Email marketing doesn't have to be expensive. Some of the best tools cost less than $50/month, even with thousands of subscribers. The trick is knowing which affordable tools actually deliver on features and which cut corners that'll cost you later.

I compared email platforms at the under-$50 price point with a practical question: what do you actually get for the money? Not what's advertised. What's included at that price tier, with what limitations.

The 8 Best Options Under $50/Month

1. Sequenzy - $29/month

What you get: Full email marketing platform with transactional + marketing email, event-based automations, AI-generated sequences, Stripe integration, subscriber segmentation, and campaign management.

Best for: SaaS founders who need lifecycle email (onboarding, dunning, retention) without paying enterprise prices. The Stripe integration alone saves hours of integration work.

What's limited: Newer platform with a smaller ecosystem than established competitors. Fewer third-party integrations.

The verdict: At $29/month, you get both transactional and marketing email in one platform. Most competitors charge separately for each, pushing the total cost higher. For SaaS, this is one of the best values available.

2. Brevo - From $9/month

What you get: Email marketing, transactional email, SMS, WhatsApp, and basic automation. The Starter plan at $9/month includes 5,000 emails/month with no daily sending limit.

Best for: Small businesses that want email + SMS in one affordable package. The pricing is based on email volume, not contacts, which is cheaper for large lists with low sending frequency.

What's limited: Brevo branding on lower tiers, basic automation (advanced workflows on Business plan at $18/month), and the editor isn't as polished as competitors.

The verdict: Hard to beat on price. If you need email and SMS for under $20/month, Brevo is the clear choice. Quality is decent but not premium.

3. MailerLite - From $10/month

What you get: Email campaigns, automations, landing pages, forms, and a website builder. The Growing Business plan at $10/month includes 500 subscribers with unlimited emails.

Best for: Small businesses and creators who want a complete marketing toolkit (email + landing pages) at the lowest price. The drag-and-drop editor is genuinely good.

What's limited: Advanced features (auto resend, A/B testing on automations, custom HTML editor) are on the $20/month Advanced plan. At 5,000 subscribers, the price goes to $39/month.

The verdict: Excellent value for small businesses. The landing page builder alone would cost $20-50/month elsewhere. Combined with solid email features, it's a complete package under $50.

4. Mailchimp - From $13/month

What you get: The Essentials plan includes email templates, basic automations (Customer Journeys), A/B testing, and email support. 500 contacts included.

Best for: Small businesses that want a familiar, widely-supported platform. Mailchimp's ecosystem of integrations is the largest in email marketing.

What's limited: At 5,000 contacts, the Essentials plan costs about $75/month (over our $50 budget). Contact-based pricing means costs increase quickly. The Standard plan ($20/month base) adds more automation but also increases with contacts.

The verdict: Good for very small lists (under 2,500 contacts). Pricing becomes uncompetitive as you grow. The integration ecosystem is the main advantage.

5. ConvertKit (Kit) - From $29/month

What you get: Unlimited email sends, visual automations, email sequences, landing pages, and commerce features (sell digital products). The Creator plan at $29/month includes up to 1,000 subscribers.

Best for: Creators, bloggers, and newsletter operators who sell digital products. The built-in commerce features are unique at this price point.

What's limited: At 3,000 subscribers, the price is $49/month. The email editor is functional but basic compared to drag-and-drop builders. SaaS-specific features are minimal.

The verdict: Best value for creators who sell digital products. The commerce integration saves you from needing a separate payment tool. Less relevant for SaaS.

6. ActiveCampaign - From $29/month

What you get: Email marketing, marketing automation, basic CRM, and site tracking. The Starter plan includes 1,000 contacts with solid automation capabilities.

Best for: Teams that need both email marketing and basic CRM at an affordable price. The automation builder at $29/month is more powerful than most competitors offer at $50+.

What's limited: The Starter plan has limited automation features. The Plus plan ($49/month for 1,000 contacts) unlocks the full automation builder, CRM, and lead scoring. At 5,000 contacts, pricing goes over $50/month.

The verdict: The automation builder is the strongest at this price point. If automations are your priority and you have under 2,500 contacts, ActiveCampaign is hard to beat.

7. Klaviyo - From $20/month

What you get: Email campaigns, flows (automations), basic SMS, revenue attribution, and predictive analytics. The Email plan at $20/month includes 251-500 contacts.

Best for: Small e-commerce businesses that want revenue tracking from day one. The predictive analytics and revenue attribution are unusual at this price.

What's limited: At 5,000 contacts, email-only pricing is about $100/month (well over budget). Klaviyo gets expensive fast. The $20/month entry is only viable for very small lists.

The verdict: Great features at the entry level, but scaling costs are high. Only fits under $50/month for lists under 1,500 contacts.

8. Loops - From $49/month

What you get: Email sending, event tracking, automations, and a developer-friendly API. The Starter plan includes custom domain, API access, and subscriber management.

Best for: SaaS startups that want event-driven email with a clean, modern interface. The developer focus means good API documentation and TypeScript-friendly integration.

What's limited: The $49/month price point is at the top of our range. Feature set is more focused (email only, no CRM, no landing pages). Automation capabilities are simpler than ActiveCampaign.

The verdict: Good for developer-focused SaaS startups. The event-driven model is right for product-led companies. But at $49/month, you're paying similar to tools with broader feature sets.

Price Comparison at 5,000 Subscribers

Platform	Monthly Cost	Notes
Brevo	~$18/month	Business plan, based on email volume
MailerLite	$39/month	Growing Business plan
Sequenzy	$29/month	Standard plan
ConvertKit	$49/month	Creator plan
Mailchimp	~$75/month	Over budget at this scale
ActiveCampaign	~$79/month	Over budget at this scale
Klaviyo	~$100/month	Over budget at this scale
Loops	~$79/month	Scales with contacts

Key insight: Several platforms that start under $50 quickly exceed that at 5,000 subscribers. Brevo, MailerLite, and Sequenzy stay affordable at scale. Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign, and Klaviyo price out of the budget tier.

What to Prioritize Under $50

Must-have features

Automation: At least basic email sequences triggered by events or time
Segmentation: Ability to group subscribers and send targeted campaigns
Analytics: Open rates, click rates, and basic deliverability metrics
API access: Essential for SaaS products that need programmatic email

Nice-to-have features

Landing pages: Saves money on a separate tool (MailerLite, ConvertKit)
CRM: Useful if you also manage sales (ActiveCampaign)
Transactional + marketing: One tool instead of two (Sequenzy, Brevo)
Revenue tracking: Know which emails make money (Klaviyo)

Don't pay extra for

Advanced A/B testing: At small scale, A/B tests lack statistical significance
Dedicated IPs: Only needed at 50,000+ subscribers
Enterprise features: SSO, audit logs, custom roles (you'll upgrade when you need these)

FAQ

What's the cheapest email tool that's actually good? Brevo at $9/month. It's not the most polished, but it sends email reliably, includes basic automation, and supports transactional email. For pure cost optimization, it's the best value.

Should I choose based on current price or price at scale? Price at scale. You'll outgrow the entry tier faster than you think. Compare prices at 5,000 and 10,000 subscribers, not just 500.

Can cheap email tools deliver emails reliably? Yes. Deliverability is more about your sending practices (list hygiene, authentication, engagement) than the platform's price. Affordable tools like Brevo, MailerLite, and Sequenzy have solid deliverability infrastructure.

When should I upgrade from an under-$50 tool to something more expensive? When you need features the affordable tool can't provide: complex multi-step automations, advanced analytics, enterprise security, or multi-channel messaging. Don't upgrade just because your contact count grows. Upgrade when you need capabilities.