Email Marketing Benchmarks: What Are Good Open Rates, CTRs, and More?
One of the first questions beginners ask after sending their first email campaign is: "How did I do?"
To answer that, you need benchmarks — industry averages that tell you whether your results are below average, on track, or exceptional. Without context, numbers like "22% open rate" are meaningless. With benchmarks, they tell a story.
This guide breaks down the key email marketing metrics, what counts as a good result in each, and how to improve if you're falling short.
The key email marketing metrics
Before we get into the numbers, here's a quick recap of the metrics you'll be tracking:
- Open Rate – percentage of recipients who opened your email
- Click-Through Rate (CTR) – percentage who clicked a link
- Click-to-Open Rate (CTOR) – percentage of openers who clicked
- Unsubscribe Rate – percentage who opted out
- Bounce Rate – percentage of emails that couldn't be delivered
- Conversion Rate – percentage who completed a desired action (purchase, sign-up, etc.)
Average email marketing benchmarks (2026)
These are general averages across industries. Your specific niche may vary.
| Metric | Average | Good | Excellent | |---|---|---|---| | Open Rate | 20–25% | 30%+ | 40%+ | | Click-Through Rate | 2–3% | 4–5% | 6%+ | | Click-to-Open Rate | 10–15% | 18–22% | 25%+ | | Unsubscribe Rate | 0.1–0.5% | Under 0.2% | Under 0.1% | | Bounce Rate | 0.5–2% | Under 1% | Under 0.5% |
Benchmarks by industry
Email performance varies significantly by industry. Here's what to expect in common niches:
E-commerce
- Open Rate: 18–22%
- CTR: 2–3%
- Notes: Promotional emails compete hard for attention; personalization and segmentation make a big difference
SaaS / technology
- Open Rate: 22–28%
- CTR: 3–5%
- Notes: Onboarding and product update emails tend to perform above average
Education & coaching
- Open Rate: 28–35%
- CTR: 4–6%
- Notes: Audiences sign up with high intent; great content keeps them engaged
Health & wellness
- Open Rate: 20–26%
- CTR: 2–4%
- Notes: Trust and authority drive everything here; avoid overly salesy messaging
Nonprofit
- Open Rate: 25–30%
- CTR: 3–5%
- Notes: Mission-driven audiences tend to be highly engaged
B2B / professional services
- Open Rate: 22–28%
- CTR: 3–5%
- Notes: Decision-makers are busy; concise, value-packed emails work best
What affects your open rate?
Open rate is primarily influenced by three things:
1. Subject line
Your subject line is the single biggest factor. A compelling, curiosity-driven subject line can double your open rate overnight. Test different approaches: questions, numbers, personalization, urgency.
2. Sender name
Emails from a recognizable name (like "Sarah from Acme Co.") often outperform those from a generic company name. People open emails from people they trust.
3. Send time
The best send times vary by audience, but general data suggests:
- Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday tend to get higher open rates
- Morning (9–11am) and early afternoon (1–3pm) in the recipient's time zone are often optimal
Always test with your own audience — general trends don't always apply to your specific list.
What affects your click-through rate?
CTR is influenced by:
- Relevance of content – Does the email deliver what the subject line promised?
- Single vs. multiple CTAs – Emails with one clear CTA typically outperform those with many
- CTA placement – CTAs above the fold get more clicks
- Mobile optimization – Large, tappable buttons improve mobile CTR significantly
- Personalization – Tailored content gets more clicks than generic blasts
What causes high unsubscribe rates?
If your unsubscribe rate is above 0.5%, investigate these common culprits:
- Sending too frequently – Give subscribers breathing room
- Irrelevant content – Are you sending things they actually care about?
- Misleading subject lines – If the email doesn't deliver what the subject line promised, people opt out
- Poor onboarding – If new subscribers don't understand what they signed up for, they'll leave quickly
How to improve your metrics
Here are quick wins for each key metric.
For open rate, start with your subject lines — keep them under 50 characters, try including the subscriber's first name, and test different send times. Subject lines and sender name are responsible for the vast majority of open rate variance. Everything else is secondary.
For CTR, reduce the number of CTAs to one per email and make that button large and visually prominent. Ensure the email is mobile-optimised. Emails with a single clear CTA consistently outperform those with multiple competing options.
High unsubscribes usually trace back to one of three things: you're not setting clear expectations at sign-up, subscribers are getting content that isn't relevant to them, or you're emailing more than twice a week without enough value to justify it. Fix the one that applies.
Deliverability is a separate challenge — clean your list regularly by removing inactive subscribers, use a verified sending domain with SPF and DKIM set up, and avoid spam trigger words in subject lines ("FREE!!!", "URGENT", all-caps phrases). These aren't optional hygiene tasks; they're what determines whether your emails reach the inbox at all.
Don't get too caught up in averages
Benchmarks are useful for context, but they're not the ultimate measure of success. What matters most is improvement over time. If your open rate starts at 15% and grows to 25% over six months, that's a win — regardless of what the industry average is.
Track your own trends, run regular A/B tests, and focus on delivering real value to your subscribers. That's the formula for consistently improving metrics.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good open rate for email marketing?
A good email open rate is 30% or above, with 20–25% being the industry average across all sectors. However, open rates have become less reliable since Apple's Mail Privacy Protection inflates them for Apple Mail users — focus on click-through rate as a more accurate engagement metric.
What is a good click-through rate for email?
A good click-through rate (CTR) is 4–5% or above, with 2–3% being the average across industries. Triggered and automated emails typically achieve significantly higher CTRs than standard broadcast campaigns.
What is a good unsubscribe rate?
An unsubscribe rate below 0.2% per email is considered good. If your rate exceeds 0.5%, it's a signal that your content isn't relevant, you're emailing too frequently, or your list quality needs improvement.
Why is my email open rate so low?
Low open rates are most commonly caused by weak subject lines, sending at the wrong time, a disengaged list, or deliverability issues causing emails to land in spam. Start by testing different subject lines and checking your sender reputation.
How do I improve my email click-through rate?
To improve CTR: reduce your email to a single clear call to action, make your CTA button large and prominent, ensure your email is mobile-optimized, and make sure your content delivers on what the subject line promised.
Final thoughts
Understanding benchmarks gives you a reality check and a roadmap. If your numbers are below average, you now know what to improve. If they're above average, you know what's working and can double down.
Use this guide as a reference point, not a pressure source. Email marketing is a long game, and incremental improvements compound into significant results over time.
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