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11 Best Mailerlite Alternatives for 2024 (Free & Paid Options)

May 14, 2024 - By Camilla Mackeviciute

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Mailerlite is a decent email marketing tool. However, once you start growing your email list, Mailerlite feels costly, considering the limitations and lack of advanced features.

Most users who start with Mailerlite seek Mailerlite alternatives due to the lack of a user-friendly automation builder, confusing segmentation capabilities, and high costs. If you’re someone who’s also looking for an option, we’ve got you covered. 

In this blog, we’ve covered the best email marketing tools that you can consider as viable Mailerlite alternatives. 

Curious? Let’s begin by first exploring the reasons why everyone’s searching for a Mailerlite alternative. 

Why Consider Mailerlite Alternatives?

Mailerlite used to be a beginner-friendly email marketing solution. However, simplicity can be restricting when you need advanced features for effective email marketing campaigns

In other words, you outgrow email marketing systems meant for beginners. That’s a major reason for searching for an alternative to Mailerlite. Plus, the platform has some limitations, such as: 

  • Limited automation capabilities. Mailerlite offers automation capabilities but with limitations. You can build basic-level automation with simple triggers, but it’s impossible to create elaborate automations consisting of advanced behavioral triggers; 
  • Restrictive free plan. The free plan is limited. You get basic email builder, segmentation, and automation features. It’s enough to test the basic features, but don’t expect it to help you much if you want to run email campaigns regularly; 
  • High cost. The platform offers a basic plan for $9 per month. But the cost scales quickly as your email list grows. For example, for an email list of over 10,000 subscribers, annual costs can go over $1000 on its basic plan; 
  • Unsatisfactory customer service. Some users report that Mailer lite’s support could sometimes be more responsive. Also, live chat support isn’t available on the starter plan; 
  • Lack of segmentation options. While the segmentation options might look good initially, they get confusing (and limited) as your needs evolve and you want to segment your list based on the stages of customer journey. 

11 Best Mailerlite Alternatives (Including Free Options)

If you’re searching for an email marketing software like Mailerlite but with better features, pricing plans, or for any other reason, you should consider the following email campaign tools:

Let’s look at each of these email marketing services one by one.

1. Sender – Best Alternative for Email Marketing

Sender is the best substitute for Mailerlite if you want an all-rounder tool for your small business. Run omnichannel campaigns to engage customers across multiple channels from a single platform. 

Best for:

  • Small and medium-sized businesses;
  • Ecommerce & retail stores;
  • SaaS businesses.
sender_logo

Ratings: Capterra 4.6 | G2 4.4 | Shopify 4.3

Sender solves every problem you must have faced while using Mailerlite. The forever-free plan has a restriction-free automation builder, generous sending limits, and advanced segmentation features.

It also has a powerful visual automation builder and advanced segmentation features. Also, you get one of the best response times in the industry if you need any help. 

There’s a powerful drag-and-drop email builder, and the template library is full of responsive email designs for every occasion. 

Plus, you’ll fall in love with Sender’s behavioral triggers. You can set up automated follow-up, upsell, and abandoned cart campaigns that hit the inbox at the right moment. All this without making you feel you’re overpaying. 

drag_and_drop_email_builder

Sender Features

  • Email and SMS campaigns; 
  • Advanced automation; 
  • Drag-and-drop email builder;
  • Free responsive templates; 
  • Popups and sign-up forms; 
  • 24/7 customer support.

Pros & Cons

ProsCons
Easy-to-use visual automation builderNo landing page builder (yet)
Drag-and-drop email builder with free templates​Sender branding in the free plan
Exceptional deliverability 

Pricing & Free Plan

  • Forever-free plan for up to 2,500 subscribers and 15,000 emails per month; 
  • Paid plans start at $15/month for up to 30,000 emails.

2. ActiveCampaign – Mailerlite Alternative with Good Template Library 

If you’re bored with limited email templates in Mailerlite, you should look at ActiveCampaign. It has templates for all industries and situations, making it a good alternative. 

Best for:

  • Content creators;
  • Small to midsize businesses
  • Service-based businesses. 
ActiveCampaign_logo

Ratings: Capterra 4.6 | G2 4.5 | Shopify 4.4

ActiveCampaign brings multiple aspects of nurturing leads for conversions on a single dashboard. You can use customer relationship management, email marketing, and marketing automation features. CRM features greatly benefit sales teams, enabling a unified view of customer interactions. 

It’s perfect for businesses looking to conduct targeted, data-driven campaigns and using data insights to nurture leads. The platform also offers advanced customer segmentation features to improve engagement rates and ROI. 

activecampaign_dashboard

ActiveCampaign Features

  • Dynamic content customization & personalization; 
  • Wide variety of responsive email templates; 
  • Built-in sales CRM platform; 
  • Detailed reporting and analytics.

