MailerLite Alternatives (2026)
MailerLite is one of the cheaper hosted email platforms, and for many small lists it is a good choice. People start looking elsewhere for three reasons: the bill grows with every subscriber tier, the free plan now stops at 250 subscribers, and new accounts go through an approval review before they can send.
Conflict of interest: we make Broadcast, one of the options below. The table covers the others fairly, including where they beat us.
MailerLite alternatives compared
| Tool | Hosting | How it charges | Pick it when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brevo | Hosted | By emails sent, not contacts | You have a big list you email now and then |
| Kit | Hosted | Free to 10,000 subscribers, then by subscriber count | You are a creator selling products, or want a bigger free plan |
| Mailchimp | Hosted | By contact count | You need its integrations and don’t mind paying more |
| Beehiiv | Hosted | Free to 2,500 subscribers, then monthly plans | You run a newsletter and want growth and ad tools |
| Listmonk | Self-hosted | Free, open source; you pay for the server and sending | You are a developer who wants a lean list manager |
| Broadcast | Self-hosted | $250 once; you pay your own sending | You want automations and segments with no per-subscriber bill |
Why people leave MailerLite
The price follows your list. MailerLite’s Comfort plan is $89 a month at 10,000 subscribers and $289 at 50,000 (MailerLite pricing). Each new tier raises the bill whether or not you send more.
The free plan got smaller. It now covers 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails a month, with MailerLite branding.
Account approval. MailerLite reviews new accounts and can hold or suspend sending if a list or its content looks risky. That protects its shared sending reputation, but it is frustrating when you are importing an existing list you know is clean.
Broadcast vs MailerLite
| Broadcast | MailerLite | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | $250 once | Monthly, by subscriber count |
| Subscribers | Unlimited | Priced by tier |
| Hosting | Your server | MailerLite’s cloud |
| Sending | Your choice: Amazon SES, Postmark, Mailgun or any SMTP | MailerLite’s shared infrastructure |
| Automations and segments | Included, no limits | Limited on Comfort, unlimited on Power |
| Website and landing page builder | Opt-in forms and confirmation pages only | Yes |
| Setup and maintenance | You run it | Fully managed |
MailerLite wins on its website builder, digital products and zero setup. Broadcast wins when the monthly bill, account approvals or data ownership matter more.
What it costs
For 10,000 subscribers getting a weekly newsletter, MailerLite Comfort is $89 a month, $1,068 a year. Broadcast is $250 once, plus about $4 a month in Amazon SES fees and a few dollars for a small server. Run your own numbers with the pricing calculator.
Moving from MailerLite
Export your subscribers from MailerLite as a CSV, including custom fields and groups. Import it into your new tool, mapping fields and turning groups into tags or segments. Set up SPF, DKIM and DMARC on your sending domain before the first send, and warm up slowly if you move to your own sending service. Our guide to bringing an existing list walks through the import.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best MailerLite alternative?
It depends on why you are leaving. For cost at high volume, a self-hosted tool on Amazon SES. For a bigger free plan, Kit. For large lists you email rarely, Brevo.
Is there a free MailerLite alternative?
Kit is free up to 10,000 subscribers, and Brevo’s free plan allows 300 emails a day. Listmonk is free open-source software if you can run a server.
Is MailerLite cheaper than Mailchimp?
Usually, yes. At 10,000 subscribers MailerLite Comfort is $89 a month and Mailchimp Standard about $135.
