Benchmark Email review
Updated September 28, 2026 · ForgeCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 26, 2026
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Our verdict
Benchmark Email suits beginners and small businesses that want a working free tier before moving to a paid plan. Entry pricing sits at $19, while a much larger list costs $45, which leaves the brand mid-field rather than at the cheap end of this category.
Key facts
- Best for
- Small lists that want a free tier to start from.
- Price at 1,000 contacts
- $19 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Price at 10,000 contacts
- $45 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Free plan limits
- 500 contacts, 2,500 sends per month (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Legal entity
- Polaris Software, LLC (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Headquarters
- United States (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Founded
- 2004 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Support channels
- Email, Chat, Phone, Help-centre (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Audience
- Beginners, Small business
- Pricing model
- Free plan
- Official website
- benchmarkemail.com
Business tools
- Price from
- $19 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Free plan
- Yes (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Usage limits
- 500 contacts on free plan (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Tool type
- Automation (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Legal entity
- Polaris Software, LLC (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Headquarters
- United States (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Founded
- 2004 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Support channels
- Email, Chat, Phone, Help-centre (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Audience
- Beginners, Small business
- Pricing model
- Free plan
Apps and profiles
Pros and cons
Pros
- A free plan is available, and its allowance is 500 contacts, 2,500 sends per month.
- Support runs on email, chat and phone, so help is not email only.
- Long established: trading since 2004 as Polaris Software, LLC, based in the United States.
- The price rank holds as lists grow, 4 of 10 at the larger size and 5 of 10 at the smaller one.
Cons
- At the smaller list size the price is $19, above Mailjet's $9.
- At the larger list size the price is $45, well above Postmark's $15.
- The free plan stops at 500 contacts on free plan, so a growing list has to move to a paid plan.
Who it suits
- Small businesses that want a free plan covering 500 contacts, 2,500 sends per month before committing to a bill.
- Teams that want phone support next to email and a help centre, since help runs on email, chat and phone.
- Buyers who prefer a long-standing vendor, given the 2004 founding and the US base.
Who should look elsewhere
- Teams chasing the lowest cost at the larger list size, where Postmark lists $15.
- Buyers after the cheapest entry at the smaller list size, where Mailjet lists $9.
- Shoppers looking for a marketing and sales suite instead, where HubSpot's free plan covers Free tools for marketing, sales and service.
Price as your list grows
The ladder is short and the gap between the rungs is wide. At the smaller list size the plan costs $19, and at the larger list size it costs $45. Growth in list size is therefore the biggest cost decision here: a modest audience is inexpensive to hold, while a broader one moves the bill by a large margin. Both figures are quoted in USD, so currency does not complicate the comparison. For anyone watching a list grow, the practical move is to model on the larger figure early rather than meet it late.
Intro and renewal prices
Readers weigh what it costs to walk in, and what it keeps costing afterwards. The opening number at the smaller list size is $19, and the price at the larger list size is $45. Neither figure is marked as a promotional opening rate, so both are the rates to plan around, and the only variable between them is list size rather than billing term. That keeps the decision plain: pick a rung, budget that price, and use the free plan to check the tool before paying anything.
How it compares on our data
On price at the smaller list size, Benchmark Email sits 5 of 10. On price at the larger list size it sits 4 of 10. Both placements sit in the cheaper part of the table, and the rank at the larger size is no worse than at the smaller one, so the cost position holds as the audience grows. Readers scanning the table will find Benchmark Email well inside the field rather than pinned to either extreme.
What you get free
A free plan is part of the package, and its allowance is the whole story: 500 contacts, 2,500 sends per month. That is a workable ceiling for a new list and for steady sending, so it functions as a real starting point rather than a demonstration. The limit is the catch. Sending pauses once the allowance is used up, which means the free tier suits testing and a small, steady audience rather than a database that keeps growing. Teams that outgrow it have to step up to a paid plan, so the free plan reads as a test drive rather than the destination.
The company behind it
Benchmark Email has been trading since 2004, which is long enough that the platform is not a new arrival. The company behind the product is Polaris Software, LLC, based in the United States. Support runs on email, chat and phone, so help comes by email, live chat, phone or a self-serve help centre. That mix suits teams who would rather get a person on the line than wait on a ticket queue, and it equally suits those who search the help centre first and escalate only if they have to. Written guidance and live channels sit under the same company.
