For a budget email program, EmailOctopus is the better pick when you have a large list and send often, because its free plan documents room for 2,500 subscribers and 10,000 emails a month. MailerLite is the better pick when you want a fuller toolkit, with websites, landing pages, automations, and a built-in AI writing assistant on paid plans. This emailoctopus vs mailerlite comparison covers pricing and trade-offs, so verify current pricing before choosing.
Both are known as cheaper alternatives to the bigger email platforms, and both are aimed at small senders. The pattern in published reviews is that EmailOctopus keeps things plain and affordable, while MailerLite puts more features and more design control into every tier. Which one saves you money depends on list size, send volume, and whether you need automation.
How We Compared EmailOctopus and MailerLite
We compared both products using each vendor's public pricing page, documented feature lists, and consistent patterns in published customer reviews. We did not send campaigns from either account, so we make no claim about deliverability or inbox placement. MailerLite's pricing has changed repeatedly, and third-party guides disagree on plan names and free-plan limits, so we used the figures shown on MailerLite's own page when fetched and flag where guides conflict. We weighted four factors: documented free-plan limits, the price of the first paid plan, automation and form features, and branding on free sends.
Free plan and entry pricing compared
| Item | EmailOctopus | MailerLite |
|---|---|---|
| Free subscribers | Up to 2,500 | 250 on the vendor page we fetched (some guides cite 500) |
| Free monthly emails | 10,000 | 2,500 on the vendor page we fetched (some guides cite 12,000) |
| Free-plan branding | EmailOctopus branding on emails | Not documented on the pricing page |
| Free-plan forms and pages | 1 form, 1 landing page | 3 forms, 1 landing page, 1 website |
| Free-plan automations | Not listed on the pricing page | 3 |
| Free reports | 30 days | Not documented on the pricing page |
| First paid plan | Pro, $9 a month billed yearly | Comfort, from $12 a month |
| Higher paid plan | Custom quote above 500,000 subscribers | Power, from $25 a month |
| Trial | Free plan as the trial | 14 days of premium features, no card |
All paid prices rise with list size, and the figures above are starting points. The MailerLite free-plan numbers in particular are in dispute: its pricing page we fetched showed 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails, while several 2026 guides report 500 subscribers and 12,000 emails after an earlier reduction from 1,000. Treat the live page as the source of truth.
Where EmailOctopus is stronger
EmailOctopus documents a more generous free plan, with 2,500 subscribers and 10,000 monthly emails. Its Pro plan removes EmailOctopus branding, unlocks unlimited forms and landing pages, adds unlimited users, and keeps reports forever. It also lists a 20 percent lifetime discount for nonprofits. See our EmailOctopus review for the full feature list.
The drawbacks are the ones reviewers repeatedly raise. The free plan puts branding on your emails and keeps reports for only 30 days, and the platform is simpler than MailerLite, with fewer design and automation options. If you need landing pages or a store, check what is actually included before assuming.
Where MailerLite is stronger
MailerLite includes a drag-and-drop editor, automation workflows, signup forms, landing pages, and a website builder, and its higher plans add dynamic emails, multivariate testing, a preference center, and an AI writing assistant. Free-plan users still get core editors, campaigns, and over 100 integrations. Our MailerLite review goes deeper on the feature set.
The weak spots are the tight free-plan limits, which lock sending when you exceed the subscriber cap, and feature gating that moves between plans as the vendor updates its pricing. Premium features stop working after the 14-day trial unless you upgrade, though your data is kept.
Which should you choose at different list sizes
At a few hundred subscribers, both free plans work, and MailerLite's automations and forms make it the more capable start. Between roughly 500 and 2,500 subscribers, EmailOctopus's free plan is the only one that documents room for the whole list, which makes it the cheapest way to keep sending. Past that, compare the paid quotes at your exact list size, because both vendors price by subscriber count.
Deliverability, templates, and support quality are hard to rank from documentation alone, and reviewers' experiences vary. If sending reputation matters, start with a small real send and watch your own results before moving the full list.
Moving between the two later
Both support importing and exporting subscriber lists as CSV, so switching is possible if your needs change. Automations, templates, and form designs generally do not transfer, and you will need to rebuild them. Keep consent records and unsubscribe status when exporting, so you do not email people who opted out.
Deliverability, design and support
Both vendors send through their own infrastructure, and both document standard sender authentication and unsubscribe handling. Beyond that, deliverability depends mostly on your list quality, your sending domain setup, and how often recipients engage, so documentation alone cannot rank them. Reviewers tend to describe MailerLite's editor as more polished, with more template and design control, and EmailOctopus as plainer but quick to learn.
Support differs by plan. EmailOctopus lists email and chat support for the first 30 days on the free plan and priority chat and email on Pro. MailerLite lists 24/7 live chat on its Power plan, and its lower tiers rely on email and a help center. If you expect to need help during setup, check which channel your chosen plan includes.
Costs that grow with your list
The starting prices above are only the beginning. Both vendors price by subscriber count, so a list that doubles can more than double the bill. EmailOctopus requires a custom quote above 500,000 subscribers, and MailerLite's Enterprise tier is aimed at lists of 200,000 or more. Before committing, price both at your list size today and at the size you expect in twelve months, and remember that unsubscribes and inactive contacts often still count toward the limit until you clean them out.
The bottom line: Choose EmailOctopus for the cheapest way to keep a large list sending, and choose MailerLite when automations, forms, and landing pages matter more than the lowest price.
