The Benchmark Email Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Benchmark Email in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Benchmark Email
The Insider’s Guide
Straightforward email campaigns with every feature on every plan
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among email marketing and newsletter tools, read from Benchmark Email’s own pages.
Made by Polaris Software, LLC · checked Oct 17, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Benchmark Email’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Benchmark Email’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 17, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.2
GPA, above 2 of the 24 other email marketing and newsletter tools we grade
Benchmark Email is an email marketing service for small businesses that sends newsletters and campaigns built in a drag-and-drop editor, with sign-up forms, pop-ups, contact lists and tags. Every plan, the free one included, has the same features; paid plans raise the limits and are priced by contact count. A rebuilt platform now sits alongside the older Classic one.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Benchmark Email, taken from its own pages and our grades.
The big gap is automation, as its pricing page lists no automated email workflows at all.
- 1
Best for simple newsletters with every feature free
Benchmark Email keeps it simple: a drag-and-drop editor, sign-up forms and pop-ups, and every feature on every plan, the free one included.
- 2
Paid plans start at $16 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $16 per month for up to 1,000 contacts, billed annually.
- 3
There is a free plan
Up to 500 contacts and 2,500 emails a month, 1 user, 1 domain and 150 AI credits a month, with Benchmark branding on emails and forms.
- 4
It runs on Web
Web.
- 5
Drag-and-drop editor and brand kit
Templates, blank layouts, saved blocks and an HTML editor, with your logo, colors and fonts stored in a brand kit.
- 6
AI Assistant
Writes copy and creates images inside the email and form builders, paid for with AI credits: 150 a month free, 1,000 on Pro.
- 7
Sign-up forms and pop-ups
A drag-and-drop form builder with templates, pop-ups, hosted form pages, automatic tagging and built-in reCAPTCHA.
- 8
A 2.2 GPA, above 2 of 24
That is against the other email marketing and newsletter tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace Benchmark Email you would be making newsletters sent to thousands of people that still reach the inbox. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Benchmark Email at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $16 per month for up to 1,000 contacts, billed annually
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- Polaris Software, LLC, since 2004
- Category
- Email Marketing & Newsletters
- Our grade
- 2.2 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for simple newsletters with every feature free
Benchmark Email keeps it simple: a drag-and-drop editor, sign-up forms and pop-ups, and every feature on every plan, the free one included. Pro is $16 a month for 1,000 contacts on yearly billing. The big gap is automation, as its pricing page lists no automated email workflows at all.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | Pro is $16 a month for 1,000 contacts on yearly billing, or $19 monthly, between the middle and the dearer quarter of email tools. It's $93 a month billed monthly at 10,000 contacts, and each extra user costs $15 a month. |
| Free plan and trial | C | Free for 500 contacts and 2,500 emails a month, with every feature, 1 user and 150 AI credits. Fair for trying it out, but 500 contacts is a cap you'll hit, and emails and forms carry Benchmark's branding. |
| Features | C | A drag-and-drop editor with a brand kit, an AI assistant, sign-up forms and pop-ups, lists and tags, reports and list checking on Pro. It sends good newsletters, but its pricing page lists no automated email workflows, which most rivals include. |
| Ease of use | C | No App Store rating on record and no phone app. With no workflows there's less to build, but you'll still set up lists, forms and templates in the web app. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web, with an API and native links to Zapier and Playable. Everything else, WordPress and Shopify included, goes through Zapier or the API. No desktop or phone app, so a B at most. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Benchmark Email is for
- Great if you send a regular newsletter to a modest list and don't need automations
- Handy when you want to try every feature free before paying
- Good for teams that care more about sign-up forms and pop-ups than workflows
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you want a welcome series or other automated emails, which its pricing page doesn't list
- Pricey if several people need access, at $15 a month for each extra user
- Tight if you stay free, since sends stop at 2,500 a month and carry Benchmark's branding
Good to know
Good for
- Small businesses sending regular newsletters to a modest list
- People who want to try every feature on a free plan first
- Teams that need sign-up forms and pop-ups more than automation
Worth knowing
- Each plan includes 1 user; extra users cost $15 a month each and need a paid plan.
