Why does the cheapest platform at 1,000 subscribers not stay cheapest at 50,000?

Each platform has a different pricing curve. Kit and MailerLite scale relatively linearly. Klaviyo and Mailchimp add features — and cost — faster past 10K. Beehiiv jumps in big step-increments ($39 → $99 → $179). Brevo bills on sends, not subscribers, so frequency matters more than list size. The calculator projects 12 months forward at your growth rate so you see the curve, not just today's snapshot.

Is Brevo's send-based billing actually cheaper?

Sometimes. If you send once a month to a 50K list, Brevo charges for 50K sends ($25/mo at their 20K tier = need 3x that, roughly $55/mo). Klaviyo at 50K subscribers is $720/mo. Big win for Brevo. But if you send weekly, Brevo's 200K monthly sends pushes you to $65-$85/mo and the gap narrows. Send frequency dictates whether Brevo wins or loses.

What does 'best fit' actually mean in the recommendation?

It matches platform features to your declared business type: creators benefit from Kit's tagging and tip jar; ecommerce benefits from Klaviyo's Shopify integration and SMS; SMBs typically fit Mailchimp or MailerLite; agencies benefit from Beehiiv's paid newsletters or Brevo's client-login multi-account. The recommendation uses both cost AND fit — the cheapest platform isn't automatically best if it can't do what you need.

Do these numbers include SMS?

Only if you check 'need SMS too'. Klaviyo SMS is roughly 2× the email bill at most tiers (add-on, not included). Kit does not offer SMS. Mailchimp SMS is an add-on costing roughly $20-$100/mo on top of email. MailerLite does not offer native SMS. Beehiiv and Brevo have limited SMS options. Most businesses should keep SMS separate and use Attentive or Postscript for serious SMS work — the calculator flags this when SMS is selected.

How accurate are these 2026 rates?

Verified April 2026 from each vendor's public pricing page. Pricing tiers change every 12-18 months, so check the source before committing. The calculator uses published list prices — enterprise discounts (available above 50K subscribers on most platforms) will lower actual cost 15-30% on annual contracts.

Which platform has the best free tier right now?

For functional free tiers under 2,500 subscribers: Beehiiv (free to 2,500, full features, creator-optimized). MailerLite (free to 1,000, 12K sends/mo, limited templates). Brevo (free with 300 daily sends, unlimited contacts). Mailchimp (free to 500, 1K sends/mo, branded footer). Kit has a free creator tier to 10K subscribers as of 2025 refresh. At zero budget, Kit's free tier is the most generous for creators; Beehiiv for newsletters; Brevo for transactional.

Should I switch platforms if the calculator shows big savings?

Migration has real cost: 2-4 days of work setting up automations, redoing integrations, rewarming IP on a new ESP, losing some list to passive subscribers who won't re-confirm. Don't switch for under ~$100/mo of annual savings. Switch for $1,000+/yr of savings — that's multiple automated flows you can rebuild. Also switch if the new platform offers a feature category your current one can't do at all (e.g. paid newsletter on Beehiiv, SMS on Klaviyo).

Last updated: 2026-04-30

Email Marketing Cost Calculator (12-month projection)

Pricing pages hide the real number. This calculator projects your current list forward 12 months at your growth rate, then shows the 12-month total cost across Kit, Klaviyo, Mailchimp, Beehiiv, MailerLite, and Brevo — plus cost per subscriber per month and a best-fit recommendation for your business type. Verified April 2026 pricing.

Bottom line up front:

At 10,000 subs growing 30%/yr sending weekly: Beehiiv typically totals $468/yr, MailerLite $216-$660/yr, Kit $540-$900/yr, Brevo $780/yr, Mailchimp $900-$1,800/yr, Klaviyo $720-$1,920/yr. The right answer depends heavily on whether you need ecommerce automation (Klaviyo wins), creator tools (Kit wins), or just cheap blasts (Beehiiv/MailerLite win).

Your inputs

Current list size

Active subscribers today.

Expected 12-month growth (%)

Typical SMB 20-50%, strong creator 50-200%, declining list use negative.

Send frequency

Business type

Need SMS too (will flag vendors that support it)

12-month projected cost by platform

Platform	Plan at year-end size	Mo. cost start	Mo. cost end	12-mo total	$/sub/mo	Fit

Estimates only. Monthly cost interpolated across the 12 months assuming linear list growth. SMS costs shown separately where applicable. Enterprise discounts (15-30% on annual contracts above 50K subs) are NOT modelled — call the vendor at scale.

How we calculate email cost

Answer capsule: for each month, we look up the platform's published tier that holds your projected list size + send volume at that month, sum all 12 months, and add SMS on top where applicable. "Cost per sub per month" = 12-month total ÷ average list size ÷ 12. Fit score is a 0-5 feature-match rating for your declared business type (ecommerce integrations, creator tools, multi-account, etc.) — it's not a cost measure.

