Cheapest email marketing platform: 4 tools priced
Cheapest email marketing platform, read October 28, 2026: the free plans of beehiiv, Systeme.io, MailerLite and Mailchimp, the cheapest paid plan of each at 1,000 subscribers, and what the first year costs. US prices from each vendor's pricing page.
The short answer
The cheapest email marketing platform for a list of 1,000 subscribers is a free plan: beehiiv Free covers up to 2,500 subscribers and Systeme.io Free covers up to 2,000 contacts, both at $0, read on October 28, 2026, in US dollars. MailerLite and Mailchimp also have free plans, but they stop at 250 subscribers or contacts.
The cheapest paid plan we found is Systeme.io Startup at $170 a year on annual billing ($17 a month billed monthly), for up to 5,000 contacts. At 1,000 subscribers, MailerLite Comfort is next at $205.20 billed yearly. StackOnSale has not tested these products; every price below comes from the vendor's own pricing page.
Free plans compared
Each platform counts its free limit differently. beehiiv counts subscribers and lists unlimited email sends on its free plan. Systeme.io counts contacts and lists unlimited emails, but its pricing FAQ says the free plan has lower limits on other features, including 1 automation rule and 1 email campaign. MailerLite's free plan allows 250 subscribers and 2,500 monthly emails. Mailchimp's pricing page says the free plan is for lists under 250 contacts.
Free email marketing plans, October 28, 2026| Platform | Free plan | Limit shown on the pricing page |
|---|
| beehiiv | $0 | Up to 2,500 subscribers, unlimited email sends |
|---|
| Systeme.io | $0 | Up to 2,000 contacts, unlimited emails, 1 automation rule |
|---|
| MailerLite | $0 | 250 subscribers, 2,500 monthly emails |
|---|
| Mailchimp | $0 | Under 250 contacts |
|---|
From each vendor's pricing page, read October 28, 2026, in US dollars.
The cheapest paid plan at 1,000 subscribers
beehiiv, MailerLite and Mailchimp price by list size, so the table uses the price each pricing page shows for 1,000 subscribers or contacts. Systeme.io prices by plan: Startup covers up to 5,000 contacts at one price. Mailchimp shows monthly prices for this list size and offers 15% off only from 5,000 contacts, as labeled on its page.
Cheapest paid plan for 1,000 subscribers, per month, October 28, 2026| Platform | Plan | Billed yearly | Billed monthly |
|---|
| Systeme.io | Startup (up to 5,000 contacts) | $170 a year | $17 |
|---|
| MailerLite | Comfort | $17.10 ($205.20 a year) | $19 |
|---|
| Mailchimp | Essentials (501 to 1,500 contacts) | Not shown for this list size | $26.50 |
|---|
| beehiiv | Lite | $49 | $59 |
|---|
From systeme.io/pricing, mailerlite.com/pricing, mailchimp.com/pricing/marketing and beehiiv.com/pricing, read October 28, 2026, with each page set to 1,000 subscribers or the 501 to 1,500 contacts tier.
What the first year costs at 1,000 subscribers
On a free plan, beehiiv and Systeme.io cost $0 for a list of 1,000. If you need a paid plan, Systeme.io Startup costs $170 for the year and MailerLite Comfort $205.20. Mailchimp Essentials costs $318 over 12 months at its monthly price, and beehiiv Lite $588 on yearly billing. A list that grows past 2,000 contacts leaves the Systeme.io free plan; past 2,500 subscribers, it leaves the beehiiv free plan.
First-year cost for 1,000 subscribers| Platform and plan | First year |
|---|
| beehiiv Free | $0 |
|---|
| Systeme.io Free | $0 |
|---|
| Systeme.io Startup, annual billing | $170 |
|---|
| MailerLite Comfort, billed yearly | $205.20 |
|---|
| Mailchimp Essentials, billed monthly | $318 |
|---|
| beehiiv Lite, yearly billing | $588 |
|---|
StackOnSale arithmetic: 12 months x the monthly price, for example 12 x $26.50 = $318 and 12 x $49 = $588. Systeme.io and MailerLite show the yearly total on their pricing pages.
If you want a newsletter or a sales funnel
beehiiv is built for newsletters: its paid plans add paid subscriptions, ad monetization and automations. Systeme.io bundles email with sales funnels, courses and a website; its plans are sized by contacts and funnels. A creator who sells a course can compare one Systeme.io plan with an email tool plus a separate course platform.
StackOnSale earns a commission if you buy beehiiv or Systeme.io through our links. We have no affiliate relationship with MailerLite or Mailchimp.
What the next plan up costs
Read on October 28, 2026: beehiiv Pro is $95 a month on yearly billing or $109 billed monthly at 1,000 subscribers. Systeme.io Webinar is $470 on annual billing or $47 a month, for up to 10,000 contacts. MailerLite Power is $35.10 a month billed yearly ($421.20) or $39 billed monthly at 1,000 subscribers, with unlimited monthly emails. Mailchimp Standard starts at $45 a month for 501 to 1,500 contacts and sends up to 18,000 emails a month.
Prices rise with list size on beehiiv, MailerLite and Mailchimp. At 2,500 subscribers, MailerLite Comfort is $356.40 billed yearly.
What we could not verify
Kit: its pricing page returned a security check to our checker on October 28, 2026, so Kit is not priced in this guide. Mailchimp yearly prices for 1,000 contacts, which its page did not show. Whether the Mailchimp Premium price of $297.50 a month for 12 months has an end date. beehiiv and MailerLite prices at list sizes other than those named here. Taxes are not included in any price.
Questions
What is the cheapest email marketing platform?
For up to 2,000 contacts, a free plan: beehiiv Free covers up to 2,500 subscribers and Systeme.io Free up to 2,000 contacts, read October 28, 2026. The cheapest paid plan we found is Systeme.io Startup at $170 a year on annual billing, for up to 5,000 contacts.
What is the cheapest newsletter platform?
beehiiv Free costs $0 for up to 2,500 subscribers with unlimited email sends. Its paid Lite plan is $49 a month on yearly billing at 1,000 subscribers, or $59 billed monthly.
Is there a free email marketing platform for 1,000 subscribers?
Yes. beehiiv Free and Systeme.io Free both cover 1,000 subscribers. The free plans of MailerLite and Mailchimp stop at 250 subscribers or contacts.
Is MailerLite cheaper than Mailchimp?
At 1,000 subscribers, yes: MailerLite Comfort is $17.10 a month billed yearly or $19 monthly, against $26.50 a month for Mailchimp Essentials at 501 to 1,500 contacts, read October 28, 2026.
Is there a beehiiv or Systeme.io coupon code?
Neither pricing page showed a coupon code on October 28, 2026. Both discount by billing period: beehiiv Lite is $49 a month on yearly billing against $59 monthly, and Systeme.io Startup is $170 a year against 12 x $17 = $204 billed monthly.
Related offers
Sources
Search, saved offers and price alerts need JavaScript.