Campaign Monitor offers three pricing plans in 2026: Lite starting at $13/mo, Essentials starting at $31/mo, and Premier starting at $171/mo — all for up to 500 contacts. All plans are priced by contact count, and prices climb steeply as your list grows. Campaign Monitor (now part of Marigold) rebranded its plans in 2025 and significantly increased prices across all tiers. There is no free plan — only a limited sandbox that lets you send to 5 subscribers for testing.
This guide breaks down every Campaign Monitor plan, contact tier pricing, email send limits, and how it compares to more affordable alternatives like SendX.
How Much Does Campaign Monitor Cost?
Campaign Monitor pricing is based on the number of contacts. The Lite plan has a send cap (approximately 5x your contact count), while Essentials and Premier include unlimited email sends. Here is the full pricing table:
Contacts | Lite | Essentials | Premier |
0-500 | $13/mo | $31/mo | $171/mo |
501-2,500 | $47/mo | $74/mo | $182/mo |
2,501-5,000 | $75/mo | $117/mo | $203/mo |
5,001-10,000 | $117/mo | $182/mo | $300/mo |
10,001-15,000 | $155/mo | $268/mo | $440/mo |
15,001-25,000 | $241/mo | $429/mo | $547/mo |
25,001-50,000 | $397/mo | $644/mo | $1,074/mo |
50,001+ | Contact Sales | Contact Sales | Contact Sales |
Note: Campaign Monitor's pricing has increased substantially since the 2025 plan rebrand. The Essentials plan at 500 contacts ($31/mo) is more than double the old Unlimited plan price. For context, SendX costs $7.49/mo for 1,000 subscribers with unlimited sends and all features included.
Campaign Monitor Pricing by Plan
Lite Plan — Starting at $13/mo
The Lite plan (formerly "Basic") starts at $13/mo for up to 500 contacts with a send cap of approximately 2,500 emails. It includes core email marketing features: drag-and-drop email builder, pre-built templates, basic analytics, basic segmentation, A/B testing, and a welcome automation journey. Support is email only.
The main limitation is the email send cap. If you send weekly newsletters plus automated sequences, you will hit the limit quickly. At 10,000 contacts, the Lite plan costs $117/mo with a capped send volume — making it hard to justify over alternatives that offer unlimited sends at lower prices.
Essentials Plan — Starting at $31/mo
The Essentials plan (formerly "Unlimited") starts at $31/mo for up to 500 contacts with unlimited email sends. It includes everything in Lite plus unlimited automated workflows, inbox preview testing, spam testing, timezone-based sending, countdown timers, multi-user access, and priority email support.
Essentials does not include advanced behavior-based segmentation, send-time optimization, predictive analytics, template locking, or phone support. Those features are locked behind the Premier plan.
Premier Plan — Starting at $171/mo
The Premier plan starts at $171/mo for up to 500 contacts with unlimited emails. It includes everything in Essentials plus advanced behavior-based segmentation, send-time optimization, predictive analytics, template section locking, a website builder, and phone plus email support.
At $171/mo for just 500 contacts, Premier is one of the most expensive entry points of any email marketing tool. The price climbs to $300/mo at 10,000 contacts and $1,074/mo at 50,000. For businesses needing advanced features, alternatives like SendX include advanced segmentation and dedicated IPs on every plan starting at $7.49/mo.
Does Campaign Monitor Have a Free Plan?
No. Campaign Monitor does not offer a free plan. They have a limited sandbox that lets you send to 5 subscribers for testing purposes only. Their lowest paid plan (Lite) starts at $13/mo for 500 contacts.
If you need a free starting point, SendX offers a 14-day free trial with access to all features and no credit card required.
Does Campaign Monitor Charge for Unsubscribed Contacts?
No. Campaign Monitor only charges for active contacts. Unsubscribed, unconfirmed, and bounced contacts do not count toward your billing plan.
What Happens If You Outgrow Your Contact Limit?
If you approach your contact limit, Campaign Monitor sends a notification to upgrade. You can choose to pay for the additional emails sent and then upgrade from the next billing cycle, or upgrade immediately.
Does Campaign Monitor Offer Discounts?
Campaign Monitor offers two types of discounts:
Annual billing: 10% off all paid plans.
Nonprofits: 15% off for verified nonprofits.
What Is Campaign Monitor's Refund Policy?
Campaign Monitor does not offer full or partial refunds for unused or partially used plans.
Campaign Monitor vs SendX: Pricing Comparison
Campaign Monitor's pricing has increased significantly since the 2025 rebrand, making it one of the more expensive email marketing platforms. Here is how it compares to SendX:
Feature | Campaign Monitor Essentials | SendX |
Price for 2,500 contacts | $74/mo | $14.99/mo |
Price for 10,000 contacts | $182/mo | $39.99/mo |
Emails per month | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Advanced segmentation | Premier only ($171/mo+) | All plans |
Dedicated IP | Not available | All plans |
Free trial | 5 subscribers (sandbox) | 14 days (all features, no credit card) |
For 10,000 contacts, Campaign Monitor Essentials costs $182/mo. SendX costs $39.99/mo for the same list size with unlimited sends, advanced segmentation, and dedicated IPs — that is 78% cheaper. Try SendX free for 14 days — no credit card required.
FAQs
1. How much does Campaign Monitor cost?
Campaign Monitor has three plans: Lite (from $13/mo for 500 contacts with a send cap), Essentials (from $31/mo with unlimited sends), and Premier (from $171/mo with advanced features). A 10% discount is available with annual billing.
2. Does Campaign Monitor have a free plan?
No. Campaign Monitor does not have a free plan. They offer a limited sandbox for testing with up to 5 subscribers only. Their lowest paid plan (Lite) starts at $13/mo.
3. Does Campaign Monitor charge for unsubscribed contacts?
No. Campaign Monitor only bills for active contacts. Unsubscribed, unconfirmed, and bounced contacts do not count toward your plan limit.
4. How much does Campaign Monitor cost for 10,000 contacts?
For 10,000 contacts, Campaign Monitor Lite costs $117/mo (with a send cap), Essentials costs $182/mo (unlimited sends), and Premier costs $300/mo. By comparison, SendX costs $39.99/mo for 10,000 subscribers with unlimited sends and all features included.
5. What is a cheaper alternative to Campaign Monitor?
SendX starts at $7.49/mo for 1,000 subscribers with unlimited emails, advanced segmentation, and dedicated IPs on every plan. At 10,000 subscribers, SendX is 78% cheaper than Campaign Monitor Essentials.
6. Who owns Campaign Monitor?
Campaign Monitor is part of Marigold (formerly CM Group). In 2025, Marigold sold its enterprise business (Sailthru, Cheetah Digital) to Zeta Global for $325 million, but Campaign Monitor was retained and remains focused on small and mid-market customers.
