Marketing · head to head
Fathom Analytics vs Listmonk

Listmonk
Email Marketing
Self-hosted newsletter and mailing list manager that ships as a single Go binary
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Listmonk has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Fathom Analytics there is no free tier, only a 7 day trial; Listmonk it is not an email service provider. It hands mail to SMTP servers you configure and does nothing about IP warm-up, domain reputation, DKIM, DMARC or inbox placement, so deliverability failures are entirely yours to diagnose and fix.
- They diverge on capability: Fathom Analytics covers Page view tracking, Listmonk covers Single binary deployment.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Fathom Analytics and Listmonk actually diverge.
| Attribute | Fathom Analytics | Listmonk |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $14/month | Free |
| Pricing model | subscription | Open source, no licence fee |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Web | Web, Self-hosted, Docker, Linux, macOS, Windows |
| Category | Marketing | Email Marketing |
| Founded | 2014 | Unknown |
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Fathom Analytics
- Page view tracking
- Goal tracking
- Real-time analytics
- Referrer tracking
- Privacy-focused
- GDPR compliant
- Cloud deployment
- Web support
Only in Listmonk
- Single binary deployment
- SQL segmentation
- Multi-SMTP queues
- Arbitrary subscriber attributes
- Go templating
- Transactional API
- Bounce processing
- Messenger webhooks
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Fathom Analytics
- Privacy-focused web analytics without cookie bannersnot Listmonk
- A lightweight Google Analytics replacementnot Listmonk
- Tracking many sites from one accountnot Listmonk
- Long-term historical reporting while subscribednot Listmonk
Listmonk
- A publisher with hundreds of thousands of subscribers faces a five-figure annual bill from a hosted provider and can send the same volume through Amazon SES for a fraction of it.not Fathom Analytics
- A developer wants campaign audiences defined by an arbitrary SQL query against subscriber attributes, which no hosted segment builder will express.not Fathom Analytics
- An organisation under privacy or data residency rules needs subscriber data to stay on infrastructure it controls, which rules out every hosted newsletter platform.not Fathom Analytics
- An open source project or nonprofit needs a mailing list tool with no per-subscriber cost, where the list will grow faster than any budget for it.not Fathom Analytics
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Fathom Analytics
- There is no free tier, only a 7 day trial
- Priced on pageviews, from $45 a month at the 500,000 pageview level
- Custom events count against the pageview allowance rather than being tracked separately
- Site allowances come in packs, with additional 50-site packs at $10 a month
- Data is retained forever only while the subscription is active
Listmonk
- It is not an email service provider. It hands mail to SMTP servers you configure and does nothing about IP warm-up, domain reputation, DKIM, DMARC or inbox placement, so deliverability failures are entirely yours to diagnose and fix.
- Running it means running PostgreSQL, backups, upgrades and a mail relay, and the true cost is the engineering time to keep that stack healthy rather than the zero licence fee.
- The campaign editor and analytics are basic next to Mailchimp or Klaviyo: reporting is limited to opens, clicks and bounces, with no revenue attribution, no ecommerce integration and no deep engagement scoring.
- SQL-based segmentation puts audience definition beyond a non-technical marketer, so a marketing team without engineering support will be blocked on routine tasks.
- The AGPLv3 licence obliges you to release source modifications if you offer the software as a network service, which is a real constraint for anyone considering embedding it in a commercial product.
Pricing, plan by plan
Fathom Analytics
$14/month- Starter$14/month
- Unlimited page views
- 1 site
- Real-time analytics
Listmonk
Free- Self-hostedFree
- Full AGPLv3 source
- Unlimited subscribers and campaigns
- No feature gating and no send limits in the software
- Third-party managed hosting$undefined/month
- Several unaffiliated providers offer hosted Listmonk
- No official hosted service from the maintainer
- Prices vary by provider and are not published centrally
Which should you pick?
Choose Fathom Analytics if
- You need page view tracking.
- You also want goal tracking.
Choose Listmonk if
- You need single binary deployment.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Self-hosted, Docker, Linux, macOS, Windows.
- You also want sql segmentation.
Questions people ask
- Is Fathom Analytics or Listmonk better?
- Neither clearly leads. Fathom Analytics starts at $14/month and Listmonk at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Fathom Analytics or Listmonk?
- Listmonk has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $14/month for Fathom Analytics and Free for Listmonk.
- Does Fathom Analytics or Listmonk run on more platforms?
- Fathom Analytics runs on Web. Listmonk runs on Web, Self-hosted, Docker, Linux, macOS, Windows.
- Can I use Listmonk for free?
- Yes. Listmonk has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Fathom Analytics starts at $14/month.
- What is Fathom Analytics best used for?
- Fathom Analytics is most often used for privacy-focused web analytics without cookie banners, a lightweight google analytics replacement, tracking many sites from one account, long-term historical reporting while subscribed. Of those, privacy-focused web analytics without cookie banners and a lightweight google analytics replacement are not what Listmonk is typically brought in for.
- What can Fathom Analytics do that Listmonk cannot?
- Fathom Analytics covers Page view tracking, Goal tracking, Real-time analytics, Referrer tracking. Listmonk covers Single binary deployment, SQL segmentation, Multi-SMTP queues, Arbitrary subscriber attributes.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Fathom Analytics: How much does Fathom Analytics cost?
Fathom's entry-level plan costs $45/month for up to 500,000 pageviews. Higher volume tiers exist (1M, 2M, 10M, 25M+ pageviews) with custom pricing. Yearly billing provides 2 months free.
SourceListmonk: Does Listmonk send my emails?
No. It composes, queues and tracks campaigns, then hands the messages to SMTP servers you provide, such as Amazon SES, Postmark or your own relay.
Fathom Analytics: Is there a free trial for Fathom Analytics?
Yes, Fathom offers a 7-day free trial. There is no free tier after the trial ends.
SourceListmonk: What does it cost to run?
The software is free. The real cost is a small server, a PostgreSQL database and per-email SMTP charges, which through SES are a fraction of hosted newsletter pricing at large list sizes.
Fathom Analytics: What happens if my pageviews exceed my plan limit?
Fathom handles usage overage graciously, only upgrading your plan after two consecutive months over your limit. There are no immediate overage charges.
SourceListmonk: What licence is it under?
AGPLv3, which requires you to publish modifications if you offer it as a network service to others.
Fathom Analytics: Can I add extra sites to my Fathom plan?
Yes, extra sites cost $10/month per 50-site pack, or $100/year (which includes two months free). All plans include a minimum of 50 included sites.
SourceListmonk: Is there an official hosted version?
No. Some unaffiliated providers offer managed Listmonk, but the maintainer does not run a hosted service.
Fathom Analytics: Can I cancel Fathom without a long contract?
Yes, there are no contracts and cancellation is flexible. Fathom does not lock customers into agreements.
SourceRelated pages
More on Fathom Analytics
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