Benchmark Email vs Campaign Monitor
Benchmark Email and Campaign Monitor are both popular choices in the email marketing platform space. Campaign Monitor is the more affordable option at $12/mo — that's $15 less than Benchmark Email's $27/mo entry point. Benchmark Email offers a free plan (500 contacts, 2,500 emails/month, 1 user), while Campaign Monitor does not. Benchmark Email stands out with landing pages, while Campaign Monitor offers SMS marketing and ecommerce integrations.
Quick Verdict
Benchmark Email wins on rating, integrations, free tier.
Campaign Monitor wins on price, deliverability.
Best for most users: Campaign Monitor (agencies).
Benchmark Email
Straightforward email marketing with all features on every plan
Benchmark Email is a multilingual email marketing platform founded in 2004 that takes an all-features-included approach, giving every user access to automation, A/B testing, and analytics regardless of plan tier. Available in 9 languages with global support, it appeals to international teams and nonprofits, though its significantly below-average deliverability rate (47.1% in third-party testing) is a serious concern that undermines its otherwise user-friendly design.
Campaign Monitor
Beautifully crafted email marketing
Campaign Monitor is particularly well-suited for agencies and brands that need polished, branded email campaigns. Its client management features and beautiful template builder make it a popular choice for marketing agencies managing multiple client accounts.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Benchmark Email | Campaign Monitor |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.3/5 | 4.1/5 |
| Starting Price | $27/mo | $12/mo |
| Free Plan | 500 contacts, 2,500 emails/month, 1 user | No free plan |
| Founded | 2004 | 2004 |
| Email Templates | 200 | 120 |
| Integrations | 1,500 | 250 |
| Deliverability Rate | 47.1% | 97.5% |
| Marketing Automation | ✓ | ✓ |
| A/B Testing | ✓ | ✓ |
| Landing Pages | ✓ | ✕ |
| Segmentation | ✓ | ✓ |
| Drag & Drop Editor | ✓ | ✓ |
| SMS Marketing | ✕ | ✓ |
| Ecommerce Features | ✕ | ✓ |
| API Access | ✓ | ✓ |
| Multi-Language | ✓ | ✓ |
| Web Push Notifications | ✕ | ✕ |
| Live Chat | ✓ | ✕ |
| Advanced Analytics | ✓ | ✓ |
Benchmark Email: Pros & Cons
Pros
- +All features included on every plan including free -- no feature gating between tiers
- +Available in 9 languages with live customer support in each, making it ideal for international teams
- +Intuitive drag-and-drop editor with mobile-optimized templates and device previews
- +Generous free plan with 500 contacts and 2,500 emails per month including AI content generation
- +Simple contact-based pricing that scales predictably without hidden charges for features
Cons
- −Extremely poor deliverability rate of 47.1% in EmailToolTester's January 2024 independent test, consistently ranking near the bottom
- −Segmentation is limited to within individual lists only -- cannot create cross-list segments for flexible targeting
- −Fewer than 30 pre-designed email templates despite marketing claims of 200+, limiting design variety
- −Slow product development cycle with features lagging behind competitors in automation and ecommerce capabilities
- −No migration support for non-enterprise customers when switching from another email platform
Campaign Monitor: Pros & Cons
Pros
- +Excellent email template builder
- +Strong agency features and client management
- +Good deliverability
- +Time zone sending optimization
- +Link review feature prevents broken links
Cons
- −No free plan
- −Lite plan caps at 2,500 emails
- −Premier plan expensive ($159/mo)
- −No landing page builder
- −Limited automation on lower tiers
The Verdict
Benchmark Email edges ahead with a 4.3/5 rating compared to Campaign Monitor's 4.1/5. The gap comes mainly from support (4.7 vs 3.8) and ease of use (4.9 vs 4.3). On deliverability, Campaign Monitor reports 97.5% compared to 47.1% for Benchmark Email — a meaningful difference if inbox placement is critical for your campaigns.
| Criterion | Weight | Benchmark Email | Campaign Monitor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | 30% | $27/mo | $12/mo |
| Deliverability | 25% | 47.1% | 97.5% |
| Rating | 25% | 4.3/5 | 4.1/5 |
| Integrations | 10% | 1500 | 250 |
| Free Tier | 10% | Yes | No |
Weights determine how much each criterion counts toward the final score. See full methodology
Choose Benchmark Email if…
- + You need a free plan to get started
- + You need built-in landing pages
- + You're a beginners
- + You're a small businesses
Choose Campaign Monitor if…
- + You want lower starting costs ($12/mo)
- + You need SMS marketing
- + You need ecommerce integrations
- + You're a agencies