Benchmark Email
6.3/10Email marketing platform for small businesses, with a drag-and-drop editor, signup forms, automation, AI writing help and reporting, and a free plan for up to 500 contacts.
Data last updated November 2026 · Our methodology
Overview
Benchmark Email is an email marketing service that has been around since 2004. It covers campaign building, signup forms, contact management, basic automation and reporting. Its drag-and-drop and HTML editors include templates, a brand kit, an AI assistant, stock images, previews and an audit checklist. Contacts can be organised with lists, tags, custom fields and filters. Segments are built from field-based and/or rules. Contact rating scores engagement automatically, and Smart Send targets only engaged contacts. The Pro plan adds advanced automation triggers such as webpage visits and abandoned carts, along with landing pages. The free plan allows 500 contacts and 1,000 sends a month for one user, and Benchmark branding stays on emails. Pro starts at $12 a month, or $10 a month billed annually, for 500 contacts. It allows sends of ten times the contact limit, up to 10 users, and branding removal. It scales in 15 contact tiers up to 100,000, and Enterprise covers anything larger. Extra users cost $15 a month each. Integrations include an API, Zapier, Shopify list and product syncing, and Google Analytics. Support runs 24/7 by chat and email in English, the platform is available in several languages, and nonprofits get a discount. Independent testers keep flagging the same weaknesses. TechRadar and Sonary report deliverability problems. Reporting has no ecommerce revenue tracking or custom reports. List handling is rigid, and the platform is updated more slowly than rivals such as Brevo and MailerLite.
Our Rating
Who Benchmark Email is best for
Good fit
The low entry price, free plan and simple editor are aimed at small senders.
The free plan and $10-a-month Pro tier suit early-stage teams.
Less suited
Pro adds abandoned cart triggers and Shopify list and product syncing, but reporting has no ecommerce revenue tracking.
It is affordable for solo senders, though the free plan is limited to one user.
Pro supports up to 10 users, but it lacks advanced analytics.
- Mid-Market4/10
Pro caps at 10 users and 100,000 contacts, and reviewers note rigid list management and limited automation.
The automation and reporting are basic, and reviewers report deliverability concerns.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- The free plan includes the full editor, forms, contact management and reporting, not just a stripped-down trial.
- Pro starts at $10 a month on annual billing for 500 contacts and allows sends of ten times the contact limit.
- Support is available 24/7 by chat and email, and the platform comes in several languages.
- Reviewers rate the responsive templates as flexible, and the built-in spam and design testing as useful.
Cons
- TechRadar and Sonary both flag poor deliverability.
- Reporting has no custom reports or ecommerce revenue tracking.
- List management is rigid, and segments only work within a single list.
- Automation actions are limited and cannot be split-tested, and the product is updated more slowly than rivals.
Key Features
Benchmark Email Pricing
Free
- Up to 500 contacts
- 1 user and 1 domain
- 150 AI credits per month
- 1,000 email sends per month
- Benchmark branding shown on emails and forms
- Email editor, forms, contact management and reporting
Pro
or $120/year (save 17%)
- Branding can be removed
- 1,000 AI credits per month
- Up to 10 users and 10 domains
- Validate 1 list up to plan size
- Email sends up to 10 times the contact limit
- Advanced automation triggers and landing pages
- Price shown is for 500 contacts; tiers scale to 100,000
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. It covers up to 500 contacts and 1,000 sends a month for one user, and Benchmark branding appears on emails and forms.
For 500 contacts, Pro costs $12 a month on monthly billing or $10 a month billed annually. The price rises with your contact tier, up to 100,000 contacts.
Yes. Paid plans can add users for $15 a month each, up to 10 users on Pro.
Only through integrations. Shopify can sync lists and insert products into emails, and Pro adds abandoned-cart triggers, but there is no ecommerce revenue reporting.
English support is available 24/7 by chat and email, with phone support also offered. There is also a knowledge base with videos and webinars.
Email Tool Tester reports that nonprofits get 25% off.
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