Email Marketing · head to head
Listmonk vs Mailjet
Listmonk
Email Marketing
Self-hosted newsletter and mailing list manager that ships as a single Go binary
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
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.; Mailjet free plan caps at 6,000 emails per month with a hard 200 emails per day limit
- Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Listmonk and Mailjet actually diverge.
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 Mailjet
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 Mailjet
- A developer wants campaign audiences defined by an arbitrary SQL query against subscriber attributes, which no hosted segment builder will express.not Mailjet
- 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 Mailjet
- 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 Mailjet
Mailjet
- Email marketing campaigns for small to medium-sized businessesnot Listmonk
- Transactional email delivery with API and SMTP relaynot 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.
Mailjet
- Free plan caps at 6,000 emails per month with a hard 200 emails per day limit
- Starter plan is capped at 2,000 contacts; unlimited contacts require the Essential tier
- Email credits do not roll over and unused emails expire at the end of each billing cycle
- Essential and Premium plans both cap at 15,000 emails per month for $17 and $27 respectively, so the price increase buys other features, not more volume
Pricing, plan by plan
Listmonk
Free- Self-hostedFree
- Full AGPLv3 source
- Unlimited subscribers and campaigns
- No feature gating and no send limits in the software
- Third-party managed hosting$undefined/month
- Several unaffiliated providers offer hosted Listmonk
- No official hosted service from the maintainer
- Prices vary by provider and are not published centrally
Mailjet
Free- FreeFree
- 6,000 emails per month
- 200 emails per day limit
- 1,000 contacts
- Starter$9/monthly
- 8,000 emails per month
- 2,000 contacts
- Brand Kit
- Essential$17/monthly
- 15,000 emails per month
- Unlimited contacts
- Segmentation
- Premium$27/monthly
- 15,000 emails per month
- Advanced statistics
- Automations
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.
Questions people ask
- Is Listmonk or Mailjet better?
- Neither clearly leads. Listmonk starts at Free and Mailjet at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Listmonk or Mailjet?
- Listmonk starts at Free and Mailjet at Free.
- Does Listmonk or Mailjet run on more platforms?
- Listmonk runs on Web, Self-hosted, Docker, Linux, macOS, Windows. Mailjet 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 Mailjet is typically brought in for.
- What can Listmonk do that Mailjet 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.
Mailjet: Does Mailjet offer annual billing discounts?
Yes, Mailjet offers annual billing with a 10% discount compared to monthly billing. Both monthly and annual payment cycles are available for all paid plans.
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.
Mailjet: What payment currencies are supported?
Mailjet accepts payments in USD, EUR, and GBP. Currency selection is available during account setup and can be changed in account settings.
SourceListmonk: What licence is it under?
AGPLv3, which requires you to publish modifications if you offer it as a network service to others.
Mailjet: What features are limited on the Free plan?
The Free plan includes 6,000 emails per month with a 200 email per day limit, 1,000 contacts, basic statistics, form builder, and APIs. Advanced statistics, automations, landing pages, and team management require paid plans.
SourceListmonk: 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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