14 Best MailerLite Alternatives with Better Pricing

14 Best MailerLite Alternatives with Better Pricing
Denys Romanov Denys Romanov 26 september 2024, 11:54 128
For beginners

MailerLite has long been a go-to choice for businesses looking to amp up their email marketing efforts. But like with many other tools, its appeal has waned for some, especially for growing businesses that rely heavily on transactional emails.

If MailerLite no longer aligns with your needs or budget and you’re now in search of a perfectly balanced MailerLite alternative rooted in robust marketing functionality and high deliverability, you are in the right place.  

In this article, we’ll explore the 14 best MailerLite alternatives and help you find the right one to get your email marketing efforts off the ground while sticking to your budget. 

Let’s start with MailerLite’s strengths and see where MailerLite competitors stand out. 

Top Alternatives To MailerLite

Platform

Free Options

Best For 

Stands Out For

Starting Price

UniOne 

Free Trial 

Developers, small to medium-sized businesses, and large enterprises. 

Instant event notifications, webhooks, AI-powered HTML editor, click & 

unsubscribe tracking, 45 days of log retention, 400 days of campaign data storage.

$6 / month for 10,000 emails. 



Moosend

Free Trial

Marketers, small to medium-sized businesses. 

Custom reporting, automation workflows, AI-powered recommendations. 

$9/month for up to 500 subscribers. 

Brevo

Free Plan

Small-to-medium sized businesses, SaaS companies.

Email automation, customizable CRM functionalities.

$9 / month for 5,000 emails.

GetResponse

Free Trial

Small to mid-sized businesses, creators, E-commerce.

Comprehensive marketing suite, AI-powered email content suggestions. 

$19/month for unlimited email sends. 

SendPulse

Free Plan

Marketers, small-to-medium sized businesses.

AI-powered segmentation, personalization, automation, and integration with various platforms.

$10/month for up to 500 subscribers. 

Omnisend

Free Plan

Small and medium-sized businesses, ecommerce. 

Pre-built automation workflows, dynamic content features

$16/month for up to 500 contacts and 6,000 emails. 

ActiveCampaign

Free Trial

Mid-sized businesses, E-commerce. 

Dynamic content, CRM integrations, machine learning capabilities. 

$15/month for 10,000 emails. 

Mailchimp

Free Demo

E-commerce, Small to medium-sized businesses. 

Email marketing automation, landing page builder, CRM integration.

$9.27 / month for 5,000 emails. 

Mailjet

Free Plan

Marketers, and SMBs.

Drag-and-drop editor, A/B testing, advanced analytics, and segmentation.

$17 / month for 15,000 emails. 

ConvertKit

Free Trial

Bloggers, entrepreneurs

Visual automation templates and builder, customizable sign-up forms.

$15/month for up to 300 subscribers. 

Constant Contact

Free Trial

Small businesses. 

drag and drop editor, landing pages, event marketing, and social media integration.

12/month for up to 500 subscribers. 

Klaviyo

Free Plan

Mid-sized businesses to large enterprises, e-commerce

Real-time customer data, integration with e-commerce platforms like Shopify and Magento.

$45/month for up to 1,500 emails.

Aweber

Free Plan

Non-profits, small businesses, and entrepreneurs. 

Email automation, split testing, web push notifications.

$15/month for unlimited email sends. 

SendGrid

Free Plan

High volume transactional emails, developers.

Dynamic templates, email validations, sub-user management.

$19.95 / month for 10,000 emails.

What is MailerLite? 

MailerLite is an email automation company focusing on digital marketing. It helps businesses and solopreneurs run effective email marketing campaigns, gain more subscribers, and drive revenue. It offers tools to build subscriber lists, create emails using a drag-and-drop editor, automate email sequences, and analyze campaign performance. Additionally, it integrates with marketing tools and CRM to manage email marketing campaigns effectively.   

Why Are People Switching From MailerLite? 

Reason #1: Expensive

Users with high email volumes find MailerLite quite expensive. Starting at $35 a month for just 50,000 emails (with no dedicated IP, and data retention for 7 days only), the cost escalates quickly as the email list grows. A serious concern for businesses with high email volumes and a compelling reason to find alternatives to MailerLite.