Per-vendor assumptions (verified April 2026)

Kit: Free to 10K (basic), Creator $15/mo at 300 subs, scales to ~$79/mo at 10K, ~$179/mo at 50K. No SMS. Strong for creators (tagging, tip jar, Commerce).
Klaviyo: Email $20/mo at 250 subs, $30 at 500, $150 at 10K, $720 at 50K. SMS is add-on roughly 2× email cost. Best-in-class Shopify integration.
Mailchimp: Essentials $13/mo at 500 subs, Standard $20 at 500, scales to $350+ at 50K. SMS add-on $20-$100. Broad SMB features.
Beehiiv: Free to 2,500, Launch $39/mo to 10K, Scale $99/mo to 25K, Scale $179/mo to 100K. Send-based with unlimited sends at each tier. Creator + paid newsletter focus.
MailerLite: Free to 1K (12K sends/mo), Growing $9/mo at 500, $18 at 1K, scales to ~$150 at 50K. No SMS. Clean SMB default.
Brevo: Pay-per-send rather than per-subscriber. $25/mo for 20K sends, ~$55 for 60K sends, ~$85 for 150K sends. Unlimited contacts on all plans. SMS is separate pay-per-send.
Send volume: calculated as list_size × sends_per_month. Monthly = 1, 2×month = 2, weekly = 4.3, daily = 30.
Fit score: 0-5 per business type × platform. Creator: Kit 5, Beehiiv 5, MailerLite 3, Klaviyo 2, Mailchimp 3, Brevo 2. Ecommerce: Klaviyo 5, Mailchimp 4, Kit 2, Beehiiv 2, MailerLite 3, Brevo 3. SMB: Mailchimp 4, MailerLite 5, Brevo 4, Kit 3, Klaviyo 4, Beehiiv 2. Agency: Beehiiv 4, Brevo 4, Mailchimp 3, Klaviyo 3, Kit 2, MailerLite 3.

Frequently asked

Answer capsule: platform cost is a small part of total email program cost — deliverability, design time, and list hygiene matter more. But at scale (above 10K subs) the gap between cheapest and most expensive is 3-10× and it becomes the dominant spend line. Pick based on features first, then cost, then migration friction.

Is Klaviyo really worth 3× Mailchimp for ecommerce?

Yes, for a real DTC store. Klaviyo's Shopify data model pulls product-level browse/abandon/purchase events that Mailchimp can't match at any tier. Published benchmarks consistently show 2-4× revenue per email on Klaviyo vs Mailchimp for ecommerce — enough to pay for the price gap many times over. For a non-ecom SMB, Mailchimp or MailerLite is fine.

Beehiiv at $39/mo sounds too cheap — what's the catch?

Beehiiv is newsletter-native, not a full ESP. Great automations for newsletters, limited for transactional or product-triggered emails. If your emails are "weekly broadcast to my subscribers", Beehiiv wins on price AND features. If you need abandoned-cart or onboarding drip sequences tied to your app/store, Klaviyo or Kit fit better.

Is Kit worth switching to from Mailchimp?

For creators: yes, almost always. Kit's tag-based model + Creator Commerce + tip jar + sequences are built for the "sell a course / coaching / ebook" business. Mailchimp's list-based model forces workarounds. For a non-creator SMB, Mailchimp's form builder and landing pages are actually stronger — the switch isn't worth it.

MailerLite vs Mailchimp for a simple SMB list?

MailerLite is cheaper and the interface is cleaner. Mailchimp has more integrations (more Zapier triggers, more CRM connectors) and a stronger free tier below 500 subs. Read our Klaviyo vs Mailchimp deep-dive for the integration matrix.

How should I price SMS into this?

Assume SMS roughly doubles your email bill at the same list size on Klaviyo. Most serious SMS programs run on Attentive or Postscript (ecommerce) or Community (creators), not inside an email tool. The calculator flags which platforms support native SMS — treat it as directional, not a final quote.

What about deliverability?

All 6 platforms have acceptable shared-IP deliverability in 2026. Dedicated IPs (available on Klaviyo at $150+/mo, Mailchimp $29/mo add-on) help only if you're sending 200K+ emails/mo. Below that, your list hygiene matters more than your sender IP.

Can I use the calculator for paid newsletters?

For the cost side, yes. For monetization, Beehiiv includes paid subs natively (5% transaction fee), Kit has Commerce (3.5% + 30¢), Substack takes 10%. Paid newsletter fit is Beehiiv > Kit > everyone else. The calculator's Fit column weights this for the "creator" business type.

Worked examples at 4 common profiles

Answer capsule: the right platform depends on combination of list size, growth rate, send frequency, and business type. Below are four common profiles with the calculator's output — reproduce them by plugging the inputs into the form above.

