All information was collected on September 15, 2025.
Constant Contact is a big name in email marketing software. However, its 2025 pricing overhaul has left many Canadian businesses questioning whether it’s still the right choice. This Constant Contact review has all you need to know about their current plans, hidden costs, and limitations. Plus, why Canadian businesses need a superior option with transparent pricing and better value—like Cyberimpact.
What Is Constant Contact?
Constant Contact is one of the oldest email marketing platforms in the market. It was first built to help small businesses create and send newsletters. However, as the platform has evolved, its pricing has become more complex and solely in favour of large corporations.
Why Is Everyone Talking About Constant Contact Pricing?
Let’s follow Marc, who runs a growing fitness studio in Ottawa, as an example here. What attracted Marc about Constant Contact was its reputation and marketing promise of helping small businesses succeed.
But as his client list expanded from 200 to over 3,000 members, he learned that the Constant Contact pricing structure came with several unpleasant surprises.
Marc’s experience reflects a broader trend. Though Constant Contact offers solid basic functionality, its pricing escalates rapidly and key features are locked behind expensive tiers. Plus, Canadian businesses face additional challenges around data sovereignty and compliance that US platforms are not often prepared to handle.
Key Constant Contact Pricing Considerations
1. No Free Plan
Unlike many modern email marketing platforms, Constant Contact offers no permanent free tier. You get a 30-day free trial, but after that, you must commit to a paid plan or lose access entirely.
For comparison, competitors like Cyberimpact offer free plans that let you test features and have room to grow your list before committing to a paid plan.
2. Steep Price Escalation as Your List Grows
Marc’s fitness studio learned this the hard way. Starting with up to 500 contacts, the Lite plan at $17 CAD/month seemed reasonable. But as his membership grew…
- 1,001 to 2,500 contacts: $68 CAD/month (+300% increase)
- 2,501 to 5,000 contacts: $109 CAD/month (+60% increase)
- 5,001 to 10,000 contacts: $164 CAD/month (+50% increase)
This rapid price scaling makes Constant Contact an expensive choice for growing businesses compared to alternatives.
Constant Contact vs Cyberimpact Pricing Comparison
Let’s see how Marc’s fitness studio costs would compare using Cyberimpact instead:
| Contacts | Constant Contact (Standard) | Cyberimpact (Plus) | Monthly Savings |
| 250 contacts | $48 CAD | Free | $48 CAD |
| 1,000 contacts | $75 CAD | $44.10 CAD | $30.90 CAD |
| 5,000 contacts | $150 CAD | $82.69 CAD | $67.31 CAD |
| 10,000 contacts | $218 CAD | $126.79 CAD | $91.21 CAD |
| 25,000 contacts | $422 CAD | $214.99 CAD | $207.01 CAD |
Based on pricing available as of September 2025
3. Features Are “Gated” Behind Higher Tiers
Constant Contact users soon find that many features that are standard on other platforms require upgrading to more expensive plans. For example, email scheduling is not available on the Lite plan, whereas it’s a basic feature for both free and paid Cyberimpact accounts.
Other important features for email marketing success are also “gated” in the most expensive plans, such as advanced segmentation (available on all Cyberimpact plans) and automation workflows (available on Cyberimpact’s Plus and Pro plan, and 30-day trial on the Standard plan.)
4. Extra Services Mean Extra Costs
It’s important that the email marketing platform you chose continues to evolve. They must add new features that meet your business needs. However, Constant Contact adopted a “add-on” price model, i.e. you need to pay extra to have access to them.
Unfortunately, this includes some basic resources such as phone customer support.
- SMS marketing: $10/month additional
- Inbox preview tools: $10/month additional
- Advanced reporting features: Higher tiers only
- Phone support: Premium plan only.
5. Difficult Cancellation Process
Unlike modern platforms, where you can cancel online, Constant Contact requires you to call customer service during business hours to cancel your account. Many users report this process as frustrating and time-consuming.
Constant Contact Pricing Guide: Plans & Features Breakdown
Constant Contact restructured its pricing in 2025, introducing three main tiers that scale with your contact count. All prices are in CAD for Canadian customers.
