plans).

Pricing Trends to Watch

The email marketing landscape is shifting. Understanding trends helps you future-proof your choice:

Free Plans Shrinking

MailerLite cut free plan from 1,000 to 500 subscribers. Mailchimp cut from 2,000 to 500 contacts and 2,000 to 1,000 emails monthly. As platforms mature, free tiers contract to push users toward paid plans.

Implication: Lock in generous free plans while they exist. Sender (2,500 free) and EmailOctopus (2,500 free) currently lead-but this may not last.

Contact-Based Pricing Becoming Standard

Most platforms charge by contacts rather than sends because it's more predictable revenue for the business. Brevo's email-based model is increasingly rare.

Implication: If you have large lists with infrequent sending, maximize Brevo while this model persists. Alternatives are disappearing.

AI Features Increasing Costs

AI writing assistants, send-time optimization, and subject line generation are being added-often behind higher-priced tiers. MailerLite locks AI assistant behind Advanced plan ($20/month vs $10/month).

Implication: If AI features matter, compare which platforms include them in base tiers vs expensive upgrades. Moosend includes AI writing suggestions in Pro plan ($9/month).

Multi-Channel Bundling

Email-only tools are adding SMS, WhatsApp, push notifications, and social. Brevo and Sender lead this trend. Expect "email marketing software" to evolve into "marketing communication platforms."

Implication: If you anticipate needing multi-channel campaigns, choose platforms building this infrastructure now rather than migrating later.

The Bottom Line

If you're just starting out and need free: Sender (best limits at 2,500 subscribers, 15,000 emails/month) or MailerLite (best usability for beginners).

If you want the absolute cheapest paid option: Zoho Campaigns at $3/month (billed annually) for 500 contacts.

If you want the best value under $10: Moosend at $7/month (billed annually) for serious automation features, or Brevo at $9/month if you have large lists but send infrequently.

If you want easy and reliable: MailerLite at $10/month for clean interface and solid features, or Sender at $10/month for better pricing as you scale.

If you run an ecommerce store: Sender at $10/month for built-in product automation, or Moosend at $9/month for advanced workflows.

If you send infrequently to large lists: Brevo for email-based pricing that can save 50-70% vs contact-based platforms.

Don't just chase the lowest price. Calculate what your time is worth, then pick the cheapest tool that doesn't waste it. A platform that saves you 30 minutes per campaign is worth an extra $5-10/month. Send 4 campaigns monthly, and you're saving 2 hours/month-that's $100-200 in saved time if you value your time at $50-100/hour.

The truly "cheapest" email marketing software is the one that delivers the best ratio of results to total cost-including hidden fees, wasted time, and opportunity costs of poor deliverability or missing features.

How to Choose: Decision Framework

Still unsure which platform fits your needs? Follow this decision tree:

Step 1: Determine your list size and growth trajectory

Step 2: Calculate your sending frequency

Step 3: Identify must-have features

Step 4: Test 2-3 finalists

Use free trials to build actual campaigns, test automation, and assess usability. Spend 3-5 hours with each platform building a real workflow-not just browsing features.

Step 5: Calculate total 12-month cost

Include annual billing discounts, estimated growth (will you add 1,000 subscribers in next year?), and add-on costs (SMS, dedicated IP, branding removal).

Step 6: Commit and optimize

Choose one platform and use it for at least 3 months before switching. Constantly migrating platforms wastes more time than any pricing difference saves.

Final Recommendations by Budget

Absolute shoestring budget ($0/month)

Sender free plan: 2,500 subscribers, 15,000 emails/month, full automation and segmentation. This is the most generous free plan available and sufficient for most small businesses getting started.

Micro budget ($5-10/month)

Moosend at $7/month (annual billing): 500 subscribers, unlimited emails, advanced automation. Best feature-to-price ratio in this range.

Small budget ($10-20/month)

MailerLite at $10/month: Best balance of usability, features, and support. Perfect for solopreneurs and small teams prioritizing simplicity.

Alternative: Sender at $10/month for 1,000 subscribers-better pricing as you grow and strong ecommerce features.

Modest budget ($20-50/month)

Brevo Standard at $18-29/month: Multi-channel capabilities (email, SMS, WhatsApp), unlimited automation, landing pages, and A/B testing. Best for businesses ready to scale beyond basic email.

Alternative: MailerLite Advanced at $20/month: Unlimited users, AI writing assistant, advanced features for teams.

Growing budget ($50-100/month)

At this price point, evaluate whether cheap platforms still meet your needs or if specialized tools deliver better ROI:

- ActiveCampaign ($49/month for 500 contacts): Advanced automation, CRM integration, lifecycle campaigns
- Klaviyo ($60/month for 1,001-1,500 contacts): Ecommerce-focused with predictive analytics
- GetResponse Marketing Automation ($48/month): Email + webinars + funnels + automation

The jump from $20 to $50/month often delivers 3-5x more sophisticated features. For businesses generating $10K+/month revenue, the advanced features typically pay for themselves through better conversion rates.

Common Migration Pitfalls

When switching from one platform to another to save money, avoid these mistakes:

Data loss during export/import: Not all platforms export custom fields, tags, and subscriber history cleanly. Test import with a small segment before migrating entire list.

Broken automation workflows: Automation logic doesn't transfer between platforms. You'll rebuild workflows from scratch-budget 5-10 hours for this.

Deliverability drops: New platforms require warming up sender reputation. Your first few campaigns on a new platform often see 10-20% lower open rates until ISPs trust the new sending infrastructure.

Learning curve delays campaigns: Budget 2-4 weeks to learn new platform before running critical campaigns. Don't migrate 1 week before a major product launch.

Contract commitments: If you're on annual billing with current platform, you're locked in until renewal. Migrating early wastes already-paid months.

Solution: Time migrations to coincide with contract renewals. Run both platforms in parallel for 1 month before fully transitioning. Export everything (lists, templates, automation workflows documented) before canceling old account.

Resources for Further Research

For more detailed platform comparisons and email marketing strategies:

Remember: the cheapest email marketing software is worthless if it doesn't help you achieve your goals. Focus on the best value for your specific situation-balancing price, features, usability, and support. A tool that costs $5 more monthly but increases your conversion rate by 1% pays for itself many times over.

Start with a generous free plan (Sender or MailerLite), test thoroughly, and upgrade strategically when you've validated the platform works for your business. The best time to commit to annual billing is after 2-3 months of successful monthly usage-not before.