Last Updated on by Azib Yaqoob
Are you currently using an email marketing service that costs a fortune? If so, then you’ll want to explore these best cheap email marketing services.
If you’re not utilizing email marketing at the moment, you’re probably missing out on a lot of potential customers.
While social media is an excellent tool for driving traffic, it lacks the control you have with email marketing. You don’t own your Facebook or Twitter page.
These platforms can delete your page for seemingly arbitrary reasons, a scenario that has occurred with many businesses before and will likely continue.
On the contrary, you completely own your email subscriber list because people willingly provided their email addresses to you.
They trusted your brand/business enough to give you their email address. You can market your next product, offer them discounts, or just use this channel to share important announcements.
What I’m emphasizing is that the list belongs to you.
No one can take that away from you.
Sure, your email marketing service accounts might be canceled or terminated for various reasons, but if you have a backup of your list, you can upload it to a new email marketing service.
Table of Contents
Why Email Marketing Matters?
It’s an age-old yet highly effective marketing practice that enables you to send various types of content to a list of subscribers via email. Email marketing services such as MailChimp, AWeber, etc., facilitate sending these emails.
Email marketing helps businesses generate website traffic, leads, and sales. A staggering 86% of professionals prefer to use email when communicating for business purposes. It’s an efficient way to market your brand, product, content, or service.
Why do you need Affordable Email Marketing?
When it comes to email, you have to pay to play. Without an email marketing software your campaign deliverability suffers. Hence, it’s important to opt for an affordable marketing solution that is on your pocket in long term.
- Cost Efficiency: Small businesses and startups often have limited budgets. Affordable email marketing allows them to access essential marketing tools without breaking the bank.
- Reach: Email marketing remains one of the most effective ways to reach a large audience. With affordable solutions, businesses can send targeted messages to their subscribers without worrying about excessive costs.
- Engagement: Email marketing platforms offer features like automation, personalization, and analytics, which are crucial for engaging with customers effectively. Affordable solutions allow businesses of all sizes to utilize these features to build relationships with their audience.
- ROI: Email marketing consistently provides a high return on investment (ROI). Affordable solutions ensure that businesses can achieve a positive ROI without spending beyond their means.
- Scalability: As businesses grow, they need scalable solutions that can accommodate their increasing subscriber lists and evolving needs. Affordable email marketing platforms often offer scalable pricing plans that allow businesses to upgrade as they expand.
- Competitive Advantage: In today’s digital landscape, email marketing is a standard practice for businesses across industries. Having access to affordable email marketing tools ensures that even smaller businesses can compete effectively with larger counterparts.
Best Cheap Email Marketing Services
Here is a list of the best and most affordable email marketing services. Whether you send thousands of emails per month or millions any of these services are effective.
1. MailChimp
I kept it in the number 1 position because of the popularity of this service. MailChimp is one of the most used email marketing services.
MailChimp is easyeasier to use for beginners because of helpful documentation and thoughtful UX.
If you have trouble understanding a particular feature, you can find a lot of helpful tutorials on their knowledge base.
I would recommend MailChimp if you are new to email marketing.
MailChimp Top Features
| Email Beamer | RSS-to-Email |
| Email Designer | Delivery by Time Zone |
| Email Templates | A/B Testing |
| Integrations | MailChimp Coupon Scanner |
| Merge Tags | MailChimp Editor |
| Multi-User Accounts | MailChimp Mobile |
| Custom Forms | MailChimp Snap |
| Segmentation and Groups | MailChimp VIPs |
| Subscriber Profiles | Mobile Signup Forms |
| Automation | SMS for Events |
| Spam Filter Diagnostics | Campaign Archives |
| Email Delivery | Social Profiles |
| Geolocation | Social Sharing |
| Email Client Testing | Reports |
MailChimp Price
MailChimp allows a free plan for its new users. This is especially good for beginners. With MailChimp free plan you can add up to 2,000 subscribers and send 12,000 emails monthly. Once you’ve exceeded these numbers you might want to upgrade to the Grow or Pro plan.
