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Email Marketing · head to head

Listmonk vs MailerLite

Listmonk logo

Listmonk

Email Marketing

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
MailerLite logo

MailerLite

Email Marketing

Email marketing tools priced by subscriber count

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: 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.; MailerLite free plan caps at 250 subscribers, 2,500 monthly emails and 2 user seats
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Listmonk and MailerLite actually diverge.

Attributes where Listmonk and MailerLite differ
AttributeListmonkMailerLite
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feesubscription
PlatformsWeb, Self-hosted, Docker, Linux, macOS, WindowsWeb

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 Listmonk

  • Single binary deployment
  • SQL segmentation
  • Multi-SMTP queues
  • Arbitrary subscriber attributes
  • Go templating
  • Transactional API
  • Bounce processing
  • Messenger webhooks

Only in MailerLite

Nothing recorded that Listmonk does not also cover.

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

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 MailerLite
  • A developer wants campaign audiences defined by an arbitrary SQL query against subscriber attributes, which no hosted segment builder will express.not MailerLite
  • 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 MailerLite
  • 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 MailerLite

MailerLite

  • Email marketing automation for small to mid-sized businessesnot Listmonk
  • Newsletter campaigns with subscriber managementnot Listmonk

Where each one falls short

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

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.

MailerLite

  • Free plan caps at 250 subscribers, 2,500 monthly emails and 2 user seats
  • Comfort plan is limited to 3 user seats; unlimited seats require the Power plan
  • Pricing scales with subscriber count and email volume rather than a flat seat rate, and resets to the plan's subscriber ceiling each billing anniversary
  • Annual billing earns only a 10% discount versus monthly, smaller than many competitors' annual discounts

Pricing, plan by plan

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

MailerLite

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Up to 250 subscribers
    • 2,500 monthly emails
    • Email campaigns
  • Comfort$12/monthly
    • Monthly emails equal to 10x subscriber tier ceiling
    • Subscriber-dependent pricing tiers
    • Full feature set
  • Power$25/monthly
    • Unlimited monthly emails
    • Unlimited seats
    • Unlimited automations
  • Enterprise$null/custom
    • Custom pricing for 200K+ subscribers
    • Dedicated success manager
    • Priority support

Which should you pick?

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

Choose MailerLite if

  • You want to start without paying.
MailerLite review

Questions people ask

Is Listmonk or MailerLite better?
Neither clearly leads. Listmonk starts at Free and MailerLite at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Listmonk or MailerLite?
Listmonk starts at Free and MailerLite at Free.
Does Listmonk or MailerLite run on more platforms?
Listmonk runs on Web, Self-hosted, Docker, Linux, macOS, Windows. MailerLite runs on Web.
Can I use Listmonk for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Listmonk best used for?
Listmonk is most often used for 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., a developer wants campaign audiences defined by an arbitrary sql query against subscriber attributes, which no hosted segment builder will express., an organisation under privacy or data residency rules needs subscriber data to stay on infrastructure it controls, which rules out every hosted newsletter platform., 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.. Of those, 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. and a developer wants campaign audiences defined by an arbitrary sql query against subscriber attributes, which no hosted segment builder will express. are not what MailerLite is typically brought in for.
What can Listmonk do that MailerLite cannot?
Listmonk covers Single binary deployment, SQL segmentation, Multi-SMTP queues, Arbitrary subscriber attributes.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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.

MailerLite: Can I switch between annual and monthly billing?

MailerLite offers both monthly and annual billing options. Annual billing provides a 10% discount compared to monthly billing. Both USD and EUR currency options are available for payment.

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.

MailerLite: What happens when I exceed the monthly email limit on my plan?

On the Comfort plan, monthly emails are determined by your subscriber tier ceiling. The Power plan includes unlimited monthly emails. For precise overage details, contact MailerLite support.

Source
Listmonk: What licence is it under?

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

MailerLite: Is there a free plan and what are its limitations?

The Free plan supports up to 250 subscribers and 2,500 monthly emails, with access to email campaigns, 3 automations, website and landing page builder, and signup forms. No payment required to use the free plan.

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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