Email ROI Calculator
Why Email Still Gets Its Own ROI Number
Email remains one of the few marketing channels where the cost side of the equation is often genuinely small — a platform fee and some design or copywriting time — which tends to produce ROI figures that look dramatically different from paid channels with real media spend. Calculating email ROI on its own, rather than folding it into a blended marketing ROI figure, keeps the channel's efficiency visible instead of averaged away.
The Formula
Email ROI = (Net Profit / Campaign Cost) × 100
Worked Examples
| Revenue from Campaign | Campaign Cost | Net Profit | ROI |
|---|---|---|---|
| $18,000 | $6,000 | $12,000 | 200% |
| $9,000 | $12,000 | −$3,000 | −25% |
Campaign cost should include everything spent to produce and send the email — platform or send fees, design and copywriting time, and any list rental or acquisition cost attributable to that send.
Where This Calculation Matters
- Justifying list growth investment — a strong email ROI makes the case for spending more on growing a subscriber list, since the marginal cost per send stays low.
- Comparing send types — promotional sends, newsletters, and automated flows can each be measured against the same formula to see which format earns the most per dollar spent.
- Platform and tooling decisions — weighing a more expensive email platform against a cheaper one only makes sense once ROI shows the current cost isn't the bottleneck on returns.
How to Use This Calculator
- Enter Revenue from Campaign ($) — the revenue directly attributable to the email send.
- Enter Campaign Cost ($) — the total cost to produce and send it.
- Select Calculate to get the email ROI as a percentage.
Related Calculations
For a broader view across every channel rather than email alone, see the Marketing ROI Calculator. To understand what drove the revenue side of this number, check the Email Click Rate Calculator.