12 Best Benchmark Email Alternatives

Our Pick for SaaS Companies

Sequenzy

AI-powered email for SaaS. If you're running a software business rather than a general SMB, Sequenzy is built for your use case with Stripe integration and transactional emails.

Describe the automation you need — onboarding, trial conversion, dunning — and the AI generates the entire email sequence in minutes. The native Stripe integration syncs subscription data automatically, so billing events trigger the right emails without manual workflow setup. Both transactional and marketing emails live in one platform, eliminating the separate transactional service that Benchmark Email requires. At $49/month for 10k subscribers, Sequenzy is 47% cheaper than Benchmark while offering SaaS-specific capabilities that Benchmark doesn't have.

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Best for

SaaS founders

Pricing

$49/month for 10,000 subscribers

Pros

AI generates email sequences
Native Stripe integration
Transactional + marketing together
Built for SaaS specifically
47% cheaper than Benchmark at 10k

Cons

Smaller free tier (100 vs 500)
Fewer integrations
Less multi-language support
Newer platform

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Mailchimp

The market leader everyone knows. More integrations than Benchmark (300+ native), stronger brand recognition, and a massive ecosystem.

More expensive but feature-rich. Mailchimp's integration library means practically every business tool connects natively without Zapier workarounds. Landing pages, a website builder, social ads management, and Customer Journeys for multi-step automation extend well beyond Benchmark's scope. The template library is extensive and the email editor polished. At $135/month for 10k contacts (Standard), Mailchimp is significantly more expensive than Benchmark, but the broader feature set and integration ecosystem justify the premium if you need your email platform to connect with everything else in your stack.

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Best for

People who need maximum integrations

Pricing

$135/month for 10,000 contacts (Standard)

Pros

Integrates with everything (300+)
Massive template library
Landing pages included
Website builder included
Been around forever

Cons

Much more expensive than Benchmark
Counts unsubscribed contacts
Interface can be overwhelming
Complex pricing structure

MailerLite

Similar ease of use to Benchmark but cheaper. Good visual editor, landing pages, and even a website builder.

Great for budget-conscious marketers who value simplicity. MailerLite includes landing pages, a website builder, pop-ups, and automation workflows in a clean modern interface that's easy to use on day one. The email editor handles drag-and-drop design well, and the automation builder covers standard sequences with triggers and conditions. A generous free tier (500 subscribers) lets you test before paying. At $73/month for 10k subscribers, MailerLite is $20 cheaper than Benchmark while including landing pages and a website builder that Benchmark charges extra for. The main limitation is fewer native integrations and less multi-language support.

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Best for

Budget-conscious marketers who need simplicity

Pricing

$73/month for 10,000 subscribers (Growing Business)

Pros

Cheaper than Benchmark ($73 vs $93)
Website builder included
Landing pages included
Generous free tier (500 subs)
Easy to use

Cons

Fewer integrations
Support slow on lower tiers
Less multi-language support
Automation not as visual

Brevo

Formerly Sendinblue. Budget-friendly all-in-one marketing with email, SMS, and CRM.

Charges per email sent, not per contact—great for large lists with infrequent sends. Brevo's unlimited contacts model flips Benchmark's per-subscriber pricing — a database of 50,000 contacts costs the same as 5,000. The platform includes email, SMS, transactional email, and a basic CRM with automation workflows. At $25/month for 20k emails, Brevo costs a fraction of Benchmark while including transactional email that Benchmark doesn't offer. The interface isn't as polished as Benchmark's, but the feature-to-price ratio is hard to beat for budget-conscious businesses.

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Best for

Budget-conscious businesses with large lists

Pricing

$25/month for 20,000 emails (unlimited contacts)

Pros

Very affordable
Transactional email included
SMS marketing available
CRM included
Pay by emails, not contacts

Cons

Interface less polished
Template design basic
Support can be slow
Gets complex at scale

ActiveCampaign

The automation powerhouse. If Benchmark's automation feels too basic, ActiveCampaign offers advanced workflows, CRM integration, and sophisticated segmentation.

