What to expect and how to budget smarter — Stripo.email

Email marketing has earned its reputation as a high-ROI channel, but achieving that return takes more than a solid send list and a platform subscription.

Launching and maintaining high-performing email campaigns depends on the right software, skilled contributors, thorough QA, and effective automation planning. Whether you’re a startup sending your first welcome series or an enterprise scaling multilingual campaigns, understanding where your email marketing budget goes is essential.

This guide breaks down the real cost of email marketing — from design tools and team hours to localization and ESP fees — and explains how these costs scale with business size and complexity. You’ll also hear from email experts on where teams tend to overspend, under-invest, and make critical budgeting mistakes.

Estimating the cost of email marketing

To understand what email marketing truly costs, we first need to examine its most essential components — the tools, people, and processes that make campaigns run. In this section, we’ll break these down into four key areas:

• email service providers;
• email editors and design tools;
• team effort and production time;
• testing and localization.

A more strategic framework that connects these elements will be provided later in the article, but first, let’s examine what each of these components typically costs in practice.

1. Choosing an email service provider (ESP)

ESP pricing depends heavily on your contact list size and sending volume. Here’s a quick look at some leading platforms and what they charge for 50,000 contacts/month:

 

2. Choosing an email editor: features and costs compared

While some platforms include a basic email builder as part of their subscription, others offer advanced features like reusable modules, collaborative editing, and design testing on various pricing tiers.

Here’s a look at several popular options:

Which email editor is right for you?

Based on functionality and team size, here are some general guidelines:

Solo marketers and small startups
Choose a free or basic paid plan from Stripo, Beefree, or Unlayer. These provide enough design flexibility and prebuilt modules for sending clean, branded emails without a large investment.

Growing teams or SMBs
A basic paid plan (like Stripo Basic or Beefree Professional) offers more control over design systems, custom templates, and integrations with ESPs. Stripo, in particular, is useful for companies managing localization or modular email libraries.

Agencies and large companies
Consider investing in higher-tier plans like Stripo Pro if you need:

• multi-user collaboration;
• brand consistency across teams;
• advanced design workflows;
• support for AMP or dynamic content;
• centralized template libraries.

Nearly all teams use an ESP like Mailchimp, and at first, the built-in editor might be enough. However, over time, using a standalone builder provides more flexibility, particularly if your team works across multiple platforms or brands.

3. Team effort and content production costs

Whether you’re running lean with one in-house marketer or coordinating across multiple specialists, production work represents a significant portion of the total cost of email marketing. Here are the typical contributors involved in creating, optimizing, and launching emails:

• email marketer — leads campaign planning, builds sequences, manages automation, and tracks performance;
• copywriter — crafts the messaging, from subject lines to body copy, and often proofreads final drafts;
• designer — creates or customizes visual blocks and layouts, ensuring on-brand and user-friendly design;
• content lead or editor — provides direction and ensures that the messaging aligns with brand tone, goals, and priorities;
• developer — gets involved if your emails require hand-coded elements, dynamic personalization, or advanced interactivity.

Their costs vary significantly depending on the size of your team, whether team members are freelance or in-house, and where they’re located. For example:

• an in-house email marketer in the U.S. typically costs $30–$50/hour, while in Eastern Europe or Southeast Asia, rates range from $12–$22/hour, depending on seniority;
• a copywriter may charge anywhere from $25–$60/hour, depending on expertise and region;
• a designer working on modular email layouts or custom blocks usually charges $30–$70/hour;
• a content lead or editorial manager might cost $40–$90/hour, depending on the level of involvement and seniority;
• a developer experienced in email coding (e.g., using MJML, HTML tables, or interactive CSS) might charge $50–$100/hour, though their involvement is typically occasional, rather than ongoing.

👉 Example estimate: 

For one marketing email, you might spend:

• 4–6 hours of an email marketer’s time on setup, audience targeting, and testing;
• 2–3 hours on copywriting;
• 2–3 hours on design or layout customization;
• 1 hour on editing and approvals.

This could translate to $200–$800 or more for a single email, depending on hourly rates and whether the work is done in-house, by freelancers, or through an agency.

👉 Example estimate: 

For a five-email automated sequence, you might spend:

• 25–30 hours of an email marketer’s time on setup, audience targeting, campaign planning, and QA;
• 8–10 hours on copywriting;
• 6–8 hours on design or layout customization;
• 2–3 hours on editing and approvals.

Depending on your employment model and region, this could translate to $800–$3,000 or more per email sequence.

In-house vs. freelance vs. agency

• in-house teams offer deeper integration into brand voice and long-term strategy, but come with recurring salaries and overhead;
• freelancers free companies from long-term commitments, but they require clear guidance and strong project management to deliver results;
• agencies provide full-service expertise, particularly for design-heavy or multilingual campaigns, but typically charge premium rates.