Reason #2: Scalability Constraints

Larger businesses often surpass MailerLite’s capabilities and look for alternatives built to handle larger email volumes seamlessly.

Reason #3: Unsatisfactory Customer Service

MailerLite users often report slow responses to their queries, causing them to seek out support that is consistent and available 24/7. 

*The above reasons were taken from public online reviews of MailerLite users.

1. UniOne – Best For Reliable Email API

unione

UniOne transactional email service stands out as a top alternative to MailerLite – with an attractive free trial that outperforms MailerLite in several key areas, like: 

  • More emails with no branding, while MailerLite free trial users carry the MailerSend logo on their emails. 
  • 45 days of log retention vs. MailerLite's 7-day log retention.
  • 40+ ready-made email templates vs. only 3 for MailerLite users on a free trial. 
  • Support via email and live chat vs. MailerLite's email support only. 

Unlike MailerLite, UniOne paid plans are highly scalable and designed to meet the growing needs of startups, SMBs, and e-commerce brands that require high email deliverability and real-time tracking through API and SMTP integration.

Users can easily integrate UniOne’s email API into their existing system for workflow automation and streamlined operations.

Save time with 40+ ready-made templates, and customize them instantly. Drag-and-drop builder and AI-powered email editor ensure you can easily design something from scratch to meet your specific requirements.

UniOne handles email volumes of up to 60 million emails per hour, allowing you to scale up seamlessly as your email volume grows.

Email deliverability is one of UniOne's key strengths – standing at 99.88% – achieved through strict adherence to best practices, IP reputation management, and real-time monitoring.  

Additionally, it's one of the few platforms to offer White Label Email Marketing support – an attractive feature for agencies running clients' campaigns.

The best part is, users don't have to wait weeks for assistance, or waste time on automated bots. UniOne live chat and email support are available 24/7, 365 days to guide users through the process and address any concerns users might have.

Try Unione Free → 

Pros

  • Affordable – with plans starting at $6/month for 6,000 emails. 
  • Pre-designed templates – to help users create engaging emails in no time.
  • The ability to group email campaigns – by type, topic, and sender to help users monitor their campaigns.  
  • Advanced anti-spam measures – protect the sender's reputation and ensure deliverability.
  • Detailed analytics & advanced segmentation options – to help users fine-tune their campaigns.
  • 24/7 customer support – for immediate response to queries and concerns with a 95% customer satisfaction rate. 

Cons

  • No SMS integration (yet) – UniOne focuses solely on transactional email delivery as its best approach. 
  • Limited templates – though 40+ ready-made templates are provided, they might not suit all business types.  
  • Limited data storage – but users can purchase additional storage upon request.

Pricing

Free Plan

Duration: 4 months.

Email allowance: 6,000 emails per month.

Paid Plans

Paid plans are based on the number of emails sent per month:

  • $6/month: for up to 10,000 emails.
  • $11/month: for up to 20,000 emails.
  • $25/month: for up to 50,000 emails.

 

*Pricing information retrieved from UniOne in September 2024.

2. Moosend – Best For Advanced Automation And Segmentation

moosend

Moosend stands second on our best MailerLite alternatives list as an ideal solution for startups and online retailers searching for powerful automation tools for effective marketing campaigns and lead generation. 

It comes with an intuitive interface, which may yet require some learning to leverage everything Moosend is capable of. Whether you’re creating newsletters, automating tasks, or managing email marketing campaigns, Moosend simplifies the process and makes it easy to use. 

There’s a drag-and-drop editor and 70+ customizable templates for users to design conversion-focused emails in no time. Users can set up automated workflows, event-triggered emails, and interactive customer journeys for timely, meaningful interactions with customers. 

The advanced segmentation options in Moosend, coupled with real-time analytics help users achieve optimal results. 

Two other notable features are AI-powered hyper-personalization and a countdown timer (available only on premium plans). 

Moosend’s paid plans offer unlimited email campaigns, which is great – and what's not so great is their deliverability rate which is around 78.07%, as per the "Email Deliverability Report".

