AI Email Marketing Software: What Each Plan Really Costs
Many email tools now advertise AI writing, segmentation and optimization, but the pricing pages rarely say which plan includes which feature or what the bill looks like at your list size. This guide reads the plan prices from each vendor's pricing page and shows the monthly cost at realistic list sizes, so you can match the AI features you need to a plan you can afford.
The Short Answer
Customer.io is the best pick when AI is the main requirement. Its Essentials plan at $100/month (billed monthly) lists AI Agent core skills, a visual workflow builder and basic data integrations, and the pricing page names AI Agent on that plan, so you can check the feature before you pay. Profile bands start at $145/month for 10,000 profiles. If your priority is cheap A/B testing and reporting rather than an AI agent, Brevo Standard at $18/month (5,000 emails/month) is the lower-cost option, because the pricing page lists A/B testing and advanced reports on that plan.
How AI Features Are Sold Across Email Plans
AI features in email tools are usually bundled into plan tiers rather than sold as separate add-ons. That makes the plan name the thing to read carefully. A tier called Essentials or Standard can mean very different feature sets from one vendor to the next, and the price field alone does not tell you whether AI writing, send-time optimization or predictive segmentation is included.
On the pricing pages we read, only Customer.io ties AI by name to specific tiers: AI Agent core skills appear on Essentials, and elevated AI Agent limits appear on Premium. For the other vendors, the pricing page describes automation, segmentation, testing and reporting, but it does not itemize AI writing or optimization. Treat any AI claim as unconfirmed until the product documentation or a trial account shows it working on the plan you intend to buy.
Three questions separate the real AI-capable plans from the rest: which tier names AI or the features it depends on, what limit applies to the AI usage, and whether the feature is available during a free trial or only on a paid tier.
Comparison: AI-Capable Email Tools at a Glance
| Tool | Best for | Entry price (plan, billing) | Key limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Customer.io | Product-led teams that want AI Agent features in a base plan | Essentials $100/month, billed monthly | Cost rises with profile count; Premium is custom-priced from $1,000/month |
| Klaviyo | Ecommerce and data-rich lists with per-profile segmentation | Email plan, 500 profiles, $20/month | Email+SMS plans have no price shown on the verified pricing page |
| ActiveCampaign | Automation depth and advanced segmentation | Starter $15/month, starting price at 1,000 contacts | Advanced segmentation starts at Pro ($79/month) |
| Brevo | Low-cost sending with A/B testing and reports | Free plan (300 sends/day); Standard $18/month | A/B testing is listed on Standard, not on the free plan |
| Mailchimp | Small lists that start on a free plan | Free up to 250 contacts; Essentials $13/month at 500 contacts | Prices move by contact band; the 1,000-contact price is not listed |
| GetResponse | Automation workflows with segmentation | Starter $19/month monthly, or $15.58/month billed annually | No ongoing free plan; paid plans offer a free trial |
| Omnisend | Online stores that also want SMS | Free up to 250 contacts; Standard $11.20/month (offer rate) | SMS pricing varies by country and volume |
| Loops | Early-stage SaaS teams | Early Stage free plan; Growing Audience $99/month | Free plan includes a Loops footer and a 4,000-send rolling limit |
| Sender | Small lists that need cheap sending | Free Forever (2,500 subscribers); Standard $6.30/month | Paid tiers list only 500 subscribers |
What the Plans Cost at Three List Sizes
The table below shows the monthly price at about 1,000, 5,000 and 10,000 contacts or profiles, using only the bands published on each vendor's pricing page. Where the pricing page does not publish a price for that size, the cell says so.
| Tool | About 1,000 contacts | About 5,000 contacts | About 10,000 contacts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Klaviyo (email plan) | $30/month (1,000 profiles) | $100/month (5,000 profiles) | $150/month (10,000 profiles) |
| ActiveCampaign | Starter $15/month; Plus $49/month | Pricing on request | Pricing on request |
| Customer.io (Essentials) | Pricing on request | Pricing on request | $145/month (10,000 profiles) |
| Mailchimp | Pricing on request | $100/month (2,501–5,000 contact band, up to 60,000 emails) | $135/month (5,001–10,000 contact band, up to 120,000 emails) |
Customer.io's Essentials price at 20,000, 30,000 and 50,000+ profiles is $235, $325 and $505+ per month, and Klaviyo's 25,000-profile email plan is $400/month. For Brevo, Sender and GetResponse the pricing pages set the plan by monthly email volume or by list size in a way that does not map cleanly to these three sizes, so check the pricing page at your own number.