Pros & Cons

ProsCons
Advanced automation featuresComplexity may get overwhelming for beginners
Comprehensive CRMMore expensive than other alternatives
Wide range of email templatesCustomer service varies based on pricing plans 

Pricing & Free Plan

  • A free trial account is available with feature restrictions and limits; 
  • Paid plan starts at $29 per month for up to 1000 contacts. 

3. Brevo (Sendinblue) – Best Alternative for Email Automation Software

If you want a blogger-friendly email marketing tool, try Brevo (formerly Sendinblue). It has impressive RSS capabilities allow you to send automated campaigns based on your RSS feed. 

Best for:

  • Ecommerce platforms; 
  • Small businesses; 
  • Personal branding experts.
brevo_logo

Ratings: Capterra 4.5 | G2 4.5 | Shopify 2.6 

Brevo was recently rebranded from Sendinblue, promising better features for use cases other than newsletters. And the features look promising. From marketing automation to user experience personalization and transactional emails to WhatsApp and SMS marketing, Brevo offers a lot on a single dashboard.  

Also, it’s a great alternative if you’re considering growing your email list, as it allows you to store unlimited contacts, even on the free plan. 

Brevo_dashboard_automation

Brevo Features

  • RSS to email functionality; 
  • Vast email template library; 
  • Marketing automation builder; 
  • Drag-and-drop email builder; 
  • SMS, WhatsApp, and chat marketing.

Pros & Cons

ProsCons
Omnichannel automation builderEmail-only customer service, on lower plans
SMS and WhatsApp campaignsAdvanced features are only available in higher plans
Simple user interface Transactional emails require a separate setup

Pricing & Free Plan

  • Free plan with unlimited contacts and a sending limit of 300 emails/daily;
  • Paid plans start at $25 per month for up to 20,000 emails.

4. GetResponse – Email Marketing Platform with Landing Page Builder

GetResponse is ideal for businesses looking for more than email marketing. Its unique features, like landing page builder, webinar hosting, and email newsletter tools, make it a worthy alternative to Mailerlite. 

Best for

  • Ecommerce business owners;
  • Personal coaches and influencers; 
  • B2B SaaS businesses. 
getresponse_logo

Ratings: Capterra 4.2 | G2 4.2 | Shopify 1.9

Its simple, feature-rich, and intuitive dashboard caters is useful for both beginners and pros. However, deliverability rates and limited automation capabilities on lower plans can be problematic for some businesses. 

GetResponse_dashboard

GetResponse Features

  • Automation flows based on user journey; 
  • Integration with ecommerce solutions; 
  • 200+ modern email templates; 
  • Drag-and-drop builder to create a landing page;
  • Integrated webinar hosting tools.

Pros & Cons 

ProsCons
Visual automation builderIssues with email deliverability 
Integrated CRM & webinar hosting toolsLimited automation capabilities on lower plans
Integrations with ecommerce platformsNo phone support

Pricing & Free Plan

  • Free plan available for up to 500 contacts with sending limit of 2,500 emails/mo; 
  • Paid plans start at $19/mo for up to 1000 contacts and unlimited email sends. 

5. Drip – Good Alternative for Email Marketing Automation

Drip is designed specifically for ecommerce businesses. Its segmentation and marketing automation features can help you with better customer relationships and contextual campaigns. 

Best for:

  • Small ecommerce businesses; 
  • Info product creators;
  • Online/offline retailers. 
drip_logo

Ratings: Capterra 4.4 | G2 4.4 | Shopify 4.6 (currently unavailable)

Create highly targeted email campaigns using Drip’s behavioral segmentation capabilities. Then, add its automation builder to personalize customer interactions. 

So, whether you’re looking to nurture leads, recover abandoned carts, or streamline your email marketing, Drip has essential features that Mailerlite lacks. 

drip_dashboard

Drip Features

  • Behavioral automation based on online activity; 
  • Segmentation for campaign personalization; 
  • Easy-to-use automation builder; 
  • Ecommerce friendly feature set; 
  • A/B testing for email campaigns.

Pros & Cons

ProsCons
Advanced customer segmentationLack of customization features for landing pages
User journey builder for personalizing interactions Expensive compared to other tools
Powerful analytics dashboard No A/B testing for email content

Pricing & Free Plan

  • Free 14-day trial is available; 
  • Paid plans start at $39 per month for up to 2,500 subscribers. 

6. Mailchimp – Great Mailerlite Alternative for Popups & Optin Forms

If Mailerlite’s popups and forms are giving you trouble, try Mailchimp. It is a nice alternative known for its versatility and clean user interface. 

