How much does email marketing cost?

Email marketing cost for a small business has three parts: the platform subscription, the setup work, and the ongoing effort of writing and sending. Platforms often start free for small lists and rise with the number of contacts and features, while setup and content depend on how much you do yourself. A business that sends a simple monthly newsletter to a few hundred customers can spend very little. One that runs automated sequences, segmented campaigns and a weekly newsletter will spend more, and usually earn more from it too.

In this article I break down each cost, show four typical budget scenarios and explain what drives the price up or down. Prices I mention are in Canadian dollars. Email and SMS work from me is quoted individually after a short call, because the scope varies too much for one fixed price.

Cost 1: the email platform

Tools like Mailchimp, Klaviyo, Brevo, MailerLite and others typically price by:

• Number of contacts on your list.
• Number of emails sent per month.
• Features: automation, segmentation, A/B testing, SMS, integrations.

Most have a free or entry tier. As your list grows from hundreds to thousands of contacts, the monthly fee rises in steps. Many are billed in US dollars, so the Canadian cost moves with the exchange rate. Check each vendor's current pricing page rather than relying on figures in articles, since they change often.

Two practical tips. First, clean your list: unsubscribed and inactive contacts can still count toward your plan on some platforms. Second, if you already use a CRM such as HubSpot or Zoho, check whether its email features cover your needs before paying for a second tool. My guide to email platforms compares the options.

Cost 2: setup

Setup is a one-time cost and covers:

• Creating the account, connecting your domain and setting up authentication records so emails do not land in spam.
• Sign-up forms on your website with CASL-compliant consent.
• Importing contacts with proper consent records.
• A branded email template that works on phones and in dark mode.
• Connecting the platform to your website, store or CRM.

Domain authentication is the part people skip and regret. Without it, mailbox providers are more likely to filter your emails, and some now expect it from bulk senders.

Cost 3: content and sending

This is the ongoing part. Each campaign needs a subject line, copy, images, a clear call to action, testing and scheduling. Doing it yourself costs time; hiring someone costs money.

Automated sequences, such as a welcome series or a follow-up after a quote, are written once and keep working. That makes them the best value in email marketing: you pay for them once, and they send every day. More on that in follow-up sequences that turn enquiries into customers.

Four budget scenarios

These are illustrations to help you plan, not quotes.

For hands-on help, a consultation costs $70/hour, and the first 30 minutes are free. That is often enough for an owner who wants to run email in-house but needs the setup checked.

What drives the cost up

• More automation. Each sequence needs planning, writing and testing.
• Segmentation. Different emails for different customer types multiply the content.
• Two languages. If you serve Quebec or bilingual markets, every email exists twice. French in Quebec is not optional. My email work is in English, so French versions come from your own team or a translator.
• Integrations. Syncing purchases, bookings or CRM stages takes setup work.
• Design. Custom-designed campaigns cost more than a clean, reusable template.

What drives the cost down

• A simple, reusable template instead of a new design each time.
• A clear content plan for the year, so each newsletter does not start from a blank page. My newsletter ideas for local businesses can help.
• Automations that run without monthly effort.
• A cleaned list, so you do not pay for contacts who never open.

Is it worth it?

Email works with people who already know you: past customers, enquiries, newsletter subscribers. That usually makes it far cheaper per sale than advertising to strangers. It shines for businesses with repeat purchases (salons, clinics, restaurants, online stores) and for services with long decision times, where regular reminders keep you in mind.

To know whether it pays, track revenue per campaign or per automated flow. Most platforms show clicks and, with e-commerce integrations, purchases. For service businesses, tag email links with UTM parameters so enquiries from email show up in your analytics; my UTM tracking guide explains how.

Doing it yourself vs outsourcing

Owners often ask whether to keep email in-house. A rough rule: if you enjoy writing, have a clear voice and can block two hours a month, run the newsletter yourself and outsource only the setup and automations. If writing feels like a chore that keeps getting postponed, the newsletter will quietly stop after three issues, and paying someone to keep it regular is cheaper than paying for a platform you never use. A hybrid also works well: you send a few lines of news each month, and someone else turns them into a finished email.

Don't forget compliance

CASL applies to every commercial email you send to people in Canada. Building consent into your forms and CRM from the start costs nothing extra and avoids a painful clean-up later. Read CASL and email marketing before you import your first contact list.

How I work on email

I set up platforms, forms, templates and automated sequences, and connect them to your website and CRM so contacts and consent are tracked in one place. You can see the scope on my email marketing page. Everything is registered in your name, there is a written agreement with deadlines, and payment is staged. Send me a short description of your list and goals, and I will reply within one business day with a recommended scope and price.