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Compare · Xem vs MailCheap

Xem vs MailCheap.
Same billing idea. Different price.

MailCheap is an open-source newsletter app that, like Xem, charges for emails sent rather than subscribers, and it has an MCP server and API. Xem costs less at each of these volumes and also includes automations, a CRM and a shared inbox.

Start free Move from MailCheap

A weekly newsletter, priced.

Four sends a month to the whole list, on monthly billing in US dollars. MailCheap on the smallest tier that fits your monthly emails; Xem on its cheapest plan for that volume. MailCheap prices checked November 5, 2026.

SubscribersEmails a monthMailCheapXem
10,00040,000$39$19 · Starter
50,000200,000$79$59 · Growth
100,000400,000$149$99 · Scale

From mailcheap.ai’s pricing page, on monthly billing, for 40,000, 200,000 and 400,000 emails a month. 40,000 needs the 75,000-email tier ($39), 200,000 fits the $79 tier, and 400,000 needs the 500,000-email tier ($149). At 25,000 emails a month MailCheap is $39 and Xem is $11.50. Yearly billing is two months free.

How they charge

MailCheap
By emails sent per month, not by subscribers. Plans step from 20,000 emails for $19 to 75,000 for $39, 200,000 for $79, 500,000 for $149, 2,000,000 for $349 and 5,000,000 for $799. Every plan has the same features. There is no free plan, and when you pass the cap new sends wait until you upgrade or the month resets.
Xem
Per email sent. Free for 3,000 a month, then from $9. Contacts are free to keep, campaigns, automations and forms are on every plan, and you can self-host the open-source version and pay only your email provider.

When MailCheap fits better

  • You want an MCP server that covers every API endpoint, including billing and team, with OAuth sign-in for ChatGPT and Claude.
  • You want a public website for your issues as part of the product, with a simple newsletter-only feature set.
  • You like its safeguards: staged first sends, and campaigns that pause on high bounce or spam rates.

Running it from an AI agent

MailCheap
MailCheap ships an official MCP server with 90 tools, one per REST endpoint, covering campaigns, contacts, segments, domains, newsletters, team, API keys and billing. ChatGPT, Claude and Grok connect with OAuth; Claude Code, Codex and Cursor use an API key.
Xem
Xem runs a hosted MCP server at mcp.xem.email with 43 tools for campaigns, newsletters, contacts, CSV imports, forms, CRM notes, automations, sending domains and analytics, or you can run @xem.email/mcp locally. It works with Claude, Cursor, Codex and any MCP client. Campaigns start as drafts, imports preview first, and sending is a separate tool. Set up the MCP server.

Questions.

Is Xem cheaper than MailCheap?

For a weekly newsletter to 10,000 subscribers, MailCheap is $39 a month and Xem is $19. At 50,000 it is $79 against $59, and at 100,000 it is $149 against $99. Both are open source and can be self-hosted for the cost of your email provider.

Can I move my MailCheap list to Xem?

Yes. Export contacts as a CSV through MailCheap’s API or MCP. Xem imports any CSV with an email column and keeps unsubscribed people unsubscribed.

When is MailCheap the better choice?

You want an MCP server that covers every API endpoint, including billing and team, with OAuth sign-in for ChatGPT and Claude. You want a public website for your issues as part of the product, with a simple newsletter-only feature set. You like its safeguards: staged first sends, and campaigns that pause on high bounce or spam rates.

Can an AI agent like Claude run MailCheap or Xem?

MailCheap ships an official MCP server with 90 tools, one per REST endpoint, covering campaigns, contacts, segments, domains, newsletters, team, API keys and billing. ChatGPT, Claude and Grok connect with OAuth; Claude Code, Codex and Cursor use an API key. Xem runs a hosted MCP server at mcp.xem.email with 43 tools for campaigns, newsletters, contacts, CSV imports, forms, CRM notes, automations, sending domains and analytics, or you can run @xem.email/mcp locally. It works with Claude, Cursor, Codex and any MCP client. Campaigns start as drafts, imports preview first, and sending is a separate tool.

Sources

Prices change. We check these pages by hand; tell us at team@xem.email if something is out of date.