ActiveCampaign's visual automation builder handles conditional branching, lead scoring, site tracking, and CRM pipeline automation that Benchmark can't match. The built-in CRM tracks deals alongside email engagement, creating a unified view of the customer journey. Machine learning features predict which contacts are likely to convert. At $149/month for 10k contacts, ActiveCampaign costs more than Benchmark but delivers dramatically more powerful automation. The tradeoff is complexity — it takes weeks to fully learn the platform versus Benchmark's gentle learning curve.

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Best for

Marketers who need powerful automation

Pricing

$149/month for 10,000 contacts (Starter, annual)

Pros

Best-in-class automation
Built-in CRM
Advanced segmentation
Machine learning features
Excellent deliverability

Cons

More expensive than Benchmark
Steeper learning curve
Can be overwhelming
Starter plan has limits

Constant Contact

SMB-focused like Benchmark but with event marketing tools. Good for small businesses that host events and need integrated marketing.

Constant Contact's event management features (invitations, registrations, ticket tracking) are built in, making it unique among email platforms. Phone support on all plans means real humans help when things break — a rarity in the industry. Social media posting and basic advertising tools are included. At $160/month for 10k contacts, it's significantly more expensive than Benchmark, and the automation is similarly basic. Constant Contact makes sense specifically for organizations that run events alongside email marketing and value human support over self-service help docs.

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Best for

Small businesses with event marketing needs

Pricing

$160/month for 10,000 contacts (Standard)

Pros

Event marketing tools
Phone support on all plans
Social media integration
Website builder included
Good for SMBs

Cons

More expensive than Benchmark
Eliminated free plan (June 2025)
Templates can feel dated
Send limits apply

AWeber

Classic email marketing since 1998. Similar simplicity to Benchmark with excellent customer support (24/7 phone).

Great template library with 600+ options. AWeber's 25+ years in the industry means exceptional deliverability infrastructure and relationships with ISPs that newer platforms can't match. Their phone support is a genuine differentiator — when something breaks during a launch, you can talk to a real person instead of waiting on email tickets. The tradeoff is that AWeber's interface feels its age compared to Benchmark's more modern design, and at $135/month for 10,000 subscribers on the Plus plan, you're paying a premium for that reliability and support heritage.

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Best for

Traditional marketers who value reliability and support

Pricing

$135/month for 10,000 subscribers (Plus)

Pros

24/7 phone support
600+ templates
Excellent deliverability
25+ years experience
Landing pages included

Cons

More expensive than Benchmark
Interface feels older
Fewer advanced features
Less modern feel

GetResponse

Marketing platform with unique webinar hosting. More features than Benchmark including conversion funnels and landing pages.

Good for marketers who run webinars. GetResponse is one of the few email platforms that includes native webinar hosting, which eliminates the need for a separate tool like Zoom or WebinarJam. The conversion funnel builder lets you map out entire customer journeys from ad click to purchase, something Benchmark doesn't attempt. At $75/month for 10,000 contacts on the Starter plan, it's cheaper than Benchmark while offering significantly more marketing tools. The catch is that webinar hosting requires the pricier Creator plan, and the interface complexity grows quickly once you start using funnels, landing pages, and webinars together.

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Best for

Marketers who need webinars and funnels

Pricing

$75/month for 10,000 contacts (Starter)

Pros

Webinar hosting built-in
Conversion funnels
Landing pages included
AI features
Cheaper than Benchmark

Cons

Webinars cost extra (Creator plan)
Interface can be complex
Gets expensive with add-ons
Learning curve steeper

Moosend

Budget email marketing with clean interface. Cheaper than Benchmark with unlimited sends.