MailChimp Paid Plans:
- Up to 5,000 subscribers: $50 per month
- Up to 10,000 subscribers: $75 per month
- Up to 25,000 subscribers: $150 per month
- Up to 52,000 subscribers: $250 per month
If this sounds too expensive for you then check out other MailChimp alternatives below.
2. AWeber
AWeber charges based on the number of subscribers your list has. They don’t offer a free program like MailChimp or other email marketing tools.
Still, you can sign up for a 30-day free trial. After that period, you have to pay to use their service.
The backbone of AWeber’s appeal is its dedication to helping you use its stuff. They’re equipped with a friendly customer support team that’s available 12 hours per day, 5 days a week.
AWeber Top Features
Here are some of the top features of Aweber. Please note that each plan offers different features, so for more accurate feature details you can check features on their website.
| Drag and Drop Editor | HTML Templates |
| Email Automation | Tagging |
| Split Testing | Autoresponder Follow-Ups |
| RSS to Email | Integrations with many online tools |
| Mobile responsive Sing Up Forms | Connect 3rd-party integrations with Email API |
| Mobile App | Subscriber segmentation |
| Email performance analytics | Leading deliverability rate |
AWeber Price
Now, let’s check its price. Aweber pricing is competitive but they don’t support long-term basic freemium plans as their competitors.
Their pricing is based on the number of subscribers you have. You can send unlimited emails in all the plans.
- Free trial for 30 days – all the features included
- $19/mo 500 subscribers – unlimited emails
- $29/mo 2,500 subscribers – unlimited emails
- $49/mo 5,000 subscribers – unlimited emails
- $69/mo 10,000 subscribers – unlimited emails
- $149/mo 25,000 subscribers – unlimited emails
- Custom pricing after 25,000+ subscribers
3. Sendinblue
Sendinblue offers email marketing, SMS marketing, and chat integration services. It is one of the industry-leading email marketing services.
A basic free membership can be used to send 300 emails/day.
The good thing is that you can add unlimited contacts. Sendichargescharge on email sends, unlike other competitors who charge based on the number of subscribers.
Top Sendinblue Features
Here are some of the top features of Aweber. Please note that each plan offers different features, so for more accurate feature details you can check features on their site.
| Mobile-friendly email designer | Landing page builder |
| Email template library | Transactional email and SMS sending |
| Email & SMS personalization | Core API features |
| SMS marketing | Advanced templating language |
| A/B testing | No daily sending limit |
| No daily sending limit | Dedicated IP included |
| Remove Sendinblue logo | Workflow editor |
| Send time optimization | Page tracking |
| Facebook ads | Marketing automation workflows |
| Chat | Geography & device reporting |
| Retargeting ads | Heat map reporting |
| Unlimited contacts & details | Advanced open & click stats |
| Advanced segmentation | API & plugins |
| Customizable signup forms | SSO & SAML |
| Sales CRM | Service Level Agreement (SLA) |
Sendinblue Price
It is fairly cheap for small business owners to satisfy their email marketing needs. Sendinblue is one of the well-known names in email marketing. Here are the pricing details for Sendinblue.
- Free plaemails email/day with unlimited contacts
- Lite plan: $25/mo, send 40,00 emails monthly
- Essential plan: $39/mo, send 60,000 emails monthly
- Premium plan: $66/mo, send 120,000 emails monthly
- Custom pricing after the premium plan
4. Mailjet
It is perhaps the most affordable solution to your marketing needs. Its paid plan starts at only $8.69 a month. They also offer transactional emails and Transactional SMS services which could further improve your marketing game.
What is a transactional email?
When a user performs a particular action such as when he creates an account or resets a password, the email that is sent automatically after that action is known as transactional email.
Other than that, you can use Mailjet other features.
Top Mailjet Features
Please note that all the features are different based on the plan you choose. For ease of understanding, I compiled all the features in a single table.
| Collaboration Toolkit | Transactional email API Integration |
| Subscription forms | A/B Testing |
| email template gallery | Real-time Analytics |
| drag-and-drop email builder | Dedicated IP |
| contact segmentation | Email Automation |
| Transactional SMS | Custom reports |
Mailjet Price
It is quite an affordable service suitable for individual creators and small business sites. You can store unlimited contacts to your list whether you use their free account or a paid plan.
