Last Updated on October 10, 2026 by SaaS Stacked
Quick verdict
MailerLite is still the best value in email marketing for creators who want solid features at a low price — but the “crazy generous free plan” reputation is outdated. The free tier now caps at just 250 subscribers, and paid plans start at $12/month (Comfort) or $25/month (Power).
What hasn’t changed: MailerLite does roughly 80% of what Kit does at about half the price, with a cleaner interface than most competitors. If budget beats features in your decision, start here.
Pricing: the real math
MailerLite pricing, October 2026 (recheck at mailerlite.com/pricing — plan names and limits changed in 2026):
| Plan | Price | Subscribers | Emails/month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Up to 250 | 2,500 |
| Comfort | from $12/mo ($10.80/mo annual) | from 500 | 5,000 at base tier (scales) |
| Power | from $25/mo ($22.50/mo annual) | from 500 | Unlimited |
| Enterprise | Custom | 200,000+ | Custom |
Prices scale with list size — use MailerLite’s pricing calculator for your exact subscriber count rather than trusting any guide’s table (check current pricing).
The free plan’s shrinkage is the story: it went from 1,000 subscribers to 500 in 2025, then to 250 in 2026, with monthly sends cut to 2,500. It’s now a trial tier, not a home. Anyone who read a 2024-era “MailerLite is free up to 1,000 subscribers!” recommendation is working with stale information.
The paid tiers remain genuinely cheap. Comfort at $12/month undercuts Kit’s $39 entry by a wide margin, and Power’s unlimited sends at $25/month is one of the better deals in email marketing. Annual billing shaves roughly 10% off.
What MailerLite does well
The price-to-feature ratio. This is the whole pitch, and it holds up. Clean drag-and-drop editor, solid automation builder, landing pages, signup forms, pop-ups, segmentation, A/B testing — all present and competent at $12/month. Nothing at this price does more.
The interface. Consistently rated among the cleanest in the industry. If GetResponse’s dashboard feels like a cockpit, MailerLite feels like a well-organized desk. Beginners get productive fast.
Automation that’s actually good. The visual workflow builder covers welcome sequences, abandoned cart (on higher tiers), re-engagement, and branching logic. It’s not ActiveCampaign, but it’s far beyond “good enough for the price” — it’s good, period.
Landing pages and websites. Build landing pages and simple websites inside MailerLite. Not a replacement for a real site builder, but plenty for lead magnets and waitlists.
Deliverability. MailerLite takes list quality seriously — strict approval for new accounts, which is annoying during signup but means shared IPs stay clean. Inbox placement consistently tests well.
No-feature-gating philosophy. MailerLite’s stated approach: every paid plan gets the full feature set; you only pay more for a bigger list or more sending. No ransoming basic features behind higher tiers.
Where MailerLite falls short
The free plan keeps shrinking. 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails a month is a trial, not a plan. If your strategy was “grow free on MailerLite,” that strategy expired. Budget for paid from the start.
Account approval friction. New accounts go through a manual review before you can send. It’s usually quick, but it’s a hoop competitors don’t make you jump through — and some legitimate users report delays. Have your website and list details ready at signup.
Fewer creator-monetization features. No native commerce like Kit, no ad network like beehiiv, no paid-newsletter tooling. If you sell to your list, you’ll wire up external tools.
Automation ceilings. The builder is good but has limits: fewer triggers and less branching depth than ActiveCampaign or GetResponse’s Marketer tier. Complex funnel operators will outgrow it.
No phone support. Email and chat only (chat is Power and up; free tier gets limited support windows). Fine for most; a dealbreaker for some.
Smaller integration ecosystem. The essentials are covered (Shopify, WooCommerce, WordPress, Stripe via Zapier), but the long tail of native integrations is thinner than Mailchimp’s or ActiveCampaign’s.
MailerLite vs Kit: the cost curve
This is the comparison that matters, since it’s the decision most budget-conscious creators face:
- At 1,000 subscribers: MailerLite Comfort ~$12–15/mo vs Kit Creator $39/mo
- At 5,000 subscribers: MailerLite ~$25–40/mo vs Kit Creator $89/mo
- At 10,000 subscribers: MailerLite ~$70/mo vs Kit Creator $139/mo
MailerLite stays roughly half Kit’s price at every tier. What Kit buys you for the difference: better automation UX, native commerce, the Creator Network, and creator-specific polish. Whether that’s worth 2x the price depends entirely on whether you sell to your list. Selling → Kit’s premium often pays for itself. Not selling → MailerLite, no contest.
For the full field, see our best email marketing platforms for creators roundup.
Who should pick MailerLite
- Creators and small businesses who want competent email marketing at the lowest sustainable price
- Beginners who value a clean, calm interface over feature depth
- High-frequency senders who benefit from Power’s unlimited sends at $25/month
- Anyone who finds Kit’s price curve frightening but needs real automation
Who should skip it
- Creators who sell digital products to their list (Kit’s native commerce is worth the premium)
- Newsletter businesses monetizing via ads or paid subs (beehiiv)
- Marketers needing deep automation, scoring, and CRM features (ActiveCampaign, GetResponse)
- Anyone who needs phone support or white-glove onboarding
FAQ
Is MailerLite really free?
Free up to 250 subscribers with 2,500 emails per month — enough to test the platform, not enough to grow on. Plan to pay $12+/month (Comfort) once you’re serious.
What happened to MailerLite’s Growing Business plan?
Renamed. In 2026 MailerLite replaced Growing Business with Comfort and Advanced with Power. If a guide references the old names, its pricing is stale too.
Why does MailerLite approve new accounts manually?
To protect deliverability — keeping spammers off shared IPs keeps everyone’s emails landing in inboxes. Have a real website and a clear description of your list ready; most approvals are quick.
Can I migrate to MailerLite from Mailchimp?
Yes — CSV import is standard, and the automation builder makes rebuilding sequences straightforward. Budget a weekend for the full move. If you’re also considering Kit, see our Kit vs Mailchimp comparison.
Does MailerLite have a transaction fee on sales?
MailerLite isn’t a commerce platform — you’ll sell through Stripe, Gumroad, or similar and integrate. No native checkout means no platform cut, but also no built-in selling features.
How long does MailerLite’s free trial last?
Paid plans include a 14-day free trial with no credit card required, so you can test Comfort or Power properly before committing to a monthly bill.
Bottom line
MailerLite remains the rational budget choice: real automation, a clean interface, and honest pricing at roughly half of Kit’s at every tier. Just don’t come for the free plan you read about in 2024 — it’s 250 subscribers now. Come for the $12/month Comfort plan that does 80% of what the $39/month tools do, and you’ll be happy.