Email Marketing Benchmarks by Industry: 2026 Data for 10 Sectors

Why Industry-Specific Benchmarks Matter

The average email open rate in 2026 is 40–44%. The average click rate is 2.0–2.5%. Those numbers are useless on their own.

An ecommerce store with a 35% open rate is outperforming its peers. A non-profit with the same 35% is underperforming by 17 percentage points. Comparing yourself to the overall average will either give you false confidence or unnecessary panic.

This guide breaks down open rates, click rates, bounce rates, and unsubscribe rates for 10 industries — with context on why each industry's numbers are what they are, and what "good" actually looks like in your sector.

A note on open rate inflation: Apple Mail Privacy Protection (launched 2021) pre-loads tracking pixels, making every email appear "opened." This affects roughly 64% of Apple Mail users. Open rates across every industry are inflated. Click rate is the ground-truth engagement metric. When in doubt, trust clicks over opens.

All data is sourced from MailerLite (2025 Benchmark Report), Moosend (2026 Benchmarks), ActiveCampaign (2026 Benchmarks), and HubSpot. Where sources disagree, I've noted the range.

Ecommerce

Sources: MailerLite 2025 Benchmark Report, Moosend 2026 Benchmarks

Ecommerce consistently lands at the bottom of both open and click rate tables. That's not because ecommerce email is broken — it's structural.

Online stores tend to have the largest lists, the highest send frequency, and the broadest audience segments. A fashion retailer blasting a weekly promo to 50,000 subscribers will naturally get lower engagement percentages than a pottery instructor emailing 800 enthusiasts. Volume dilutes percentages.

The low bounce and unsubscribe rates tell a different story: ecommerce lists are well-maintained (most platforms auto-clean after purchases), and people don't actively unsubscribe from stores they've bought from — they just stop opening.

Where the real money is: Automated flows (abandoned cart, post-purchase, browse abandonment) outperform campaign blasts by 30x on revenue per email according to Omnisend data. If your click rate on campaigns is low but your automations convert, you're doing it right. For ecommerce email, Klaviyo ($20/mo starting, 7.5/10) and Omnisend ($16/mo starting, 7.1/10) are purpose-built for this use case.

Non-Profit

Sources: MailerLite 2025 Benchmark Report, Moosend 2026 Benchmarks

Non-profits consistently rank in the top 3 for both open and click rates. The reason is simple: people who subscribe to non-profit emails care about the cause. These aren't passive "signed up for a discount" subscribers — they opted in because the mission matters to them.

The higher bounce rate (1.63% vs ecommerce's 0.19%) reflects a different list management reality. Non-profits often have older lists, collect emails at events, and may not clean inactive subscribers as aggressively as commercial senders.

Non-profit-specific tip: Storytelling emails with a single, specific ask outperform multi-CTA newsletters. "Help fund Maria's classroom" beats "Here's everything we did this month" every time. MailerLite ($10/mo starting, 7.5/10) is the most popular platform for non-profits due to its non-profit discount and simplicity.

Software & SaaS

Sources: MailerLite 2025 Benchmark Report, ActiveCampaign 2026 Benchmarks

Software and SaaS sits in the bottom third for both open and click rates. The 1.15% click rate is notable — only ecommerce is lower. This reflects two realities: SaaS companies often email their full user base (including inactive free-tier users), and product update emails frequently lack a compelling reason to click.

The low bounce rate (0.65%) indicates clean lists — SaaS companies typically collect emails through account creation, which validates the address. The low unsubscribe rate means people tolerate the emails even if they don't engage.

SaaS-specific insight: The companies with the highest click rates in SaaS segment by user behaviour, not demographics. Emails triggered by in-app actions (feature usage, plan limits, onboarding milestones) consistently outperform scheduled broadcasts. ActiveCampaign ($19/mo starting, 7.4/10) is the strongest choice for SaaS companies due to its CRM, lead scoring, and automation depth.

Education

Sources: MailerLite 2025 Benchmark Report, Moosend 2026 Benchmarks

Education performs solidly above the overall average on both metrics. The audience — students, parents, educators, course participants — has a built-in reason to open: grades, schedules, course updates, and learning content are inherently relevant.

The very low unsubscribe rate (0.15%) is the second-lowest across all industries, reflecting the institutional relationship. People don't unsubscribe from their university or course provider the way they might from a clothing brand.

Education-specific tip: Course providers and online education businesses that send lesson-completion triggers and progress updates see 3–4x higher click rates than those sending weekly newsletters. MailerLite and Kit ($33/mo starting, 7.2/10) are both strong fits — MailerLite for cost, Kit for course creators with digital products to sell.

Health & Fitness

Sources: MailerLite 2025 Benchmark Report, ActiveCampaign 2026 Benchmarks

Health and fitness has a revealing split: above-average open rates but below-average click rates. People open these emails because they care about their health goals. They don't click because the emails often lack a specific action beyond "read this article."

The higher unsubscribe rate (0.29% vs the ~0.20% average) reflects the seasonal nature of fitness interest. January sign-ups who lose motivation by March drive a natural churn cycle.

Health & fitness insight: Personalised workout or nutrition recommendations drive the highest click rates in this sector. Generic "5 tips for better sleep" emails get opened but not clicked. MailerLite and Brevo ($9/mo starting, 7.3/10) are both cost-effective choices — though health-niche senders should note MailerLite's strict account approval policy can be harder to pass in wellness verticals.