4. Understanding the costs of QA and localization

Once your email is built, it’s not ready to go just yet — it still needs to be tested and possibly translated. We break down the typical costs associated with rendering tests, accessibility checks, and localization services.

Rendering tests

Rendering tests ensure that your emails look good across all devices and email clients. This is particularly important for brands that use custom HTML or heavily designed layouts. Here are a few tools that help with rendering previews:

• Email on Acid: $74/month. Also available through Stripo’s built-in integration. Note: The test volume is limited depending on your Stripo subscription plan;
• Testi.at: Free plan available; paid plans start at $20/month. A more affordable alternative for basic rendering needs;
• Mailosaur: Starting at $9/month. Offers advanced email testing features, though geared more toward developers and QA teams.

Accessibility testing

Accessibility ensures that your email can be read and navigated by subscribers with disabilities, particularly those using screen readers.

You can address accessibility in three main ways:

• built-in accessibility: Platforms like Stripo automatically structure emails for screen readers and configure aspects like language direction and charset;
• rendering tools: Services like Email on Acid also include accessibility validation reports;
• free manual testing tools: You also can explore our list of accessibility tools and resources to perform basic checks yourself.

Localization

Localization costs can vary widely based on the language, content volume, and whether you’re using freelancers or agencies.

Most providers charge using one of two pricing models:

• per-word model: the most common pricing method, ranging from $0.07 to $0.12 per word for general marketing content. For a 300-word email translated into three languages, the total cost may be around $90–$110, or more if managed through an agency;
• per-hour model: more common when localization involves creative rewriting — such as adapting tone, humor, idioms, or visuals — to better resonate with the target audience. Rates typically range from $20 to $50 per hour, depending on region and expertise.

If you’re sending 5–10 emails per month across multiple languages, monthly localization costs can range from $300 to $600 or more. In-house translations can reduce expenses, but are time-consuming and require native speakers to ensure accuracy.

To reduce costs, some companies use translation memory tools, repurpose past content, or limit localization to key campaigns.

Monthly email marketing costs across company types

To bring the numbers to life, we outlined three example companies at different stages of growth: a small startup; a mid-size brand; and a large enterprise. Each scenario includes typical tools, services, and personnel costs based on publicly available pricing and realistic usage assumptions.

These quick comparisons demonstrate how budgets scale depending on contact list size, automation complexity, localization needs, and internal team setup.

In the pricing examples for small and medium-sized companies, we included contact and monthly send limits based on Mailchimp’s specific plan tiers. If you exceed these limits, Mailchimp automatically will charge for the additional usage. If your subscriber count or sending volume grows to a point at which a higher tier would be more cost-effective, Mailchimp also may upgrade your account to a more suitable contact tier at the start of the next billing cycle.

Please also note that the enterprise example demonstrates what’s possible when a company has dedicated teams, multiple markets, and high expectations for quality, volume, and personalization. However, actual investment levels vary depending on business goals. Some large companies operate with leaner email teams and lower volumes, while some mid-sized businesses may invest heavily to drive performance.

Example 1: Small startup

Audience size: 5,000 contacts.

Emails sent/month: Up to 50,000.

 

Estimated monthly cost: ~$575.

Example 2: Mid-sized eCommerce brand

Audience size: 50,000 contacts.

Emails sent/month: Up to 600,000.

 

Estimated monthly cost: ~$2,700.

Example 3: Large enterprise

Audience size: 500,000+ contacts.

Emails sent/month: 1M+.

 

Estimated monthly cost: $22,000–$33,000.

*Email platforms don’t usually publish pricing for large volumes (500,000+ contacts), i.e. companies must request custom quotes. However, based on publicly available pricing for lower-tiered plans from providers like Mailchimp and Klaviyo, we can roughly estimate that plans for this contact volume may cost between $3,000 and $4,000 per month.

Keep in mind that enterprise plans often come bundled with premium features like dedicated IPs, deliverability consulting, and priority support.

Real-world example: Monthly email marketing costs at Stripo

To better understand the real cost of running email marketing, here’s a breakdown of the monthly expenses incurred by our own team at Stripo, which includes one dedicated email marketer. This example demonstrates how various tools, services, and human resources contribute to the total budget.

1. Email design platform

   We use Stripo, our own platform, to build and design emails. While we don’t pay for it internally, we included the cost of the Basic plan ($20/month) in this estimate to reflect a realistic scenario for companies that don’t have in-house tools.

2. Rendering tests

   To ensure email consistency across clients and devices, we use Email on Acid, which costs $74/month.

3. Email sending platform

   Our current sending platform is Yespo. The plan for 50,000 contacts is €136/month (approx. $145/month, depending on exchange rates).

4. Accessibility testing

   We don’t use separate accessibility tools because:

   • Email on Acid includes accessibility validation;
   • Stripo automatically optimizes emails for screen readers, setting proper direction (RTL/LTR), charset, and semantic structure.
5. Email localization

   Translating emails into multiple languages can cost up to $300/month, depending on the number of emails and languages. A typical example is five emails translated into seven languages.

