Email platforms · Guide
Email Platform Price Tiers: How Wide Each Step Is and What You Pay for Unused Room
Where MailerLite, GetResponse and AWeber cut their price tiers up to 50,000 subscribers, how much of a tier you use the day you enter it, and why wide tiers cost more than their price suggests.
A price tier covers a range of list sizes at one price. The moment your list passes the top of a tier, you pay for the whole next tier, including the part you do not use yet. How much that costs depends on how wide the next tier is.
How many tiers each provider has
| Provider and plan | Tiers up to 50,000 subscribers | Tier tops |
|---|---|---|
| MailerLite Comfort | 14 | 500, 1,000, 2,500, 5,000, 8,000, 10,000, then every 5,000 |
| AWeber Lite | 11 | 500, 1,000, 2,500, 5,000, 7,500, 10,000, 15,000, 20,000, 25,000, 35,000, 50,000 |
| GetResponse Starter | 6 | 1,000, 2,500, 5,000, 10,000, 25,000, 50,000 |
Fewer tiers means wider ones.
What you use on the day you enter a tier
| Your list | MailerLite Comfort | AWeber Lite | GetResponse Starter |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5,001 | 8,000 tier, 63% used | 7,500 tier, 67% used | 10,000 tier, 50% used |
| 10,001 | 15,000 tier, 67% used | 15,000 tier, 67% used | 25,000 tier, 40% used |
| 25,001 | 30,000 tier, 83% used | 35,000 tier, 71% used | 50,000 tier, 50% used |
| 35,001 | 40,000 tier, 88% used | 50,000 tier, 70% used | 50,000 tier, 70% used |
A list of 10,001 on GetResponse Starter sits in a tier built for 25,000. It uses 40% of what it pays for.
The price of crossing each edge
| Crossing | MailerLite Comfort | AWeber Lite | GetResponse Starter |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5,000 to 5,001 | $49 to $69 | $60 to $85 | $54 to $79 |
| 10,000 to 10,001 | $89 to $129 | $100 to $150 | $79 to $174 |
| 25,000 to 25,001 | $179 to $229 | $210 to $275 | $174 to $299 |
Prices are per month on monthly billing. At the 10,000 edge, one more subscriber adds $40 per month on MailerLite, $50 on AWeber and $95 on GetResponse.
Wide tiers are cheap at the top and expensive at the bottom
The same tier looks very different depending on where in it your list sits.
| GetResponse Starter, 25,000 tier at $174 | Cost per 100 subscribers per year |
|---|---|
| List of 10,001 | $20.88 |
| List of 15,000 | $13.92 |
| List of 25,000 | $8.35 |
A provider with wide tiers is the lower-priced choice for lists near the top of a tier and the higher-priced one for lists that have just entered it. That is why GetResponse Starter is lower than MailerLite Comfort at 10,000 and 25,000 subscribers and higher at 12,000 and 30,000.
12 monthly payments at the listed price. USD, before tax. Hover a step for the exact figure.
What this means when the list is growing
- Look one tier ahead. If the list will cross an edge within the year, price the next tier too, not only the current one.
- Check the width of the next tier. A narrow tier means a small step in price. A wide one means a large step.
- Count the way the provider counts. The rules for who counts as a subscriber decide when you cross.