What is a billable contact?
Omnisend says the monthly tier is based on subscribers plus non-subscribers in the account on the billing day. That means a store can pay for contacts it is not actively mailing. Suppression, consent status, and list hygiene are therefore commercial questions as well as deliverability questions.
The Standard-plan send calculation
Standard includes email credits equal to billable contacts multiplied by 12 per billing cycle. A 3,000-contact account therefore receives 36,000 email credits. That is enough for twelve full-list sends in the simplest case, but automations and segmented campaigns also consume credits.
Estimate campaign sends and automation volume separately, then compare the total with 12× billable contacts. Do not assume “12 sends” when active automations are already using the allowance.
The 2026 SMS change
Omnisend’s current help documentation says Standard subscriptions started on or after May 4, 2026 do not include SMS. New Pro subscriptions can add SMS with volume pricing beginning at an advertised $0.007 per message; actual price varies by country and volume. Older subscriptions may have legacy terms.
When Free is enough
Free exposes the platform without requiring a credit card, but it reaches a maximum of 250 unique contacts and allows 500 emails per month. It is a product evaluation plan, not a durable tier for a store that sends regular campaigns and automated messages.
When to choose Standard
Choose Standard when email is the primary channel, contact count is controlled, and the 12× credit model covers campaigns plus automations. Recheck the pricing calculator before importing a large historical list; tiers automatically adjust as the billable count changes.
When Pro can make sense
Pro becomes easier to justify when email volume—not only list size—is the constraint, advanced reporting matters, or SMS needs are substantial enough to evaluate in one operating workflow. Compare total annual cost at current and next-tier contact counts.
Check your exact contact tier
Omnisend’s live calculator is the authority for the current bill.
Sources and disclosure
This guide uses Omnisend’s 2026 pricing help article and live pricing page. MerchantTrim has no active Omnisend affiliate relationship and receives nothing if you follow these links.
Sources: Omnisend pricing documentation ↗ and live calculator ↗
Test campaigns and automations against Standard’s 12× allowance →