In a crowded email marketing landscape, MailerLite has carved out a powerful reputation by focusing on two things: simplicity and affordability. Founded in 2010, it has become a go-to choice for over a million freelancers, bloggers, and small businesses who need a powerful tool that doesn’t break the bank or require a steep learning curve.
But with competitors like Mailchimp and ConvertKit constantly evolving, can MailerLite’s value-focused approach still compete in 2025? Has it kept pace with new features like AI and advanced automation?
This in-depth MailerLite review cuts through the noise. We’ve tested its drag-and-drop editor, explored its automation workflows, analyzed its pricing, and compared it against top alternatives to help you decide if it’s the right email marketing platform for you.
Quick Verdict & Scorecard (2025)
No time for the full review? Here’s our quick summary.
- Ease of Use: 4.8/5
- Features & Functionality: 4.2/5
- Pricing & Value: 4.9/5
- Customer Support: 4.5/5
- Overall Rating: 4.6/5
Bottom Line: MailerLite remains the undisputed champion of value in the email marketing world. Its free plan is one of the most generous available, and its paid plans offer a rich feature set at a fraction of the cost of its competitors. It’s the perfect choice for creators and small businesses who need powerful features without the enterprise price tag.
Deep Dive: Key MailerLite Features
We tested MailerLite’s core functionalities to see how they stack up.
Email Editor & Campaigns
MailerLite’s drag-and-drop editor is at the heart of the platform, and it’s a joy to use. It’s clean, intuitive, and allows you to build beautiful, responsive emails without touching a line of code. You can create four types of campaigns:
- Regular Campaigns: Standard one-off newsletters.
- A/B Split Campaigns: Test different subject lines, sender names, or content to see what performs best.
- Auto Resend: Automatically resend a campaign to subscribers who didn’t open it the first time.
- RSS Campaigns: Automatically send your latest blog posts to your subscribers.
The editor includes a wide range of content blocks, including videos, dynamic content, and product blocks from e-commerce integrations.
Automations & Workflows
MailerLite’s automation builder allows you to create visual workflows to nurture leads, onboard new customers, or send behavioral triggers. You can start an automation based on triggers like:
- When a subscriber joins a group.
- When a subscriber completes a form.
- When a subscriber clicks a link.
- An anniversary of a date.
The visual builder is simple: you add steps like “Email,” “Delay,” “Condition” (if/else logic), and “Action.”
Our Expert Take: The automation is powerful enough for 90% of small businesses. It’s incredibly easy to build welcome sequences or simple lead nurturing funnels. However, it lacks the advanced conditional logic and site-tracking triggers of more expensive platforms like ActiveCampaign.
Subscriber Management (Groups & Segments)
MailerLite uses two methods to organize subscribers:
- Groups: Think of these as static “tags” or lists. You manually add subscribers to a group, or they are added when they fill out a specific form. (e.g., “Newsletter Subscribers”).
- Segments: These are dynamic, rule-based lists. Subscribers are automatically added or removed based on criteria you set. (e.g., A segment for “Active Subscribers” who have opened an email in the last 90 days).
Our Expert Take: While the dual terminology can be slightly confusing at first, it’s a flexible system. For most users, starting with Groups is easy and effective. Segments offer a more powerful way to send targeted campaigns as your list grows.
Forms & Landing Pages
MailerLite includes a robust builder for creating pop-ups, embedded forms, and full landing pages, all available on the free plan. You can create professional-looking forms to capture leads without needing a separate tool like Leadpages, which is a huge value-add.
Beyond Email: Website Builder & Digital Products
MailerLite has evolved beyond just email. It now offers:
- Website Builder: You can build a full, simple website (up to 10 pages) with a blog and sell products directly from it.
- Digital Products: Sell e-books, templates, or paid newsletters directly through MailerLite’s landing pages and checkouts (powered by Stripe).
Our Expert Take: These features make MailerLite an incredible all-in-one platform for creators. You can build your audience, create a website, and monetize your knowledge from a single dashboard at a very low cost.