How Benchmark Email compares
- 9.5 vs 9.3
- 9.5 vs 9.1
9.5 vs 8.7- 9.5 vs 9.2
- 9.5 vs 9.3
9.5 vs 9.4
9.5 vs 8.5- 9.5 vs 9.2
- 9.5 vs 8.6
- 9.5 vs 8.7
- 9.5 vs 8.0
- 9.5 vs 9.5
9.5 vs 9.4- 9.5 vs 9.3
9.5 vs 9.1
9.5 vs 9.1- 9.5 vs 9.0
9.5 vs 9.0- 9.5 vs 8.9
9.5 vs 8.9
9.5 vs 8.8- 9.5 vs 8.7
9.5 vs 8.5
9.5 vs 8.5
9.5 vs 8.5
9.5 vs 8.5
9.5 vs 8.5
9.5 vs 8.0
9.5 vs 8.0
9.5 vs 8.0
Where Benchmark Email is available
- Available
- Afghanistan, Aland Islands, Albania, Algeria, American Samoa, Andorra, Angola, Anguilla, Antarctica, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bermuda, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Bouvet Island, Brazil, British Indian Ocean Territory, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Croatia, Curacao, Cyprus, Czechia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Falkland Islands, Faroe Islands, Fiji, Finland, France, French Guiana, French Polynesia, French Southern Territories, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Gibraltar, Greece, Greenland, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guam, Guatemala, Guernsey, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Heard Island and McDonald Islands, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Ireland, Isle of Man, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jersey, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macao, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Martinique, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mayotte, Mexico, Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Montserrat, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Niue, Norfolk Island, North Macedonia, Northern Mariana Islands, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Palestine, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Pitcairn Islands, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Reunion, Romania, Rwanda, Saint Barthélemy, Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Martin (French Part), Saint Pierre And Miquelon, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, São Tomé and Príncipe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Sint Maarten, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, South Korea, South Sudan, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Svalbard and Jan Mayen, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tokelau, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Turks and Caicos Islands, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, United States Minor Outlying Islands, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vatican City, Venezuela, Vietnam, Virgin Islands, British, Virgin Islands, U.S., Wallis and Futuna, Western Sahara, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Countries from its affiliate programme (Source)
Frequently asked questions
What does Benchmark Email cost to start?+
Entry pricing on the paid plans starts at $19 in USD, and that figure is also the price quoted at the smaller list size. A larger list costs $45. The number to budget for therefore depends mainly on how many contacts the list holds.
Is there a free plan?+
Yes, a free plan is available, and its limits are 500 contacts, 2,500 sends per month. That allowance is the whole thing, so it covers a small list and steady sending rather than a growing database. Anyone above that ceiling is paying from the lowest rung of the paid ladder.
How does the price change as the list grows?+
The jump is significant. A small list costs $19 and a larger one $45, which is a multiple rather than a gentle step. Anyone scaling past a small audience should check the larger figure early, because that is the one shaping the ongoing cost.
How does it compare with Postmark and Mailjet on price?+
Both alternatives sit lower at the list sizes where they are quoted. Mailjet lists $9 at the smaller size, under Benchmark Email's $19, and Postmark lists $15 at the larger one, under $45. Benchmark Email's offset is that it lets a team start free.
Who runs Benchmark Email and where is it based?+
The company is Polaris Software, LLC, based in the United States, and it has been trading since 2004. That length of history matters for a tool sitting in the daily sending path, where the vendor's staying power is part of the purchase decision rather than a footnote.
What support does it offer?+
Support runs on email, chat and phone. That mix means help by email, live chat, a phone line and a self-serve help centre. Teams wanting a human voice have email, chat and phone to reach one, and anyone who prefers to search before asking has the help centre waiting.
Who is Benchmark Email built for?+
It targets beginners and small business users and is built as automation software. In practice that means small businesses and teams at the start of email marketing, who want a working free plan and a modest step up rather than a large department with heavy tooling needs.
Where does it rank against other brands on price?+
On price at the smaller list size it sits 5 of 10, and on price at the larger list size 4 of 10. Both ranks sit in the cheaper part of the table, so the cost position holds as lists grow.
Sources
- benchmarkemail.com checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Audience
“Effortless Email Marketing. Zero B.S. Upload your contacts. Send an email. Track results.”
- benchmarkemail.com/about-us checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Founded, Legal entity
“Husband and wife team, Curt and Denise Keller, started Benchmark Email in 2004”
- benchmarkemail.com/contact checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Headquarters
“Polaris Software, LLC, 3636 S. Geyer Road, Suite 100, Saint Louis, MO 63127, USA”
- benchmarkemail.com/pricing checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Free plan limits, Price at 1,000 contacts
“Free plan includes up to 500 contacts with up to 2,500 per month email sends”
- benchmarkemail.com checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Tool type
“email marketing software”
- benchmarkemail.com/pricing checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Free plan, Price from, Usage limits
“Free - Includes 500 contacts - $0/mo”
- capterra.com/p/71152/Benchmark-Email checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Pricing model, Price at 10,000 contacts, Support channels
“No free trial offered; provides a free version with limitations”
Compiled from 7 source pages, checked September 26, 2026. We did not open an account.