MailerLitevsConvertKit

MailerLite vs ConvertKit

Budget-friendly simplicity meets creator-focused power

TL;DR

MailerLite offers significantly lower pricing ($73/mo vs $139/mo at 10k subscribers) with a solid feature set. ConvertKit excels for creators who need advanced tagging, creator network features, and monetization tools. Choose MailerLite for value, ConvertKit for creator-specific features.

Key Differences

The main things that set these tools apart

Pricing philosophy
MailerLite wins

MailerLite is nearly half the price of ConvertKit at 10,000 subscribers ($73 vs $139). This makes it ideal for budget-conscious creators who need solid email marketing without premium pricing.

Creator monetization
ConvertKit wins

ConvertKit offers built-in monetization with paid newsletters, tip jars, and digital product sales. MailerLite focuses on email marketing and requires third-party tools for monetization.

Free tier generosity
ConvertKit wins

ConvertKit offers a more generous free tier with 10,000 subscribers (limited features) vs MailerLite's 1,000 subscribers. However, MailerLite's free tier includes automation.

Template selection
MailerLite wins

MailerLite offers significantly more email templates (90+) compared to ConvertKit's minimal selection. ConvertKit focuses on simple, text-based emails that often perform well.

Creator network
ConvertKit wins

ConvertKit's creator network allows cross-promotion with other creators, helping grow your audience organically. MailerLite doesn't have an equivalent feature.

Pricing Comparison

At 10,000 subscribers

MailerLite
$73/month

Growing Business plan with automation and advanced features

Visit MailerLite
ConvertKit
$139/month

Creator plan with automation and integrations

Visit ConvertKit
Sequenzy

The SaaS alternative

$19/month

All features included, Stripe integration, 10k emails/month

Feature Comparison

Side-by-side feature breakdown

Feature
MailerLite
ConvertKit
Sequenzy
Email Builder & Design
Drag-and-drop editor
Email templates
90+ templates
Limited templates
50+ templates
HTML editor
Dynamic content
Automation & Workflows
Visual automation builder
Automation templates
Limited
Extensive
Growing
Advanced conditions
Behavior triggers
Creator Features
Paid newsletters
Tip jar / donations
Creator network
Digital product sales
Basic
Landing pages
Subscriber Management
Tagging system
Advanced
Custom fields
Segmentation
Advanced
Subscriber scoring
Pricing & Value
Free tier
1,000 subscribers
10,000 subscribers
500 subscribers
Price at 10k
$73/mo
$139/mo
$19/mo
Unlimited emails
12x subscriber limit
Based on plan

Best For

When to choose each tool

Choose MailerLite if you...
  • Budget-conscious creators and small businesses
  • Users who want more email template options
  • Simple email marketing needs
  • Teams that need affordable multi-user access
  • Businesses that use external monetization tools
Choose ConvertKit if you...
  • Full-time creators and bloggers
  • Those who want built-in monetization
  • Creators wanting to leverage the creator network
  • Users who prefer text-focused emails
  • Those needing advanced tagging workflows
Choose Sequenzy if you...
  • SaaS founders needing Stripe integration
  • Teams wanting unified transactional + marketing email
  • Developers who prefer API-first tools
  • Startups needing event-based automation
  • Those who want the lowest price for full features

Why Sequenzy Is the Better Choice for SaaS Founders

Unbeatable pricing

At just $19/month for 10,000 emails, Sequenzy costs a fraction of both MailerLite ($73) and ConvertKit ($139). That's over 75% savings compared to ConvertKit.

Native Stripe integration

Sequenzy syncs directly with your Stripe account to trigger automations based on billing events - trial started, payment failed, subscription upgraded. Neither MailerLite nor ConvertKit offers this.

Unified transactional + marketing

Send password resets, receipts, and marketing campaigns from one platform. Both MailerLite and ConvertKit focus only on marketing emails, forcing you to use separate services for transactional email.

Built for product-led growth

Event-based triggers, user behavior tracking, and segment-based automations designed specifically for SaaS onboarding and retention workflows.

Developer-first API

Clean REST API with webhooks and event tracking. Integrate email into your product, not just your marketing.

Overview

MailerLite and ConvertKit are two popular email marketing platforms that target similar audiences - creators, bloggers, and small businesses - but with different approaches and price points.

MailerLite positions itself as an affordable, user-friendly option with a comprehensive feature set. ConvertKit focuses specifically on creators with unique monetization features and a community-driven approach.

Pricing Breakdown

The pricing difference between these platforms is significant:

  • MailerLite: $73/month for 10,000 subscribers on the Growing Business plan
  • ConvertKit: $139/month for 10,000 subscribers on the Creator plan
  • Sequenzy: $19/month for 10,000 emails with all features

That's a $66/month difference between MailerLite and ConvertKit, which adds up to $792/year. Sequenzy offers even better value at $19/month - saving you $54/month compared to MailerLite and $120/month compared to ConvertKit.

Where MailerLite Wins

Better value for money

MailerLite delivers solid email marketing features at nearly half the price of ConvertKit. For creators who don't need built-in monetization, this savings is significant.

