The iContact Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about iContact 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.
iContact
The Insider’s Guide
Email marketing for small businesses, with social posting built in
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among email marketing and newsletter tools, read from iContact’s own pages.
Made by J2 Martech Corp · checked Oct 18, 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 iContact’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on iContact’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 18, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.6
GPA, above 17 of the 27 other email marketing and newsletter tools we grade
iContact is an email marketing service for small and medium businesses. It sends campaigns built in a drag-and-drop editor or drafted by AI, runs automations triggered by sign-ups, dates and segments, and can post the same content to social networks. Plans are priced by contact count, and a separate edition runs inside Salesforce.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about iContact, taken from its own pages and our grades.
- 1
Best for small-business newsletters with social posting
iContact is a plain small-business email tool: a drag-and-drop editor, AI that drafts emails, simple automations, and posting the same content to Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn and X.
- 2
Paid plans start at $9 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $9 per month for up to 500 contacts, billed monthly.
- 3
You can try it first
30-day free trial with full access
- 4
It runs on Web
Web.
- 5
Drag-and-drop editor and templates
Build emails from blocks of text, images, buttons and video, starting from a library of pre-designed email and landing page templates and stock images.
- 6
AI email and image generation
Describe the email, tone and length and AI drafts the subject line, copy and calls to action, or creates images saved to the media library. Brand settings keep drafts on style.
- 7
Automations
Welcome emails on sign-up, specific-date and custom-date triggers, and journeys that start when a contact qualifies for a segment. Standard allows one automation.
- 8
A 2.6 GPA, above 17 of 27
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 iContact 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.
iContact at a glance
- Pricing
- Free trial, from $9 per month for up to 500 contacts, billed monthly
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- 30-day free trial with full access
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- J2 Martech Corp, since 2003
- Category
- Email Marketing & Newsletters
- Our grade
- 2.6 GPA, good
The report card
Best for small-business newsletters with social posting
iContact is a plain small-business email tool: a drag-and-drop editor, AI that drafts emails, simple automations, and posting the same content to Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn and X. Standard is $9 a month for 500 contacts, which is cheap. Just know it stops at 1 user, 1 segment and 1 automation, so most people will want Premium at $16.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | B | Standard is $9 a month for 500 contacts billed monthly, inside the cheaper quarter of email tools, and $73 at 10,000. It stops at 1 user, 2 lists, 1 segment and 1 automation, though; unlimited use and social posting are Premium at $16, a little above the middle. |
| Free plan and trial | C | No free plan, but a 30-day free trial with full access, and no card is mentioned. A month is enough to send a few real newsletters before deciding. |
| Features | B | The whole job: a drag-and-drop editor with templates, AI-written emails and images, automations on sign-ups, dates and segments, forms, landing pages and social posting from the same dashboard. Dynamic content and built-in verification are Ultimate only. |
| Ease of use | C | No App Store rating on record. It's a web app where you build the emails, lists and landing pages yourself; the AI drafts help, but there's still setting up before the first send. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web only, with Salesforce, Shopify and posting to Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn and X, plus a separate edition that runs inside Salesforce. No API, Zapier or phone app on record. |
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 iContact is for
- Great if you send a regular newsletter to a modest list and want to keep the bill small
- Handy when you'd like each email to go out as a social post too
- Good for Salesforce users who'd rather run campaigns without leaving it
Who it is not for
- Tight if you stay on Standard, with 1 user, 1 segment, 1 landing page and 1 automation
- Skip it if you want a free plan to grow on, as there's only the 30-day trial
- Pricey if you send a lot, as going past the plan's monthly sending limit is charged as overage
Good to know
Good for
- Small businesses sending regular newsletters to a modest list
- Marketers who want email and social posts planned in one place
- Salesforce users who want to send campaigns without leaving it
Worth knowing
- There is no free plan; after the 30-day trial the cheapest plan is $9 a month for 500 contacts.
- Standard allows 1 user, 1 landing page, 1 automation and 1 segment; unlimited use needs Premium or Ultimate.
- Sending past the plan's monthly limit is charged as overage, and lists over 50,000 contacts are priced by contacting sales.
- The comparison chart on the pricing page shows different figures from the price slider, such as Ultimate at $54 for 5,000 contacts against $84.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$9
A month to start
iContact is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $9 per month for up to 500 contacts, billed monthly.
A month is enough to send a few real newsletters before deciding.
Standard
$9
per month for up to 500 contacts, billed monthly
Sends 10 times the list a month, 1 user, 2 lists, 1 segment, 1 landing page and 1 automation. Price rises with the list: $73 a month at 10,000 contacts.
Premium
$16
per month for up to 500 contacts, billed monthly
Sends 12 times the list, unlimited users, lists, landing pages and automations, social posting and the AI content assistant. $109 a month at 10,000 contacts.
Ultimate
$24
per month for up to 500 contacts, billed monthly
Everything in Premium, sends 15 times the list, email verification included, dynamic content and AI templates and images. $128 a month at 10,000 contacts.
