The MailBluster alternative for people who send often
MailBluster prices by emails sent, not contacts stored: $60 a year, plus $0.60 per 1,000 emails, plus whatever your SMTP provider charges. Send twice a week to 5,000 contacts and that is about $33 a month. EmailFig's BYOS plan is $10 at that size and prices by contacts, so mailing more often costs nothing extra.
Why people look for a MailBluster alternative
The bill grows every time you send
MailBluster charges $0.60 per 1,000 emails, and your SMTP provider bills you again on top. Neither figure moves with your list size, only with how often you mail it. A weekly newsletter to 25,000 people runs about $145 a month.
The free plan is 3,000 emails, not 3,000 a month
Starter is capped at 3,000 emails in total. Their FAQ is direct about it: once you pass that, the plan stops and you move to Pro. It is a trial with no clock on it rather than a free tier you can settle on.
You bring the SMTP account, approved
MailBluster sends through Amazon SES, Postmark, Mailgun or SMTP2GO, and that account is yours to open. It has to be out of sandbox and approved for production before your first campaign goes anywhere.
MailBluster vs EmailFig pricing at your list size
Pick your subscriber count. EmailFig prices are our live price list; MailBluster prices were checked September 2026.
$5 of subscription, plus about $28 of sending at two campaigns a week.
| Subscribers | MailBluster | EmailFig · BYOS | You save / year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5,000 | $33 | $10 | $276 |
| 10,000 | $61 | $16 | $540 |
| 25,000 | $145 | $34 | $1332 |
| 50,000 | $285 | $65 | $2640 |
| 100,000 | $565 | $120 | $5340 |
MailBluster Pro is $60 a year, or $5 a month, plus $0.60 per 1,000 emails (mailbluster.com). SMTP is billed separately, and these rows use Amazon SES at $0.10 per 1,000. Each row assumes two campaigns a week: our assumption, not MailBluster's, and it drives their entire cost. Below about 1.5 sends a month they come out cheaper than us. EmailFig's column is the BYOS plan, since MailBluster needs an SMTP account too.
MailBluster prices verified September 2026.
EmailFig vs MailBluster, feature by feature
| Feature | EmailFig | MailBluster |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | ✓4,000 subscribers · 10,000 emails/mo | ~3,000 emails in total, then paid |
| What you're charged for | ✓Contacts, with sending included | ~Emails sent, plus your SMTP bill |
| Contact storage | ~Capped by plan | ✓Unlimited on every plan |
| Sending included in the price | ✓No SMTP account needed | –Bring your own, approved |
| Choice of SMTP provider | ~Amazon SES only | ✓SES, Postmark, Mailgun, SMTP2GO |
| Email automations | ✓Included on every plan | ~Pro and up |
| Segmentation | ✓Included | ✓Included |
| Drag-and-drop editor | ✓Included | ✓Included |
| Double opt-in | ✓Included | ✓Included |
| A/B testing | –Not available | ✓Included |
| Remove branding | ✓Any paid plan | ~Pro and up |
| API access | ✓Included | ✓Included |
Where MailBluster is better
A comparison you can trust has to cut both ways.
MailBluster is the cheapest way to keep a large list you rarely mail. Leads are unlimited on every plan, the free one included, so storing 200,000 contacts costs nothing until you email them. It also connects to Postmark, Mailgun and SMTP2GO as well as Amazon SES, so you are not tied to one provider, and it has A/B testing, which we don't.
Which one is for you?
Stay with MailBluster if…
- You send about once a month
- You store far more contacts than you actually email
- You want a choice of SMTP provider, not just Amazon SES
Switch to EmailFig if…
- You send weekly, where the per-1,000 fee compounds fast
- You want one bill instead of a subscription plus an SMTP account
- Your 3,000 free emails have run out
Switching from MailBluster to EmailFig
Most moves finish in an afternoon. Here's the honest version, including what you'll rebuild.
- Export your leads from MailBluster as CSV, including unsubscribed ones.
- Import the subscribed CSV into EmailFig, mapping custom fields and tagging as you go.
- Import the unsubscribed export as EmailFig suppressions.
- Verify your sending domain in EmailFig, or connect your existing AWS account for BYOS.
- Rebuild your automations and signup forms, then send yourself a test campaign.
Comes with you
- Leads, exported from MailBluster as CSV
- Custom fields, mapped to EmailFig custom fields
- Unsubscribes and bounces, imported as suppressions so opted-out contacts stay out
Rebuilt on our side
- Automation workflows (rebuilt in EmailFig's automation builder)
- Email templates (recreate or paste your HTML)
- Signup forms and landing pages
MailBluster vs EmailFig, asked and answered
Is EmailFig cheaper than MailBluster?
It depends how often you send. At two campaigns a week to 5,000 contacts, MailBluster is about $33 a month against EmailFig BYOS at $10. Send once a month or less and MailBluster is cheaper, because you only pay them for the emails you actually send.
Why does MailBluster look cheaper than it is?
The headline is $60 a year, which is genuinely low. The per-email fee sits under it: $0.60 per 1,000, plus your SMTP provider's own charge. Those two are the whole bill for anyone sending weekly.
Is the MailBluster free plan really only 3,000 emails?
In total, not per month. Their pricing FAQ says the Starter plan stops once you pass 3,000 emails and you move to Pro. EmailFig's free plan is 4,000 subscribers and 10,000 emails every month.
Do I need my own SMTP account?
With MailBluster, always: it requires Amazon SES, Postmark, Mailgun or SMTP2GO, approved for production. With EmailFig only if you choose BYOS. Our managed plans send for you, with no AWS account involved.
Can I move my MailBluster leads to EmailFig?
Yes. Export your leads as CSV and import them into EmailFig, mapping custom fields as you go. Export the unsubscribed list too and import it as suppressions, so nobody who opted out gets mailed again.
What does MailBluster do better?
Unlimited contact storage on every plan, a choice of four SMTP providers rather than Amazon SES alone, and A/B testing, which we don't offer.
Comparing other tools?
The same honest breakdown, for the rest of the budget tier. Or see all comparisons.
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