Consulting & Professional Services

Sources: MailerLite 2025 Benchmark Report, Moosend 2026 Benchmarks

Consulting sits comfortably above average on both open and click rates. These are typically B2B audiences — small list sizes, high relevance, and subscribers who opted in for expertise rather than discounts. The combination produces strong engagement.

The slightly elevated bounce rate (0.88%) reflects professional email churn — job changes, company domain switches, and business closures affect B2B lists more than consumer lists.

Consulting insight: The highest-performing consulting newsletters include one specific, actionable takeaway per email rather than multiple links. Case study emails with a "see how we did it" CTA consistently outperform roundup-style newsletters. ActiveCampaign ($19/mo starting, 7.4/10) is the best fit for consultants due to its built-in CRM and pipeline management.

Authors, Writers & Creators

Sources: MailerLite 2025 Benchmark Report, Moosend 2026 Benchmarks

Writers and creators enjoy the lowest unsubscribe rate of any industry (0.10%) and above-average click rates. This audience subscribes because they're fans. They want the content. They don't leave.

The open rate sits near the overall average (43.14%), which might seem low for such an engaged audience. This is largely an Apple MPP artefact — creator audiences skew heavily toward Apple devices, which inflates opens across the board but also means the "true" open rate is harder to measure than in other sectors.

Creator insight: The personal, conversational email style outperforms polished marketing templates in this sector. Readers subscribed for your voice, not your design. Kit ($33/mo starting, 7.2/10) and beehiiv ($43/mo starting, 7.0/10) are the go-to platforms — Kit for creators selling digital products, beehiiv for newsletter publishers monetising through ads and paid subscriptions.

Marketing & Advertising

Sources: MailerLite 2025 Benchmark Report, ActiveCampaign 2026 Benchmarks

Marketers emailing marketers is a tough game. The audience is sophisticated, sceptical, and drowning in email. A 36.50% open rate — the second-lowest after ecommerce — reflects inbox competition, not poor execution.

The irony: the people best equipped to write good emails are also the hardest to impress with good emails. The 1.87% click rate is below the cross-industry average because marketing professionals evaluate CTAs with a critical eye.

Marketing sector insight: Data-driven content with original research outperforms opinion pieces in this niche. Marketers click on benchmarks, case studies with real numbers, and contrarian takes backed by evidence. The newsletter-style format (think Morning Brew for marketers) works better than product-pitch emails.

Religion & Spirituality

Sources: MailerLite 2025 Benchmark Report

Religion and spirituality tops the open rate chart at 55.71% and has the lowest unsubscribe rate of any tracked industry (0.08%). This is the most engaged audience in email marketing.

The reason is straightforward: these subscribers are connected to a community. A church newsletter, a meditation teacher's weekly reflection, a spiritual practice community — these emails come from people and organisations that matter personally to the recipient. It's not marketing. It's communication within a relationship.

Platform note: MailerLite ($10/mo starting, 7.5/10) is the most common platform in this sector due to its simplicity and affordability. The free plan covers 1,000 subscribers, which serves many smaller organisations.

Hobbies & Crafts

Sources: MailerLite 2025 Benchmark Report

Hobbies and crafts ranks second for open rates and delivers the highest click rate outside of legal and manufacturing. Low bounce, low unsubscribe. This is a dream audience for email marketing.

Why? Hobbyists opted in because they're passionate. A quilting newsletter, a woodworking tutorial series, a model train community — these emails are content the subscriber actively wants. There's no inbox fatigue because the topic itself is a source of joy, not obligation.

Platform note: MailerLite and Kit are both strong here. MailerLite for straightforward newsletters at the lowest cost. Kit for hobby creators selling patterns, courses, or digital products.

Complete Benchmark Comparison Table

Here's every industry side by side for quick reference:

Sources: MailerLite 2025 Benchmark Report, Moosend 2026 Benchmarks, ActiveCampaign 2026 Benchmarks

The takeaway: Always benchmark against your own industry. A 35% open rate is terrible for a non-profit and excellent for an ecommerce store. Context is everything.

How to Use Industry Benchmarks Without Losing Your Mind

Benchmarks are reference points, not report cards. Here's how to use this data productively:

1. Find your industry, then look at your own trend line. If you're in consulting at a 40% open rate, you know you're below the 45.96% average. But if you were at 35% six months ago, you're trending in the right direction. Progress matters more than position.

2. Click rate is your north star. Open rates are directionally useful but inflated by Apple MPP. Click rate tells you whether people actually engage with your content. If your click rate is above your industry average, your emails are working regardless of what your open rate says.

3. Don't chase benchmarks from other industries. A SaaS company will never match a quilting newsletter's engagement rates. That's not failure — it's a different business model with different audience dynamics.

4. Use the numbers to diagnose, not to despair. If your bounce rate is 3x your industry average, that's a list hygiene problem you can fix. If your click rate is half the industry average, your content or CTAs need work. Benchmarks tell you where to investigate, not what to feel.

5. Segment before you compare. Your overall metrics might hide strong performance in one segment and weak performance in another. Compare your welcome sequence click rate to the industry average, then your promotional campaigns separately. Aggregated metrics can be misleading.

For the complete picture on how these benchmarks fit with ROI data, send timing, and overall email marketing trends, see our main benchmarks overview.