How Klaviyo Pricing Works: Active Profiles and Send Capacity

Pricing Based on Reachable Customers

Generated by Klaviyo AI

Klaviyo Profile & Email plans are priced by active profiles, with email send capacity included. Month-to-month customers can use billing preferences to accommodate seasonal sending peaks and profile reductions from list cleanup.

Active profiles: Billing is based on reachable contacts, while unsubscribed and suppressed contacts do not count.
Email capacity: Each profile tier includes monthly email send capacity tied to that tier.
Flexible sending: Temporary capacity can cover email or text spikes before returning to the base level next cycle.

Klaviyo prices Profile & Email plans on your active profiles (the customers you can reach) with email send capacity included to match. Profiles are the primary unit, and every plan comes with more send capacity than most brands need, so you can focus on building relationships instead of counting messages. You pay for the audience you reach, not your raw list size.

This page walks through the model the way a docs page would: what counts as an active profile and how send capacity is included, then the flexible options for seasonal peaks and list cleanups, then how a billing cycle plays out, then how to choose the preferences that fit how you send.

Note: These details only apply to month-to-month customers.

What you're billed for

Unit	What it measures	What you don't pay for
Active profiles	Contacts you can reach through email, SMS, or other channels	Unsubscribed and suppressed contacts
Email sends	Monthly send capacity tied to your plan tier	Sends beyond your tier without a preference set to allow them
Text messaging (SMS, MMS, WhatsApp, RCS)	Committed spend on a separate text plan, burned down as you send	Text as part of your email plan, which is billed separately

Your plan has to cover your active profile count, and send capacity is included with it.

For more information about pricing tiers, check out our pricing page.

Pricing unit details

What are “Active profiles”?

Active profiles are the people your brand can actually reach through email, SMS, or other channels. Unsubscribed and suppressed contacts do not count toward billing. Your plan must be profile-compliant. If your active profiles exceed your tier, the account moves to a compliant plan at the next billing cycle.

For example, say you suppress a batch of long-unengaged contacts, and your reachable count drops into a lower tier. Your billable profile base shrinks, especially if you have auto downgrade turned on.

What are “email sends”?

Klaviyo plans include a monthly email send capacity tied to your tier. With flexible sending on, exceeding that capacity can temporarily give you the next tier's send amount at your current plan's unit rate, then return to base the next cycle. Without flexible sending, upgrade behavior follows the billing preference you selected.

For example, say a brand on a base plan runs a product drop that spikes send volume for one month. With flexible sending on, they flex up for the peak, then return to the base plan automatically at the next cycle.

What about mobile?

Klaviyo text messaging (SMS, MMS, WhatsApp, and RCS) is separate from your email plan. Rather than a fixed send tier, you commit to an amount of spend based on your expected volume, and it burns down as you send. Rates vary by message type and country: an MMS burns more than an SMS, and each country has its own rate.

Select plans can also flex for spikes. If you burn through your commit, you get a temporary bump to keep sending, then return to your committed level the next cycle — the same idea as flexible sending for email.

For example, a brand with heavy launch-week text bursts could turn on flexible sending for those weeks instead of committing to a higher level of spend they only need a few times a year.

How to manage your Klaviyo billing preferences

Flexible sending for email or text gives you temporary capacity for peaks, then returns you to base automatically. Auto downgrade on profiles moves your plan down for the next cycle when your active profile count qualifies for a lower tier. Flexible sending and auto downgrade on profiles can run together. Auto downgrade on profiles cannot run alongside auto upgrades based on sends.

For example, say a seasonal sender who cleans the list regularly turns on both flexible sending and auto downgrade, so peak months and list cleanups each show up in the bill correctly.

How pricing works over a billing cycle

Here’s how these pieces might move across one billing cycle:

You start on a base plan sized to your active profiles plus your expected sends.
During the cycle, campaigns and flows consume email send capacity, and your profile count rises or falls as you add or suppress contacts.
If email sends spike and flexible sending is on, you temporarily get next-tier capacity at your current unit pricing, then snap back to base the next cycle.
Near the end of the cycle, profile compliance and, if enabled, auto downgrade are evaluated so the next cycle's plan matches your reachable audience.
Between cycles, you aren't forced to stay on a peak plan unless your ongoing profile and send needs actually require it.

What this means for you: you pay for reachable profiles and the sending capacity you use. Flexible preferences exist so the bill can track your peaks and your cleanup instead of holding you at your highest-volume month all year.

How to choose your billing preferences

Match your Klaviyo billing preference to how your platform usage changes throughout the year. If your send volume swings by season, turn on flexible sending. If active profiles drop when you clean the list, turn on auto downgrade.

Preference	Best when	What happens at peak	What happens after list cleanup
Flexible sending (email/text)	Seasonal spikes	Temporary higher capacity, then back to base	No direct effect
Auto downgrade on profiles	Active suppression and hygiene	No direct effect	Plan can move to a lower eligible tier
Auto upgrade on sends	Steady growth past limits	Plan upgrades	N/A

Good rules of thumb to keep in mind:

If you have mostly seasonal send spikes, turn on flexible sending.
If you have mostly list cleanup or budget control needs, turn on auto downgrade on profiles.
If you need both, combine flexible sending and auto downgrade on profiles, not auto upgrade on sends.

Where to turn this on in Klaviyo:

Open your billing settings.
Review your recent profile and send usage.
Select the preferences that match your pattern.
Before a known peak, check the in-product flex-up cost so the bump holds no surprises.

The full steps live in the billing docs.

See plans for your list size

Klaviyo pricing comes down to your active profiles, with send capacity included, plus preferences so your cost can flex with your calendar instead of sitting at your highest-volume month all year.