Mailjet charges are based on the number of emails sent each month rather than the number of subscribers. Also, there’s no daily sending limit on any account.
You can pay a monthly fee or pay an annual fee at a 10% discount on all the plans. I’m going to divide both of these plans:
Mailjet Annual Fee (10% Discount)
- 6,000 emails/monthly (Daily 200 emails limit): price Free
- 30,000 emails/monthly: Price $8.69/m
- 30,000 emails/monthly (Extra Features): Price $18.86/m
- 60,000 emails/monthly: Price $17.06/m
- 60,000 emails/monthly (Extra Features): Price $37.76/m
- 150,000 emails/monthly: Price $62.06/m
- 150,000 emails/monthly (Extra Features): Price $87.26/m
- 450,000 emails/monthly: Price $150.26/m
- 450,000 emails/monthly (Extra Features): Price $206.96/m
- 900,000 emails/monthly: Price $300.56/m
- 900,000 emails/monthly (Extra Features): Price $359.06/m
- Custom pricing after 900,000+ emails
Mailjet Monthly Fee (No Discount)
- 6,000 emails/monthly (Daily 200 emails limit): price Free
- 30,000 emails/monthly: Price $9.65/m
- 30,000 emails/monthly (Extra Features): Price $20.95/m
- 60,000 emails/monthly: Price $18.95/m
- 60,000 emails/monthly (Extra Features): Price $41.95/m
- 150,000 emails/monthly: Price $68.95/m
- 150,000 emails/monthly (Extra Features): Price $96.95/m
- 450,000 emails/monthly: Price $166.95/m
- 450,000 emails/monthly (Extra Features): Price $229.95/m
- 900,000 emails/monthly: Price $333.95/m
- 900,000 emails/monthly (Extra Features): Price $398.95/m
- Custom pricing after 900,000+ emails
5. MailerLite
Mailerlite is another affordable email marketing service that is new in the game. It comes with a drag-and-drop editor to create responsive emails.
You can use built-in newsletter templates from the MailerLite template gallery, to create landing pages, pop-up forms, and embedded forms.
It can be easily integrated with popular e-commerce platforms such as WooCommerce, Shopify, EasyStore, and many others.
Mailerlite Top Features
| Drag & Drop Newsletter Editor | Email Automation |
| Custom HTML Editor | RSS Campaigns |
| Rich Text Editor | Deliver by Timezone |
| Newsletter templates | Auto Resend |
| Built-in photo editing | A/B Split Testing |
| File Manager | Segmentation |
| Mobile-Friendly Email Newsletters | Personalization |
| Ecommerce Campaigns | Interest Groups (Tagging) |
| Pop-up Subscribe Forms | Email Newsletter Reports |
| Landing Pages | Click maps |
| Embedded Signup Forms | Opens by Location |
| Subscriber Management | Integrations |
| Unsubscribe Page Builder | Developer API |
Mailerlite Price
They charge on the number of subscribers. You can send unlimited emails monthly when you use any of their paid plans, there is no sending limit.
You can also avail a discount if you pay annually. However, in the given list, I have included only a monthly price.
| Subscribers | Monthly Cost | Emails per Month | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 – 1,000 | Free | 12,000 | Limited |
| 1 – 1,000 | $10 | Unlimited | All Features |
| 1,001 – 2,500 | $15 | Unlimited | All Features |
| 2,501 – 5,000 | $30 | Unlimited | All Features |
| 5,001 – 10,000 | $50 | Unlimited | All Features |
6. Sendy
This platform is quite different than its competitors. One of the top features of Sendy, it is a self-hosted email newsletter application.
It lets you send trackable emails via Amazon Simple Email Service (SES). It is definitely the cheapest email marketing service on this list.
You only need to pay a one-time fee of $59 and that’s it. They won’t charge you anything. However, to send emails you have to use Amazon SES which costs $1 per 10,000 emails.
This is a great service but installation and management could be a little difficult for the end-user. So, you could even hire Sendy’s support team to set up your account. Let’s see which features they provide at that price point.