Pros

  • Unlimited emails – on all plans, which is great for small businesses on a modest budget. 
  • Ability to track website visits – which you can use to trigger automation.
  • Detailed reporting – covering everything from click heatmaps to geolocation insights and even client device information.

Cons

  • No transactional emails on a pro plan – while all paid plans offer unlimited emails, the $9/month pro plan does not include transactional emails unless you subscribe to Moosend+, a custom plan.
  • Basic email and form template library – which leads to users spending more time customizing or building from scratch. 
  • Less segmentation options – which makes it hard for users to send highly personalized emails. 
  • Insufficient A/B testing – focusing only on subject line variations, and users cannot compare more than two options simultaneously. 

Pricing

Free Plan

No free plan available but you can sign up for a free trial period of 30 days.

Paid Plans

  • $9/month: for up to 500 subscribers and unlimited email sends.
  • $16/month: for up to 1,000 subscribers and unlimited email sends.

Moosend has standard plans for up to 1,000,000 subscribers. 

 

*Pricing information retrieved from Moosend in September 2024.

3. Brevo – Best For Multi-Channel Marketing And Phone Support

brevo

Third on our MailerLite alternatives list is Brevo (ex Sendinblue), an all-in-one marketing solution with SMS marketing capabilities, a built-in CRM tool, the Conversations app, WhatsApp campaigns, and transactional email functionality. 

Ideal for businesses searching for a complete solution under one roof. 

Whether you’re new to email marketing or a seasoned pro, campaign creation and management are easy with Brevo. The platform features several mobile-friendly email templates for users to design converting emails without any prior design experience.

Users can segment audiences based on criteria, such as demographics or purchase history, targeting the right people at the right time with precisely targeted messages.

There’s a detailed analytics tab in Brevo that provides valuable insights into email performance, particularly open, click, and bounce rates.

Overall, a great all-in-one solution with enough features to help small and medium-sized businesses target their audiences more effectively.

Pros

  • Free to start – users can test the platform without financial commitment and have access to features like customized email templates, drag-and-drop editors, and transactional emails. 
  • Lead scoring – based on predefined criteria that assign scores to contacts automatically. 
  • Brevo Wordpress plugin – with more than 80,000 active installations, rated at 4.5 stars.

Cons

  • Limited free plan – with a modest daily sending limit (only 300 emails/day), and no landing pages, A/B testing, or analytics. 
  • Volume-based pricing can be restrictive – forcing users to purchase more emails than they need.
  • Additional $12/month to remove Brevo branding – applies to the starter plan which already costs $9 a month for 5,000 emails. 
  • Building landing pages costs extra – as it’s only available in the business plan. For an additional $24 per month, Brevo lets you purchase 5 more. 

Pricing

Free Plan

Free plan available – 300 emails daily to a contact list of 100,000 people

Paid Plan

  • $9/month: for up to 5,000 emails. 
  • $18/month: for up to 5,000 emails plus multi-user access and phone support. 

 

*Pricing information retrieved from Brevo in September 2024.

Check out the top Brevo alternatives as well.

4. GetResponse – Best For Comprehensive Marketing Suite With Webinars

getresponse

GetResponse is another all-in-one MailerLite alternative for businesses seeking effective promotional tools to interact with their audience through multiple means – like emails, SMS, web push notifications, live chat, pop-ups, and forms. 

Whether you want to send personalized emails, build interactive landing pages, or automate campaigns, it's easier with GetResponse. Users can create webinars right within the platform, a real time saver for event organizers.

One of the notable features of GetResponse is the ability to create custom conversion funnels for businesses of all types. This allows users to create a funnel and integrate marketing assets, like Facebook ads, landing pages, signup forms, and abandoned cart emails. Following that, users can view detailed reports that highlight user engagement and conversion rates at each stage.

You can start today with a basic email marketing plan that costs $19/month for 1,000 contacts, whereas advanced features like contact scoring, event-based workflows, and webinars are available only on higher-tier plans.  