Each Tool for AI-Assisted Email
Customer.io
What it does well for this audience: it is the only vendor whose pricing page names AI Agent in a tier, which makes it the clearest match when AI is the requirement. Event-triggered flows suit product teams that want messages to follow what users do in the app.
Where it falls short: the bill follows profile count, and the AI Agent limits are higher on Premium, which is custom-priced from $1,000/month. The Startup Program offers 12 months free to eligible companies that have raised under $10M.
Price: Essentials $100/month; Essentials 10k profiles $145/month. Customer.io pricing
Klaviyo
What it does well: per-profile bands fit stores that segment customers by purchase and browsing behavior. The free plan covers 250 profiles and 500 emails a month.
Where it falls short: the verified pricing page does not show a price for the Email+SMS plans, so SMS costs need a quote. Per-profile growth adds cost quickly.
Price: email plan from $20/month (500 profiles), $150/month (10,000 profiles), $400/month (25,000 profiles). Klaviyo pricing
ActiveCampaign
What it does well: deep automation and segmentation. Standard segmentation and landing pages arrive on Plus, and advanced segmentation on Pro.
Where it falls short: the starting prices assume 1,000 contacts, and prices at larger sizes are not published, so the cost at 5,000 or 10,000 contacts needs a pricing request.
Price: Starter $15/month, Plus $49/month, Pro $79/month, Enterprise $145/month (each from 1,000 contacts). ActiveCampaign pricing guide · official pricing
Brevo
What it does well: the most usable free plan in this group, with up to 100,000 contacts and 300 sends per day. Standard adds automation, A/B testing and advanced reports for optimization work.
Where it falls short: the free plan caps daily sends at 300, and A/B testing is not on the free plan.
Price: Standard $18/month (5,000 emails/month). Brevo pricing guide · official pricing
Mailchimp
What it does well: a free plan for lists up to 250 contacts and 500 sends a month, which is enough to test a first campaign.
Where it falls short: prices move with contact bands and sometimes with promotions. The pricing page does not publish a price at 1,000 contacts.
Price: Essentials $13/month at 500 contacts; Standard $20/month at 500 contacts. Mailchimp pricing guide · official pricing
GetResponse, Omnisend and Loops
GetResponse suits teams that want automation and funnels in one suite. Marketer adds advanced segmentation. Its paid plans start at $19/month monthly, or $15.58/month billed annually, and the pricing page lists no ongoing free plan. GetResponse guide · official pricing
Omnisend suits online stores that combine email and SMS. Standard is shown at $11.20/month with a 30%-off offer for the first three months, and Pro is $41.30/month for 2,500 contacts. Omnisend guide · official pricing
Loops suits early-stage SaaS. The early-stage plan covers 4,000 sends in any rolling 30 days, and the growing-audience plan is $99/month with unlimited sends to subscribers. Loops guide · official pricing
Which Plan to Pick for Each Goal
| If you need | Pick | Because |
|---|---|---|
| AI features named in an entry-level plan | Customer.io Essentials ($100/month) | The pricing page names AI Agent core skills on this tier. |
| Cheapest paid plan with A/B testing | Brevo Standard ($18/month) | The pricing page lists A/B testing and advanced reports on this plan. |
| Ecommerce segmentation at 5,000 profiles | Klaviyo email plan ($100/month) | Per-profile bands are published for this size. |
| A free plan to test a first campaign | Mailchimp Free (250 contacts) or Brevo Free (300 sends/day) | Both plans publish their limits, so you know the ceiling before you start. |
| Store email and SMS in one tool | Omnisend Pro ($41.30/month, 2,500 contacts) | The plan includes unlimited monthly emails, with SMS priced per message by country. |
How to Choose an AI Email Tool
Start with the AI feature, not the price. Write down the one or two AI tasks you need, such as drafting subject lines, choosing send times or building segments from behavior, and check which of those the vendor documents for the plan you are considering. If the pricing page does not name the feature, ask the vendor in writing.
