Cost cliffs · verified July 2026
Who is cheapest at every size
Pricing pages show you a number. What they don't show is the cliff — the exact usage where that number jumps, your free plan dies, or a rival becomes cheaper. Because every plan is a step function, we can compute those thresholds precisely. Here they are.
Newsletter & email tools
Run your own numbers →| Subscribers | Cheapest option | Cost (billed annually) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 – 2,500 |  beehiiv shared with a free rival | Free |
| 2,501+ |  EmailOctopus | $24–$243/mo |
Free-tier cliffs
beehiiv free ends at 2,500 · EmailOctopus free ends at 2,500 · Kit (ConvertKit) free ends at 1,000 · AWeber free ends at 500 · MailerLite free ends at 250 · Mailchimp free ends at 250
Transactional email / SMTP APIs
Run your own numbers →| Emails / month | Cheapest option | Cost (monthly) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 – 3,000 |  Resend shared with a free rival | Free |
| 3,001 – 6,000 |  Brevo shared with a free rival | Free |
| 6,001 – 9,000 | Brevo | Free |
| 9,001+ |  Amazon SES | $1–$100/mo |
Free-tier cliffs
Brevo free ends at 9,000 · Mailjet free ends at 6,000 · Resend free ends at 3,000 · Mailgun free ends at 3,000
SMS marketing tools
Run your own numbers →| Texts / month | Cheapest option | Cost (monthly) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 – 150 |  Klaviyo SMS | Free |
| 151 – 1,000 |  Twilio | $7–$13/mo |
| 1,001+ | Klaviyo SMS | $15–$450/mo |
Free-tier cliffs
Klaviyo SMS free ends at 150
Thresholds are computed from each tool's published tier boundaries (cheapest qualifying plan; see methodology). Every head-to-head page shows the exact switch points for that pair. Free to cite with a link.