1. Lite Plan
Starting at $17 CAD/month (500 contacts)
Who it’s for: Absolute beginners testing email marketing
Contact limits: Up to 50,000 (pricing scales rapidly)
Monthly sending limit: 10x your contact count
Users: 1 only
Key features: Basic drag-and-drop editor, simple templates, event management, social media posting, 1 basic segment
Major limitations:
- No email scheduling or automation
- No advanced segmentation
- Single user account only
- Very basic reporting
2. Standard Plan
Starting at $48 CAD/month (500 contacts)
Who it’s for: Small businesses wanting basic automation and scheduling
Contact limits: Up to 100,000 (with escalating pricing)
Monthly sending limit: 12x your contact count
Users: 3
Key features: Email scheduling, subject line A/B testing, basic automation (3 pre-built workflows), contact segmentation, landing pages
Still missing: Custom automation workflows, advanced personalization, phone support
3. Premium Plan
Starting at $109 CAD/month (500 contacts)
Who it’s for: Larger businesses with complex needs
Contact limits: Unlimited (custom pricing for 50,000+)
Monthly sending limit: 24x your contact count
Users: Unlimited
Key features: All Standard features plus custom automations, dynamic content, advanced segmentation, multivariate testing, phone support, priority onboarding
Why Cyberimpact Outperforms Constant Contact for Canadian Businesses
For Canadian businesses like Marc’s fitness studio, Cyberimpact offers a comprehensive approach to email marketing, especially when it comes to pricing transparency, feature accessibility, and legal compliance.
1. True Free Plan vs. Trial-Only Approach
Cyberimpact offers a forever free plan with up to 250 contacts, unlimited sends and users, no credit card required. This is a great option for small businesses or businesses that are just getting start on email marketing.
Constant Contact nas no free plan. Instead, they offer only a 30-day trial, then mandatory paid plans starting at $17 CAD/month (if you have
2. Canadian Data Sovereignty & Compliance
Constant Contact has US-based servers. Even if you have a Canadian business, if your data is stored in the US, it falls under US data regulation, which is a potential compliance concerns under PIPEDA and provincial privacy laws for some organizations.
Cyberimpact stores all data in Canada, which makes it easier to fully comply to CASL and PIPEDA. In fact, Cyberimpact has built-in consent tools that help you stay compliant and keep track of your consent proofs.
3. Transparent and Simple Pricing
Cyberimpact has a clear tier structure. There are no surprise overages and a reasonable growth pricing. The idea is that users will get the chance to grow their list, making it more profitable and pay as they grow.
Constant Contact has a rapid price escalation (up to 300% difference when growing from 500 contacts to 2,500 contacts). They gate essential features in higher tier plans and charge extra fees for services such as advanced reporting and phone support—both services are included in all of Cyberimpact’s paid plans.
Additional Cyberimpact Advantages
- Bilingual customer support: Native French and English support from our Canadian team
- No cancellation hassles: Easy online account management
- CASL compliance tools: Built-in consent management to stay compliant with Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL)
- Unlimited users: Team collaboration at no extra cost
- Local expertise: Understanding of Canadian business needs and regulations
What is the Best Email Marketing Service for Canadian Businesses?
Constant Contact may have a big brand recognition, but its 2025 pricing changes make it increasingly difficult to recommend it, especially for Canadian businesses that have better alternatives available.
The platform’s lack of a free plan, rapid price escalation, feature gating, and US-based data hosting create unnecessary barriers for growing Canadian businesses. When you add in the cumbersome cancellation process and limited automation capabilities, the value proposition becomes weaker.
For Canadian businesses seeking transparent pricing, peace of mind when it comes to legal compliance, and better feature accessibility, Cyberimpact emerges as the clear winner. With its generous free plan, Canadian data hosting, bilingual support, and fair pricing structure, it’s designed specifically for businesses that want to grow without being penalized by their email marketing platform.
Before committing to Constant Contact’s expensive tiers, try for yourself Cyberimpact’s free plan. You might discover that you can get better features and excellent support at a fraction of the cost, all the while keeping your data safely within Canadian borders.
If you are considering other email marketing platforms, check out our platform comparison guide to find the perfect solution for your business.