Listmonk vs Privy
Listmonk is a newsletter platform while Privy is a email marketing platform. Privy has been around since 2011, giving it a 7-year head start over Listmonk (founded 2018). Listmonk is free, while Privy starts at $30/mo. Their pricing is not measured the same way, so we don't rank them on price. Listmonk offers a free plan (Unlimited (self-hosted, open source)), while Privy does not. Listmonk stands out with advanced analytics and API access, while Privy offers marketing automation and A/B testing.
Quick Verdict
Listmonk wins on deliverability, free tier.
Privy wins on rating, integrations.
It's a close call — your choice depends on your specific needs.
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.
Privy
Ecommerce email and SMS marketing built for Shopify stores
Privy is an ecommerce-focused email and SMS marketing platform built specifically for Shopify stores, combining conversion popups, email campaigns, and abandoned cart recovery in one tool. With unlimited email sending on all paid plans and a native Shopify integration, it's designed for DTC brands and small online stores that want to grow their list and revenue without the complexity of enterprise marketing platforms.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Listmonk | Privy |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.1/5 | 4.6/5 |
| Starting Price | Free | $30/mo |
| Free Plan | Unlimited (self-hosted, open source) | No free plan |
| Founded | 2018 | 2011 |
| Email Templates | 5 | 50 |
| Integrations | 10 | 20 |
| Deliverability Rate | 97% | 95% |
| Marketing Automation | No | Yes |
| A/B Testing | No | Yes |
| Landing Pages | No | No |
| Segmentation | Yes | Yes |
| Drag & Drop Editor | Yes | Yes |
| SMS Marketing | No | Yes |
| Ecommerce Features | No | Yes |
| API Access | Yes | No |
| Multi-Language | Yes | No |
| Web Push Notifications | No | No |
| Live Chat | No | Yes |
| Advanced Analytics | Yes | No |
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
Privy: Pros & Cons
Pros
- + Deep native Shopify integration with one-click install and automatic product syncing
- + Unlimited email sending on all paid plans — no volume limits that punish growth
- + Excellent popup and conversion tools including spin-to-win, exit intent, and cart savers
- + Combined email + SMS marketing eliminates need for separate communication tools
- + Built specifically for ecommerce with abandoned cart recovery and welcome series automation
Cons
- − Limited to ecommerce use cases — not suitable for B2B, SaaS, or non-store businesses
- − No public API, limiting custom integrations and developer extensibility
- − Pricing scales by contacts, getting expensive at higher subscriber counts
- − Reporting and analytics are basic compared to full-featured email marketing platforms
- − Template selection is limited compared to competitors like Klaviyo or Omnisend
The Verdict
Privy 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 (4.8 vs 3.7). On deliverability, Listmonk reports 97% compared to 95% for Privy — a meaningful difference if inbox placement is critical for your campaigns.
| Criterion | Weight | Listmonk | Privy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | 30% | Free | $30/mo |
| Deliverability | 25% | 97% Winner | 95% |
| Rating | 25% | 4.1/5 | 4.6/5 Winner |
| Integrations | 10% | 10 | 20 Winner |
| Free Tier | 10% | Yes Winner | No |
Weights determine how much each criterion counts toward the final score. See full methodology
Choose Listmonk if…
- + You need a free plan to get started
- + You need API access for custom integrations
- + You need advanced analytics
- + You're a developers
Choose Privy if…
- + You need SMS marketing
- + You need marketing automation
- + You need ecommerce integrations
- + You need A/B testing