MailerLite Pricing in 2025
MailerLite’s pricing is its biggest selling point. It is famously transparent and affordable.
| Plan | Price (for 1,000 subscribers) | Key Features |
| Free | $0 | Up to 1,000 subscribers & 12,000 emails/month. Includes automation, landing pages, and website builder. |
| Growing Business | $10/month | Unlimited emails, sell digital products, unlimited websites & landing pages. |
| Advanced | $20/month | AI writing assistant, multiple automation triggers, promotion pop-ups. |
Prices scale with subscriber count.
The Free plan is arguably the best in the industry. The fact that it includes automation and a landing page builder is an incredible value for anyone just starting out.
Pros and Cons of MailerLite
Pros of MailerLite
- Unbeatable Value: The feature-to-price ratio is outstanding. The free plan is incredibly generous.
- Extremely Easy to Use: The interface is clean, modern, and intuitive, making it perfect for beginners.
- All-in-One Platform: With a website builder and digital products, it’s a complete toolkit for creators.
- Excellent Deliverability: MailerLite consistently performs well in deliverability tests, ensuring your emails reach the inbox.
- 24/7 Customer Support: Live chat and email support are available on all paid plans and are known for being fast and helpful.
Cons of MailerLite
- Strict Approval Process: To maintain high deliverability, MailerLite has a thorough account approval process, which can be a hurdle for some new users.
- Basic Automation: The automation is great for standard sequences but lacks the complexity of more advanced (and expensive) marketing automation platforms.
- Fewer Native Integrations: While it supports Zapier, it has fewer direct integrations than a giant like Mailchimp.
MailerLite Alternatives
- Mailchimp: The biggest name in the industry. Mailchimp has more native integrations and a more comprehensive reporting suite. However, its free plan is very limited, and its paid plans are significantly more expensive than MailerLite’s for the same number of subscribers.
- ConvertKit: The top choice for professional creators and bloggers. ConvertKit offers more advanced automation, segmentation, and monetization features tailored for creators. It comes at a premium price compared to MailerLite.
Final Verdict: Who is MailerLite Best For?
After a thorough review, our verdict is clear: MailerLite is the best email marketing platform for bloggers, freelancers, creators, and small businesses who need powerful features without a hefty price tag.
Its blend of user-friendliness, a best-in-class free plan, and affordable scaling makes it the ideal choice for those who are serious about growing their email list but are still budget-conscious. The addition of a website builder and digital product sales solidifies its position as a true all-in-one creator platform.
We recommend MailerLite if:
- You are just starting and want the most powerful free plan available.
- You are a creator or blogger who needs an easy-to-use tool to manage your newsletter.
- You want an all-in-one solution for your landing pages, website, and email marketing.
- Value for money is your top priority.
You might want to consider alternatives if:
- You run a large e-commerce store and need deep, complex automation based on purchase behavior.
- You require advanced reporting and dozens of native integrations.
- Your business is enterprise-level and you have a large budget.
For the vast majority of users, MailerLite hits the perfect sweet spot between power, price, and simplicity.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is MailerLite really free?
Yes, MailerLite offers a “Forever Free” plan for up to 1,000 subscribers and 12,000 email sends per month. It includes many premium features like automation and landing pages, making it one of the most generous free plans on the market.
Is MailerLite better than Mailchimp?
For value and features on the free/entry-level plans, MailerLite is generally considered better. It offers more features for a lower price. Mailchimp has stronger brand recognition and more third-party integrations but becomes expensive quickly as your list grows.
What is the MailerLite approval process?
MailerLite manually reviews new accounts to prevent spammers from using their platform. You’ll need to provide information about your business and how you collect subscribers. While it can take a day or two, it helps ensure high email deliverability for all users.
Can I sell products with MailerLite?
Yes, on the paid plans, you can sell digital products (like e-books or presets) directly through MailerLite’s landing pages. It integrates with Stripe to process payments.