Good automation for the price. No daily send limits. Moosend positions itself as the value play in email marketing — at $88/month for 10,000 contacts, it undercuts Benchmark's $93 while removing send limits entirely. The automation builder is surprisingly capable for the price, offering conditional workflows and behavioral triggers that rival more expensive platforms. Moosend was acquired by Sitecore in 2021, which adds enterprise backing but has raised questions about the product's indie-friendly direction. The main limitation compared to Benchmark is a smaller integration ecosystem and fewer template designs, though the ones available are clean and modern.

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Best for

Budget-conscious marketers

Pricing

$88/month for 10,000 contacts (Pro)

Pros

Cheaper than Benchmark ($88 vs $93)
Unlimited email sends
Clean interface
Good automation
30-day free trial

Cons

Smaller company
Fewer integrations
Limited template variety
Less established

#10

ConvertKit

Creator-focused platform with landing pages, digital product sales, and a strong creator community. More expensive than Benchmark but built for creators specifically.

ConvertKit (now Kit) has carved out a unique niche by combining email marketing with creator monetization — you can sell digital products, paid newsletters, and courses directly through the platform without needing Gumroad or Teachable. The creator network feature helps you grow through cross-recommendations with other newsletter authors, something Benchmark doesn't offer. At $119/month for 10,000 subscribers, it's significantly pricier than Benchmark, and the email design capabilities are intentionally minimal (plain-text focused). If you're not a content creator selling digital products, the premium pricing doesn't make sense — but if you are, it's one of the most cohesive platforms available.

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Best for

Creators who want monetization tools

Pricing

$119/month for 10,000 subscribers (Creator)

Pros

Digital product sales built-in
Creator network for growth
Newsletter recommendations
Landing page builder
Strong creator community

Cons

More expensive than Benchmark
Minimal email design
Not for general SMBs
Learning curve for non-creators

#11

EmailOctopus

Budget-friendly via Amazon SES. Much cheaper than Benchmark with a generous free tier.

Basic features but covers newsletter essentials well. EmailOctopus leverages Amazon SES infrastructure under the hood, which is why it can offer 10,000 subscribers for just $44.50/month — less than half of Benchmark's price. The free tier supports 2,500 subscribers, making it one of the most generous free plans for newsletters. The platform deliberately keeps things simple: you get campaigns, basic automation, landing pages, and segmentation without the feature bloat. The tradeoff is that "simple" also means limited — automation is basic, the template selection is small, and integrations are fewer than Benchmark. For straightforward newsletter sending where budget is the top priority, EmailOctopus delivers the essentials without the overhead.

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Best for

Budget-focused newsletter senders

Pricing

$44.50/month for 10,000 subscribers (Pro)

Pros

Much cheaper than Benchmark
2,500 free subscriber tier
Amazon SES integration
Simple interface
No complexity

Cons

Very basic features
Limited automation
Fewer templates
Less polished experience

#12

Drip

E-commerce email marketing with deep Shopify and WooCommerce integrations. More expensive than Benchmark but purpose-built for online stores.

Drip pulls product catalogs, purchase history, and browsing behavior directly from your store to power highly targeted email campaigns — abandoned cart sequences, post-purchase follow-ups, and win-back flows that reference specific products. The visual workflow builder makes it easy to create complex automation without coding, and revenue attribution shows exactly how much each email earns. At $184/month for 10,000 contacts, Drip costs nearly double Benchmark, but if you're running an e-commerce business, the ROI from automated revenue-generating campaigns typically justifies the investment. For non-e-commerce use cases, Drip's specialized feature set becomes unnecessary overhead.

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Best for

E-commerce businesses

Pricing

$184/month for 10,000 contacts

Pros

Deep e-commerce integrations
Revenue tracking
Visual workflow builder
Advanced segmentation
All features included

Cons

Much more expensive
E-commerce focus only
Not for general SMBs
Overkill for simple needs

Why Consider Alternatives to Benchmark Email

You need more powerful automation

Benchmark's automation covers basics—welcome series, birthday emails, drip campaigns. But for complex conditional logic, behavior-based triggers, or multi-step workflows, platforms like ActiveCampaign or Customer.io offer more power.