Pros

  • Comprehensive feature set – ideal for anyone looking to handle an entire marketing campaign in one place. 
  • List automation option – helps segment the subscriber list automatically by adding various conditions.
  • Generative AI capabilities – which can be leveraged to create emails, landing pages, websites, autoresponders, and much more, in a few clicks, with no copywriting or design skills.

Cons

  • GetResponse is relatively expensive – and the cost is likely to rise with your growing contact list. 
  • Inefficient customer service – many users have expressed dissatisfaction with GetResponse's customer service and complained of delays and unhelpful responses. 
  • Fewer design customization options – several users have voiced frustration over the lack of global font styles and heading styles, having to format their emails manually.

Pricing

Free Plan

Free forever plan for up to 500 contacts.

Paid Plans

  • $19/month (email marketing): for up to 1,000 contacts.
  • $59/month (Marketing automation): for up to 1,000 contacts. 
  • $119/month (E-commerce marketing plan): for up to 1,000 contacts. 
  • $1,099/month (GetResponse Max): for up to 1,000 contacts. 

 

*Pricing information retrieved from GetResponse in September 2024.

5. SendPulse – Best For Multi-Channel Marketing

sendpulse

Next on our MailerLite alternatives list is SendPulse – a versatile marketing automation platform with decent pricing and tools to help businesses automate lead nurturing through different channels consisting of email, SMS, and web push notifications. 

Users can even monitor customer conversations across multiple channels. There’s a built-in spam checker that helps avoid blacklists and improve email delivery rates. 

Additionally, it includes a chatbot builder that helps users create automated Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Viber, Messenger, and Telegram flows, plus a CRM for managing customer relationships. There’s even a landing page builder for capturing leads via dedicated website pages.

While SendPulse has an impressive toolkit for a variety of marketing tasks, it may not meet the needs of users expecting highly advanced contact segmentation or detailed reporting.

Pros

  • An all-in-one solution – with email, SMS, web push notifications, and chatbot builder.
  • Cost-effective pricing plans – including a pay-as-you-go model with generous features. 
  • User-friendly interface – makes SendPulse easy to navigate and use by non-techies. 

Cons

  • Uncertain pricing structure – especially SMS costs that are calculated based on character count rather than a simple per-message fee.
  • High costs – even with cost-effective pricing, users find the overall fees to be on the higher side.
  • Unexpected account restrictions – several SendPulse users have reported account restrictions without prior warning or explanation.
  • Email deliverability issues – users have reported several instances in which legitimate emails were blocked by SendPulse's spam filters.
  • Unhelpful customer support – users have reported issues with customer support, including unhelpful and disrespectful interactions.

Pricing

Free Plan

Free plan available – 15,000 monthly emails for up to 500 subscribers.

Paid Plans

  • $10/month (standard): for up to 500 subscribers. 
  • $12/month (pro): for up to 500 subscribers. 
  • $16.80/month (enterprise): for up to 500 subscribers. 

 

*Pricing information retrieved from SendPulse in September 2024.

6. Omnisend – Best For E-commerce Automations

omnisend

Omnisend is a full-featured alternative to MailerLite with email and SMS marketing automation tools, specifically built for e-commerce. 

This platform is ideal for online retailers as it supports integration with leading eCommerce platforms like Shopify, WooCommerce, and BigCommerce. 

Omnisend can be used to launch effective campaigns using 350+ pre-built email & signup form templates to grow their customer base and revenue. 

There are audience segmentation and targeted campaign creation options to help marketers optimize their campaigns and maximize ROI.

Omnisend even allows users to manage customer reviews, send personalized product recommendations, and reminders for abandoned carts which ultimately boosts brand marketing efforts.

Pros

  • A generous free plan – includes all the advanced features of a paid plan.
  • Dynamic messaging feature – which helps boost e-commerce conversions. 
  • Detailed performance reports – with valuable insights to improve email marketing efforts. 
  • Pre-designed workflows – to automate email campaigns and save time. 
  • List building features – such as popups and signup forms to hepl build an audience.

Cons

  • Pricey – paid plans are determined by both the contact list and the number of emails.
  • Branding on the free plan – forces users to pay if they want to remove the Omnisend badge from their emails. 
  • No integration option – with Google Analytics or any other CRM software. 
  • E-commerce specific – may not be suitable for every business or niche. 

