⚡ Key Finding (May 2026)
A 25,000-contact list emailed seasonally costs roughly $300 per month on Mailchimp’s per-contact billing model and under $70 per month on Brevo’s per-send model for the identical audience — a 4.3× spread that no feature checklist will surface. This calculator models actual monthly cost across 13 platforms tested by BuyerSprint as of May 2026, with the per-contact vs per-send billing fault line built in.
The single biggest decision in email marketing software in 2026 is not which tool has the best features. It is which billing model fits your sending pattern. Per-contact platforms (Mailchimp, Klaviyo, ActiveCampaign, Constant Contact, AWeber) charge for the size of your stored list whether you email it or not. Per-send platforms (Brevo, MailerLite, Moosend, Sender) charge for emails delivered. For a 25,000-contact seasonal sender, that decision is the difference between $300 and $70 a month — every month, for as long as the list exists.
Calculator data sourced from each vendor’s public pricing pages, verified May 2026. Methodology: lowest paid plan that covers the stated list size and monthly sends. Actual costs may vary with annual billing discounts (typically 15-30%), regional pricing, and promotional periods. Verify with the vendor before committing.
Affiliate Disclosure: BuyerSprint earns a commission from partner links in this calculator’s results table. We only include tools we have genuinely tested — at no additional cost to you. Pricing is reported objectively regardless of affiliate status. View our disclosure policy.
Calculate Your True Email Marketing Cost
Includes unsubscribed contacts on per-contact billers. Average 2026 small-business list: 2,500-7,500.
Sends = list size × campaigns per month. Example: 2,500 contacts × 4 newsletters = 10,000 sends.
How the Three Billing Models Actually Work
Per-send billing (Brevo, Sender)
You pay for emails delivered, not contacts stored. Contact ceilings are typically unlimited or set to a generous cap (Brevo: 100,000 stored contacts at standard tiers). This model rewards low send-frequency senders — seasonal businesses, real estate brokerages with 25,000 dormant contacts they email twice a year, nonprofits sending quarterly campaigns. It penalizes daily newsletters and high-send-frequency lists where the per-send cost compounds.
Per-subscriber billing (Kit, MailerLite, GetResponse, AWeber)
You pay for active subscribers — typically people who clicked the confirmation email and have not unsubscribed. Some platforms (AWeber) still count unsubscribed contacts; others (MailerLite, Kit) do not. Send caps are generous but not unlimited (Kit Creator: unlimited sends; GetResponse: scales with plan). This model favors creators with engaged audiences who clean their lists regularly.
Per-contact billing (Mailchimp, Klaviyo, ActiveCampaign, Constant Contact)
You pay for every contact in your account — active, inactive, unsubscribed, even bounced-out (depending on the platform's definition). This is the most expensive model for legacy lists with historical decay. Klaviyo's February 2025 policy shift now counts cold-imported and unsubscribed profiles toward the billable count, which is why their pricing curve in this calculator is the steepest after 5,000 contacts.
Worked Example: The $230 Per-Month Mistake
Take a typical small e-commerce business: 25,000 contacts (built over 4 years, mostly cold), 50,000 monthly sends (2 newsletters + 1 cart-abandon flow + 1 promotional campaign).
- Mailchimp Standard: ~$300/mo. Counts every stored contact including non-subscribed.
- Klaviyo: ~$400/mo. Per-profile billing on imported list is brutal at this size.
- Brevo (per-send): ~$65/mo. Unlimited contacts. Pays only for the 50,000 sends.
- The spread: $300 vs $65 = $2,820 per year saved by switching billing model, before any feature comparison.
For the same audience getting the same emails, the billing-model decision drives almost the entire cost. Features and UX should decide between Brevo, MailerLite, and Sender at the low-cost end — not between low-cost and high-cost platforms.
When Per-Contact Billing Is Still the Right Pick
Three scenarios where the more expensive per-contact platforms still win on total ROI:
- Heavy automation logic. ActiveCampaign and Klaviyo run circles around per-send platforms on multi-step flows, conditional branching, and predictive sending. If your revenue depends on a complex automation graph, the higher monthly cost pays back in conversion.
- Ecommerce + product feeds. Klaviyo and Omnisend integrate with Shopify, BigCommerce, and WooCommerce product catalogs at a depth Brevo and MailerLite cannot match. Cart-abandon and product-recommendation flows generate revenue that justifies the cost.
- Tight email ↔ CRM coupling. If you run a B2B sales motion where email engagement feeds a sales team's CRM in real time, ActiveCampaign's CRM tier or HubSpot ecosystem makes per-contact billing rational.
Frequently Asked Questions
How accurate is this calculator in May 2026?
Pricing is sourced from each vendor's public pricing page as of May 2026 and verified against BuyerSprint's reviews. Tier lookups use the lowest paid plan that covers your stated list size + send count. Actual costs may vary with annual billing discounts (typically 15-30% off monthly), regional pricing, promotional offers, and add-ons (SMS, dedicated IPs, premium support). Always verify with the vendor before committing.
Does this calculator account for free plans?
Yes. If your list size + send count fit a platform's free tier, the calculator returns $0. Free tier limits as of May 2026: Brevo 300 sends/day (~9,000/month) unlimited contacts; Sender 2,500 subscribers + 15,000 sends; MailerLite 500 subscribers; Kit 10,000 subscribers (single automation); AWeber 500 subscribers + 3,000 sends; GetResponse 500 subscribers + 2,500 sends; Mailchimp 250 contacts + 500 sends; Klaviyo 250 profiles; Omnisend 250 contacts.
Why is Klaviyo so expensive in this calculator?
Klaviyo's per-profile billing changed in February 2025 to count cold-imported and unsubscribed profiles toward the billable count. For a 5,000-profile account, the new model produces a roughly $100/month price, scaling steeply from there. The calculator reflects current policy. If your list is mostly engaged subscribers under 2,500, Klaviyo's cost is competitive — and its ecommerce automation depth often justifies the premium.
What about Mailchimp's recent pricing changes?
Mailchimp raised prices by approximately 11-13% in April 2026 and cut its free tier to 250 contacts (down from 2,000 pre-2021) and 500 monthly sends (down from 1,000). The Standard plan now starts at $13/month for 500 contacts. Cost curves above 5,000 contacts are aggressive relative to per-send alternatives. The calculator uses post-April-2026 pricing.
Can I export this calculator's results?
Not yet, but it's on the roadmap. For now, screenshot the results table or copy the cost rankings into a spreadsheet. If you want a customized scenario walkthrough for your specific business model, reach out through our contact form.
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