Start with the audience each provider bills for
Write down the number of people you have permission to email, then check how each service counts active, unsubscribed, archived, and suppressed records. Some platforms charge by stored contacts, while others focus on active subscribers. Do not compare two price quotes until the audience definitions match.
Estimate sends from the calendar
Count each campaign recipient and each message in an automation. For example, four monthly newsletters to 1,200 people create 4,800 campaign sends. If 70 new subscribers each receive two welcome emails, add 140 automation sends. This example totals 4,940 planned sends before resends or other workflows.
Providers can define usage differently, so confirm what counts as a billable send and when an allowance resets. MailerLite explains its current send counting and reset rules in its plan and billing guide.
Use the same worksheet for each quote
| Input | Your estimate | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
| Marketable contacts | Current list plus 6–12 month growth | How active, archived, and unsubscribed records are counted |
| Campaign sends | Recipients × planned campaigns | Monthly and daily caps; whether resends count |
| Automation sends | New entrants × messages per flow | Whether paused or draft flows count toward limits |
| People and tools | Seats, domains, integrations, and support needs | Which plan or add-on includes each requirement |
| Billing total | Plan + extras + tax | Monthly versus annual billing, renewal price, and overages |
Check the next price tier before you commit
Estimate the bill at today’s list size and at the next tier you are likely to reach. Note whether a provider charges for contacts you are not emailing, whether unused sends roll over, and what happens when you exceed an allowance. A low entry price can be less useful if the next tier changes the economics.
Do not pay for complexity you will not maintain
List the features your team will use in the next quarter: forms, landing pages, automations, reporting, integrations, or extra seats. Separate must-haves from features that merely look impressive in a plan grid. A smaller plan can be the better choice when it covers the real workflow and leaves room to grow.
Compare the actual platform options
Use the same audience and send assumptions in our platform comparisons, then open the relevant platform reviews to check published plan limits. Prices and plan names change, so confirm the final quote on each provider’s live pricing page before purchasing.