Short answer: most email marketing agencies charge between €500 and €8,000 per month on a retainer, depending on scope, your list size and sending volume, and how much strategy, copywriting and design they handle. Project-based work and revenue-share models exist too. Below is how each model works, what you actually get, and how to tell whether a price is fair.
The three pricing models you'll see
1. Monthly retainer (most common)
You pay a fixed monthly fee for an agreed scope: a set number of flows, a campaign calendar, copywriting, design, and reporting. Typical range is €500–€8,000/month. Lighter engagements (a few flows, a couple of campaigns a month) sit at the bottom; full-service retention programs for larger lists sit at the top. This model fits brands that want email handled end-to-end, every month.
2. Project-based / one-off
A fixed price for a specific deliverable — a flow build-out, a Klaviyo migration, or a retention audit. Expect roughly €2,000–€10,000 per project depending on complexity. Good when you need one thing done well rather than ongoing management.
3. Revenue share / performance
The agency takes a percentage of email-attributed revenue — usually 5–15% — sometimes on top of a smaller base fee. It aligns incentives, but watch the attribution model: make sure you agree on what counts as "email-attributed" before you sign.
Rule of thumb: for a Shopify or DTC brand doing €50k–€2M a year, email and retention should be the highest-ROI marketing you do. The question isn't really "what does it cost" — it's "what return does this spend generate." A good agency makes that math obvious.
What actually drives the price
- List size & sending volume — more subscribers and more sends mean more work and higher platform fees.
- Number of flows and campaigns — a welcome flow is one thing; a full lifecycle program with win-back, post-purchase, and VIP flows is another.
- Copywriting and design included? — agencies that write and design every email cost more than ones that just configure automations.
- Strategy depth — segmentation, send-time logic, and testing frameworks take expertise, not just a tool.
- Platform — Klaviyo, Mailchimp, Customer.io and Postscript all price differently, and that's usually billed on top of the agency fee.
What you should get for the money
Whatever the model, a good email marketing agency should deliver:
- A clear strategy tied to revenue, repeat-purchase rate, and retention — not just "more emails."
- Human-written copy and on-brand design, not autogenerated filler.
- Proper segmentation and send-time logic, so the right people get the right message at the right time.
- Transparent reporting you can actually read, and a named point of contact.
Red flags when comparing agencies
- Rigid "packages" that ignore your brand, list, and goals.
- AI-generated copy sold as strategy, or "AI-powered" badges with nothing behind them.
- No agreed KPIs — if no one defines success up front, you can't hold anyone to it.
- Long lock-in contracts with no performance guarantee.
How real. approaches pricing
We don't do fixed packages. Engagements typically start from €500/month, and most brands invest €500–€2,000/month, scaled to your brand's size, scope, and the services you actually need — retention email flows, brand content, and ad creatives — and we back the work with a 90-day guarantee: if you don't see measurable improvement in email-attributed revenue, repeat purchase rate, or support-ticket volume within 90 days, we keep working at no extra cost until you do.
Want a transparent quote for your brand?
Book a free 30-minute call. We'll look at your setup, tell you what we'd build, and give you a clear, no-surprises proposal — whether or not you work with us.
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