5 Best MailerLite Alternatives in 2025
Last updated: February 2026 • 17 min read
MailerLite is a popular tool for small businesses wanting affordable email marketing. While it offers a free tier (Up to 1,000 subscribers), its paid plans start at $9/mo. Whether you're looking for a cheaper option, better features, or an open-source solution, we've compiled the 5 best MailerLite alternatives to help you find the right fit.
📋 Quick Summary
- Total alternatives: 5
- Free alternatives: 5 (Mailchimp, ConvertKit (Kit), Brevo (Sendinblue))
- Best overall: Mailchimp
- Best free: Mailchimp
Why Look for MailerLite Alternatives?
People commonly look for MailerLite alternatives for several reasons:
- Cost: While MailerLite has a free tier, its paid plans starting at $9/mo can add up quickly for growing teams.
- Feature gaps: Limited advanced features and basic automation are common complaints.
- Simplicity: Some users find MailerLite overly complex for their needs and prefer simpler solutions.
- Data ownership: Organizations wanting data sovereignty prefer open-source, self-hosted alternatives.
- Better fit: Different tools excel at different use cases — you may find a tool that's specifically built for your workflow.
📊 Quick Comparison Table
| Tool | Free Tier | Starting Price | Rating | Open Source | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MailerLite | ✓ Up to 1,000 subscribers | $9/mo | ⭐ 4.4 | No | Small businesses wanting affordable email marketing |
| Mailchimp | ✓ 500 contacts, 1,000 sends/mo | $13/mo | ⭐ 4.1 | No | Small businesses getting started with email marketing |
| ConvertKit (Kit) | ✓ Up to 10,000 subscribers | $25/mo | ⭐ 4.4 | No | Content creators and newsletter writers |
| Brevo (Sendinblue) | ✓ 300 emails/day | $25/mo | ⭐ 4.1 | No | Businesses wanting multichannel marketing on a budget |
| EmailOctopus | ✓ Up to 2,500 subscribers | $8/mo | ⭐ 4.2 | No | Budget-conscious businesses |
| Buttondown | ✓ Up to 100 subscribers | $9/mo | ⭐ 4.3 | No | Technical writers and developers |
Detailed Reviews of Each Alternative
Mailchimp
All-in-one marketing platform for email campaigns and automation.
Mailchimp is one of the most recognizable email marketing platforms in the world, now offering a full marketing platform including email, social media, landing pages, and automation. Acquired by Intuit in 2021, Mailchimp serves millions of businesses with its easy-to-use tools and signature brand personality.
Pros
- ✓ Easy to use
- ✓ Great templates
- ✓ Comprehensive features
- ✓ Strong brand
Cons
- ✗ Gets expensive fast
- ✗ Limited free plan now
- ✗ Can be buggy
- ✗ Removes contacts actively
ConvertKit (Kit)
Email marketing platform designed for creators.
ConvertKit (now rebranding to Kit) is an email marketing platform built specifically for creators — bloggers, podcasters, YouTubers, and course creators. It focuses on subscriber-first email marketing with powerful automation, tagging, and landing pages designed to help creators grow their audience and revenue.
Pros
- ✓ Built for creators
- ✓ Generous free tier
- ✓ Great automations
- ✓ Creator Network
Cons
- ✗ Limited design options
- ✗ Basic analytics
- ✗ No A/B testing on free
- ✗ Higher pricing at scale
Brevo (Sendinblue)
All-in-one marketing platform for email, SMS, and chat.
Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) is an all-in-one marketing platform offering email marketing, SMS marketing, chat, CRM, and marketing automation. Known for its competitive pricing based on emails sent rather than contacts stored, Brevo is popular among businesses wanting multichannel marketing without breaking the bank.
Pros
- ✓ Multichannel marketing
- ✓ Pay by emails not contacts
- ✓ Good free tier
- ✓ Transactional email included
Cons
- ✗ Interface can be clunky
- ✗ Limited templates
- ✗ Basic landing pages
- ✗ Support can be slow
EmailOctopus
Simple, affordable email marketing for growing businesses.
EmailOctopus is a budget-friendly email marketing platform that offers all the essential features at a fraction of the cost of competitors. It provides a clean interface, automation capabilities, and landing pages, making it ideal for startups and small businesses watching their budget.
Pros
- ✓ Very affordable
- ✓ Good free tier
- ✓ Simple interface
- ✓ Great deliverability
Cons
- ✗ Limited advanced features
- ✗ Basic automation
- ✗ Fewer integrations
- ✗ Limited reporting
Buttondown
Minimal newsletter tool for independent writers.
Buttondown is a small, elegant tool for producing newsletters. Built and maintained by a single developer, it focuses on doing email newsletters well without bloat. It supports Markdown, has a clean API, and offers features like automation and analytics without the complexity of larger platforms.
Pros
- ✓ Simple and clean
- ✓ Markdown support
- ✓ Indie-built
- ✓ Great API
Cons
- ✗ Limited free tier
- ✗ Basic templates
- ✗ Small team
- ✗ Limited design options
🏆 Our Recommendations
❓ FAQ
What is the best free alternative to MailerLite?
The best free alternative to MailerLite is Mailchimp, which offers 500 contacts, 1,000 sends/mo.
Is there an open-source alternative to MailerLite?
There are no widely-used open-source alternatives to MailerLite at this time, but several affordable options exist.
What is the cheapest alternative to MailerLite?
The cheapest alternatives are the free options: Mailchimp, ConvertKit (Kit), Brevo (Sendinblue). For paid alternatives, prices start from as low as $8/mo.
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