Keila vs Listmonk: which open-source newsletter tool should you self-host?

Keila and Listmonk are the two open-source newsletter tools people actually shortlist. Neither has automation. Both are free. Both send through a relay you supply. The real question is who touches the software every week. Keila is the one you hand to a writer. Listmonk is the one you hand to a server.

Quick answer

Pick Keila if a non-developer writes and sends the newsletter, or if you are in the EU and want a DSGVO story that is easy to explain. Pick Listmonk if you want the smallest footprint, the highest throughput, and a clean API to drive it from your own code. If you need drip sequences, neither one has them today, and Broadcast is a $250 one-time license that does.

Conflict of interest

We make Broadcast, a paid self-hosted alternative to both. We have run Keila and Listmonk ourselves and this page tries to be fair to each. If something reads as unfair, tell us and we will fix it.

At a glance

Keila Listmonk
What it is Newsletter tool with a polished UI Newsletter and mailing list manager
Language Elixir on Phoenix Go
License AGPL, free AGPL, free
Runs as Official Docker image One binary plus Postgres
Automation On the roadmap, not shipped None built in
Segments Yes Yes
Scheduled sends Yes Yes
API Yes Clean and well documented
Managed option Keila Cloud, 8 to 256 euros a month None
Best for Writers and EU teams Developers who want speed

What each one is for

Keila is built in Germany in Elixir on Phoenix. It has the most polished interface among open-source email tools, and that is the whole pitch. Segments and scheduled sends work today. Automations and A/B testing are on the roadmap as of mid-2026, so do not plan around them. There is an official Docker image, and there is Keila Cloud if you would rather someone else ran it.

Listmonk is a Go binary and a Postgres database. You import a list, write a campaign, and send it. It is fast, it holds up under high volume on a small server, and its API is clean enough that people drive it from scripts rather than from the UI. The maintainer ships releases consistently. Reporting is spare and the subscribe form is one basic embed.

Setup and operations

Listmonk is the smaller thing to run. One binary, one database, one config file. Upgrades mean swapping the binary and running a migration.

Keila ships an official Docker image, so the first install is not hard either. The difference shows up later. Elixir hosting is less common than PHP or Node, so when something goes wrong at the runtime layer there are fewer people around who have seen it before. If your team already runs Docker and nothing more, this rarely comes up. If you want to debug the BEAM at 2am, know what you are signing up for.

Both need a relay. Amazon SES, any SMTP server, your choice.

The interface

This is the honest reason most people choose Keila. Composing a campaign in Keila feels like using a product someone designed. Listmonk feels like an admin panel, because that is what it is.

If the person sending the newsletter is the same person who deployed it, Listmonk’s interface is not a problem. If you are handing the tool to a marketer or a writer, Keila will generate far fewer questions.

Automation

Neither has it.

Listmonk has no drip sequences, no triggered emails, and no branching, and the project has not made them a priority. If you need a welcome series, you write it against the API and run it from cron.

Keila lists automations on its roadmap. Roadmaps are not features. As of mid-2026 you can schedule a send and you can segment a list, and that is where it stops.

So if your requirement is a welcome series or a behaviour-triggered email, this comparison does not have your answer in it. You either build it yourself or you pick a tool that ships it.

Cost

Both are free to license. What you pay for is the server and your time.

Who should pick what

Choose Keila if: - Someone who is not a developer writes and sends the newsletter. - You are in the EU and want DSGVO compliance that is short to explain. - You would consider paying for a managed EU-hosted version later.

Choose Listmonk if: - You want the smallest possible thing to run and the highest throughput per dollar. - You plan to drive campaigns from your own code through the API. - A plain admin UI is fine because you are the only one using it.

Consider Broadcast if: - You need welcome series and triggered sequences now, not on a roadmap. - You want a single Docker image, an installer, and someone to email when a send goes wrong. - A one-time $250 license beats writing and maintaining your own cron jobs. Details on Broadcast vs Keila and Broadcast vs Listmonk.

Frequently asked

Is Keila or Listmonk easier to set up?

Both are straightforward. Listmonk is one binary plus Postgres. Keila has an official Docker image. Listmonk is the lighter thing to keep running because Go binaries are simple to operate and Elixir hosting is less common.

Does Keila have automation that Listmonk lacks?

No. Neither has drip sequences today. Keila has automations on its roadmap as of mid-2026 but they are not shipped. Listmonk does not have them either.

Which one has the better interface?

Keila, clearly. It has the most polished UI of any open-source email tool. Listmonk’s UI is an admin panel and works fine if a developer is the one using it.

Is Keila faster than Listmonk?

No. Listmonk is written in Go and sustains high throughput on modest hardware. Keila is fine for normal newsletter volume, but raw sending speed is Listmonk’s strength.

Which is better for GDPR or DSGVO?

Keila has the stronger story. It is built in Germany and Keila Cloud is hosted in the EU. That said, self-hosting Listmonk on an EU server also keeps the data where you want it.

Can I move from Keila to Listmonk, or the other way?

Subscribers move as CSV in either direction. Neither has automation graphs to lose. Moving to Broadcast works the same way: CSV import with tags and custom fields intact.

Sequences that ship today

Broadcast is self-hosted like Keila and Listmonk, with drip sequences and conditional branching built in rather than on a roadmap. One Docker image, your own ESP, a $250 one-time license, and email support when you need it.

How Broadcast works Try the live demo

Still deciding?

Comparisons cover the tradeoffs. How To covers whether Broadcast does the specific thing you need, organized by what you are trying to accomplish rather than by feature name. If the answer is no, it says no.

Browse How To Segment subscribers Branch a sequence Bring an existing list