Question : How much does an email marketing agency or freelancer charge?

An email marketing agency or freelancer usually charges in one of four ways: by the hour, per campaign, with a fixed monthly fee (retainer) or with a share tied to results. The final price depends mostly on the number of campaigns per month, on who writes and designs them, and on whether automations and deliverability are included.

The four pricing models

• Hourly. Common with freelancers, for one-off tasks: building a template, setting up a domain, reviewing a campaign.
• Per campaign or project. A fixed price for a newsletter, a welcome sequence or a platform migration.
• Monthly retainer. A fixed fee covering a set number of sends, reports and meetings each month. It is the most common model with agencies.
• Performance-based. Part of the fee depends on sales or conversions; it is usually combined with a retainer.

What makes the budget go up or down

• The number of campaigns and languages per month.
• Whether copywriting, design and translation are included.
• Building segments and email automation flows.
• The technical side: domain authentication, list cleaning, deliverability monitoring.
• Reporting and results analysis.

The cost of the sending platform is usually separate from the fees. Always ask whether the fee includes it or whether you pay for it: see Mailpro pricing for a reference.

Before you ask for a quote

1. Define the goal: sales, loyalty or winning back customers.
2. State the size of your list and where it comes from: a list without consent is a liability, not an asset.
3. Ask for a quote that details hours, deliverables and reports.
4. Ask who keeps the list and the templates if the collaboration ends.

Agency, freelancer or do it yourself?

Many small businesses combine both: they outsource the copy or the design and send the campaigns themselves from a simple platform. Mailpro offers email marketing agency services, such as newsletter writing, for those who prefer to delegate without changing tools. If you manage campaigns for several clients, read email marketing for agencies.