Best for:

  • Marketing agencies; 
  • B2B startups; 
  • Coaches and influencers.
mailchimp_logo

Ratings: Capterra 4.5 | G2 4.4 | Shopify 3.3

Mailchimp is quite popular among email marketing beginners because of its features and documentation. It has audience segmentation features and automation capabilities to help you personalize your email campaigns at scale. The form and landing page builder are useful for increasing signups and growing your email list. 

The only problem is its pricing model. It charges users for duplicate contacts and add-ons to utilize advanced features. The restrictive feature set on basic plans makes picking Mailchimp for email marketing a costly affair. 

Mailchimp_dashboard

Mailchimp Features

  • Drag-and-drop editor for emails and landing pages; 
  • Basic automation and segmentation; 
  • Appointment scheduler; 
  • Built-in campaign/email optimizer.

Pros & Cons

ProsCons
Intuitive popup and opt-in form creator Expensive for businesses with large email lists 
Segmentation and automation featuresRestrictive lower-tier plans 
Responsive template libraryLimited customer service, especially for lower plans

Pricing & Free Plan

  • Free plan is available with a sending limit of up to 1000 emails; 
  • Paid plans start at $13 per month for up to 500 subscribers and a sending limit of 5,000 emails. 

7. Constant Contact – Mailerlite Alternative for Bloggers 

Constant Contact is a Mailerlite alternative for small businesses and companies that organize online events and webinars. It has an intuitive interface and several useful features for growing and nurturing your email list. 

Best for:

  • Online retailers;
  • Event marketers;
  • Bloggers.
constantcontact_logo

Ratings: Capterra 4.3 | G2 4.0 | Shopify 3.0

Its audience segmentation features are good for personalizing campaigns. Other features include automated campaigns based on blog posts, an opt-in form builder for growing email lists, and an integrated event management dashboard. 

This makes it ideal for businesses that host online events and webinars. They can send tickets and promo codes, set up event landing pages, and study analytics on a single dashboard. 

constantcontact_dashboard

Constant Contact Features

  • No-code drag-and-drop email editor; 
  • Social media integration; 
  • Landing page and form builder; 
  • Donation and event management features.

Pros & Cons

ProsCons
Customizable email templates Limited automation capabilities 
Decent segmentation featuresEmail deliverability isn’t the best
Social media post schedulerExpensive, compared to other alternatives

Pricing & Free Plan

  • Free limited-period trial plan is available to test out platform features; 
  • Paid plans start at $12 monthly for up to 500 subscribers with basic email marketing features. More advanced features are available on a plan that costs $35 per month for 500 subscribers. 

8. SendGrid – Good Email Marketing Software with High Deliverability 

Looking for an alternative that scores well on deliverability, integrations, and utility? Check out SendGrid.  It’s a decent tool that offers a mix of a user-friendly interface and a dedicated email API. 

Best for

  • Tech companies; 
  • SaaS platforms;
  • Marketing agencies. 
sendgrid_logo

Ratings: Capterra 4.2 | G2 4.0 | Shopify NA

If you send many emails, particularly transactional ones, you should try it out. Its email API supports high-volume senders and promises great deliverability rates. Plus, it supports integrations with several marketing platforms off the shelf. 

However, its marketing automation is not as advanced as some competitors, and the user interface might be overwhelming for beginners.

sendgrid_dashboard

SendGrid Features

  • Email API; 
  • Dynamic templates;
  • Advanced analytics;
  • Integration-friendly;
  • Signup forms.

Pros & Cons

ProsCons
Great deliverabilityLimited marketing automation features
Informative reporting and analytics dashboard Deliverability issues 
Extensive integrationsCustomer support can be slow at times

Pricing & Free Plan

  • Free forever plan for up to 2,000 contacts and a sending limit of up to 6,000 emails per month; 
  • Email API plans start at $19.95 per month for up to 50,000 emails, and marketing plans start at $15 per month for up to 1000 contacts and 10,000 emails per month. 

9. Mailjet – Mailerlite Competitor for SMS Marketing Efforts 

Mailjet offers great list management features, such as custom contact properties, online behavior, and SMS marketing capabilities. These help businesses segment their email lists better and run omnichannel campaigns for better results.

Best for:

  • Non-profits;
  • Marketing agencies;
  • Media and publishing companies. 
mailjet_logo

Ratings: Capterra 4.3 | G2 3.8 | Shopify 1.0

Mailjet also helps businesses set up and schedule targeted SMS and email campaigns. Its transactional email and SMS feature promises timely delivery of vital messages, improving customer experience and trust in your brand.

