Listmonk vs MailerLite
Listmonk is a newsletter platform while MailerLite is a email marketing platform. MailerLite has been around since 2010, giving it a 8-year head start over Listmonk (founded 2018). Listmonk is free, while MailerLite starts at $12/mo. Their pricing is not measured the same way, so we don't rank them on price. Both offer free plans to get started. MailerLite has the edge with marketing automation, A/B testing, landing pages.
Quick Verdict
MailerLite wins on rating, integrations.
Best for most users: MailerLite (small businesses).
Listmonk
Self-hosted newsletter and mailing list manager
Listmonk is a free, open-source, self-hosted newsletter and mailing list manager written in Go. It handles millions of emails with minimal resources and is best for developers and technical users who want full control over their email infrastructure.
MailerLite
Email marketing tools for growing businesses
MailerLite is known for its simplicity, affordability, and clean design. It's one of the best options for small businesses and beginners who want professional email marketing without complexity. The built-in website builder and digital product sales features add extra value.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Listmonk | MailerLite |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.1/5 | 4.6/5 |
| Starting Price | Free | $12/mo |
| Free Plan | Unlimited (self-hosted, open source) | 250 subscribers, 2,500 emails/month |
| Founded | 2018 | 2010 |
| Email Templates | 5 | 90 |
| Integrations | 10 | 140 |
| Deliverability Rate | 97% | 97% |
| Marketing Automation | No | Yes |
| A/B Testing | No | Yes |
| Landing Pages | No | Yes |
| Segmentation | Yes | Yes |
| Drag & Drop Editor | Yes | Yes |
| SMS Marketing | No | No |
| Ecommerce Features | No | Yes |
| API Access | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-Language | Yes | No |
| Web Push Notifications | No | No |
| Live Chat | No | Yes |
| Advanced Analytics | Yes | Yes |
Listmonk: Pros & Cons
Pros
- + Completely free and open source with no usage limits
- + Handles 7+ million emails with minimal CPU and 57 MB RAM
- + Single binary deployment with Docker support
- + SQL-based subscriber segmentation for advanced querying
- + Zero recurring costs — self-hosted with no per-subscriber fees
Cons
- − Requires technical knowledge to set up and maintain
- − No built-in SMTP, must configure an external provider like Amazon SES
- − Lacks automation workflows, A/B testing, and landing pages
- − Community support only via GitHub
- − No managed hosting option — you handle server maintenance yourself
MailerLite: Pros & Cons
Pros
- + Excellent value for money — most affordable paid plans
- + Clean, intuitive interface perfect for beginners
- + Built-in website and landing page builder
- + Sell digital products directly
- + Strong drag-and-drop email editor
Cons
- − Free plan limited to 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails/month
- − No SMS marketing
- − Fewer integrations than competitors
- − Strict approval process for new accounts
- − Limited automation compared to ActiveCampaign
The Verdict
MailerLite edges ahead with a 4.6/5 rating compared to Listmonk's 4.1/5. The gap comes mainly from ease of use (4.8 vs 3.5) and support (4.7 vs 3.7).
| Criterion | Weight | Listmonk | MailerLite |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | 30% | Free | $12/mo |
| Deliverability | 25% | 97% | 97% |
| Rating | 25% | 4.1/5 | 4.6/5 Winner |
| Integrations | 10% | 10 | 140 Winner |
| Free Tier | 10% | Yes | Yes |
Weights determine how much each criterion counts toward the final score. See full methodology
Choose Listmonk if…
- + You're a developers
- + You're a self hosters
- + Completely free and open source with no usage limits
Choose MailerLite if…
- + You need marketing automation
- + You need ecommerce integrations
- + You need built-in landing pages
- + You need A/B testing