- The pricing page lists no automated email workflows among its features.
- Free sends are capped at 2,500 emails a month and carry Benchmark branding.
- Native integrations are limited to Zapier and Playable; other tools connect through Zapier or the API.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$16
A month to start. There is a free plan too
Benchmark Email has a free plan. Paid plans start at $16 per month for up to 1,000 contacts, billed annually.
Free
$0
500 contacts, 2,500 emails a month, 1 user, 1 domain, 2 API keys and 150 AI credits, with Benchmark branding.
Pro
$16
per month for up to 1,000 contacts, billed annually ($19 monthly)
Sends 10 times the list, 1 user, 10 domains, 1,000 AI credits, list verification, no branding. $93 a month billed monthly at 10,000 contacts.
Enterprise
Custom
For more than 100,000 contacts, with premium support for large senders.
The free plan
Up to 500 contacts and 2,500 emails a month, 1 user, 1 domain and 150 AI credits a month, with Benchmark branding on emails and forms.
Read from benchmarkemail.com on Oct 17, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Annual discount
Lower monthly price with annual billing
Benchmark's pricing page shows Pro at 1,000 contacts for $16 a month billed annually against $19 billed monthly.
Stated on benchmarkemail.com
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Web
Straightforward email campaigns with every feature on every plan. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: public API, AI features, forms, email campaigns.
A drag-and-drop editor with a brand kit, an AI assistant, sign-up forms and pop-ups, lists and tags, reports and list checking on Pro.
- Drag-and-drop editor and brand kit
- Templates, blank layouts, saved blocks and an HTML editor, with your logo, colors and fonts stored in a brand kit.
- AI Assistant
- Writes copy and creates images inside the email and form builders, paid for with AI credits: 150 a month free, 1,000 on Pro.
- Sign-up forms and pop-ups
- A drag-and-drop form builder with templates, pop-ups, hosted form pages, automatic tagging and built-in reCAPTCHA.
- Contacts, lists and tags
- Store contact details and custom fields, group contacts by list or tag, filter them and send to targeted lists.
- Reports
- Contact activity feed, email reports, link activity and an engagement timeline showing when contacts respond.
- List verification
- Pro includes verification of one list up to the plan's size, to clear bad addresses before sending.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- Zapier
- Playable
- WordPress
- Shopify
- Wix
- Squarespace
Benchmark Email is made by Polaris Software, LLC, and has been around since 2004.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
2/24
Other email marketing and newsletter tools it is graded above
Benchmark Email's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 2 of the 24 other email marketing and newsletter tools we grade, and level with 2.
It stands best on platforms and integrations (B, above 0 of 24) and worst on features (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $16 a month, against a middle price of $13 for the category: 13 of the 22 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. 12 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 25 email marketing and newsletter tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Benchmark Email’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 5 of 24
- CFree plan and trialAbove 2 of 24
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 24
- CEase of useAbove 1 of 24
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 24
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 23 email marketing and newsletter tools. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Benchmark Email is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace Benchmark Email you would be making newsletters sent to thousands of people that still reach the inbox. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 20 of the 24 other email marketing and newsletter tools grade higher. It costs $192 a year.
What you could make
- Forms: an app builder makes this well.
What you could not
- Newsletters sent to thousands of people that still reach the inbox.
- It plugs into other products, Zapier, Playable and WordPress among them, and has an API.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
What this rests on. Benchmark Email’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Mailchimp, Constant Contact, MailerLite, EmailOctopus and Moosend
The 5 tools Benchmark Email is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.8GPA
Mailchimp
Free plan · from $13/mo
Email and SMS marketing with automations, priced by contact count.
- Only Mailchimp lists iOS and Android apps.