Profile 1 — Early-stage creator (2,000 subs, 80% growth, weekly)

Year-end list: 3,600. 12-month costs: Beehiiv $~180, MailerLite $~290, Kit $~590, Brevo $~660, Mailchimp $~660, Klaviyo $~740. Verdict: Beehiiv wins both cost and fit at this size. MailerLite is a close second if you want a more full-featured ESP experience. Kit becomes worth the premium only if you're selling digital products via Kit Commerce. Klaviyo is overkill for a content creator without an ecommerce backend.

Profile 2 — Growing Shopify DTC (10,000 subs, 30% growth, weekly, +SMS)

Year-end list: 13,000. 12-month costs: Mailchimp $~1,500, MailerLite $~900, Klaviyo $~1,900 (plus ~2× for SMS = $~3,800), Kit $~1,400, Beehiiv $~1,200, Brevo $~780. Verdict: on cost alone, Brevo wins. On fit for DTC, Klaviyo wins hard — their Shopify integration generates 2-4× the revenue per email of Brevo or Mailchimp per published case studies. For a real DTC business at this scale, pay the Klaviyo premium. For a non-commerce newsletter, Brevo or Beehiiv.

Profile 3 — Established newsletter (25,000 subs, 20% growth, 2× monthly)

Year-end list: 30,000. 12-month costs: Beehiiv $~1,300, MailerLite $~1,000, Kit $~1,500, Brevo $~660, Mailchimp $~2,800, Klaviyo $~3,300. Verdict: Brevo wins dramatically because send frequency is low — 50K total monthly sends fits the $55 tier comfortably. Beehiiv wins on fit if you plan to add paid subscriptions. Mailchimp and Klaviyo are aggressive over-pay at this profile.

Profile 4 — Agency with 5 newsletter clients (40,000 subs aggregate, weekly)

12-month costs: Beehiiv $~2,100 across 5 separate accounts, Mailchimp $~3,800, MailerLite $~1,500-2,200, Brevo $~3,200 (depending on send split), Klaviyo $~5,000, Kit $~2,100. Verdict: for agency multi-client workflows, Beehiiv Scale ($99 each × 5 = $495/mo) actually loses to Mailchimp's multi-audience under a single Premium account in some configurations. MailerLite's built-in multi-account makes it the friction-minimum choice. If clients need paid-subscription tooling, Beehiiv is non-negotiable despite higher per-client cost.

What the calculator doesn't show

Answer capsule: this tool focuses on direct platform cost. Several real cost lines and benefits sit outside the model.

Deliverability + IP reputation: shared-IP deliverability is acceptable across all 6 platforms in 2026 but not identical. Klaviyo and Kit have the best documented inbox rates in independent tests; Mailchimp has historically been mid-pack. At scale, 5% deliverability differences translate to thousands in lost revenue.
Template quality + design time: Mailchimp's template library is broadest. Kit and Beehiiv lean minimal (which some creators prefer). Klaviyo's drag-and-drop is strong. MailerLite's templates are clean but limited. Design time for a competent designer: 30-60 min/email regardless of platform.
Automation builder depth: Klaviyo is genuinely the deepest — conditional splits, delays, event triggers, metric-based branching. Kit's visual automations are strong for linear sequences. Mailchimp's "Customer Journeys" is functional but clunkier. MailerLite and Beehiiv are basic. Brevo's automation builder is improving but still behind Klaviyo.
List hygiene costs: Klaviyo and Mailchimp bill by profile count whether active or not — a list you don't clean costs you real money. Beehiiv and MailerLite auto-suppress inactive subscribers. Kit has a clean unsubscribe/suppress tool. Budget 1 hour/month to prune inactives regardless of platform.
ESP migration labor: moving lists, rebuilding automations, re-warming IP takes 2-5 days of senior marketing work. Don't switch for under $100/mo in projected savings.
Revenue attribution: Klaviyo, Mailchimp (Standard+), and Kit track revenue attribution natively. Beehiiv, MailerLite, Brevo rely on UTM tracking + your analytics platform. For e-commerce this matters; for content newsletters it matters less.

Common mistakes that inflate email cost

Answer capsule: most "my email bill doubled" complaints come from not pruning inactive subscribers and from choosing a platform one tier above actual need.