To model your own numbers, explore our plans. If you'd rather walk through it with someone, get in touch.

# How does Klaviyo pricing work ## How Klaviyo pricing works: active profiles, sends, and flexible options Klaviyo prices Profile & Email plans on your active profiles (the customers you can reach) with email send capacity included to match. Profiles are the primary unit, and every plan comes with more send capacity than most brands need, so you can focus on building relationships instead of counting messages. You pay for the audience you reach, not your raw list size. This page walks through the model the way a docs page would: what counts as an active profile and how send capacity is included, then the flexible options for seasonal peaks and list cleanups, then how a billing cycle plays out, then how to choose the preferences that fit how you send. Note: These details only apply to month-to-month customers. ## What you're billed for | Unit | What it measures | What you don't pay for | | --- | --- | --- | | Active profiles | Contacts you can reach through email, SMS, or other channels | Unsubscribed and suppressed contacts | | Email sends | Monthly send capacity tied to your plan tier | Sends beyond your tier without a preference set to allow them | | Text messaging (SMS, MMS, WhatsApp, RCS) | Committed spend on a separate text plan, burned down as you send | Text as part of your email plan, which is billed separately | Your plan has to cover your active profile count, and send capacity is included with it. For more information about pricing tiers, check out our [pricing page](https://www.klaviyo.com/pricing). ## Pricing unit details ### What are “Active profiles”? [Active profiles](https://help.klaviyo.com/hc/en-us/articles/115005246968) are the people your brand can actually reach through email, SMS, or other channels. Unsubscribed and suppressed contacts do not count toward billing. Your plan must be profile-compliant. If your active profiles exceed your tier, the account moves to a compliant plan at the next billing cycle. For example, say you suppress a batch of long-unengaged contacts, and your reachable count drops into a lower tier. Your billable profile base shrinks, especially if you have auto downgrade turned on. ### What are “email sends”? Klaviyo plans include a monthly email send capacity tied to your tier. With flexible sending on, exceeding that capacity can temporarily give you the next tier's send amount at your current plan's unit rate, then return to base the next cycle. Without flexible sending, upgrade behavior follows the billing preference you selected. For example, say a brand on a base plan runs a product drop that spikes send volume for one month. With flexible sending on, they flex up for the peak, then return to the base plan automatically at the next cycle. ### What about mobile? Klaviyo text messaging (SMS, MMS, WhatsApp, and RCS) is separate from your email plan. Rather than a fixed send tier, you commit to an amount of spend based on your expected volume, and it burns down as you send. Rates vary by message type and country: an MMS burns more than an SMS, and each country has its own rate. Select plans can also flex for spikes. If you burn through your commit, you get a temporary bump to keep sending, then return to your committed level the next cycle — the same idea as flexible sending for email. For example, a brand with heavy launch-week text bursts could turn on flexible sending for those weeks instead of committing to a higher level of spend they only need a few times a year. ### How to manage your Klaviyo billing preferences Flexible sending for email or text gives you temporary capacity for peaks, then returns you to base automatically. Auto downgrade on profiles moves your plan down for the next cycle when your active profile count qualifies for a lower tier. Flexible sending and auto downgrade on profiles can run together. Auto downgrade on profiles cannot run alongside auto upgrades based on sends. For example, say a seasonal sender who cleans the list regularly turns on both flexible sending and auto downgrade, so peak months and list cleanups each show up in the bill correctly. ## How pricing works over a billing cycle Here’s how these pieces might move across one billing cycle: 1. You start on a base plan sized to your active profiles plus your expected sends. 2. During the cycle, campaigns and flows consume email send capacity, and your profile count rises or falls as you add or suppress contacts. 3. If email sends spike and flexible sending is on, you temporarily get next-tier capacity at your current unit pricing, then snap back to base the next cycle. 4. Near the end of the cycle, profile compliance and, if enabled, auto downgrade are evaluated so the next cycle's plan matches your reachable audience. 5. Between cycles, you aren't forced to stay on a peak plan unless your ongoing profile and send needs actually require it. **What this means for you: **you pay for reachable profiles and the sending capacity you use. Flexible preferences exist so the bill can track your peaks and your cleanup instead of holding you at your highest-volume month all year. ## How to choose your billing preferences Match your Klaviyo billing preference to how your platform usage changes throughout the year. If your send volume swings by season, turn on flexible sending. If active profiles drop when you clean the list, turn on auto downgrade. | Preference | Best when | What happens at peak | What happens after list cleanup | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Flexible sending (email/text) | Seasonal spikes | Temporary higher capacity, then back to base | No direct effect | | Auto downgrade on profiles | Active suppression and hygiene | No direct effect | Plan can move to a lower eligible tier | | Auto upgrade on sends | Steady growth past limits | Plan upgrades | N/A | ### Good rules of thumb to keep in mind: - If you have mostly seasonal send spikes, turn on flexible sending. - If you have mostly list cleanup or budget control needs, turn on auto downgrade on profiles. - If you need both, combine flexible sending and auto downgrade on profiles, not auto upgrade on sends. ### Where to turn this on in Klaviyo: 1. Open your billing settings. 2. Review your recent profile and send usage. 3. Select the preferences that match your pattern. 4. Before a known peak, check the in-product flex-up cost so the bump holds no surprises. The full steps live in the [billing docs](https://help.klaviyo.com/hc/en-us). ## See plans for your list size Klaviyo pricing comes down to your active profiles, with send capacity included, plus preferences so your cost can flex with your calendar instead of sitting at your highest-volume month all year. To model your own numbers, [explore our plans](https://www.klaviyo.com/pricing). If you'd rather walk through it with someone, [get in touch](https://www.klaviyo.com/demo-request).