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Email marketing comparison

Benchmark Email vs EmailOctopus

Official pricing sources checked September 14, 2026.

Both let a small business start email marketing without paying first. The practical difference is free-tier scale: Benchmark Email currently caps the free list at 500 contacts, while EmailOctopus lists up to 2,500 subscribers and 10,000 emails per month on Starter.

Benchmark Email

Free: $0, up to 500 contacts, one user, no card required.

Paid: current US Pro pricing starts at $19/month on monthly billing.

Watch: its current English homepage and Jan 2026 KB disagree on the free monthly send cap, so verify the live account limit.

Check Benchmark Email →

EmailOctopus

Free: Starter $0, up to 2,500 subscribers and 10,000 emails/month, no card required.

Paid: Pro pricing scales with subscriber and send volume.

Watch: the free tier carries EmailOctopus branding and has shorter report retention than Pro.

Check EmailOctopus →

Which one is the lower-risk starting point?

Choose Benchmark Email first if…
  • Your list is small enough for the 500-contact free ceiling.
  • You want its editor, forms, reporting and lightweight automation in one starter workflow.
  • You are willing to verify the live send cap shown in your account.
Choose EmailOctopus first if…
  • You need materially more free subscriber capacity.
  • 10,000 free monthly sends are useful to your early-stage list.
  • You accept free-tier branding while validating the workflow.

Affiliate disclosure

Neither product has a verified COSHUMA customer tracking URL on this comparison at publication time. Benchmark Email's affiliate application requires explicit legal consent and EmailOctopus's application remains unsubmitted. Both buttons above therefore use official non-affiliate destinations. COSHUMA does not infer clicks, signups, paid customers, commissions or revenue from these links.

Benchmark Email buyer guide · EmailOctopus buyer guide