Build my stack
Best MailerLite alternatives
We put MailerLite head to head with the 6 closest rivals we have tested, so you can switch on evidence, not a hunch.
MailerLite is a email marketing tool for Small to mid size businesses, creators, and nonprofits that want an intuitive email editor, strong deliverability, and affordable pricing without sacrificing design quality. It scores 4.5 out of 5 and starts at $10/mo (free tier available) with paid plans from $10/mo (free tier available).
Sharper MailerLite alternatives for your situation
The full list above serves every buyer. These segmented lists filter the same tested set to the tools that fit a specific budget or team size.
Interactive Alternatives Network
Visual switch pathways, feature deltas, and direct comparisons around MailerLite.
MailerLite(Current Tool)
beehiiv
Why Pick beehiiv Over MailerLite
Unlike MailerLite, beehiiv ships a genuine free tier, so you can start without a card and only pay once it earns it.
Key Strengths
- Best in class growth tools. The Boosts recommendation network drives genuine subscriber acquisition through cross promotion, not just optimization of existing channels. In our 4 week test, 18 percent of new subscribers came through Boosts.
- Built in Ad Network for newsletter monetization. Beehiiv handles sponsor placements, ad sales, payment collection, and payouts. CPM rates averaged $25 to $40 for newsletters with 5,000+ subscribers. Creators keep 70 percent of ad revenue.
Where MailerLite can fall short
Who stands behind the picks
MailerLite
- Company
- MailerLite
- Founded
- 2010
17 hours of testing 3 review rounds Verified 2026-07-20
6 alternatives worth your time
beehiiv
4.6 out of 54.6A modern newsletter platform built for growth.
Unlike MailerLite, beehiiv ships a genuine free tier, so you can start without a card and only pay once it earns it.
- Best in class growth tools. The Boosts recommendation network drives genuine subscriber acquisition through cross promotion, not just optimization of existing channels. In our 4 week test, 18 percent of new subscribers came through Boosts.
- Built in Ad Network for newsletter monetization. Beehiiv handles sponsor placements, ad sales, payment collection, and payouts. CPM rates averaged $25 to $40 for newsletters with 5,000+ subscribers. Creators keep 70 percent of ad revenue.
Kit
4.4 out of 54.4Email and automation made for creators.
Kit is the pick when you want creators, newsletter writers, and course builders who want simplicity and deliverability, and it leads on deliverability.
- Deliverability is the best in the email marketing category based on our inbox placement tests
- Tag based system is simpler and more flexible than Mailchimp's audience based structure
ActiveCampaign
4.3 out of 54.3Serious marketing automation with a CRM attached.
ActiveCampaign is the pick when you want small to mid size teams that need advanced marketing automation with a built in crm, and it leads on automation.
- Automation builder is the deepest in the mid market. Supports complex multi step, multi path flows.
- Segmentation engine is powerful with unlimited custom fields, tags, and behavioral conditions.
Brevo
4.3 out of 54.3Email, SMS, and CRM on a generous free plan.
Brevo starts at $9/mo (free tier available), undercutting MailerLite's $10/mo (free tier available) while covering the same core ground.
- Unlimited contacts on every plan including free tier, a major advantage over capped competitors
- SMS marketing built in, no separate integrations or extra monthly fees for text messaging
Substack
4.3 out of 54.3Publish and monetize a newsletter with zero setup.
Unlike MailerLite, Substack ships a genuine free tier, so you can start without a card and only pay once it earns it.
- Zero upfront cost. Substack is completely free to use. There are no monthly fees, no tiered plans, and no feature gates. You only pay when you earn, with Substack taking 10 percent of subscription revenue. This makes it the most accessible platform for new creators.
- Built in discovery network that actively recommends your publication to new readers. Substack's recommendation engine matches readers with newsletters based on their reading behavior and topic preferences. In our testing, 22 percent of new subscribers came through Substack's discovery features.
Mailchimp
4.1 out of 54.1Email marketing and automation for small businesses.
Unlike MailerLite, Mailchimp ships a genuine free tier, so you can start without a card and only pay once it earns it.
- Best template library in email marketing. 100+ professionally designed, mobile responsive templates across every industry.
- Drag and drop email builder is polished and intuitive. Building beautiful emails requires no design skills or HTML knowledge.
MailerLite vs the alternatives
| Tool | Our score | From | Free tier | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MailerLiteYou have | 4.5 | $10/mo (free tier available) | No | Small to mid size businesses, creators, and nonprofits that want an intuitive email editor, strong deliverability, and affordable pricing without sacrificing design quality |
| beehiiv | 4.6 | $39/mo (free tier available) | Yes | Newsletter writers, publishers, and media companies that want an all in one platform for audience growth, monetization, and analytics |
| Kit | 4.4 | $0, paid from $25/mo | No | Creators, newsletter writers, and course builders who want simplicity and deliverability |
| ActiveCampaign | 4.3 | $15/mo | No | Small to mid size teams that need advanced marketing automation with a built in CRM |
| Brevo | 4.3 | $9/mo (free tier available) | No | Budget conscious teams that want email, SMS, and a basic CRM under one roof without paying for separate tools |
| Substack | 4.3 | Free + 10% rev share | Yes | Writers, journalists, and independent creators who want to start a paid newsletter or podcast with zero upfront cost and access to a built in audience discovery network |
| Mailchimp | 4.1 | $13/mo (free tier available) | Yes | Small to mid size businesses that want polished email templates, ecommerce integrations, and an all in one marketing platform |
Pick by use case
Not every swap fits every team. Start from what you need and let the table pick for you.
beehiiv
Best for: Newsletter writers, publishers, and media companies that want an all in one platform for audience growth, monetization, and analytics
Free plan
Kit
Best for: Creators, newsletter writers, and course builders who want simplicity and deliverability
Deliverability
ActiveCampaign
Best for: Small to mid size teams that need advanced marketing automation with a built in CRM
Automation
Brevo
Best for: Budget conscious teams that want email, SMS, and a basic CRM under one roof without paying for separate tools
Lower price
Substack
Best for: Writers, journalists, and independent creators who want to start a paid newsletter or podcast with zero upfront cost and access to a built in audience discovery network
Free plan
Mailchimp
Best for: Small to mid size businesses that want polished email templates, ecommerce integrations, and an all in one marketing platform
Free plan
Switching without breaking things
- 1Export your data from MailerLite before you cancel anything.
- 2Start a free trial of the alternative with real, not sample, data.
- 3Run the same core workflow in both tools for one full week.
- 4Migrate your team and templates one project at a time.
- 5Only cancel the old plan after the new one survives a real deadline.
We use this same sequence every time we swap a team off one tool and onto another in our own testing. It keeps the risk on the trial, not on production.
Switch to beehiiv
Unlike MailerLite, beehiiv ships a genuine free tier, so you can start without a card and only pay once it earns it. It is the MailerLite alternative we recommend first for most people.
Keep reading from here
No catch, just answers
The things readers ask us most about how GoPickStack works and stays independent.
Affiliate disclosure: We may earn a commission if you buy through the links on this page, at no extra cost to you. We only recommend tools we have tested, and commissions never change our scores or rankings. We currently track 225+ tools, including 9 across Email Marketing.