MailerLite vs Sendy
MailerLite and Sendy are both popular choices in the email marketing platform space. MailerLite starts at $12/mo versus $69 one-time for Sendy. MailerLite offers a free plan (250 subscribers, 2,500 emails/month), while Sendy does not. MailerLite has the edge with A/B testing, landing pages, ecommerce integrations.
Quick Verdict
MailerLite wins on price, deliverability, rating, integrations, free tier.
Best for most users: MailerLite (small businesses).
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.
Sendy
Self-hosted email marketing that sends via Amazon SES at 100x lower cost
Sendy is a self-hosted email newsletter application that connects to Amazon SES to deliver emails at a fraction of the cost of traditional email marketing platforms. With a one-time $69 license and SES sending costs of roughly $1 per 10,000 emails, it is ideal for high-volume senders who want to avoid recurring subscription fees. It requires technical setup but offers unlimited subscribers, autoresponders, segmentation, and full data ownership.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | MailerLite | Sendy |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.6/5 | 4.2/5 |
| Starting Price | $12/mo | $69 |
| Free Plan | 250 subscribers, 2,500 emails/month | No free plan |
| Founded | 2010 | 2012 |
| Email Templates | 90 | 0 |
| Integrations | 140 | 20 |
| Deliverability Rate | 97% | 95% |
| Marketing Automation | ✓ | ✓ |
| A/B Testing | ✓ | ✕ |
| Landing Pages | ✓ | ✕ |
| Segmentation | ✓ | ✓ |
| Drag & Drop Editor | ✓ | ✕ |
| SMS Marketing | ✕ | ✕ |
| Ecommerce Features | ✓ | ✕ |
| API Access | ✓ | ✓ |
| Multi-Language | ✕ | ✕ |
| Web Push Notifications | ✕ | ✕ |
| Live Chat | ✓ | ✕ |
| Advanced Analytics | ✓ | ✕ |
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 1,000 subscribers
- −No SMS marketing
- −Fewer integrations than competitors
- −Strict approval process for new accounts
- −Limited automation compared to ActiveCampaign
Sendy: Pros & Cons
Pros
- +Extreme cost savings — one-time $69 license with Amazon SES sending at ~$1 per 10,000 emails
- +Unlimited subscribers with no tier-based pricing that punishes list growth
- +Full data ownership and privacy since everything is self-hosted on your own server
- +Clean, focused interface without bloated features — does exactly what it promises
- +White-label multi-brand support allows managing multiple client accounts from one install
Cons
- −Requires technical skills for server setup, installation, and ongoing maintenance
- −No built-in A/B testing, landing page builder, or advanced automation workflows
- −UI feels dated and lacks modern design polish compared to SaaS competitors
- −Limited customer support — solo developer product with slow response times reported
- −No drag-and-drop email editor; requires HTML knowledge for custom templates
The Verdict
MailerLite edges ahead with a 4.6/5 rating compared to Sendy's 4.2/5. The gap comes mainly from ease of use (4.8 vs 3.9) and value for money (4.8 vs 4.3). On deliverability, MailerLite reports 97% compared to 95% for Sendy — a meaningful difference if inbox placement is critical for your campaigns.
| Criterion | Weight | MailerLite | Sendy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | 30% | $12/mo | $69/mo |
| Deliverability | 25% | 97% | 95% |
| Rating | 25% | 4.6/5 | 4.2/5 |
| Integrations | 10% | 140 | 20 |
| Free Tier | 10% | Yes | No |
Weights determine how much each criterion counts toward the final score. See full methodology
Choose MailerLite if…
- + You want lower starting costs ($12/mo)
- + You need a free plan to get started
- + You need ecommerce integrations
- + You need built-in landing pages
Choose Sendy if…
- + You're a cost conscious email marketers with large lists
- + You're a technical users comfortable with self hosting and server management
- + Extreme cost savings — one-time $69 license with Amazon SES sending at ~$1 per 10,000 emails