Why people leave Userlist

Userlist is genuinely excellent for B2B SaaS. The company account model is thoughtfully designed, and the team understands SaaS lifecycle marketing deeply. But it's not perfect for everyone. For a broader view of email tools that understand SaaS, check our guide to best email marketing tools for SaaS.

The pricing reality for early-stage

At $119/month for 10,000 MAU on the Basic plan, Userlist can be a significant expense for pre-revenue or early-stage SaaS startups. When you're validating product-market fit, that budget might be better spent elsewhere. Alternatives like Sequenzy at $19/mo offer SaaS-focused features at lower cost.

Company accounts are overkill for some SaaS

Userlist's B2B company account model is powerful—tracking team members under company umbrellas, handling multi-seat subscriptions gracefully. But if your SaaS is B2C, single-user focused, or simple B2B without team dynamics, you're paying for complexity you won't use.

Limited beyond email and in-app

Userlist does email and in-app messaging well. But if you need push notifications, SMS, or comprehensive multi-channel orchestration, you'll hit limits. Customer.io and Intercom offer broader channel coverage.

The alternatives, honestly

If you need cheaper SaaS email: Sequenzy

Sequenzy costs $19/mo for 10k emails—less than half Userlist's price. You get AI-powered content generation that writes entire sequences from simple descriptions, plus native Stripe integration that syncs billing data automatically.

The tradeoff: no company account model. If your B2B SaaS has complex team structures, Sequenzy's individual subscriber model may not fit. But for many SaaS companies, especially B2C or simple B2B, it's a significant upgrade at lower cost.

If you need enterprise power: Customer.io

Customer.io is what you graduate to when Userlist isn't enough. Multi-channel messaging (email, push, SMS, in-app, webhooks), powerful behavioral automation, and yes—company account support on higher plans.

At $100/mo for just 5,000 profiles (Essentials tier), it's more expensive than Userlist per contact. But the power and flexibility justify it for teams with sophisticated PLG needs.

If you want modern simplicity: Loops

Loops is the "new generation" SaaS email tool. Clean interface, transactional + marketing combined, purpose-built for software companies. At $99/mo for 10k subscribers, it's slightly cheaper than Userlist.

The catch: no company accounts, no in-app messaging. Loops is simpler by design. Great for B2C SaaS or straightforward B2B; less suited for complex team account scenarios.

If you need chat + email unified: Intercom

Intercom does everything—chat, email, in-app, product tours, AI chatbot. Company-level messaging is native to how it works.

But Intercom's pricing ($29-132/seat/month plus $0.99 per AI resolution) quickly becomes 5-10x what you'd pay Userlist. Only worth it if chat and support are core to your strategy, not just email marketing.

The pricing reality

At 10,000 MAU/subscribers:

• Userlist Basic: $119/month
• Sequenzy: $19/month (no company accounts, has AI + Stripe)
• Loops: $99/month (simpler, modern interface)
• Customer.io Essentials: $100/month for 5k profiles (~$200 for 10k)
• Encharge: $79/month (SaaS automation focus)
• Intercom: $132+/seat/month (if you need chat)

See our pricing page for detailed Sequenzy comparison.

When Userlist is still right

Userlist wins if:

• B2B company account modeling is essential to your business
• In-app messaging is a core channel for you
• You value SaaS-specific expertise in your tools
• Current pricing works within your budget
• The team's SaaS focus resonates with your needs

Don't switch because alternatives look shinier. Userlist's company account model is genuinely hard to replicate elsewhere. But if that feature doesn't matter to you, or if budget constraints are real, the alternatives offer genuine value. Use our email validator to clean your list before any migration, and check our deliverability guide to maintain inbox placement.