The Campaign Monitor Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Campaign Monitor 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.
Campaign Monitor
The Insider’s Guide
Email marketing for small businesses, nonprofits and agencies
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among email marketing and newsletter tools, read from Campaign Monitor’s own pages.
Made by Marigold · 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 Campaign Monitor’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Campaign Monitor’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
2.4
GPA, above 5 of the 24 other email marketing and newsletter tools we grade
Campaign Monitor is an email marketing service owned by Marigold. It pairs a drag-and-drop email builder and templates with automated journeys, segmentation and AI tools that draft emails from your website. Agencies can run client sub-accounts under their own brand and resell it at a markup.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Campaign Monitor, taken from its own pages and our grades.
No App Store rating on record and no phone app.
- 1
Best for agencies sending polished emails for clients
Campaign Monitor is about good-looking emails and agency work: client sub-accounts under your own brand, with your markup billed for you.
- 2
Paid plans start at $11.70 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $11.70 per month for up to 500 contacts, billed annually.
- 3
You can try it first
30-day free trial for up to 500 contacts and 500 emails
- 4
It runs on Web
Web.
- 5
Email builder and templates
A drag-and-drop builder with over 100 templates, custom-coded HTML imports and branded templates generated from your website's URL.
- 6
Marketing Studio and AI tools
Marketing Studio drafts a branded email from your site and a goal. AI Writer, AI Email Booster and AI Segment Mapper help with copy, review and segments.
- 7
Automated journeys
Pre-built journeys, date-based Campaign Series, RSS-triggered emails and transactional emails, with volume tied to the plan's limits.
- 8
A 2.4 GPA, above 5 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 Campaign Monitor 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.
Campaign Monitor at a glance
- Pricing
- Free trial, from $11.70 per month for up to 500 contacts, billed annually
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- 30-day free trial for up to 500 contacts and 500 emails
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- Marigold
- Category
- Email Marketing & Newsletters
- Our grade
- 2.4 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for agencies sending polished emails for clients
Campaign Monitor is about good-looking emails and agency work: client sub-accounts under your own brand, with your markup billed for you. Every plan has unlimited users, from $11.70 a month on yearly billing. But Lite caps you at 5 emails per contact a month, and phone support and send-time optimization sit on Premier at $153.90.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | Lite is $11.70 a month for 500 contacts on yearly billing, or $13 monthly, right around the middle of what email tools charge. It's $117 a month billed monthly at 10,000 contacts, and unlimited sends need Essentials at $27.90. |
| Free plan and trial | C | No free plan, but there's a 30-day trial for up to 500 contacts and 500 emails. Long enough to build and send a couple of campaigns, but it's a trial, not a plan you can stay on. |
| Features | B | A drag-and-drop builder with over 100 templates, templates made from your website, journeys, RSS and transactional emails, engagement segments, dynamic content and reports that drop bot clicks. That's the whole job, plus proper agency sub-accounts. |
| Ease of use | C | No App Store rating on record and no phone app. Marketing Studio can draft a branded email from your site, which helps, but there are still lists, journeys and segments to set up. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web only, with Salesforce, Shopify, WordPress, Unbounce, Intercom, OptinMonster, AdRoll and Zapier, and an API. No desktop or phone app keeps it at a B. |
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 Campaign Monitor is for
- Great if you're an agency sending for several clients under your own brand
- Handy when lots of people need to log in, since every plan has unlimited users
- Good for nonprofits and small businesses who care how their newsletter looks
Who it is not for
- Tight if you're on Lite and email your list often, as sends stop at 5 times your contacts a month
- Pricey if you want phone support or send-time optimization, which need Premier from $153.90
- Skip it if you want a free plan, as there's only a 30-day trial
Good to know
Good for
- Agencies sending email for several clients under their own brand
- Small businesses and nonprofits with polished newsletter designs
- Teams that want unlimited users on every plan
Worth knowing
- Lite caps sends at 5 times the contact tier each month; Essentials and above have no cap.
- Phone support, send time optimization and section locking need Premier, from $153.90 a month billed annually.
- The drag-and-drop website builder costs $10 a month on Lite and Essentials.
- Lists over 50,000 contacts are priced through sales.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$11.70
A month to start
Campaign Monitor is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $11.70 per month for up to 500 contacts, billed annually.
Long enough to build and send a couple of campaigns, but it's a trial, not a plan you can stay on.
Lite
$11.70
per month for up to 500 contacts, billed annually ($13 monthly)
Sends 5 times the list a month, unlimited users, AI Writer, automations and transactional email. Price rises with the list: $117 a month billed monthly at 10,000 contacts.
Essentials
$27.90
per month for up to 500 contacts, billed annually ($31 monthly)
Unlimited sends, automated emails and AI features, priority support, inbox preview and Marketing Studio. $182 a month billed monthly at 10,000 contacts.
Premier
$153.90
per month for up to 500 contacts, billed annually ($171 monthly)
Phone support, send time optimization, engagement segments, section locking, team templates and the website builder. $300 a month billed monthly at 10,000.
Enterprise
Custom
Custom annual contract, a dedicated account manager, multi-brand accounts, deliverability monitoring and invoice or PO billing.
Trying it first
30-day free trial for up to 500 contacts and 500 emails
Read from campaignmonitor.com on Oct 17, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Annual discount
10% off with annual billing
Campaign Monitor's pricing page takes 10% off Lite, Essentials and Premier billed yearly: Lite at 500 contacts is $11.70 a month instead of $13.
