Cheapest email marketing platform for a list of 10,000 subscribers

Cheapest right now: Kit’s Free plan—$0/month for up to 10,000 subscribers, with unlimited email broadcasts. The catch: it’s geared toward creators and newsletters; it doesn’t include automated email sequences or visual automations. (help.kit.com)

If you need a paid, general-purpose platform, Brevo is a low-cost option when you don’t email the whole list often: its pricing is based on sends, not just list size, and its free plan allows up to 300 emails per day. For example, sending to all 10,000 subscribers weekly would exceed that free daily cap. (help.brevo.com)

Bottom line: choose Kit for free, straightforward newsletters; consider Brevo if you need business-style campaigns and want to pay according to how much you send. Prices and plan limits can vary with billing and features.

Short answer: For 10,000 subscribers, the cheapest option depends on how often you email. If you send only a few campaigns a month, Brevo is usually cheapest. If you send frequently, EmailOctopus is the cheapest contact-based plan. Kit's free plan is the other option, but it comes with feature limits.

Cheapest by sending pattern

• Infrequent sending (2–3 campaigns a month): Brevo bills by email volume rather than list size, so a large list costs little. One source puts Brevo at $18–35/month at 10,000 subscribers on a twice-monthly schedule. Another notes that Brevo costs a fraction of any contact-priced tool in this situation.
• Frequent sending: Contact-based pricing is more predictable. EmailOctopus's Pro plan is $44.50/month at 10,000 subscribers on monthly billing, and Zoho Campaigns ($49) is slightly more expensive, with Mailercloud ($50) close behind.
• Free option: Kit offers a free plan for up to 10,000 subscribers, but the free tier is limited. One source says it has no automation, while another says it includes 1 automation and basic features. Check the current terms before relying on it.

Other price points at 10,000 contacts (monthly, reported by various sources)

• MailerLite: roughly $60–89, depending on the plan and source
• Mailchimp: about $100–110
• Sender: about $57
• Moosend: about $88
• Klaviyo: about $150, and it is aimed at ecommerce
• ActiveCampaign: about $169 in one comparison

Caveats

• Prices vary by source and by billing period. Annual billing typically lowers the cost, often by 10–20%.
• Sources disagree on some figures. Confirm the current price on the vendor's pricing page before you commit.
• Brevo's low cost assumes few sends. Emailing your whole list weekly can push its cost above the contact-based options.

Recommendation: Start with Brevo if your campaigns are infrequent, or EmailOctopus if you email often and want predictable pricing. Test each platform's free plan with a sample of your list before you move everyone over.

For a list of 10,000 subscribers, the "cheapest" platform depends heavily on your sending frequency and whether you prioritize advanced automation or simple, newsletter-style communication.

Avoid judging platforms by their entry-tier prices (which often look cheap at 500 subscribers); instead, focus on the cost at the 10,000-subscriber mark.

Top Recommendations for 10,000 Subscribers

Important Factors to Consider

• Charging Model: Some platforms charge by subscriber count (you pay for everyone on the list, even if they never open your emails), while others charge by sending volume (you pay based on how many emails you send). If you have a large but inactive list, volume-based pricing (like Brevo) is often significantly cheaper.
• The "Trap" to Avoid: Platforms like Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign, and Constant Contact are often user-friendly but can become disproportionately expensive once you scale past 5,000–10,000 subscribers. Check their specific pricing sliders for 10,000 contacts before committing.
• Automation Features: Always verify if the "cheap" plan includes the automation tools you need. Some entry-level tiers hide advanced segmentation or autoresponders behind more expensive "Pro" or "Standard" plans.
• Free Plan Limitations: While platforms like Kit offer 10,000 free subscribers, be aware that these plans often exclude key features like complex automated workflows.

Recommendation: For the best balance of price and functionality, start by checking the pricing pages for EmailOctopus (if you want a low-cost, all-arounder) or Brevo (if your sending frequency is low). If you are a creator focused purely on newsletter growth, Kit is worth evaluating for its specialized free-tier model.

Cheapest depends on how often you email the list.

• Brevo is likely cheapest if you send infrequently: its price is based mainly on monthly email volume, not list size. One current comparison lists $32/month for up to 10,000 emails/month—enough for roughly one email to 10,000 subscribers. Check the plan’s send cap and contact allowance before subscribing, since published prices vary by plan and billing details. ⁴¹⁰
• Sender is a lower-cost option if you want subscriber-based pricing: a current comparison lists $38/month for 10,000 subscribers. ⁹
• MailerLite is $89/month at 10,000 subscribers on its Comfort plan, so it costs more, though it includes up to 100,000 monthly emails at that tier. ³

Bottom line: Start by comparing Brevo’s plan for your expected monthly send volume against Sender’s $38 tier. If you send one campaign a month, Brevo appears cheaper; if you send more often, compare the actual send limits and total cost. Prices can vary by billing cycle and features. ⁴⁹¹⁰