Then model the cost at your 12-month list size. A tool that costs $18 a month at 5,000 contacts can cost more than a tool at $100 a month if your list grows to 30,000 and the cheaper plan bills per contact. Use the list-size table above, then repeat the calculation with your own numbers.
Finally, check the limits that decide whether a plan is usable: daily send caps on free plans, contact caps on the entry tiers, and whether A/B testing or advanced segmentation sits on a higher tier than the one you were quoted.
Setup and Migration Checklist
Before you move a list or start a trial, work through these steps. They take an afternoon and prevent most surprise bills.
| Step | What to do | Check against |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Count what you pay for | Export your current contacts and remove duplicates and unsubscribed records before you import them. | The contact or profile band on the new vendor's pricing page |
| 2. Confirm the AI feature | Find the feature in the documentation for the exact plan you will buy. | The plan name in the vendor's feature list |
| 3. Test on the free plan | Run one welcome flow and one campaign on the free or trial plan. | The free plan limits, for example Mailchimp's 500 sends or Loops's 4,000 sends |
| 4. Set the renewal price | Write down the price after any first-year or first-three-month offer ends. | The standard monthly price on the vendor's pricing page |
| 5. Re-check before renewal | Re-read the pricing page and update your 12-month cost model. | The official pricing link for each vendor |
AI Email Pricing FAQs
Which AI email tool has the lowest entry price?
Among the plans with a published price, Brevo Standard at $18/month (billed monthly, 5,000 emails/month) and Sender Standard at $6.30/month (500 subscribers, 6,000 emails/month) are the lowest paid entries. Brevo is the one to check if you need A/B testing, because its pricing page lists A/B testing on Standard. Sender's paid tiers are capped at 500 subscribers, so they only fit small lists.
Does the price include AI writing features?
Only some pricing pages say so. Customer.io's Essentials plan at $100/month lists AI Agent core skills, and its Premium plan lists elevated AI Agent limits. For most other vendors the pricing page does not itemize AI writing or send-time optimization, so confirm the feature in the product documentation before you buy a plan for it.
How much does Customer.io cost at 10,000 profiles?
The Essentials 10k profiles band is $145/month, billed monthly. The bands rise to $235/month at 20,000 profiles, $325/month at 30,000 profiles and $505/month (shown as $505+) at 50,000 profiles and above. Premium is custom-priced for profile volume and starts at $1,000/month on the pricing page.
Is there a free way to test AI-assisted email?
Yes, with limits. Mailchimp's free plan covers up to 250 contacts and 500 sends per month. Brevo's free plan allows 300 sends per day for up to 100,000 contacts. Loops's early-stage plan allows up to 4,000 sends in any rolling 30 days, with the Loops footer and a cap on the 1,000 newest contacts. Customer.io offers 12 months free through its Startup Program to eligible early-stage companies that have raised under $10M.
Why do Klaviyo and Customer.io look similar at 10,000 contacts?
Klaviyo's email plan is $150/month for 10,000 profiles, and Customer.io's Essentials 10k profiles band is $145/month. The difference is what is included: Klaviyo's plan is built around ecommerce data and automation, while Customer.io's Essentials plan names AI Agent core skills and a visual workflow builder. Compare the included features, not only the monthly figure.
Should I pick a plan by contacts or by sends?
Pick by the meter that grows fastest for you. Per-contact plans (Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign, Klaviyo, Customer.io profiles) rise as your list grows, even when sending stays flat. Per-volume plans (Brevo, Sender) rise with the email you send. If your list grows faster than you send, model the cost at your 12-month list size before you choose.
How often are these prices checked?
The prices on this page were read from each vendor's pricing page on 7 October 2026. Vendors change tiers and promotions often, so check the official pricing link next to each vendor before you buy or renew.