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Email Marketing · head to head

EmailOctopus vs Listmonk

EmailOctopus logo

EmailOctopus

Email Marketing

Affordable email marketing

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: EmailOctopus free tier limited to 2,500 subscribers; 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 EmailOctopus and Listmonk actually diverge.

Attributes where EmailOctopus and Listmonk differ
AttributeEmailOctopusListmonk
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 EmailOctopus

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.

EmailOctopus

  • Building email lists with unlimited landing pagesnot Listmonk
  • Team collaboration on email campaignsnot Listmonk
  • Automated subscriber onboarding flowsnot Listmonk
  • Multi-user email campaign managementnot 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 EmailOctopus
  • A developer wants campaign audiences defined by an arbitrary SQL query against subscriber attributes, which no hosted segment builder will express.not EmailOctopus
  • 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 EmailOctopus
  • 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 EmailOctopus

Where each one falls short

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

EmailOctopus

  • Free tier limited to 2,500 subscribers
  • Free tier requires EmailOctopus branding on emails
  • Free tier reports only retained 30 days

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

EmailOctopus

Free
  • StarterFree
    • Up to 2,500 subscribers
    • 10,000 monthly emails
    • 1 user account
  • Pro$9/month
    • Unlimited subscribers
    • 10,000 monthly emails
    • Unlimited user accounts

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 EmailOctopus if

  • You want to start without paying.
EmailOctopus 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 EmailOctopus or Listmonk better?
Neither clearly leads. EmailOctopus 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, EmailOctopus or Listmonk?
EmailOctopus starts at Free and Listmonk at Free.
Does EmailOctopus or Listmonk run on more platforms?
EmailOctopus runs on Web. Listmonk runs on Web, Self-hosted, Docker, Linux, macOS, Windows.
Can I use EmailOctopus for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is EmailOctopus best used for?
EmailOctopus is most often used for building email lists with unlimited landing pages, team collaboration on email campaigns, automated subscriber onboarding flows, multi-user email campaign management. Of those, building email lists with unlimited landing pages and team collaboration on email campaigns are not what Listmonk is typically brought in for.
What can EmailOctopus do that Listmonk cannot?
Listmonk covers Single binary deployment, SQL segmentation, Multi-SMTP queues, Arbitrary subscriber attributes.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

EmailOctopus: Is there a free version of EmailOctopus?

Yes, EmailOctopus offers a free plan supporting up to 2,500 subscribers with 10,000 monthly emails. The free tier includes EmailOctopus branding on emails and reports are retained for only 30 days. The Pro plan starts at $9/month for unlimited 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.

EmailOctopus: What discount does EmailOctopus offer for annual billing?

EmailOctopus offers 10% savings when you pay annually versus monthly. Nonprofits receive an additional 20% lifetime discount on all plans.

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.

EmailOctopus: Are there any long-term contracts required?

No, EmailOctopus has no long-term contracts. You can cancel your plan anytime and switch between monthly and yearly billing options.

Source
Listmonk: What licence is it under?

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

EmailOctopus: How many users can access one EmailOctopus account?

The free Starter plan includes 1 user. The Pro plan includes unlimited user accounts at no additional cost.

Source
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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