Pricing

Free Plan

Limited free plan available for up to 250 contacts and 500 monthly emails. 

Paid Plans

  • $16/month: Up to 500 contacts and 6,000 monthly emails sent.
  • $59/month: Up to 2500 contacts and unlimited emails.

 

*Pricing information retrieved from Omnisend in September 2024.

7. ActiveCampaign – Best For Pre-Built Automation Journeys

activecampaign

ActiveCampaign is an all-in-one MailerLite alternative with email marketing, automation, and CRM capabilities. This service is ideal for businesses that require several pre-built automation journeys, dynamic content options, and robust CRM tools, to create streamlined sequences.

Beginners, however, may find it difficult to learn and use due to its plethora of features. As for the basic email creation, it's quick and simple using the builder, which offers numerous content blocks. 

ActiveCampaign also offers strong list management capabilities that make it easy to keep contacts organized. It's possible to test what emails will look like with the email testing feature, although it's fairly basic.

There are powerful analytics tools to track and analyze campaigns effectively. Additionally, its CRM (available as an add-on) helps users create personalized sales funnels and sequences to facilitate revenue growth.

While being a fairly decent product, ActiveCampaign is not the right option for beginners seeking a low-maintenance service with a free plan. 

Pros

  • Mobile app – for easy email campaigns and contact management anytime, anywhere. 
  • Pre-made automation templates – save both time and effort, as users don't have to create them from scratch. 
  • Automated lead scoring – based on subscribers' past behavior. 
  • Advanced automation – featuring pre-built automation templates and an easy-to-use flowchart.

Cons

  • Challenging for beginners – due to its extensive feature set and lack of guidance. 
  • Expensive – especially for businesses with minimal needs.
  • CRM system could be improved – compared to other dedicated platforms.  
  • Reports are often disorganized – which can make it hard to locate the information needed.

Pricing

Free Plan

No free plan is available but you can sign up for a free trial. 

Paid Plans

  • $15/month (starter): for up to 1000 contacts. 
  • $49/month (plus): for up to 25,000 contacts. 
  • $79/month (pro): for up to 100,000 contacts. 
  • $145/month (enterprise): for an unlimited number of contacts. 

 

*Pricing information retrieved from ActiveCampaign in September 2024.

Find out more ActiveCampaign Alternatives.

8. Mailchimp Transactional (Ex Mandrill)–

mailchimp-transactional

Mailchimp Transactional – this MailerLite alternative hardly needs an introduction and is very popular among developers and businesses for its powerful email marketing campaign builder and customer journey builder. 

It integrates nicely with CRM and SEO tools, supports A/B testing, and can be used to implement effective customer journey based automation. 

Users can take advantage of a library of email templates, along with the option to create custom templates. 

Mailchimp’s marketing automation is another notable feature which lets users create dynamic, automated marketing paths for contacts. 

The platform also features an A/B testing feature to help users experiment with different email subject lines, content, and send times, to determine what works best for them. 

Undeniably, this feature-rich solution is priced at a pretty penny, with a cap of 500 contacts on the essential plan. Aside from that, the advanced features outlined above cannot be tested for free, potentially limiting businesses from evaluating them before committing. 

Pros

  • Intuitive email builder and template editor – for quick and efficient campaign creation.
  • Seamless integration – with popular third-party services like Woocommerce, Shopify, Zapier, Stripe, Calendly, Google Analytics, and Wordpress.
  • Detailed reports and analytics – to track email performance and make informed decisions. 
  • AI automation – that will help you analyze data, write email subject lines, plan email campaigns, and much more. 

Cons

  • Overwhelming for beginners – takes time to learn.
  • Free plan is for integration testing only – and also limits access to advanced automation or segmentation tools. 
  • Costly – for businesses with large email lists. The free plan has a low monthly email send limit and subscriber cap, forcing users to upgrade, a costly proposition, especially for transactional emails.
  • Customer support issues – users frequently report dissatisfaction with customer support, citing slow response times and unhelpful interactions.

