MailerLite vs Substack
MailerLite is a email marketing platform while Substack is a newsletter platform. MailerLite has been around since 2010, giving it a 7-year head start over Substack (founded 2017). MailerLite starts at $12/mo, while Substack is free. 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 deliverability, rating, integrations.
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.
Substack
The newsletter platform where writers build independent media businesses
Substack is the dominant newsletter platform that uniquely combines free publishing tools with a 10% revenue-share model, letting writers launch subscription-based media businesses with zero upfront cost. Beyond newsletters, it has evolved into a full creator ecosystem with podcasts, video, livestreaming, Notes (microblogging), and community Chat, backed by a powerful built-in discovery network that helps writers find audiences organically.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | MailerLite | Substack |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.6/5 | 4.4/5 |
| Starting Price | $12/mo | Free |
| Free Plan | 250 subscribers, 2,500 emails/month | Unlimited subscribers, unlimited emails, all core features free — Substack only charges when you earn |
| Founded | 2010 | 2017 |
| Email Templates | 90 | 1 |
| Integrations | 140 | 0 |
| Deliverability Rate | 97% | 95% |
| Marketing Automation | Yes | No |
| A/B Testing | Yes | No |
| Landing Pages | Yes | No |
| Segmentation | Yes | No |
| Drag & Drop Editor | Yes | No |
| SMS Marketing | No | No |
| Ecommerce Features | Yes | No |
| API Access | Yes | No |
| Multi-Language | No | No |
| Web Push Notifications | No | No |
| Live Chat | Yes | No |
| Advanced Analytics | Yes | No |
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
Substack: Pros & Cons
Pros
- + Completely free to start with no upfront costs — zero barrier to entry with all core publishing features available immediately
- + Built-in audience discovery network with Recommendations and Notes driving organic subscriber growth (users report gaining 1,000+ subscribers through Recommendations alone)
- + True content ownership: creators can export their full subscriber list and content at any time to migrate elsewhere
- + Multimedia platform supporting newsletters, podcasts, video, livestreaming, Notes, and Chat communities in a single integrated experience
- + Strong reader engagement with genuine community interaction through comments, Chat, and Notes — higher engagement rates than typical social media platforms
Cons
- − The 10% platform fee plus Stripe's ~2.9% + $0.30 per transaction creates a 13-16% total take rate that becomes very expensive at scale (e.g., $1,300-$1,600/month on $10K revenue)
- − No email marketing automation, segmentation, A/B testing, or advanced personalization — all subscribers receive identical emails with no conditional logic
- − No public API and zero native third-party integrations — cannot connect to CRMs, e-commerce platforms, Zapier, or other marketing tools
- − Limited design customization with a single standardized template — no drag-and-drop editor, no custom HTML, and minimal branding options
- − Platform can remove content or delete accounts without notice, and customer support is difficult to reach for issue resolution
The Verdict
MailerLite and Substack are closely matched — both score within 0.2 points of each other in our overall rating. Your decision should come down to specific needs rather than overall quality. On deliverability, MailerLite reports 97% compared to 95% for Substack — a meaningful difference if inbox placement is critical for your campaigns.
| Criterion | Weight | MailerLite | Substack |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | 30% | $12/mo | Free |
| Deliverability | 25% | 97% Winner | 95% |
| Rating | 25% | 4.6/5 Winner | 4.4/5 |
| Integrations | 10% | 140 Winner | 0 |
| Free Tier | 10% | Yes | Yes |
Weights determine how much each criterion counts toward the final score. See full methodology
Choose MailerLite if…
- + You need marketing automation
- + You need ecommerce integrations
- + You need API access for custom integrations
- + You need built-in landing pages
Choose Substack if…
- + You're a independent writers and journalists
- + You're a newsletter creators monetizing through paid subscriptions
- + Completely free to start with no upfront costs — zero barrier to entry with all core publishing features available immediately