Pricing gets expensive at scale

At 10,000 contacts, Benchmark costs $93/month. Alternatives like MailerLite ($73), GetResponse ($75), and Sequenzy ($49) offer similar or better features at lower prices. EmailOctopus is just $44.50.

You need transactional emails

Benchmark is marketing-only. For password resets, order confirmations, and notifications, you need a separate service. Platforms like Sequenzy and Brevo handle both marketing and transactional in one place.

You're building a SaaS product

Benchmark is built for general SMBs, not SaaS companies. If you need Stripe integration, subscription-based triggers, or behavior-based automation from your app, purpose-built tools like Sequenzy or Customer.io are better fits.

Send limits feel restrictive

Benchmark limits sends to 10x your contact count (100k emails at 10k contacts). If you email frequently, platforms like MailerLite or Moosend offer unlimited sends. Sequenzy includes 300k at 10k contacts.

What Users Say About Benchmark Email

Trustpilot

Great support via email. Had tons of trouble getting started with their API. But their support helped me with endpoints and even showed how to create emails via API. Now my app works like I dreamed of.

Bogdan M2022-01

Trustpilot

I recommend Benchmark Email, you can create emails using a drag-and-drop editor or, for those with HTML experience, a code editor. I am extremely happy with the technical support team, they helped me at every step.

Pradeep Singh2019-08

Trustpilot

They terminate accounts after getting your details, and said it's against their policy. Don't use this site.

The Official Danish2024-12

Trustpilot

I launched a mailing on a large list but it looks like no email was delivered, and I received no answer to my claim.

Francois Besnier2024-12

Feature Comparison

Feature	Benchmark Email	MailerLite	Brevo	Mailchimp	GetResponse	Sequenzy
Price at 10k subs	$93	$73	$25 (20k emails)	$135	$75	$49
Free tier	500 contacts	500 subs	300 emails/day	500 contacts	None	100 subs
Email sends	100k (10x)	Unlimited	Pay per send	12x limit	Unlimited	300k
Transactional				true (Mandrill)
Automation	Basic	Good	Good	Good	Good	SaaS-focused
Integrations	1,500+	200+	150+	300+	200+	Growing

When to Use Each Platform

Choose MailerLite if...

You want similar simplicity at lower cost
Budget is a significant concern
You need landing pages and forms
Unlimited sends are important

Choose Stay with Benchmark Email if...

Ease of use is your top priority
You need multi-language support
The 1,500+ integrations matter
You value established platforms

Choose ActiveCampaign if...

You need advanced automation
CRM integration is important
Segmentation needs are complex
Marketing sophistication matters

Choose Brevo if...

You need transactional + marketing
Large list, infrequent sends
Budget is tight
SMS marketing is useful

Choose Sequenzy if...

You're running a SaaS business
Stripe integration is valuable
You need transactional emails
AI-generated sequences appeal

Should you switch from Benchmark Email?

Benchmark Email is genuinely good at what it does: simple email marketing for SMBs with multi-language support and a gentle learning curve. To understand different email campaign approaches, see our guide. Founded in 2004, Benchmark carved out a niche by supporting 9 languages and offering one of the friendliest onboarding experiences in email marketing. However, at $93/month for 10,000 contacts with sends capped at 10x your list size, the value proposition has thinned as competitors like MailerLite and Moosend offer comparable simplicity with unlimited sends at lower prices. If you've hit the ceiling on Benchmark's automation capabilities or simply want more features per dollar, there are strong alternatives worth evaluating.

But there are legitimate reasons to consider alternatives:

If you need more powerful automation: ActiveCampaign

Benchmark's automation covers the basics well, but for complex conditional logic, advanced segmentation, or sophisticated CRM integration, ActiveCampaign is the industry leader. Check our automation guide to understand what's possible.

If you want similar simplicity at lower cost: MailerLite

MailerLite offers a similar ease of use at $73/month for 10k subscribers vs Benchmark's $93. Plus unlimited email sends instead of Benchmark's 10x limit. Templates aren't as varied, but functionality is comparable. Use our email validator to ensure list quality before switching.