Pricing

Free Plan

No free plan, but new users can send up to 500 emails for free to their verified domain.

Paid Plan

  • $20 plus the regular Mailchimp subscription:  for 10,000 emails/per month. 
  • $240 plus the regular Mailchimp subscription: for 300,000 emails/per month.
  • $720 plus the regular Mailchimp subscription: for more than 300,000 emails/per month.

 

*Pricing information retrieved from Mailchimp Transactional in September 2024.

9. Mailjet – Best For Collaborative Email Marketing

mailjet

Mailjet (now part of Mailgun) is a collaborative alternative to MailerLite built for marketers, small businesses, and SaaS companies. This email marketing platform combines the best of email and SMS marketing to help users streamline email creation, sending, and tracking effectively. There are tools to automate workflows and build signup forms.

The platform also features a drag-and-drop email editor, mobile-responsive templates, and an autoresponder. It integrates with notable CRM tools and e-commerce platforms and provides libraries for popular programming languages like PHP, Java, and Ruby.

This platform, however, stands out for its multi-user collaboration feature that lets various team members work on email designs, leave comments, and more.  Additionally, for lead generation, Mailjet has a Subscription widget that lets users build pop-ups and grow their email lists.

Pros

  • Versatile – gives users the ability to send both transactional and marketing emails. 
  • Flexible – users can have an unlimited number of subscribers. 
  • Collaboration feature – for efficient email campaign management through team collaboration.
  • Pricing is based on the number of emails – and not the number of subscribers, as some competitors do.

Cons

  • Advanced features require training – users may find the customization options and advanced features less intuitive. 
  • Comparatively few segmentation options – as users are only allowed to select opened and clicked emails within a given time frame but cannot specify a particular email. 
  • List management isn’t easy – it can be tedious to remove users from the list once they hard bounce.  
  • Relatively few automation conditions – limited to date staggering and anniversary events. 

Pricing

Free Plan

Free plan of up to 6,000 emails/month with a daily cap of 200 emails.

Paid Plans

  • $17/month (essential): for up to 15,000 emails with no daily limit.
  • $27/month (premium): for up to 15,000 emails with no daily limit plus multi-user access, advanced statistics, marketing automation, A/B testing, and more.

Custom plan: available for high-volume senders and those with unique requirements. Includes all Premium plan features plus dedicated support, deliverability services, and custom options.

 

*Pricing information retrieved from Mailjet in September 2024.

Looking for more Mailgun alternatives? Read our other article.

10. ConvertKit – Best For Detailed Audience Analytics

convertkit

ConvertKit is a specialized email marketing platform with an intuitive interface. Designed to meet the needs of creators and bloggers seeking to gain new audiences, foster relationships, and monetize their expertise. 

It integrates with major platforms like Zapier, Shopify, Stripe, Teachable, and Gumroad. This makes ConvertKit an ideal solution for anyone aiming to build a successful online presence. Although it offers fairly basic forms and landing pages, they are easy to use and compatible with most blogging platforms. One standout feature is ConvertKit's Creator Network which helps users expand their reach by partnering with other creators. 

The platform offers powerful segmentation and tagging for users to automate campaigns targeted at specific individuals or groups of contacts. ConvertKit also includes a visual workflow builder that includes 28 pre-built automation templates to start with.

The platform, however, is not as analytically sophisticated as some of its competitors, offering only basic analytics for open, click, and unsubscribe rates. 

Pros

  • Creator-focused – delivering only what creators need, with no unnecessary features.
  • Behavioral tagging – based on addressees’ actions. 
  • Separate signup forms – one per each content asset or incentive.
  • Ability to add or remove subscribers – easily from workflows using the tagging system.
  • Intuitive landing page editor – plenty of templates suited to social media campaigns.

Cons

  • Gets pricier – once you reach 1,000 subscribers ($29/month).
  • Limited automation – only one is available on the free plan. 
  • Advanced personalization is challenging – especially if you're new, as it involves coding. 
  • Basic analytics – doesn't show bounce rates or heatmaps.

Pricing

Free Plan 

No free plan available but you can sign up for a free 14-day trial with a limit of 10,000 subscribers.

