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Email Marketing · head to head

Flodesk vs Listmonk

Flodesk logo

Flodesk

Email Marketing

Email marketing built for creators and small business

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Listmonk logo

Listmonk

Email Marketing

Self-hosted newsletter and mailing list manager that ships as a single Go binary

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Flodesk variable pricing per subscriber with no clear rate card; 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.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Flodesk and Listmonk actually diverge.

Attributes where Flodesk and Listmonk differ
AttributeFlodeskListmonk
Pricing modelfreemiumOpen source, no licence fee
PlatformsWebWeb, Self-hosted, Docker, Linux, macOS, Windows

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Email Marketing).

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 Flodesk

Nothing recorded that Listmonk does not also cover.

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.

Flodesk

  • Designers creating branded emails without external design softwarenot Listmonk
  • Content creators building automations with high form conversionnot Listmonk
  • Small entrepreneurs consolidating multiple email tool costsnot Listmonk
  • Membership businesses processing recurring payments through checkoutnot 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 Flodesk
  • A developer wants campaign audiences defined by an arbitrary SQL query against subscriber attributes, which no hosted segment builder will express.not Flodesk
  • 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 Flodesk
  • 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 Flodesk

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Flodesk

  • Variable pricing per subscriber with no clear rate card
  • Prices scale based on subscriber count and can vary significantly within each tier

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

Flodesk

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Unlimited active subscribers
    • Forms, landing pages, audience segmentation
    • Email sending with analytics
  • Lite$0.25/month
    • Up to 25,000 subscribers
    • Unlimited email sends
    • Email analytics
  • Pro$0.28/month
    • Up to 255,000 subscribers
    • Unlimited workflows
    • Advanced analytics
  • Everything$0.54/month
    • Up to 255,000 subscribers
    • Unlimited integrated checkouts
    • Sales pages, subscriptions, payment plans

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 Flodesk if

  • You want to start without paying.
Flodesk review

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.
Listmonk review

Questions people ask

Is Flodesk or Listmonk better?
Neither clearly leads. Flodesk starts at Free and Listmonk at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Flodesk or Listmonk?
Flodesk starts at Free and Listmonk at Free.
Does Flodesk or Listmonk run on more platforms?
Flodesk runs on Web. Listmonk runs on Web, Self-hosted, Docker, Linux, macOS, Windows.
Can I use Flodesk for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Flodesk best used for?
Flodesk is most often used for designers creating branded emails without external design software, content creators building automations with high form conversion, small entrepreneurs consolidating multiple email tool costs, membership businesses processing recurring payments through checkout. Of those, designers creating branded emails without external design software and content creators building automations with high form conversion are not what Listmonk is typically brought in for.
What can Flodesk do that Listmonk cannot?
Listmonk covers Single binary deployment, SQL segmentation, Multi-SMTP queues, Arbitrary subscriber attributes.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Flodesk: How much does Flodesk cost?

Flodesk offers a free plan and four paid plans with variable pricing based on subscriber count. Lite ranges from $0.25 to $25 per month, Pro from $0.28 to $1,457 per month, and Everything from $0.54 to $1,766 per month for up to 255,000 subscribers.

Source
Listmonk: 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.

Flodesk: Is there a free version of Flodesk?

Yes, Flodesk offers a free plan that includes forms, landing pages, audience segmentation, and unlimited email sending to unlimited active subscribers.

Source
Listmonk: 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.

Flodesk: Does Flodesk offer annual billing discounts?

Annual plans offer 1 month free compared to monthly billing, providing a discount for customers who commit to annual subscriptions.

Source
Listmonk: What licence is it under?

AGPLv3, which requires you to publish modifications if you offer it as a network service to others.

Listmonk: Is there an official hosted version?

No. Some unaffiliated providers offer managed Listmonk, but the maintainer does not run a hosted service.

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