If you're running a SaaS business: Sequenzy

Benchmark is built for general SMBs—not software companies. If you need Stripe integration, transactional emails, and behavior-based automation from your app, Sequenzy is purpose-built. $49/month vs Benchmark's $93.

If you need transactional emails: Brevo or Sequenzy

Benchmark is marketing-only. For password resets, receipts, and notifications, you need something else. Brevo and Sequenzy both handle transactional and marketing in one platform.

The pricing comparison

At 10,000 subscribers:

Benchmark Email: $93/month (Pro plan, 100k emails)
Mailchimp: $135/month (Standard, 12x sends)
ActiveCampaign: $149/month (Starter, annual)
MailerLite: $73/month (Growing Business, unlimited)
GetResponse: $75/month (Starter, unlimited)
Moosend: $88/month (Pro, unlimited)
Brevo: $25/month (20k emails, unlimited contacts)
Sequenzy: $49/month (300k emails)
EmailOctopus: $44.50/month (Pro)

See our full pricing comparison page for more platforms.

When Benchmark Email is still the right choice

Stick with Benchmark if:

Ease of use is genuinely your top priority
You need multi-language support (15+ languages)
The 1,500+ integrations ecosystem matters
You value 20+ years of platform stability
Simple automation covers your needs

Benchmark's strength is being approachable. If you're not a power user and just need reliable email marketing that works internationally, it delivers. Read our guide to email marketing tools and use our A/B test calculator to optimize your current setup before deciding to switch.

Frequently Asked Questions

All Pricing Tiers

0-100 subscribers: Free (Free annually) - 3k emails/month

101-1,000 subscribers: $19/month ($205/year annually) - 15k emails/month

1,001-5,000 subscribers: $29/month ($313/year annually) - 60k emails/month

5,001-10,000 subscribers: $49/month ($529/year annually) - 120k emails/month

10,001-25,000 subscribers: $99/month ($1069/year annually) - 300k emails/month

25,001-50,000 subscribers: $199/month ($2149/year annually) - 600k emails/month

50,001-100,000 subscribers: $349/month ($3769/year annually) - 1.2M emails/month

100,000+ subscribers: Custom pricing (Custom annually) - Unlimited emails/month

Yearly billing: All plans offer a 10% discount when billed annually.

12 Benchmark Email Alternatives for Every Budget

TL;DR

12 Best Benchmark Email Alternatives

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Why Consider Alternatives to Benchmark Email

What Users Say About Benchmark Email

Feature Comparison

When to Use Each Platform

Should you switch from Benchmark Email?

If you need more powerful automation: ActiveCampaign

If you want similar simplicity at lower cost: MailerLite

If you're running a SaaS business: Sequenzy

If you need transactional emails: Brevo or Sequenzy

The pricing comparison

When Benchmark Email is still the right choice

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the best Benchmark Email alternative for ease of use?

What's the cheapest Benchmark Email alternative?

Which alternative has the best automation?

Does Benchmark Email have transactional emails?

Is MailerLite better than Benchmark Email?

Which alternative is best for SaaS companies?

Why is Benchmark more expensive than some alternatives?

Is Mailchimp better than Benchmark Email?

Which alternative has the best free tier?

Can I migrate from Benchmark Email easily?

Which alternative has the most integrations?

Is ActiveCampaign worth the extra cost?

Does Benchmark Email have a send limit?

Which alternative is best for e-commerce?

How do I cancel Benchmark Email?

Ready to try Sequenzy?

Sequenzy vs Benchmark Email: Direct Comparison

More Alternatives

MailerLite Alternatives

Mailchimp Alternatives

Sequenzy - Complete Pricing Guide

Pricing Model

All Pricing Tiers

Free Plan Features (2,500 emails/month)

Paid Plan Features (1,000 - 100,000 subscribers)

Enterprise Plan Features (100,000+ subscribers)

Important Pricing Notes

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