Paid Plans

  • $29/month (creator): for up to 1,000 subscribers with unlimited visual automations, unlimited email sequences, and 2 users. 
  • $59/month (pro): for up to 1,000 subscribers with unlimited users, visual automations, and email sequences.

 

*Pricing information retrieved from ConvertKit in September 2024.

11. Constant Contact – Best For Cross-Channel Marketing

constantcontact

Constant Contact is an omnichannel marketing solution well known for its powerful list-building features and wide integration options. 

This solution is suitable for marketers looking to create effective email campaigns and supplement marketing efforts through online events. 

Certainly not a budget-friendly option, Constant Contact has some benefits that outweigh its high cost. It supports multiple users in all of its paid plans, which is helpful for teams, has more than 500 marketing integrations, and integrates with social media, event apps, CRMs, and business management systems. 

Autoresponders, however, are quite basic, only supporting welcome and anniversary emails, and triggered automations based on clicks and opens. 

Pricing plans are based on the number of contacts, which is convenient, but there’s no free plan available. If you’re on a tight budget, consider a platform with a generous free trial, such as UniOne. If not, Constant Contact is a viable option for those hosting regular events and intend to manage invitations and registrations all in one place.

Pros

  • Features for diverse niches – can be used to create logos, sell products, and schedule social media posts. For an additional fee, users can also run events and sell tickets.
  • Marketing calendar – helps users keep track of their social media and email campaigns.
  • 100+ Email templates – which are customizable using the intuitive email editor featuring drag-and-drop functionality.

Cons

  • Relatively expensive – especially for many contacts, compared to other alternatives. 
  • Fewer automation options – falls behind some competitors, with no multi-channel automation.
  • Limited A/B testing option – for email subject lines only.
  • Performance issues – users have reported Constant Contact to be slow and unresponsive.

Pricing

Free Plan

No free plan available but users can sign up for a 30-day free trial. 

Paid Plans

  • $12/month (lite): for 1 user and 50,000 contacts. 
  • $35/month (standard): for up to 3 users and 50,000 contacts. 
  • $80/month (premium): for unlimited users and 50,000 contacts. 

 

*Pricing information retrieved from Constant Contact in September 2024.

12. Klaviyo – Best For Automating Complex Workflows

klaviyo

This MailerLite alternative excels at its e-commerce-specific features enhanced by machine learning and data science capabilities for advanced analytics. 

Designed to help businesses set up and manage automated marketing campaigns via email, SMS, social media, and push notifications for targeted and personalized communication with customers. 

However, to fully leverage Klaviyo, you'll need technical knowledge and in-house developers, or a dedicated Klaviyo agency for help. Retailers love it for this particular reason, but that's not the only thing to love. Klaviyo features a dashboard for users to see revenue by store, revenue per campaign, and automation. Users can customize emails and reach out to customers based on their prior interactions. Sign-up forms and landing pages can also be built on the platform.

Pros

  • Intuitive email editor – provides effortless marketing campaign creation.
  • Marketing automation – based on customer data. 
  • 60+ pre-made workflows – set up an automated email strategy.
  • Powerful segmentation options – create lists for specific segments, sync with Facebook, Instagram, and Google ads.
  • Real-time data activation – for more accurate targeting and personalization.  
  • Dynamic content – for personalized emails.

Cons

  • Expensive for small and medium-sized businesses – due to its recent price hike.
  • Intimidating for new users – beginners may need some time to learn and get used to it. 
  • Inadequate customer service – users report long wait times for assistance.

Pricing

Free Plan

Limited free plan available for up to 250 contacts and 500 monthly emails sent. 

Paid Plans

  • $20/month (Email): for up to 500 active profiles and 5,000 monthly emails.
  • $35/month (Email & SMS): for up to 500 active profiles, 5,000 monthly emails, and 1,250 monthly SMS credits.

 

*Pricing information retrieved from Klaviyo in September 2024.

13. Aweber – Best For Detailed Performance Reports 

aweber

Aweber has earned its place on this list because of its advanced automation, list management, and segmentation. These powerful features of Aweber make it perfect for entrepreneurs, content creators, and small e-commerce businesses. 

