Campaign Monitor vs Letterhead
Campaign Monitor
Professional email marketing and automation platform featuring designer-grade templates and visual journeys
Publishers using it: 8 · incl. BuzzFeed, Penguin Random House, ADA Meeting News
Last verified Nov 12, 2026
At a glance
- Campaign Monitor scores 3.1/5 and Letterhead scores 3.8/5 in Benchmark Grid's independent email newsletter platforms benchmark, both assessed on the same 10 criteria.
- The widest gaps are monetisation (Campaign Monitor 0.8, Letterhead 4.5) and integrations & api (Campaign Monitor 3.0, Letterhead 4.5); they are within 0.3 on 2 of 10 criteria.
- Campaign Monitor is built for small and mid-market publishers; Letterhead for small, mid-market and enterprise.
- On total cost of ownership Campaign Monitor scores 3.6 and Letterhead 2.0 (higher means better value, not a lower price).
- In our tracking 8 publishers use Campaign Monitor and 1 use Letterhead.
- Scores last verified 12 Nov 2026. Vendors cannot pay for a score or a position.
Where they differ
Campaign Monitor is stronger on sending performance at scale (3.5 vs 2.2) and editor & template design (4.6 vs 3.5).
Letterhead is stronger on monetisation (4.5 vs 0.8) and integrations & API (4.5 vs 3.0).
Which one fits
Choose Campaign Monitor if…
- You publish at small and mid-market scale.
- You weight sending performance at scale, editor & template design and compliance & list hygiene heavily — Campaign Monitor leads on those in this benchmark.
Choose Letterhead if…
- You publish at small, mid-market and enterprise scale.
- You weight monetisation, integrations & API and deliverability & inbox placement heavily — Letterhead leads on those in this benchmark.
Also weighing these
The nearest-scored tools to Campaign Monitor and Letterhead in this benchmark, listed A to Z.
- 3.6FlowletterWordPress-integrated newsletter platform for publishers using Leaky Paywall subscription modelsRead review
- 2.8MailchimpTurn ideas into emails & SMS that connectRead review
- 3.9PostUpEmail marketing and audience development platform purpose-built for media companies and digital publishers. Now operating independently as PostUp LLC following its divestiture from Upland Software.Read review
- 3.6SubstackA subscription-based publishing platform empowering creators to build independent media businesses and own their audience.Read review
All 7 scored tools are in Best Email Newsletter Platforms.
Who uses them
Publishers we have detected running each tool, from ads.txt, site code and published case studies. Agencies, brands and vendors are excluded.
Campaign Monitor · 8
Letterhead · 1
Head to head
| Criterion | Campaign Monitor | Letterhead |
|---|---|---|
| Deliverability & inbox placement16% of capability | 3.0 | 3.8 |
| Audience growth tools12% of capability | 2.8 | 3.2 |
| Monetisation12% of capability | 0.8 | 4.5 |
| Segmentation & automation12% of capability | 4.2 | 4.5 |
| Analytics after Apple Mail Privacy Protection10% of capability | 2.8 | 3.5 |
| Editor & template design10% of capability | 4.6 | 3.5 |
| Integrations & API8% of capability | 3.0 | 4.5 |
| Subscriber management & data portability8% of capability | 3.2 | 3.5 |
| Compliance & list hygiene6% of capability | 3.5 | 2.5 |
| Sending performance at scale6% of capability | 3.5 | 2.2 |
| Capability45% of composite | 3.1 | 3.7 |
| Publisher fit40% of composite | 3.0 | 4.5 |
| Total cost of ownership15% of composite | 3.6 | 2.0 |
Cost of ownership
| Sub-score | Campaign Monitor | Letterhead |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing transparency | 4.0 | 1.0 |
| Entry cost | 4.3 | 1.0 |
| Implementation cost | 4.0 | 2.8 |
| Hidden-fee risk | 3.1 | 2.5 |
| Ongoing cost | 2.7 | 2.6 |
Campaign Monitor pricing
Free plan for up to 500 contacts and 500 emails, with a 30-day free trial; paid plans start at $13/mo (Lite), $31/mo (Essentials), and $171/mo (Premier) for up to 500 contacts; Enterprise custom.
Letterhead pricing
Custom quote based on number of newsletters and audience size; no public plans or free tier.
What users say
Campaign Monitor
25 positive · 16 neutral · 8 negative
Letterhead
6 positive · 1 neutral · 0 negative
Mentions we could not tie to a real user, and those flagged as promotional, are excluded. Sentiment is opinion, and is independent of the verified publisher adoptions above.
Campaign Monitor scores 3.1 and Letterhead scores 3.8 in Benchmark Grid's independent Best Email Newsletter Platforms benchmark (benchmarkgrid.com/vs/campaign-monitor/letterhead, verified Nov 12, 2026)
Common questions
How do Campaign Monitor and Letterhead differ?
Campaign Monitor is stronger on sending performance at scale (3.5 vs 2.2) and editor & template design (4.6 vs 3.5). Letterhead is stronger on monetisation (4.5 vs 0.8) and integrations & API (4.5 vs 3.0). Neither is better in the abstract — which one suits you depends on which of those dimensions carries the most weight in your operation.
Which is cheaper, Campaign Monitor or Letterhead?
On total cost of ownership — pricing transparency, entry cost, implementation, hidden-fee risk and ongoing cost — Campaign Monitor scores 3.6/5 and Letterhead scores 2.0/5. A higher score means better value, not a lower sticker price.
How are these scores calculated?
Each tool is assessed against its category's published criteria (10 in this benchmark), which make up Capability (45% of the composite), Publisher fit (40%) and Total cost of ownership (15%). Assessment is carried out by SODP's editorial team against a published methodology. Vendors cannot pay for inclusion, scores or positions.
Share:
Both tools are scored in Best Email Newsletter Platforms. See alternatives to Campaign Monitor or alternatives to Letterhead.
Weighing a third option? Add a tool to this comparison.
Where to next
Related comparisons
Other head-to-heads publishers look at in Best Email Newsletter Platforms.