Sendy Top Features
| Amazon SES | |
| Reports | Two-factor authentication |
| Manage multiple client accounts | Mass add, delete or unsubscribe users |
| Autoresponders | Ready to use subscription form |
| List segmentation | Store templates |
| List and subscribers management | Google Analytics support |
| Custom fields | Google reCAPTCHA support |
| Bounce, complaint, & unsubscribe handling | Personalization tags |
| Integrates with many popular apps | Import lists without re-confirmation |
| Setup custom domains | Send emails with attachments |
| Fast multi-threaded sending | Blacklist for emails and/or domains |
| GDPR features | Use any other SMTP services |
| Translation ready | Single or double opt-in & opt-out |
Sendy Price
Since it doesn’t offer any plans, the pricing for Sendy is simple. I have included a complete setup fee.
- $59 fee for unlimited Sendy use
- Amazon SES $1 for each 10,000 emails
- Installation fee for Sendy is $79
7. CakeMail
Another affordable solution to your email marketing needs, CakeMail is comparatively new in the game.
It’s a great tool for generating and designing newsletters for your client list, featuring your news, Images,, texts and customize templates from a wide selection of themes.
For small business owners and individual content creators, this could be a valuable service. However, it has limited features, if you compare it to some more feature-rich alternatives in this list.
Top CakeMail Features
Here are some of the top feathat which you will get with every membership plan.
| Drag and Drop Editor | A/B Testing |
| Library of content blocks | List Segmentation |
| Create groups | Document Library |
| Contact Management | Real-time Email Editor |
| Mailing List Management | Click Map |
| Spam Check | Email Scheduling |
| Template Management | Predesigned Email Templates |
CakeMail Price
CakeMail Charges are based on the number of subscribers. It doesn’t offer a free plan that its competitors offer but it comes with a free 30-day trial without adding a credit card.
- Free 30-day trial. No credit card required
- 500 subscribers $8/monthly or $77/year
- 1,000 subscribers $12/monthly or $115/year
- 2,500 subscribers $24/monthly or $230/year
- 5,000 subscribers $39/monthly or $374/year
- 10,000 subscribers $59/monthly or $566/year
- 25,000 subscribers $119/monthly or $1142/year
8. Moosend
Moosend is also an affordable email marketing service. It comes with more features than some of its direct competitors such as CakeMail.
Moosend is an email marketing software that enables users to send triggered campaigns based on subscriber behavior.
Moosend pricing is based on the number of subscribers in an account. You can upgrade to new plans as soon as you reach your limits.
Moosend Top Features
| Easy to use Drag and Drop Editor | Custom Automated Workflows |
| Email Marketing Automation | Pre-built Workflow Templates |
| Advanced Segmentation | Easy Website Integration |
| Powerful Real-time Analytics | Accurate Reporting |
| Manage Members | Cart Abandonment |
| Custom Fields | Product Recommendations |
| Segmentation | Email Analytics Overview |
| Custom Opt-in Forms | Recipient Activity |
| Drag and Drop Campaign Editor | Activity Over Time |
| Designr own templates | Link Performance |
| Newsletter templates | Email Client & Mobile Device Tracking |
| Personalized content | Activity By Location |
| Scheduled Delivery | Export Reports to Excel |
| Convert More Leads | API integrations |
| Recover Abandoned Carts | SMTP |
Moosend Price
Moosend charges are based on the number of subscribers. They also offer a free account that you can use to add 1,000 subscribers and send unlimited emails each month. All of their free or paid plans can send unlimited emails monthly.
Their monthly plans are also quite affordable. You can pay either monthly, yearly, or half-yearly. They offer discounts when you pay a half-yearly or yearly fee at once.
