Most creators underestimate email marketing costs— not because software is expensive, but because production and scale quietly multiply expenses.

The platform is rarely the mo

st expensive part. Content, consistency, and growth systems are.

This guide breaks down what email marketing costs in 2026, with realistic ranges for creators and small teams— plus how to keep costs predictable as you scale.

Most creators fall into one of these ranges:

Your biggest cost driver is usually content production, not email software. If your newsletter isn’t generating revenue yet, keep costs simple.
If it is generating revenue, invest where it compounds— retention and production quality.

At a high level, there are two main options to consider when it comes to email marketing: outsourcing and in-house marketing with an email service provider (ESP). Each comes with its own pros and cons, and the difference in price can be huge.

If you have a larger budget, you can outsource your email marketing to an agency. Agencies can handle strategy, production, design, and reporting — but you trade cost for control. It will cost you, on average, $2,500-$10,000 or more per month.

If you have the budget, an agency can move fast and bring systems you don’t have yet. The tradeoff is voice and proximity: email works best when it sounds like you. If you outsource, keep ownership of positioning, tone, and final approvals so your newsletter still feels personal. As a creator, can you afford to let somebody else be responsible for your relationship with your subscribers?

If the budget isn’t there yet, there is another way - you can choose an email service provider (ESP). You can be smart about what you’re sending, when you’re sending it, consistently deliver great value, and build out an in-house team to leverage.

With in-house, you’re keeping your output close to the heart of your operation. You will need to sweat the small stuff and be on top of every message you send. It will take work on your part. 

What’s the benefit of doing it this way? You will have a consistent, undiluted, direct line to your audience whenever and however you choose to use it. This is pure communication, and its value has limitless potential.

If you can afford to outsource, great! If you can’t, well, let’s look at saving 50-60% in comparison. And you know what? This way might just be better.

I have 6+ years of experience in the email marketing world. In that time, I have written and edited hundreds of emails, blogs, and other content. 

To understand the true cost of email marketing, let’s review a few key components that you will need to budget for if you choose to do it in-house:

1. Email software

2. Writing

3. Editing

4. Design

The cost of email marketing will depend on many factors. The first, and most important of these, is the size of your list. If you’re just starting out and only have a couple of hundred subscribers or less, there’s a good chance that you’ll be able to get going for free on most platforms. beehiiv’s Launch plan, for example, allows up to 2500 subscribers and all the tools you need to launch your newsletter - and it won’t cost you a cent to get started.

As you scale your newsletter, your email marketing costs will increase alongside your revenue. How high that figure rises depends on the ESP partner you choose.

Platforms like Substack are initially free for creators, but charge a hefty commission on all your paid subscriptions - 10% + payment processing fees for Substack. If you’re confident your profile and content will attract paying subscribers in sufficient numbers to make a financial difference to you, this model is an option to consider.

Other providers will charge a flat fee for their premium services. Mailchimp, for example, starts at $350 per month to access their full suite of functionality (with a minimum of 10,000 subscribers).

Some newsletter-first platforms offer flat pricing and built-in growth/monetization tools (which can reduce tool sprawl). For example, beehiiv’s Max plan starts at $96/month and includes growth and earning tools like:

If you want to check out the features, every new beehiiv user automatically gets a free trial, no credit card required. 

In addition to cost, you will also need to consider value. It’s essential that you align these two aspects for your newsletter - what are you getting for your outlay or lost commission revenue? As with all else, the answer will depend on your individual circumstances, but it should be carefully investigated. 

We’ve put together a comparison page with some of the top ESPs for creators to help you decide. 

Starting (0–2,500 subscribers):

Growing (2,500–10,000 subscribers):

Scaling (10,000+ subscribers):

The thing needs to be written, right (and written right)? beehiiv makes it easy to get started on writing your newsletter straight away. It’s creator-friendly and provides templates to make the process as simple as completing a form. This all comes with no extra or hidden costs - it’s all set up for you to go and do what you do.

If you feel that you don’t want to write the newsletter yourself, you’ll need to hire a copywriter. There is wild variation in the potential cost here. You can use freelancer platforms like Fiverr and Upwork to find writers for as little as $25 and as much as $500 per project. Like the price, the quality on offer fluctuates from writer to writer - and the price doesn’t necessarily reflect the quality.

As well as freelancer platforms, there are endless pages of search results on Google for “hire a copywriter,” and LinkedIn also contains armies of writers looking for work. As a general rule, the higher up the page your potential copywriter is, the stronger their reputation will be, and the higher their fee will be - likely much higher than those you’ll find on Upwork or Fiverr.

On average, then, you’re looking at a realistic cost of $150-$750 per email newsletter for good quality writing.

Editing doesn’t have to be scary. In fact, you will have everything you need with beehiiv to make it easy, user-friendly, and stress-free. There is no reason why you shouldn’t be able to use the tools provided as part of your subscription to make editing your newsletter something you do yourself at no extra cost.

If you do decide that you need outside input into the editing process, it won’t be difficult to find a professional to outsource this to. A freelance editor who knows what they’re doing will charge anything from $35-$65 per hour, or $0.02-$0.03/word on average.

Your newsletter’s design is important - it needs to look just how you want it to. So, of course you’ll need to work with a graphic designer to get it looking great, right? Wrong. 

The inbuilt tools that beehiiv provides will enable you to optimize your newsletter to look fantastic and delight your subscribers from day one. If you’re not sure how this works, all the help and support you need is provided for you. beehiiv’s suite of design functions, once again, is included in your subscription and won’t cost you a dime.

You can, of course, choose to outsource your design to an agency or a freelancer. The cost here depends on the complexity of your images, your base email template, and any custom graphics that will need to be included in future newsletters.

On average, most agencies or freelance designers will charge anything between $500-$1000 to design a new template.

The cost of your newsletter strategy might be more accurately measured in time rather than money.

The key here is knowing what your newsletter is for. What do you want to achieve? 

If it’s subscriber growth, you can create a custom referral program on beehiiv in only 8 minutes. beehiiv recommendations allow you to recommend or be recommended by other newsletters, completely free. Or, you can participate on the grow side of beehiiv Boosts, paying other newsletters to recommend yours to their subscribers. 

If your focus is on earning more revenue, you have many options with beehiiv, including offering paid subscriptions, Boosts, and participating in the beehiiv Ad Network. 

You can outsource your strategy to an agency, which will cost $200-$1500 per email, but nobody knows your work better than you do. If you know precisely what you want to accomplish with your newsletter, beehiiv offers all the tools you need to execute your strategy right from your fingertips at no extra cost.

In 2026, email marketing costs increase because of:

Most cost jumps don’t happen all at once. They happen gradually as complexity increases. That’s why choosing the right email marketing platform early matters more than most creators realize.

Some platforms look inexpensive at the start but scale aggressively with subscriber growth, automation needs, or monetization features. Others layer on add-ons that quietly increase your monthly cost as your workflow expands.

Email marketing can cost almost nothing- or it can become a major monthly line item. The difference is whether you’re paying for tools or paying for output.

If you want the most leverage:

The best email budget is the one you can sustain consistently, because consistency is what compounds. Discover how quickly and easily you can start getting your best work out there right here, right now by starting your free trial with beehiiv. 

Most creators spend $0–$100/month starting out. With freelance support, budgets typically rise to $200–$1,000/month depending on cadence and quality.

Content production (writing + editing + design). Software costs usually come second.

Yes. Many platforms offer free tiers, and you can write and design yourself. Free works best while you validate your audience and publishing rhythm.

When you hit subscriber limits, need automation/segmentation, or your newsletter generates revenue and upgrading protects deliverability or saves time.