Stated on campaignmonitor.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
Email marketing for small businesses, nonprofits and agencies. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: public API, AI features, marketing automation, forms, email campaigns.
That's the whole job, plus proper agency sub-accounts.
- Email builder and templates
- A drag-and-drop builder with over 100 templates, custom-coded HTML imports and branded templates generated from your website's URL.
- Marketing Studio and AI tools
- Marketing Studio drafts a branded email from your site and a goal. AI Writer, AI Email Booster and AI Segment Mapper help with copy, review and segments.
- Automated journeys
- Pre-built journeys, date-based Campaign Series, RSS-triggered emails and transactional emails, with volume tied to the plan's limits.
- Segments and personalization
- Engagement segments, dynamic content, custom fields, a preference center and countdown timers; send time optimization comes with Premier.
- Agency accounts
- Client sub-accounts under one admin account, private labeling, a markup on the base price billed through Campaign Monitor, and shared templates.
- Reporting
- Marketing Monitor benchmarks, campaign scores, real-time world-map reporting and a filter that drops bot clicks from results.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- Salesforce
- Shopify
- WordPress
- Unbounce
- Intercom
- OptinMonster
- AdRoll
- Zapier
Campaign Monitor is made by Marigold.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
5/24
Other email marketing and newsletter tools it is graded above
Campaign Monitor's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 5 of the 24 other email marketing and newsletter tools we grade, and level with 9.
It stands best on features (B, above 3 of 24) and worst on ease of use (C, above 1).
Its paid plans start at $11.70 a month, against a middle price of $13 for the category: 8 of the 22 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4. 1 tool scores higher and costs less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 25 email marketing and newsletter tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Campaign Monitor’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 5 of 24
- CFree plan and trialAbove 2 of 24
- BFeaturesAbove 3 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. Campaign Monitor 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 Campaign Monitor 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: 10 of the 24 other email marketing and newsletter tools grade higher. It costs $140.40 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.
- Email sent in volume that still reaches the inbox.
- It plugs into other products, Salesforce, Shopify and WordPress among them, and has an API.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. Campaign Monitor’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, ActiveCampaign, Brevo and EmailOctopus
The 5 tools Campaign Monitor 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.
- Mailchimp has a free plan. Campaign Monitor does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Mailchimp lists iOS and Android apps.
- Mailchimp also covers reports.
- 2.6GPA
Constant Contact
Free trial · from $10.20/mo
Email, SMS and social marketing for small businesses.
- Only Constant Contact lists an iOS app.
- Constant Contact also covers business texting.
- 2.4GPA
ActiveCampaign
Free trial · from $15/mo
Email marketing and multi-step automation priced by contacts.
- ActiveCampaign also covers sales pipeline and reports.
- 2.6GPA
Brevo
Free plan · from $9/mo
Email, SMS and WhatsApp marketing priced by emails sent, with a CRM.
- Brevo has a free plan. Campaign Monitor does not, though it has a free trial.
- Brevo also covers sales pipeline and live chat.
- 2.8GPA
EmailOctopus
Free plan · from $9/mo
Simple, low-cost email marketing with a free plan for 2,500.
- EmailOctopus has a free plan. Campaign Monitor does not, though it has a free trial.
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 Campaign Monitor free?
No, Campaign Monitor is a paid product, but you can try it first. 30-day free trial for up to 500 contacts and 500 emails.
How much does Campaign Monitor cost?
Campaign Monitor lists 4 plans. Lite: $11.70 per month for up to 500 contacts, billed annually ($13 monthly).
What platforms does Campaign Monitor work on?
Campaign Monitor is available on Web.
Does Campaign Monitor offer any discounts?
Campaign Monitor publicly lists the following: 10% off with annual billing.
Does Campaign Monitor have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 17, 2026. Campaign Monitor is listed for Web.
Does Campaign Monitor have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 17, 2026. Campaign Monitor is listed for Web.
Is Campaign Monitor open source?
Campaign Monitor is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 17, 2026.
Does Campaign Monitor have an API?
Yes. Campaign Monitor offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does Campaign Monitor integrate with?
Campaign Monitor's listing names Salesforce, Shopify, WordPress, Unbounce, Intercom, OptinMonster, AdRoll and Zapier.
Who makes Campaign Monitor?
Campaign Monitor is made by Marigold.
What are the alternatives to Campaign Monitor?
The closest alternatives to Campaign Monitor in our directory are Mailchimp, Constant Contact, ActiveCampaign, Brevo and EmailOctopus.
How does Campaign Monitor compare with other email marketing and newsletter tools?
Campaign Monitor's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 5 of the 24 other email marketing and newsletter tools we grade, and level with 9.
Is Campaign Monitor good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Campaign Monitor C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $11.70 a month, against a middle price of $13 for the category: 8 of the 22 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Campaign Monitor?
To replace Campaign Monitor 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 Campaign Monitor’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 Campaign Monitor'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 Marigold. Prices change, so check campaignmonitor.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
1,880
Tools graded, in 47 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.
1,880
tools graded
47
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Campaign Monitor, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/campaign-monitor
- 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, "Campaign Monitor: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 17, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/campaign-monitor
Know someone choosing between email marketing and newsletter tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/campaign-monitor/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded email marketing and newsletter tools after Campaign Monitor, 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 Campaign Monitor’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. Campaign Monitor is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Marigold. Prices and plans change: check campaignmonitor.com before you buy.