Paying by profile, not engagement: Klaviyo and Mailchimp bill on total profiles. If 30% of your list hasn't opened an email in 12 months, you're paying for dead weight. Set an auto-suppress rule: no open in 120 days → move to "sunset" flow, 180 days → unsubscribe. Done well this cuts bills 20-40% with zero revenue impact.
Ignoring duplicate + invalid emails: lists bought or imported carelessly often contain role-based addresses (info@, sales@) that never open. Run a ZeroBounce or Kickbox validation once a quarter — costs $5-$20 per 1,000 addresses and typically catches 5-15% invalid.
Over-segmenting on Klaviyo: every dynamic segment on Klaviyo counts toward profile usage in complex ways. Collapse redundant segments and use tags + list-membership rules instead. Simpler segment structure = cheaper bill.
Using paid tier when free tier fits: Mailchimp's free tier at 500 subs with 1K sends/mo works for small businesses. Many SMBs pay $20 Essentials out of inertia. Downgrade to free until you hit the wall.
Paying for SMS you don't use: Klaviyo's SMS line is easy to turn on during onboarding and easy to forget. If you've sent under 1,000 SMS in 90 days, turn it off and save $80-$200/mo. Reactivate when you have a real SMS program with segmentation and compliance.

When to switch platforms — and when not to

Answer capsule: switching ESPs has a real cost that this calculator doesn't show. Roughly 2-5 days of senior marketing time to migrate lists, rebuild automations, re-integrate sources, re-warm IP, and deal with the 5-15% of passive subscribers who won't re-confirm on the new platform. Don't switch for savings smaller than the switch cost.

Switch when: projected 12-month savings exceed $1,000 AND your current platform blocks a feature you actually need (paid subscriptions, SMS, Shopify revenue attribution, etc).
Switch when: you've outgrown a starter tier and the upgrade path on your current platform is priced aggressively while a competitor's equivalent tier is significantly cheaper.
Don't switch when: savings are under $500/yr. The migration labor + re-warming IP + list attrition eats all of it.
Don't switch when: you have complex automations that work. Rebuilding a 7-step welcome flow on a new platform is a week of work that risks breaking every touchpoint.
Don't switch when: your current platform has native integrations your stack depends on (Klaviyo ⇌ Shopify ⇌ Recharge, etc). The migration will surface hidden data-flow dependencies you'll spend months stitching back together.

Glossary — email billing terms used in this calculator

Answer capsule: ESP billing terminology differs enough between Kit, Klaviyo, Mailchimp, Beehiiv, MailerLite, and Brevo that apples-to-apples comparison requires clarifying terms. Here's what each means in this calculator.

Subscriber / profile / contact: Billable unit on list-based platforms (Kit, Klaviyo, Mailchimp, MailerLite, Beehiiv). Klaviyo calls them "profiles" and counts any person in the database, active or not. Mailchimp calls them "contacts". Kit calls them "subscribers". Beehiiv and MailerLite use "subscribers". All 5 charge on total count regardless of engagement — list hygiene directly affects your bill.
Sends (Brevo pricing unit): One email to one person = one send. A broadcast to a 10K list counts as 10K sends. Brevo bills on total monthly sends with unlimited contacts — different model from every other platform in this calculator. For low-frequency newsletters Brevo is dramatically cheaper; for high-frequency it converges with list-based pricing.
Cost per subscriber per month ($/sub/mo): 12-month platform total ÷ average list size ÷ 12. A useful benchmark: under $0.01/sub/mo is aggressive, $0.01-$0.03 is normal, over $0.05 is either premium (Klaviyo/Mailchimp) or a list you should prune.
Send frequency: Number of broadcasts per list per month. Weekly = 4.3 (we use 4.3 rather than 4 to capture 5-week months). "Daily" = 30 sends/mo per subscriber for a business-day daily newsletter. Automations (welcome sequences, abandoned cart) sit on top of this and typically add 0.5-2 sends per subscriber per month.
Fit score: 0-5 rating of how well a platform matches your declared business type on features, integrations, and workflow. Creator fit considers paid-newsletter tools + creator-commerce. Ecommerce fit considers Shopify/Woo integrations + product-event triggers. SMB fit considers forms + basic automation + support quality. Agency fit considers multi-client login + sub-account billing. Not a cost measure.
Composite recommendation: The "best overall fit" pick combines fit score + cost rank. A platform that's 5/5 fit but 3× the price of the cheapest loses to a 4/5 fit at reasonable cost. Adjustable only by changing your business-type declaration.
SMS (separate bill line): Only Klaviyo, Mailchimp, and Brevo natively support SMS in this calculator. SMS is billed separately from email at all three (Klaviyo SMS roughly 2× email at same list size; Mailchimp SMS add-on $20-$100/mo; Brevo SMS pay-per-send at ~$0.05/message in North America). Kit, Beehiiv, and MailerLite do not have native SMS — use Attentive, Postscript, or Community if SMS is required.
Enterprise discount (not modelled): Above 50K subscribers or 500K monthly sends, all 6 platforms offer undisclosed discounts on annual contracts — typically 15-30% off list. The calculator uses published list prices, so actual enterprise cost is lower. Get quotes before committing at scale.

Still comparing platforms?

Dig deeper with our head-to-head reviews: