Campaign Monitor review (2026): features, pros and cons, and what to check before you buy
Email marketing platform with a visual journey designer and template builder, aimed at small marketing teams and agencies.
Our take for buyers
Campaign Monitor by Marigold is an email platform with a visual journey designer, a template builder and segmentation tools. It suits small marketing teams and agencies that run email for several clients, with multi-team and multi-brand setups on Enterprise. Unlimited users on every plan makes wide access easy to grant. Support runs from standard on Lite to a dedicated account manager on Enterprise. G2 shows 4.1 from 717 reviews, and the Marigold ownership affects who you contract with.
For a buyer, the unknowns matter more than the features. SSO, SCIM, audit logs and data residency are not published, and a public DPA is not listed. Only the Enterprise listing mentions SOC2 and GDPR. Ownership by Marigold also means the trust center now lives on a Marigold-hosted address. Put those items on your vendor question list.
- Best for
- Small marketing teams and business owners who run their own email.
- Starting price
- Lite, priced by contact tier (amount not published in USD; vendor shows EUR)
- G2 rating
- 4.1 (717 reviews)
What is Campaign Monitor?
Email marketing platform with a visual journey designer and template builder, aimed at small marketing teams and agencies. Small in-house teams and agencies that value a visual journey designer should try it. Every plan includes unlimited users, but Lite limits sends to 2,500 monthly. Prices follow contact tiers and appear in EUR, so ask for USD figures and SSO terms before buying.
Category: Email Marketing Software
Campaign Monitor key features
| Criterion | What we found |
|---|---|
| Automation workflows | Visual journey designer for timed email sends. |
| Segmentation and personalization | Segmentation page and Segment Mapper tool. |
| Deliverability | Deliverability section exists on site, details not confirmed by the vendor. |
| Email editor and templates | Email Template Builder with free templates. |
| Ecommerce and CRM integrations | Integrations section on site, specifics not confirmed by the vendor. |
| Pricing model and real cost | Per contact tier; unlimited users on all plans; sends capped on Lite (2,500/month) |
| Target company size | Small marketing teams, owner-run businesses, agencies. |
Campaign Monitor plans and pricing
| Plan | Price | Unit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free (30-day trial) | Free | trial | Up to 500 contacts and 500 emails during the trial |
| Lite | per month by contact tier | 2,500 sends per month, standard support | |
| Essentials | per month by contact tier | Unlimited sends, priority support | |
| Premier | per month by contact tier | Unlimited sends, premier support including phone, Website Builder included | |
| Enterprise | Custom | annual contract | Multi-team and multi-brand, dedicated account manager, custom DPAs, GDPR and SOC2 |
Prices shown in EUR; USD/GBP/CAD/AUD/NZD on request. Contact tiers: 0-500 up to 50,001+. Annual billing 10% off (not for agency/multi-team plans). Nonprofits 15% off via sales. Website Builder add-on EUR 9/month on Lite and Essentials. Vendor publishes prices in EUR only on the pricing page; no USD amounts shown (checked 2026-10-24).
Who should shortlist Campaign Monitor
A strong fit for
- Small marketing teams and business owners who run their own email.
- Agencies managing email for several clients (multi-team/multi-brand on Enterprise)
A weak fit for
- Buyers who need SSO below Enterprise (not published on the pricing page)
- Teams that want fully transparent per-tier prices in USD (the vendor pricing page shows prices in EUR and does not show amounts for every tier)
Campaign Monitor alternatives
ActiveCampaignSmall and mid-size teams that want automation plus a light CRM.
BrevoEmail, SMS and CRM platform (formerly Sendinblue) with Free, Starter, Standard, Professional and Enterprise plans.
Constant ContactSmall businesses that want a single vendor for email, SMS and basic campaigns (vendor positioning, not confirmed by the vendor here)
DripEcommerce-focused email and automation platform.
GetResponseSmall teams that want email plus automation and landing pages in one plan.
HubSpot Marketing HubTeams already on HubSpot CRM that want marketing, forms and reporting in one system.
Security, admin and compliance
Published: Enterprise lists SOC2, GDPR, custom DPAs, a dedicated account manager and an annual contract. Not published: SSO, SCIM, audit logs and data residency, and a public DPA could not be verified. The vendor says SSO is not published below Enterprise, so ask whether it exists at all. Because the product is owned by Marigold, confirm which entity signs the contract and processes your data. Lite, Essentials and Premier can be monthly or annual.
- Public DPA
- Custom DPAs listed on Enterprise; public DPA not confirmed by the vendor.
- Certifications
- SOC2 and GDPR (Enterprise plan listing)
Contract and buying terms
- Contract
- Monthly Lite/Essentials/Premier switching allowed or annual contract; Enterprise custom annual.
- Support
- Standard on Lite, priority on Essentials, premier incl. phone on Premier, dedicated account manager on Enterprise.
- Starting price
- Lite, priced by contact tier (amount not published in USD; vendor shows EUR)
- Pricing model
- Per contact tier.
- Free plan or trial
- Free trial.
What to test in a Campaign Monitor demo or trial
Build one real journey in the visual designer and send it to a test segment, so you see how timed sends and segmentation behave on your data. Try the template builder with your brand assets. Check the Lite send cap of 2,500 per month against your real volume, and ask what happens with extra emails, since that price is not published. Confirm which support tier you get on the plan you shortlist, because phone support starts at Premier. Deliverability details are not published, so ask for them.
Questions to ask Campaign Monitor before you sign
These are the points Campaign Monitor's public pages leave open. Get the answers in writing before procurement signs off.
- Which plan includes SAML SSO, and what does it cost for our seat count?
- Is SCIM provisioning included, or a paid add-on?
- Which plan includes audit logs, and how long are they kept?
- Where is our data stored, and can we choose the region?
- What will the price be at renewal, and is the increase capped?
Things to know before a demo
- Owned by Marigold; the product is branded 'Campaign Monitor by Marigold' and the trust center moved to trust.campaignmonitor.meetmarigold.com.
- The 'Free' plan is only a 30-day trial capped at 500 contacts and 500 emails, not a permanent free tier.
- All plans include unlimited users; the price lever is contact tier, and Lite caps sends at 2,500 per month.
- Phone support only from Premier; Enterprise adds dedicated account manager and custom DPAs.
- Annual billing discount is 10% but excludes agency/multi-team plans.
Campaign Monitor FAQ
What is Campaign Monitor used for?
Small in-house teams and agencies that value a visual journey designer should try it. Every plan includes unlimited users, but Lite limits sends to 2,500 monthly. Prices follow contact tiers and appear in EUR, so ask for USD figures and SSO terms before buying. It suits small marketing teams and business owners who run their own email.
Does Campaign Monitor support SSO?
SSO is not published on the pricing page. Ask the vendor whether it exists and on which plan, and treat Enterprise as the likely place to check.
Who is Campaign Monitor best for?
Small marketing teams, owner-run businesses and agencies managing email for several clients. Multi-team and multi-brand setups sit on the Enterprise plan.
What support does each Campaign Monitor plan include?
Lite has standard support, Essentials has priority support, and Premier adds premier support including phone. Enterprise adds a dedicated account manager.
Sources
Every fact on this page comes from Campaign Monitor's own pricing, product or documentation pages, G2 and company records, checked on October 24, 2026. Unknown values are left out instead of estimated.