6. Email marketer’s time

   The average hourly rate for an email marketer is $30. Creating, testing, and sending a five-email sequence usually takes around 35 hours, bringing the total cost for that work to about $1,050.

7. Additional team support

   Other team members occasionally are involved:

   • a designer is brought in when new or complex elements are needed;
   • a copywriter and content lead help shape the message and tone, depending on the specific campaign.

For a five-email sequence, we estimate approximately 12 hours of designer work, including the development of email concepts and visuals. Based on an average rate of $30/hour for an experienced designer, the total cost for this work would be around $360.

Estimated monthly email marketing costs

 

Keep in mind: Additional costs for developers, writers, or more complex campaigns can boost the budget.

Observations on cost distribution

Our cost breakdown indicates that the tools we use comprise a smaller portion of monthly email marketing expenses than personnel. Subscriptions to ESPs, testing tools, and localization services can add up, but the largest investment usually comes from our team’s time and expertise. Planning, writing, designing, testing, and sending effective emails take up hours, and that labor is often the most significant line item.

That’s why optimizing workflows and repurposing assets can make a meaningful difference for companies with limited budgets. For larger businesses, the impact is even greater, as costs scale quickly with more complex automations, longer contact lists, and expanded localization efforts.

When (and why) email marketing costs increase

Email marketing is often praised for its affordability, but as your program matures, so do its expenses. Growth brings complexity, and many hidden or unplanned costs emerge only when things begin to scale.

1. Longer lists, higher fees

   As your subscriber base grows, so do your ESP costs. Most platforms charge based on number of contacts or volume of emails sent per month. Many also have dual thresholds — one for total subscribers and another for monthly email sends. If you exceed either, you may face additional charges. These overages can range from a few dollars to hundreds, depending on the month, and they’re not always easy to spot unless you’re monitoring your billing dashboard closely.

2. Overlooking operational maintenance

   While automated flows may seem like a one-time setup, they require regular upkeep to remain effective. Without ongoing reviews, triggers can lose relevance, workflows may break due to changes in connected systems, and audience logic can drift out of sync with actual subscriber behavior. Together, these issues can quietly drain both performance and budget over time.

3. System upgrades and new integrations

   As email programs evolve, businesses often integrate CRMs, loyalty platforms, or advanced analytics tools. These upgrades can require technical support, custom development, and paid add-ons from your ESP.

4. Uncoordinated cross-channel efforts

   When email operates in a silo, it can miss important signals from other marketing channels. For example, a spike in website traffic from a paid or social campaign can push you past your ESP’s monthly send limit unexpectedly, particularly if automated workflows are triggered en masse. Without proper coordination or forecasting, this results in service disruptions or overage charges.

How to keep email marketing costs under control

As your email marketing program grows, expenses can climb in unexpected ways, but with the right practices in place, you can scale sustainably without sacrificing performance.

1. Plan for the big picture early

   One of the most effective cost-saving strategies is also the simplest: budget thoroughly from the beginning. Many teams underestimate email marketing’s hidden or recurring costs — from automation maintenance and data storage to external creative resources and overage fees. Building these components into your forecast from day one helps avoid last-minute surprises and better informs platform selection, staffing, and priorities.

2. Monitor pricing tiers and negotiate with your provider

   Email platforms typically charge based on subscriber count and/or email volume, often using tiered pricing models, i.e. costs jump at certain thresholds (e.g., at 10K, 25K, or 50K contacts). If you’re approaching a pricing tier, evaluate your list hygiene. Removing inactive contacts can help you remain within your current bracket. Furthermore, many providers are open to negotiation, particularly for annual contracts or multi-product packages.

3. Repurpose content and templates

   You don’t need to start from scratch every time. Reusing well-performing content — whether it’s headlines, product blocks, or campaign layouts — can cut down on design and copywriting hours significantly. Investing upfront in modular, brand-aligned templates allows your team to move faster while keeping creative costs low over time.

4. Test smart, not wide

   A/B testing is valuable, but testing too many variables at once can drain resources without clear learnings. Instead, focus on testing high-impact elements one at a time, like subject lines or CTA placement. A lean, targeted testing strategy reduces waste, but still supports optimization.

5. Coordinate with other channels

   Avoid unexpected spikes in email volume by remaining in sync with the rest of your marketing team. If a paid or social campaign is expected to drive unusual site traffic or sign-ups, you may need to adjust your email volume accordingly to remain within ESP limits and avoid overage fees.

Wrapping up

Email marketing remains one of the most effective digital channels, but only when supported with the right resources. Understanding the full scope of what’s involved — from tools and testing to team capacity and localization — helps businesses make better decisions and avoid unexpected costs.

A well-run program depends on clear workflows, the right tools for your stage of growth, and realistic budgeting. Efficiency comes not from cutting corners, but from knowing where to focus your efforts.