Trying it first
30-day free trial with full access
Read from icontact.com on Oct 18, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Annual discount
Save 15% with yearly billing
iContact's pricing page lists a 15% saving for paying yearly: Standard at 500 contacts is $92 a year against $9 a month billed monthly.
Stated on icontact.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, with social posting built in. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: AI features, templates, marketing automation, forms, email campaigns.
Dynamic content and built-in verification are Ultimate only.
- Drag-and-drop editor and templates
- Build emails from blocks of text, images, buttons and video, starting from a library of pre-designed email and landing page templates and stock images.
- AI email and image generation
- Describe the email, tone and length and AI drafts the subject line, copy and calls to action, or creates images saved to the media library. Brand settings keep drafts on style.
- Automations
- Welcome emails on sign-up, specific-date and custom-date triggers, and journeys that start when a contact qualifies for a segment. Standard allows one automation.
- Social posting
- Schedule posts to Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn and X from one dashboard, embed posts in emails, and post an email's content to social channels as it sends.
- List management and verification
- CSV import, segmentation, sign-up forms and landing page forms, plus email verification that marks addresses deliverable, risky, undeliverable or unknown.
- iContact for Salesforce
- A separate edition that runs campaigns, scheduled sends and reports inside Salesforce using its contact and lead data. It is arranged through a specialist.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- Salesforce
- Shopify
- TikTok
- X
iContact is made by J2 Martech Corp, and has been around since 2003.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
17/27
Other email marketing and newsletter tools it is graded above
iContact's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 17 of the 27 other email marketing and newsletter tools we grade, and level with 6.
It stands best on value for money (B, above 20 of 27) and worst on ease of use (C, above 1).
Its paid plans start at $9 a month, against a middle price of $14 for the category: 2 of the 26 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 28 email marketing and newsletter tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. iContact’s own letter is outlined.
- BValue for moneyAbove 20 of 27
- CFree plan and trialAbove 2 of 27
- BFeaturesAbove 4 of 27
- CEase of useAbove 1 of 27
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 27
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 27 email marketing and newsletter tools. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. iContact 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 iContact 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.
It costs $108 a year.
What you could make
- Forms and templates: an app builder makes these 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 Facebook among them.
- 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. iContact’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
Constant Contact, Mailchimp, AWeber, Benchmark Email and Campaigner
The 5 tools iContact is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 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.
- iContact also covers templates.
- Constant Contact also covers business texting.
- 2.8GPA
Mailchimp
Free plan · from $13/mo
Email and SMS marketing with automations, priced by contact count.
- Mailchimp has a free plan. iContact does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Mailchimp lists iOS and Android apps.
- iContact also covers templates.
- 2.4GPA
AWeber
Free plan · from $12.50/mo
Email marketing for small businesses, with landing pages and a store.
- AWeber has a free plan. iContact does not, though it has a free trial.
- iContact also covers templates.
- 2.2GPA
Benchmark Email
Free plan · from $16/mo
Straightforward email campaigns with every feature on every plan.
- Benchmark Email has a free plan. iContact does not, though it has a free trial.
- iContact also covers templates and marketing automation.
- 2.4GPA
Campaigner
Free trial · from $14/mo
Email marketing with multi-path workflows and audience insights.
- iContact also covers templates.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
13
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 iContact free?
No, iContact is a paid product, but you can try it first. 30-day free trial with full access.
How much does iContact cost?
iContact lists 3 plans. Standard: $9 per month for up to 500 contacts, billed monthly.
What platforms does iContact work on?
iContact is available on Web.
Does iContact offer any discounts?
iContact publicly lists the following: Save 15% with yearly billing.
Does iContact have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 18, 2026. iContact is listed for Web.
Does iContact have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 18, 2026. iContact is listed for Web.
Is iContact open source?
iContact is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 18, 2026.
What does iContact integrate with?
iContact's listing names Salesforce, Shopify, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn and X.
Who makes iContact?
iContact is made by J2 Martech Corp. It dates from 2003.
What are the alternatives to iContact?
The closest alternatives to iContact in our directory are Constant Contact, Mailchimp, AWeber, Benchmark Email and Campaigner.
How does iContact compare with other email marketing and newsletter tools?
iContact's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 17 of the 27 other email marketing and newsletter tools we grade, and level with 6.
Is iContact good value for money?
ToolGPA grades iContact B for value for money. Its paid plans start at $9 a month, against a middle price of $14 for the category: 2 of the 26 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of iContact?
To replace iContact 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 iContact’s own pages on Oct 18, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 18, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from iContact's own pages on 18 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 J2 Martech Corp. Prices change, so check icontact.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
2,021
Tools graded, in 54 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.
2,021
tools graded
54
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- iContact, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/icontact
- 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, "iContact: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 18, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/icontact
Know someone choosing between email marketing and newsletter tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/icontact/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded email marketing and newsletter tools after iContact, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Email Marketing & Newsletters Insider's GuideEvery one of the 28 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 iContact’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. iContact is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by J2 Martech Corp. Prices and plans change: check icontact.com before you buy.