Free vs Paid Email Marketing Calculator
Find when a free ESP tier stops being enough and paid plans become cheaper per send.
Step 1 · Free is not the same on every tool
When does free email marketing stop being free?
MailShrine gives every new account 2,000 free credits at signup (the Free plan on /pricing). That is about 2,000 emails — then you buy a pack or monthly plan. Other tools usually cap contacts and/or monthly sends on free, then force a paid plan.
MailShrine free
2,000 credits once at signup. Not billed by how big your list is.
Typical ESP free
Small contact cap and/or tiny monthly send cap (e.g. Mailchimp ~250 / ~500).
After free
We compare the lowest paid path each tool would push you to for your numbers.
Step 2 · Pick an example or enter yours
You’re new. 400 × 2 = 800 emails — still inside MailShrine’s 2,000 free signup credits.
≈ 800 emails this month · still inside MailShrine’s 2,000 free credits
Step 3 · Free vs paid across platforms
Still free
4
MailShrine, Brevo, Kit, HubSpot
Need paid
3
Mailchimp, Constant Contact, Klaviyo
Lowest paid path
$13.00
MailShrine still $0 on free credits · live MailShrine packs
| Platform | Free status | Free limit | If paid now | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MailShrine | Free OK $0 (signup credits) | 2,000 free credits at signup (1 credit ≈ 1 email) | $0 Still on free credits | This month’s 800 emails fit inside the 2,000 free credits. |
| Mailchimp | Paid Free plan not available | ~250 contacts · ~500 emails/month | $13.00/mo Essentials — $13.00/mo | Needs a paid Mailchimp tier (list size and/or send cap). |
| Brevo | Free OK $0 Free (send-capped) | ~300 emails/day on free-style plans (educational) | $0 Standard — $18.00/mo | Under a typical free daily send cap. |
| Kit | Free OK $0 Newsletter-style free | Free newsletter tools are limited; Creator scales by subscribers | $0 Creator — $39.00/mo | Small list may still sit on a free newsletter tier. |
| Constant Contact | Paid No lasting free plan | Usually trial → paid Standard by contact tier | $35.00/mo Standard — $35.00/mo | Contact-tier billing from the first paid month. |
| HubSpot | Free OK Free tools (limited) | Free email marketing is capped; Starter scales by marketing contacts | $0 Marketing Hub — $20.00/mo | May still fit limited free HubSpot email tools. |
| Klaviyo | Paid Email plan paid | ~250 active profiles on free-style entry | $20.00/mo Email — $20.00/mo | Profile-based Email plan for this list size. |
Competitor free/paid figures are educational public models. MailShrine free = 2,000 signup credits; paid quotes use live /pricing packs when available.
Start free with 2,000 credits — then buy only what you send
Compare estimates with current MailShrine pricing. Competitor figures are estimates for planning.