Why MailerLite is the best-value premium email platform
MailerLite is the Lithuanian-built, indie-developed email marketing platform that quietly became the best price-to-feature ratio in the industry. Founded in 2010 (well before the ConvertKit/Beehiiv creator boom), MailerLite has stayed independent and focused on small business + creator markets.
The pitch: premium features at half the price of ConvertKit/ActiveCampaign, with the cleanest UI in email marketing.
The 1,000-subscriber free tier
MailerLite's free tier covers up to 1,000 subscribers and 12,000 emails per month. That's enough to run a small newsletter or course business for years. The free tier includes: - Drag-and-drop email builder - Up to 10 landing pages - Automations (3 active) - Sign-up forms (unlimited) - A/B testing
For comparison: - ConvertKit free: 10,000 subs (but with referral requirement to unlock fully) - Brevo free: unlimited contacts but only 300 emails/day - Mailchimp free: 500 subs
ConvertKit's free tier is larger in subscriber count, but MailerLite's free tier includes all the email-sending features unlocked — no referral requirement.
What MailerLite does best
Cleanest UI in the category: This is subjective but consistently confirmed in reviews. MailerLite's editor is faster, less cluttered, and easier to navigate than Mailchimp's increasingly busy interface or ConvertKit's slightly dated feel.
Strong landing page + form builders: Built-in landing pages with 100+ templates. Forms with conditional logic. Pop-ups, embeds, slide-ins, fly-outs — all included on free tier.
Email templates: 70+ pre-built templates in the modern category. Significantly better than ConvertKit's text-first approach for users who want polished HTML emails.
Affordable pricing scaling: At 10,000 subscribers: - MailerLite Growing Business: $39/mo - ConvertKit Creator: $100/mo - Mailchimp Standard: $135/mo
MailerLite is the cheapest premium tier at every subscriber count from 1,000 to 50,000.
API + integrations: Full REST API. Integrations with Shopify, WooCommerce, WordPress, Stripe, Zapier (3,000+ apps), Salesforce, HubSpot.
What MailerLite isn't best at
Most-powerful automations: ActiveCampaign and Klaviyo have more sophisticated workflow builders. MailerLite handles 80% of automation use cases well, but if you need 30+ branching steps with conditional content blocks, ActiveCampaign is better.
Native paid newsletter monetization: Beehiiv and Substack are dedicated paid-newsletter platforms. MailerLite doesn't compete here.
E-commerce predictive analytics: Klaviyo is built for e-commerce. MailerLite integrates with Shopify but doesn't have Klaviyo's RFM segmentation or AI-powered send-time optimization.
Brand recognition: Mailchimp has the brand. MailerLite is well-known in marketing circles but less recognizable to non-technical buyers.
Pricing ({{ year }})
| Tier | Free | Growing Business | Advanced |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 1,000 subs | $0 | $9/mo | $18/mo |
| Up to 5,000 subs | n/a | $39/mo | $69/mo |
| Up to 10,000 subs | n/a | $69/mo | $109/mo |
| Up to 25,000 subs | n/a | $179/mo | $269/mo |
Annual billing saves ~17%.
The Free tier includes most features needed by 90% of users. Upgrade to Growing Business if you need: - More than 3 active automations - Custom HTML editor (vs drag-and-drop only) - Email priority support - Unlimited landing pages
The 30% recurring affiliate
MailerLite pays 30% recurring commission for the lifetime of every referred customer. Same gold-standard model as ConvertKit:
- 1 active referral × $39/mo × 30% = $11.70/mo
- 10 referrals = $117/mo
- 100 referrals = $1,170/mo
The MailerLite affiliate program pays slightly less than ConvertKit on a per-customer basis (because MailerLite is cheaper to begin with), but the lower price also makes MailerLite easier to recommend — your audience is more likely to sign up at $9/mo than $15/mo.
Real-world MailerLite users
MailerLite serves a different segment than ConvertKit. Public examples include: - Small e-commerce stores (Shopify integration) - Real estate agents (lead-nurture sequences) - Coaches and consultants - Nonprofits - Photographers, designers, freelancers - Newsletter operators on a tight budget
If you're price-sensitive and don't need the creator-specific features (ConvertKit Sponsor Network, ConvertKit Commerce), MailerLite is usually the better pick.
How MailerLite compares to alternatives
MailerLite vs ConvertKit: MailerLite is cheaper at every subscriber count. ConvertKit has stronger creator-specific features (Sponsor Network, native digital product sales). For creators monetizing audience directly, ConvertKit. For everyone else, MailerLite usually wins on value.
MailerLite vs Mailchimp: MailerLite is dramatically cheaper. At 10,000 subscribers: MailerLite $69/mo vs Mailchimp $135/mo. Mailchimp has brand recognition; MailerLite has better value.
MailerLite vs Brevo: Brevo bundles SMS + CRM. Brevo's pricing model charges by email send volume (vs MailerLite's subscriber count). For high-frequency senders with small lists, Brevo. For lower-frequency senders with larger lists, MailerLite.
MailerLite vs Constant Contact: Constant Contact is more expensive at every tier. MailerLite is better-priced and has stronger automations. The only reason to pick Constant Contact: in-person event marketing features (registration tools, etc).
What I'd actually recommend
For most users starting an email list, MailerLite Free tier is the right starting point. Build to 1,000 subscribers. By then: - If your business is creator-direct (newsletter, podcast, digital products), evaluate ConvertKit migration - If your business is small-business or e-commerce, stay on MailerLite and upgrade to Growing Business at $9/mo - If you've hit 5,000+ subscribers and need power-user automations, evaluate ActiveCampaign migration
The 30% recurring affiliate works in both directions — MailerLite-to-affiliate-revenue is real ($117/mo at 10 referrals, scaling linearly).
Our verdict
MailerLite is the right pick if: - You want cleanest UI in email marketing - You're price-sensitive at scale (cheapest premium tier) - You're not a "creator" specifically (use ConvertKit if you are) - You run a small business, e-commerce store, or coaching practice - You want strong landing page + form builders included
For the affiliate angle: MailerLite's 30% recurring lifetime is one of the gold-standard SaaS affiliate programs. Combined with the low intro price, it's also one of the easier programs to drive conversions for — your audience says yes more often when the entry price is $9/mo instead of $29.