Newsletter Revenue Calculator

Rough dollars per broadcast from subscribers, opens, clicks among openers, and dollars per outbound click.

Overview

Use before you monetize an issue and want conservative revenue-per-send math. FounderCalc treats clicks as a share of people who opened, not as a share of the whole list—that matters when you check your revenue-per-click (RPC) assumption.

When to use this calculator

Rule of thumb

Click rate in this funnel is among people who opened. If you mix that with whole-list CTR, the revenue line will lie.

Terms used in this calculator

Open rate
Opens counted by your ESP divided by mailed messages that counted as delivered.
Click rate (among openers)
CTOR: clicks counted among opens—not clicks divided by the whole mailing list.
Conversion rate
Share of a clear baseline group—visits, sessions, leads—that finished the goal you named.
Estimated revenue per send $168.00

Results are simplified estimates for educational purposes only and should not be treated as financial, accounting, legal, or tax advice. See our disclaimer for details.

Formula

Subscribers × (open rate ÷ 100) × (click rate among opened emails ÷ 100) × revenue per click. Enter rates as whole percentages (35 means 35%).

Example calculation

Using the default example values from the JSON seed for this tool:

Active subscribers
5000
Open rate
35
Click rate among opened emails
8
Revenue per click
1.2

Result: $168.00 (Estimated revenue per send)

How to interpret this result

This estimates revenue per send from list size, open rate, CTOR (click among openers), and monetization per click.

It assumes each rate applies consistently to the whole list—segment when behavior differs.

Use it as a rough check; deliverability and fatigue can move all three rates.

Common mistakes

  • Treating subscriber CTR the same as CTOR (clicks among openers).
  • Counting RPC that includes non-revenue clicks.
  • Using one broadcast as a permanent baseline.

What to do next

Sponsorship CPM list math, unsubscribes, and list valuation exercises stress-test the story.

How to improve this result

  • Improve subject lines and preview text first when opens slip—nothing downstream works without opens.
  • Lift CTOR with obvious placement, one primary CTA, and copy that matches the click destination.
  • Track revenue per click with conservative RPC until you have multi-send proof.

Recommended tools

FAQ

Is click rate CTR or CTOR?
CTOR—clicks divided by opens. Do not reuse whole-list CTR in this slot without rewriting the math mentally.
Does this include refunds from linked sales?
Only if your revenue-per-click figure already nets them.
How often should I refresh inputs?
After cadence tests, seasonal sends, or list cleaning that shifts opens materially.
Can I paste RPC from sponsor deals?
Yes, if sponsors pay per attributable click—not per impression.
What if some subscribers never receive mail?
Use deliverable subscriber counts that match how you measure opens.

Affiliate disclosure

Disclosure: Some links on this page may be affiliate links. If you sign up or make a purchase through these links, FounderCalc may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend tools that are relevant to the calculator topic.