The platform includes a built-in e-commerce tool and landing pages in every price tier. Aweber’s integration with Canva, along with an array of email templates, helps users personalize emails right within the builder.

Personalization is a breeze with Aweber. Users can add fields or choose segments and variables from a drop-down menu. After creating the first campaign, users can preview and test the email to ensure that it works as expected. 

Another notable feature is the pre-built autoresponders, which allow users to send triggered emails based on subscribers' actions. 

Pros

  • Supports web push notifications – which helps users send targeted messages directly to their audiences' devices. 
  • List management tools – help users manage subscribers and maintain lists while setting up automations.
  • Sales tracking option – available through email web analytics, giving users direct insight into sales data for campaign optimization.

Cons

  • Costly – compared to other alternatives with more features, especially in the marketing automation section.
  • Users are charged even for unsubscribed contacts – these count as part of their monthly subscription.
  • Outdated interface – as compared to similar alternatives with the same functionality. 
  • Missing crucial features – like advanced segmentation, automation, spam/design testing features, and CRM integrations.    

Pricing

Free Plan

Free for up to 500 contacts and 3,000 emails per month.

Paid Plans

  • $15/month (lite): for up to 500 subscribers.
  • $30/month (plus): for up to 500 subscribers.
  • $899/month (unlimited): for unlimited subscribers, email sends, and much more.

 

*Pricing information retrieved from Aweber in September 2024.

14. SendGrid –  Best For SMTP And Related Marketing Features

twilio

Twilio SendGrid is a cloud-based email marketing platform known for its robust SMTP and REST API capabilities. An ideal solution for businesses looking to send marketing and transactional emails with high deliverability. However, two separate plans are required for users who intend to use both email APIs and marketing automation. 

Users can create email newsletters with an intuitive email builder. It's even possible to edit the HTML code and preview the changes instantly without having to open a separate tab. 

For personalized marketing campaigns, users can set up automation triggers, and track and measure results. Marketing automation, however, isn't as advanced as some of its competitors. 

Pros

  • A comprehensive solution – email marketing, transactional emails, and customer engagement features.
  • Reporting & email analytics dashboard – provides information on client software usage, email metrics, and geographical breakdowns.

Cons

  • Relatively expensive – when compared to other ESPs.
  • Complex setup – users with no technical background find the initial setup process a bit overwhelming.
  • Unsatisfactory template editor – lacking some advanced features and design options.
  • Technical difficulties – users report issues logging in, using authenticators, and recovering their accounts.

Pricing

Free Plan

A free plan is available for up to 100 emails per day with essential tools like integration APIs, SMTP relay, basic analytics, and customer support.

Paid Plans

  • $19.95/month: for up to 10,000 emails
  • $249/month: for up to 300,000 emails 

1 million emails require the Pro 700k plan plus an additional overage charge of $602.

 

*Pricing information retrieved from SendGrid in September 2024.

Find out more SendGrid Alternatives here.

Conclusion 

Although MailerLite is an excellent email marketing platform, it may not be the best option for businesses looking to scale up, and you may want to consider alternatives. Here, we've reviewed the 14 best MailerLite competitors to help you find a solution with high deliverability, advanced automation, better customer support, and competitive pricing. 

The choice, however, depends entirely on your needs, budget, and marketing objectives. Compare the options and decide on the one with the most promising features over the long haul.

FAQs

Is MailerLite Better Than Mailchimp? 

It depends on what you are after. Both have their own strengths and weaknesses. With MailerLite, you get solid automation features without being overwhelmed. Mailchimp, however, offers more advanced features and better analytics. If you're seeking a more scalable and cost-effective solution going forward, UniOne is an excellent choice.

Is MailerLite Free? 

Yes, MailerLite has a free plan where you can access most of the core features, like automation, landing pages, and email builders, but with its limits. For example, the free plan supports 1,000 subscribers and 12,000 emails per month. For those just starting out, this is indeed a thoughtful solution without any upfront costs. However, as you grow, this will eventually not be enough. Consider alternative options with more generous free plans or more affordable pricing.

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