Plus, its segmentation feature enables you to segment the audience based on their online behavior and personalize your campaigns. Apart from all this, Mailjet also offers an intuitive email template builder, A/B testing features, and a real-time analytics dashboard. 

mailjet_dashboard

Mailjet Features

  • Smart contact management and segmentation; 
  • Drag-and-drop email builder with responsive templates; 
  • SMS API and email SMTP relay;
  • Campaign A/B testing; 
  • Real-time analytics.

Pros & Cons

ProsCons
Advanced personalization and segmentationLimited features in the free plan
Intuitive email builderMore focus on technical aspects and not responsive designs
Email API for transactional emailsComplicated and overwhelming UI 

Pricing & Free Plan

  • Free plan with a limit of 1,500 email contacts and 200 emails per day;  
  • Paid plans start at $15/month for unlimited contacts and sending up to 15,000 emails monthly. 

10. SendPulse – Multi-Channel Marketing Automation Platform

SendPulse is a useful solution if you aim to build automations to nurture your leads across different channels, such as email, SMS, and web push notifications. It has several useful features that help you monitor customer conversations across multiple platforms.

Best for:

  • Small business owners;
  • Ecommerce platforms;
  • Early-stage startups.
sendpulse_logo

Ratings: Capterra 4.6 | G2 4.6 | Shopify 0

Apart from all the essential features you find in any email marketing solution, SendPulse also offers a chatbot builder and a CRM. So, you can start nurturing leads through multiple mediums right away. There’s even a landing page builder, so you can launch dedicated website pages to capture leads. 

sendpulse_dashboard

SendPulse Features 

  • Automation builder; 
  • Chatbots and web push notifications; 
  • Free CRM; 
  • Segmentation and personalization; 
  • Free link in bio page.

Pros & Cons

ProsCons
Chatbot and web push notificationsSlow customer support
Readymade automation templatesDeliverability issues
CRM dashboard Charges for every contact on the list (no duplicate identification) 

Pricing & Free Plan 

  • Paid plans start at $6.4/month for up to 500 subscribers, 10 automation flows, and 5 audience segments; 
  • Free plan for up to 500 subscribers, 15,000 emails, and five automation flows.

11. MailerSend – All-Inclusive Email Sending Service

MailerSend is a comprehensive email-sending platform for businesses seeking high deliverability rates, simple integration, and seamless API support. 

Best for:

  • Developers; 
  • SaaS companies; 
  • Marketers.
Mailersend_logo

Ratings: Capterra 4.6 | G2 4.2 | Shopify NA

MailerSend is ideal for transactional emails, and you can plug and play directly using SMTP relay and inbound routing. Businesses can set up automations for sending invoices, delivery updates, and general emails in a few hours. 

MailerSend boasts of human technical support, collaboration tools, and effortless integration, which makes it useful for business owners with little or no knowledge. However, the email marketing service is designed to benefit a tech or SaaS team better because of its focus on API integration. 

Mailersend_dashboard

MailerSend Features 

  • SMTP relay for connecting to your apps and website; 
  • Inbound routing feature; 
  • Supports multiple domains; 
  • Seamless integration through SDK or email API; 
  • Customizable email templates 

Pros & Cons

ProsCons
Real-time customer supportAccuracy of email analytics is not up to mark
High deliverability Complex set up for non-tech person
Supports multiple domains/websitesLimited email templates

Pricing & Free Plan 

  • MailerSend’s free plan supports sending up to 3,000 emails every month; 
  • Its paid plans start at $24/month for up to 50,000 emails, 100 SMS & 100 email verification credits. 

Mailerlite Alternatives: Price & Feature Comparison Table

Now that you’ve explored all the available alternatives, what do you feel about switching to improve your email marketing efforts? Still confused? Here’s a tools comparison table to help you quickly compare the mentioned Mailerlite alternatives side by side. 

  Cost Monthly Emails Free Plan Best Feature
Sender Starts at $15 30,000 Yes Drag-and-drop email builder & responsive templates
ActiveCampaign $29 per month 10x of contact limit No (14-day trial only)  Lead scoring capabilities
Brevo Starts at $25 20,000 Yes WhatsApp/SMS marketing features
GetResponse Starts at $15 Unlimited   Yes Conversion funnel builder & CRM
Drip Starts at $39 Unlimited No  Customer journey builder
Mailchimp Starts at $13 5,000 Yes Landing page builder
Constant Contact Starts at $12 10x contact tier sending limit No (60-day trial only)  CRM dashboard
Sendgrid Starts at $19.95 50,000 Yes Developer-focused APIs
Mailjet Starts at $15  15,000  Yes Transactional email API
Sendpulse Starts at $6.4  Unlimited Yes Web push notifications 
MailerSend Starts at $24 50,000 Yes SMTP relay

Looking for more to read? Explore our suggested articles below to deepen your understanding of email marketing platforms:

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