Campaign Monitor vs iContact
Email Marketing pricing comparison · 2026
Campaign Monitor pricing ranges from $13–$171/month, while iContact ranges from $9–$16/month. iContact is typically 86% more affordable, though your actual cost depends on tier and team size.
Sources & confidence
Every dollar amount and contract clause below traces back to a sourced fact. We don't manufacture composite scores.
Plans at a glance
Every tier per product. Lock one to drive the cost row above and reveal a tier-specific outbound CTA.
Contract terms
The fine print, surfaced. Green = buyer-friendly. Each clause backed by a quoted source.
What users say
Aggregated, with sample sizes. We use whichever review platform has data.
Campaign Monitor and iContact are both email marketing platforms built for small and medium businesses, but they differ in pricing structure, feature depth, and target audience. Campaign Monitor offers three paid tiers: Lite at $11/month (500 contacts, 2,500 emails), Essentials at $29/month (unlimited sends), and Premier at $153/month with send-time optimization and phone support. iContact offers a free plan (250 contacts, 500 sends), then Launch at $14/month (750 contacts, unlimited sends), Grow at $36/month (2,500 contacts), Expand at $65/month (5,000 contacts), and Advanced at $199/month (25,000 contacts).
At the entry level, Campaign Monitor Lite at $11/month is cheaper than iContact Launch at $14/month, but Campaign Monitor caps you at 2,500 emails while iContact gives unlimited sends. This makes iContact the better value for businesses that send frequent campaigns. iContact also has a free plan (250 contacts, 500 sends) that Campaign Monitor lacks — Campaign Monitor only offers a 30-day trial.
At the mid tier, Campaign Monitor Essentials at $29/month unlocks unlimited sends with priority support and inbox preview testing. iContact's comparable tier is Grow at $36/month for 2,500 contacts with advanced segmentation. Campaign Monitor is $7/month cheaper at this level, but iContact includes marketing automation with multiple triggers on every paid plan. For advanced users, Campaign Monitor Premier at $153/month is significantly more expensive than iContact Advanced at $199/month, though iContact Advanced supports 25,000 contacts while Campaign Monitor Premier starts at 500 contacts and scales steeply with list size.
Plan-by-Plan Pricing
| Plan | Campaign Monitor | iContact |
|---|---|---|
| Lite | $13 /month | $9 /user/month |
| Essentials | $31 /month | $16 /user/month |
| Premier | $171 /month | Custom |
| Enterprise | Custom | — |
Cost at Scale
Total cost of ownership — licenses, implementation, and hidden costs included.
Campaign Monitor
3 scenariosiContact
5 scenariosMarket Intelligence
Campaign Monitor
- Median annual cost
- $1,260
iContact
- Median annual cost
- $780
- Average negotiated discount
- 15%
Contract Terms
| Term | Campaign Monitor | iContact |
|---|---|---|
| Auto-renewal | Yes | Yes |
| Cancellation | Cancel anytime for monthly plans | Must cancel before renewal period - no advance notice provided |
| Minimum commitment | Annual plans require yearly commitment | 1 year (for annual plans) |
| Price escalation | Pricing increases as subscriber count grows; automatic upgrades triggered if contact limits exceeded | — |
| Can downgrade | Yes | — |
Continue researching
Our Verdict
Choose Campaign Monitor if you prioritize email design quality and template customization over raw value. Campaign Monitor's 120+ professional templates, clean HTML output, and drag-and-drop builder are best-in-class for design-conscious brands and agencies. The Essentials plan at $29/month with unlimited sends is the sweet spot for teams sending polished newsletters to under 10,000 subscribers. Campaign Monitor also offers a pay-per-campaign option at $5/campaign + $0.01/recipient for infrequent senders.
Choose iContact if you want the most features per dollar with a low barrier to entry. The free plan lets you test with real campaigns, and the Launch plan at $14/month with 750 contacts and unlimited sends is one of the most affordable full-featured email marketing plans available. iContact's straightforward tier structure (scaling by contact count with unlimited sends on every plan) makes budgeting predictable. The 15% annual billing discount and nonprofit pricing add extra value for budget-conscious organizations.
Frequently Asked Questions
01 Is Campaign Monitor or iContact cheaper?
At the entry level, Campaign Monitor Lite at $11/month is $3 cheaper than iContact Launch at $14/month, but Campaign Monitor limits you to 2,500 emails while iContact includes unlimited sends. iContact also has a free plan (250 contacts) that Campaign Monitor lacks entirely. For total value at the entry level, iContact wins.
02 Which platform offers unlimited email sends?
iContact includes unlimited email sends on every paid plan starting at $14/month (Launch). Campaign Monitor only offers unlimited sends starting at $29/month (Essentials). Campaign Monitor's Lite plan at $11/month caps emails at 2,500 per month (5x subscriber count).
03 Does either platform have a free plan?
iContact has a free plan for up to 250 contacts with 500 email sends per month, including the drag-and-drop editor, templates, and one welcome email series. Campaign Monitor does not have a free plan — only a 30-day trial capped at 500 contacts and 500 sends.
04 How much does each platform cost for 5,000 contacts?
iContact Expand costs $65/month for 5,000 contacts with unlimited sends and advanced automation. Campaign Monitor pricing for 5,000 contacts varies by tier: Lite is approximately $59/month (limited sends), Essentials is approximately $59/month (unlimited sends), and Premier is approximately $153/month. At 5,000 contacts, iContact is competitively priced with more predictable costs.
05 Which has better marketing automation?
Both platforms offer marketing automation, but at different price points. iContact includes automation with multiple triggers on every paid plan from $14/month. Campaign Monitor includes basic pre-built journeys on Lite ($11/month) but requires the Essentials plan at $29/month for unlimited automated emails. For automation value, iContact has the edge at the entry level.
06 Do either platform offer annual billing discounts?
Both do. Campaign Monitor saves 10% with annual billing (e.g., Lite drops from $11/month to $9.90/month). iContact saves approximately 15% with annual billing (e.g., Launch drops from $14/month to approximately $11.92/month when paying $143/year). iContact's annual discount is slightly more generous.