Monthly Payment No Discounts
- Up to 1,000 subscribers: Price Free
- Up to 2,000 subscribers: Price $10
- Up to 3,000 subscribers: Price $20
- Up to 5,000 subscribers: Price $30
- Up to 8,000 subscribers: Price $40
- Up to 10,000 subscribers: Price $55
They offer many plans for up to 1,000,000 subscribers: Price $3,650
Half-yearly Payment 15% Discount
- Up to 1,000 subscribers: Price Free
- Up to 2,000 subscribers: Price $8
- Up to 3,000 subscribers: Price $17
- Up to 5,000 subscribers: Price $25
- Up to 8,000 subscribers: Price $34
- Up to 10,000 subscribers: Price $46
They offer many plans for up to 1,000,000 subscribers: $3,102
Yearly Payment 20% Discount
- Up to 1,000 subscribers: Price Free
- Up to 2,000 subscribers: Price $8
- Up to 3,000 subscribers: Price $16
- Up to 5,000 subscribers: Price $24
- Up to 8,000 subscribers: Price $32
- Up to 10,000 subscribers: Price $44
They offer many plans for up to 1,000,000 subscribers: $2,920
9. SendPulse
This marketing automation platform is definitely among the best out there as it combines all the essential email marketing features with multichannel capabilities.
According to reviews on G2 many businesses all over the world recognize SendPulse as a reliable marketing automation platform and praise the platform for its ease of use and flexible pricing policy.
In recent years, SendPulse has evolved into a full-fledged multichannel marketing hub that combines email and SMS campaigns, a powerful chatbot marketing suit, and its own CRM.
| Email templates builder | Segmentation |
| Subscription forms | A/B testing |
| Smart pop-ups | Resend to unopened option |
| Landing page builder | Automation 360 |
| Email Verifier | Campaign analytics |
| SMTP server | Triggered emails |
SendPulse pricing
SendPulse offers a free plan that allows users to send 15000 free emails to 500 subscribers every month.
Paid plans start at $7. The free plan gives access to other features like chatbots or website builders. It’s worth mentioning that SendPulse also offers 12000 free emails through its SMTP server for transactional messages.
The free plan has its limitations but for small businesses, it’s an ideal option.
Considerations for Choosing a Cheap Email Marketing Service
When considering which email marketing service to choose, there are several important factors to take into account:
Budget Considerations
- Determine your budget for email marketing. Understanding how much you can afford to spend will help narrow down your options.
- Compare pricing plans offered by different email marketing services. Some providers offer tiered pricing based on the size of your email list or the features included.
- Look for any hidden fees or additional costs that may not be immediately apparent. Consider the long-term affordability of the service, especially as your email list grows.
Features and Functionality
- Assess the features offered by each email marketing service and determine which ones are essential for your business needs.
- Consider the ease of use and user interface of the email marketing platform. A user-friendly interface can save time and frustration when creating and managing email campaigns.
- Evaluate the scalability of the service. Ensure that it can accommodate your business’s growth and increasing email marketing needs without requiring a significant upgrade in pricing or features.
Deliverability and Reputation
- Email deliverability is crucial for the success of your campaigns. Look for an email marketing service with a strong reputation for delivering emails to the inbox rather than the spam folder.
- Consider factors that affect deliverability, such as sender reputation, spam detection tools, and compliance with email marketing regulations like GDPR and CAN-SPAM.
- Research reviews and testimonials from other users to gauge the reliability and effectiveness of the service in delivering emails.
Customer Support and Resources
- Evaluate the level of customer support provided by the email marketing service. Look for options such as email support, live chat, phone support, and comprehensive help documentation.
- Consider whether the service offers educational resources and training to help you get the most out of their platform. This could include tutorials, webinars, blog posts, and other resources to improve your email marketing skills.
Integration and Compatibility
- Determine whether the email marketing service integrates seamlessly with your existing tools and software. This includes your website platform, CRM system, e-commerce platform, and other marketing tools.
- Check for compatibility with popular third-party integrations such as Google Analytics, Facebook Ads, and e-commerce platforms like Shopify and WooCommerce.
- Assess the flexibility of the service in terms of customization and API access, especially if you have unique integration requirements for your business.
Conclusion
Choose a cheap marketing service that aligns with your budget, requirements, and long-term goals. Set your business up for success in reaching and engaging your audience through email campaigns.
Choosing the right email marketing service is crucial for unlocking growth opportunities.
Whether you opt for MailChimp’s user-friendly interface or SendPulse’s advanced automation, the key is to align the platform with your business goals and budget.
With the insights from this guide, you’re equipped to make an informed decision and take your marketing efforts to the next level.
