Email Marketing ROI Calculator
(ROI, Net Profit and Return per $1)
Enter the revenue email produced and what it cost to run. If you do not have a revenue figure, estimate it from emails delivered, click rate and order value.
Where does your revenue figure come from?
Sales from campaigns and automations in the period, from your ESP or analytics
Costs for the same period
ESP subscription, list tools, deliverability tools
Copywriting, design, freelancer or staff time
Incentives, discount codes, list-growth ads
Email Marketing ROI
💡 Formula Guide
This email marketing ROI calculator compares what email brought in with what it cost to run. Enter the revenue attributed to email and your costs for the same period. It returns ROI as a percentage, net profit and the return per $1 spent. If you have no revenue figure, it can estimate one from emails delivered, click rate and order value.
How Email Marketing ROI Is Calculated
A store attributes $8,500 of sales to email in a month. The platform costs $300, writing and design cost $900 and discount codes cost $150, so the total cost is $1,350. Net profit is $7,150. ROI is 7,150 ÷ 1,350 × 100 = 529.6%, and each $1 spent returned $6.30.
| Return per $1 | ROI |
|---|---|
| $0.80 | −20% |
| $1.00 | 0% |
| $2.00 | 100% |
| $6.30 | 530% |
| $36.00 | 3,500% |
ROI = (return per $1 − 1) × 100. The two figures describe the same result, so check which one a benchmark uses before comparing it with yours.
Estimating Revenue From Campaign Figures
If your platform does not report revenue, the estimate option builds it from four figures.
40,000 emails at a 2.5% click rate give 1,000 clicks. If 4% of those clickers buy, that is 40 orders. At a $65 average order the revenue is $2,600. With the same $1,350 of cost, ROI is 92.6% and the return is $1.93 per $1. In this mode the calculator also shows revenue per email, which is $0.065 here, and cost per order, which is $33.75.
Use your own past campaigns for the click rate and purchase rate. The estimate is for planning. It is not a measurement.
Revenue Is Not Profit
The calculator uses revenue, which is how email ROI is normally quoted. If you sell physical goods, the cost of those goods is not in the figure.
Take the $8,500 example with a 40% gross margin. Gross profit is $3,400. Measured on gross profit, ROI is (3,400 − 1,350) ÷ 1,350 = 151.9%, compared with 529.6% on revenue. To see this version, enter gross profit in the revenue field.
The $36 per $1 Figure
The best-known email statistic is a return of about $36 for every $1 spent. It comes from Litmus survey research. The Litmus page on email ROI gives these results from its 2025 State of Email report, a survey of nearly 500 marketing professionals:
| Return per $1 spent | Share of marketing leaders |
|---|---|
| $10 to $36 | 35% |
| $36 to $50 | 30% |
| More than $50 | 5% |
| Do not measure ROI | 21% |
These are answers given by marketers about their own programs, and each company decides for itself which revenue and which costs to count. Treat the figure as background and judge your email on your own numbers.
Getting the Inputs Right
- Count labor. A free email plan with ten hours of writing a week is not free. Price your own time or the fees you pay.
- Match the period. Revenue and costs should cover the same dates.
- Check for double counting. A buyer who clicked an email and later an ad may be credited to both channels. Compare the total across channels with your real sales.
- Measure automations separately. A welcome series and a weekly newsletter have different costs and returns.
To compare email with paid channels, see the ROAS Calculator and the CAC Calculator. The Conversion Rate Calculator works out the purchase rate used in the estimate.
How to Use the Email ROI Calculator
- Choose where revenue comes from: Pick the first option if your email platform or analytics reports revenue from email. Pick the estimate option if it does not.
- Enter revenue or campaign figures: Type the attributed revenue, or type emails delivered, click rate, click-to-purchase rate and average order value.
- Enter costs for the same period: Type the platform cost, labor and creative cost, and any other costs such as discount codes.
- Read the result: The calculator shows ROI, revenue, total cost, net profit and return per $1.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you calculate email marketing ROI?
Subtract total cost from the revenue attributed to email, divide by total cost and multiply by 100. $8,500 of revenue on $1,350 of cost is (8,500 − 1,350) ÷ 1,350 × 100 = 529.6%.
What is the difference between ROI and return per dollar?
Return per dollar is revenue divided by cost. ROI subtracts the cost first. $8,500 on $1,350 is $6.30 per $1 and a 529.6% ROI. To convert, subtract 1 from the return per dollar and multiply by 100.
Is email really worth $36 for every $1 spent?
That figure comes from Litmus survey research and is reported by the marketers themselves. In the Litmus 2025 State of Email report, 35% of marketing leaders said they get $10 to $36 back per $1, 30% said $36 to $50, and 21% said they do not measure ROI. Your own figure depends on your list, your prices and which costs you count.
What costs should I include?
Include the email platform subscription, other email tools, the time or fees for writing and design, and incentives such as discount codes. Use costs for the same period as the revenue.
Which revenue counts as email revenue?
Use the revenue your email platform or analytics ties to email: purchases after a click in a campaign or an automated email. Different tools use different attribution rules, so use the same tool each time you measure.
How do I estimate email revenue before sending?
Multiply emails delivered by click rate, then by the share of clickers who buy, then by average order value. 40,000 emails at a 2.5% click rate, 4% of clickers buying and a $65 order is 40 orders and $2,600.
Formulas and worked examples checked in October 2026. Litmus survey figures checked on litmus.com in October 2026.