# The Cheapest Email Marketing Platforms (2026)

> The cheapest email marketing platforms in 2026, priced at 1,000, 10,000 and 50,000 subscribers: MailerLite, Brevo, Kit, Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign, and self-hosted options like Listmonk, Sendy and Broadcast that you pay for once.

Source: https://sendbroadcast.net/cheapest-email-marketing

The cheapest email marketing platform depends on two numbers: how many subscribers you have and how often you email them. Hosted platforms charge by subscriber count or by emails sent, every month. Self-hosted tools charge once, or nothing, and you pay a sending service like Amazon SES at about $0.10 per 1,000 emails.

> **Conflict of interest:** we make Broadcast, one of the self-hosted options below. Prices for the others are their published list prices on monthly billing in 2026, linked from each row.

## What each platform costs

Monthly cost, sending a weekly newsletter (four emails a month per subscriber):

| Platform | 1,000 subscribers | 10,000 subscribers | 50,000 subscribers | Automations |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Kit](https://sendbroadcast.net/compare/kit-pricing) (free plan) | $0 | $0 | Not available | No |
| [Brevo](https://sendbroadcast.net/compare/brevo-pricing) Starter | $9 | $39 | Standard only, from $169 | Limited |
| [MailerLite](https://sendbroadcast.net/compare/mailerlite-pricing) Comfort | $19 | $89 | $289 | Yes, 50 active |
| [Mailchimp](https://sendbroadcast.net/compare/mailchimp-pricing) Essentials | About $27 | $110 | $385 | Up to 4 steps |
| [Kit](https://sendbroadcast.net/compare/kit-pricing) Creator | $39 | $139 | $379 | Yes |
| [ActiveCampaign](https://sendbroadcast.net/compare/activecampaign-pricing) Plus | $59 | $239 | $759 | Yes |
| Listmonk + Amazon SES | Under $1 + server | $4 + server | $20 + server | No |
| [Sendy](https://sendbroadcast.net/compare/broadcast-vs-sendy) + Amazon SES | Under $1 + server | $4 + server | $20 + server | Autoresponders |
| Broadcast + Amazon SES | Under $1 + server | $4 + server | $20 + server | Yes, with branching |

Self-hosted rows are Amazon SES fees only. Add a small server, usually a few dollars a month, and the software's one-time price: Listmonk is free, Sendy is about $69, Broadcast is $250.

## The cheapest option for each situation

**Under 10,000 subscribers, no automations:** Kit's free plan. It costs nothing and covers broadcasts, forms and landing pages.

**A big list you email once or twice a month:** Brevo. It charges by emails sent, so a large, quiet list stays cheap.

**A small list that needs automations, fully managed:** MailerLite Comfort. It is the cheapest hosted plan with a proper automation builder.

**10,000 subscribers or more, emailed weekly:** self-hosted software on Amazon SES. The sending cost is a few dollars a month at any size, and the software is a one-time cost or free. Over a year, that is hundreds or thousands of dollars less than any hosted plan.

## Pay once instead of every month

Self-hosted tools move the cost from a monthly subscription to a one-time purchase. Here is what the first year looks like at 10,000 subscribers:

- **MailerLite Comfort:** $1,068.
- **Mailchimp Standard:** $1,620.
- **Broadcast:** $250 once, about $48 in SES fees and around $60 for a small server. Roughly $360 in year one, and about $110 a year after that.

The trade-off is real: you run the server, apply updates and set up your sending domain. Listmonk is the cheapest self-hosted option if you only need to send newsletters. Sendy is cheap if you only use Amazon SES. Broadcast adds sequences with branching, segments, an API and support. See [email marketing you pay for once](/email-marketing-one-time-payment) for what a one-time license includes.

## Frequently asked questions

### What is the cheapest email marketing platform?

For a free newsletter under 10,000 subscribers, Kit's free plan. At larger sizes, self-hosted software on Amazon SES, where sending costs about $0.10 per 1,000 emails and there is no monthly subscription.

### What is the cheapest email marketing platform with automations?

Among hosted tools, MailerLite. Self-hosted, Broadcast includes automations for a one-time $250.

### Is self-hosted email marketing really cheaper?

For lists above a few thousand subscribers, yes, by a wide margin. The cost you add is your time, or someone's, to run the server.

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## Related

- [Email marketing pricing calculator](/calculator)
- [Amazon SES pricing](/compare/amazon-ses-pricing)
- [Mailchimp alternatives](/compare/mailchimp-alternative)
- [7 best self-hosted email marketing tools](/self-hosted/email-marketing-software)