Email marketing at 10,000 subscribers: what it costs (2026)
Monthly prices at 10,000 subscribers, read from each vendor's own page on 2026-09-26.
Short answer: At 10,000 subscribers the cheapest paid option we can price is Kit (formerly ConvertKit) at $33/mo. This is the size where the spread between platforms gets wide enough that picking wrong costs you real money every month, and where the free tiers some platforms still advertise stop applying.
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Every email platform we track, priced at 10,000 subscribers
| Platform | Cost at 10,000 subscribers | Free plan | Best for | Where the number came from |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| beehiiv | $99 | Yes | Newsletter operators who want an ad network and paid subscriptions built in. | first-party prices, second-party tier ladder |
| Kit (formerly ConvertKit) | $33 | Yes | Creators who want the most generous free tier in email. | first-party |
| MailerLite | $89 | Yes | Small lists that want a real free plan and cheap paid tiers. | first-party prices, second-party tier ladder |
| ActiveCampaign | $79 | No | Businesses that want serious automation and a CRM in one place. | first-party prices, second-party tier ladder |
Monthly billing, read from each vendor's own pricing page on 2026-09-26. Where a vendor renders its list-size ladder with JavaScript, the figure comes from the named third-party tracker in the last column.
Try Systeme.io
Systeme.io is free up to 2,000 contacts, then $17/mo Startup, $47/mo Webinar and $97/mo Unlimited on monthly billing. Annual billing gives you two months free.
See Systeme.io pricing →The ranking at 10,000 subscribers
| # | Tool | Cost at 10,000 subs | Best for | Where the number came from |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kit (formerly ConvertKit) | $33 | Creators who want the most generous free tier in email. | first-party |
| 2 | ActiveCampaign | $79 | Businesses that want serious automation and a CRM in one place. | first-party prices, second-party tier ladder |
| 3 | MailerLite | $89 | Small lists that want a real free plan and cheap paid tiers. | first-party prices, second-party tier ladder |
| 4 | beehiiv | $99 | Newsletter operators who want an ad network and paid subscriptions built in. | first-party prices, second-party tier ladder |
The annual-billing question
At this size the annual discount is worth real money -- most vendors here take roughly two months off if you pay for a year. That is a genuine saving, but it is also a year of lock-in on a list you might want to move. Read the annual rate on each tool's page before you commit.
What breaks first at 10,000
Send limits, not subscriber limits. Several platforms here charge by list size and cap monthly sends on the cheaper tier, which is fine until you want to mail twice a week. Check the send allowance on the tier you are buying, not just the subscriber cap.
How we picked
Published price at 10,000 subscribers, read from each vendor's own page, sorted ascending. Vendors that only quote custom pricing at this size are listed but cannot win a price ranking.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest email marketing at 10,000 subscribers?
Kit (formerly ConvertKit) at $33/mo in our 2026-09-26 check.
Should I pay annually at this size?
Usually yes if you are staying. Most vendors here discount roughly two months for annual prepay, which at 10,000 subscribers is a four-figure decision over a year. The trade is that you cannot leave mid-term.
Is it cheaper to split my list?
No. Every platform here prices on total subscribers, and splitting a list across two accounts means paying two entry tiers and losing your segmentation.
How current are these prices?
Read from the vendors' own pages on 2026-09-26 and re-checked weekly.