- Mailchimp also covers marketing automation and reports.
- 2.6GPA
Constant Contact
Free trial · from $10.20/mo
Email, SMS and social marketing for small businesses.
- Benchmark Email has a free plan. Constant Contact does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Constant Contact lists an iOS app.
- Constant Contact also covers marketing automation and business texting.
- 2.6GPA
MailerLite
Free plan · from $12/mo
Email newsletters, automations, sites and paid subscriptions.
- Only MailerLite lists an iOS app.
- MailerLite also covers marketing automation and paid newsletters.
- 2.8GPA
EmailOctopus
Free plan · from $9/mo
Simple, low-cost email marketing with a free plan for 2,500.
- EmailOctopus also covers marketing automation.
- 2.6GPA
Moosend
Free trial · from $7/mo
Low-cost email campaigns and automation priced by contacts.
- Benchmark Email has a free plan. Moosend does not, though it has a free trial.
- Moosend also covers marketing automation.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
14
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Benchmark Email free?
Benchmark Email has a free plan. Up to 500 contacts and 2,500 emails a month, 1 user, 1 domain and 150 AI credits a month, with Benchmark branding on emails and forms.
How much does Benchmark Email cost?
Benchmark Email lists 3 plans. Free: $0.
What platforms does Benchmark Email work on?
Benchmark Email is available on Web.
Does Benchmark Email offer any discounts?
Benchmark Email publicly lists the following: Lower monthly price with annual billing.
Does Benchmark Email have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 17, 2026. Benchmark Email is listed for Web.
Does Benchmark Email have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 17, 2026. Benchmark Email is listed for Web.
Is Benchmark Email open source?
Benchmark Email is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 17, 2026.
Does Benchmark Email have an API?
Yes. Benchmark Email offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does Benchmark Email integrate with?
Benchmark Email's listing names Zapier, Playable, WordPress, Shopify, Wix and Squarespace.
Who makes Benchmark Email?
Benchmark Email is made by Polaris Software, LLC. It dates from 2004.
What are the alternatives to Benchmark Email?
The closest alternatives to Benchmark Email in our directory are Mailchimp, Constant Contact, MailerLite, EmailOctopus and Moosend.
How does Benchmark Email compare with other email marketing and newsletter tools?
Benchmark Email's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 2 of the 24 other email marketing and newsletter tools we grade, and level with 2.
Is Benchmark Email good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Benchmark Email C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $16 a month, against a middle price of $13 for the category: 13 of the 22 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Benchmark Email?
To replace Benchmark Email you would be making newsletters sent to thousands of people that still reach the inbox.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Benchmark Email’s own pages on Oct 17, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 17, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Benchmark Email's own pages on 17 October 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Polaris Software, LLC. Prices change, so check benchmarkemail.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
1,858
Tools graded, in 46 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
ToolGPA is free to read. It may earn a commission from affiliate links and it works with sponsors, but anything paid for is labelled and no one can pay for a grade. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
1,858
tools graded
46
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Benchmark Email, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/benchmark-email
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Benchmark Email: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 17, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/benchmark-email
Know someone choosing between email marketing and newsletter tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/benchmark-email/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded email marketing and newsletter tools after Benchmark Email, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Email Marketing & Newsletters Insider's GuideEvery one of the 25 email marketing and newsletter tools we grade, compared
- Zoho Campaigns Insider's GuideEmail, SMS and WhatsApp campaigns that tie into Zoho's apps3.0 GPA
- EmailOctopus Insider's GuideSimple, low-cost email marketing with a free plan for 2,5002.8 GPA
- Mailchimp Insider's GuideEmail and SMS marketing with automations, priced by contact count2.8 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Benchmark Email’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. ToolGPA uses affiliate links and may earn a commission from them, and it works with sponsors; anything paid for is labelled, and no one can pay for a grade. Benchmark Email is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Polaris Software, LLC. Prices and plans change: check benchmarkemail.com before you buy.