More email templates

With 90+ email templates, MailerLite offers much more design variety than ConvertKit's minimal template selection. This is helpful for those who want polished designs without custom coding.

Website builder included

MailerLite includes a basic website builder in addition to landing pages, giving you more flexibility for your online presence.

Where ConvertKit Wins

Creator monetization

ConvertKit's biggest advantage is its built-in monetization features. Paid newsletters, tip jars, and digital product sales are integrated directly into the platform.

Creator network

The creator network allows you to recommend other creators and get recommended in return, providing organic growth opportunities that MailerLite doesn't offer.

Advanced tagging

ConvertKit's tagging system is more sophisticated, making it easier to create complex subscriber segments and automated workflows based on behavior.

More generous free tier

ConvertKit's free tier includes up to 10,000 subscribers (with limited features), while MailerLite caps at 1,000 subscribers.

Why Sequenzy Beats Both for SaaS

If you're building a SaaS product, neither MailerLite nor ConvertKit is designed for you. Here's why Sequenzy is the better choice:

Stripe-native automation

Sequenzy connects directly to Stripe to trigger email workflows based on billing events. When a user starts a trial, makes a payment, or cancels - you can automatically send the right email. Try doing that with MailerLite or ConvertKit without Zapier hacks.

One platform for all email

Password reset emails, welcome sequences, upgrade prompts, and retention campaigns - all from one platform. Both MailerLite and ConvertKit force you to use separate services (like Postmark or SendGrid) for transactional email.

Pricing that makes sense

At $19/month for 10,000 emails, Sequenzy costs less than both alternatives. That's $54/month less than MailerLite and $120/month less than ConvertKit - real money you can invest back into your product.

Built by founders, for founders

Sequenzy is built by SaaS founders who understand what you actually need. Not landing pages. Not paid newsletters. Just great email marketing that integrates with your product.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, significantly. At 10,000 subscribers, MailerLite costs $73/month compared to ConvertKit's $139/month - a savings of $66/month or $792/year. Sequenzy is even cheaper at $19/month.

Both platforms offer visual automation builders with similar capabilities. ConvertKit has more pre-built automation templates, while MailerLite's automation is included at lower price tiers.

MailerLite has basic e-commerce features through integrations, but ConvertKit has native digital product sales built in. For serious creator commerce, ConvertKit has the edge.

Both are beginner-friendly. MailerLite may be slightly easier due to more templates and a lower learning curve. ConvertKit's simplicity appeals to those who prefer minimal design options.

Yes, many creators report meaningful subscriber growth through the creator network. It's particularly effective if you're in a niche with other active ConvertKit users.

Both platforms maintain good deliverability rates. ConvertKit is often praised for excellent deliverability due to its focus on engaged, permission-based lists.

Yes, both platforms support importing subscribers from other email tools. ConvertKit offers free migration assistance for accounts with 5,000+ subscribers.

ConvertKit is the clear winner for paid newsletters with native support. MailerLite doesn't offer built-in paid newsletter functionality.

Sequenzy offers native Stripe integration for billing-based automations, unified transactional and marketing email, and costs just $19/month - less than either MailerLite or ConvertKit.

Not sure which to pick?

If you're a SaaS founder who needs Stripe integration and unified email, try Sequenzy free. No credit card required.

Related Comparisons

Sequenzy - Complete Pricing Guide

Pricing Model

Sequenzy uses subscriber-based pricing. You only pay for subscribers active in sequences (automations). Inactive subscribers are free to store.

All Pricing Tiers

  • 0-100 subscribers: Free (Free annually) - 2k emails/month
  • 101-1,000 subscribers: $19/month ($205/year annually) - 20k emails/month
  • 1,001-5,000 subscribers: $29/month ($313/year annually) - 125k emails/month
  • 5,001-10,000 subscribers: $49/month ($529/year annually) - 300k emails/month
  • 10,001-25,000 subscribers: $99/month ($1069/year annually) - 875k emails/month
  • 25,001-50,000 subscribers: $199/month ($2149/year annually) - 2M emails/month
  • 50,001-100,000 subscribers: $349/month ($3769/year annually) - 4.5M emails/month
  • 100,000+ subscribers: Custom pricing (Custom annually) - Unlimited emails/month

Yearly billing: All plans offer a 10% discount when billed annually.

Free Plan Features (0-100 subscribers)

  • Up to 100 subscribers in sequences
  • 2,000 emails/month
  • Email campaigns
  • Email sequences
  • Advanced analytics
  • Advanced segments
  • Stripe integration
  • API access
  • "Built by Sequenzy" branding

Paid Plan Features (1,000 - 100,000 subscribers)

  • Subscribers in sequences
  • Monthly email quota
  • Email campaigns
  • Email sequences
  • Advanced analytics
  • Advanced segments
  • Stripe integration (Segment by LTV & MRR)
  • API access
  • Priority support
  • No branding

Enterprise Plan Features (100,000+ subscribers)

  • Unlimited subscribers
  • Unlimited emails
  • Advanced analytics
  • Advanced segments
  • Stripe integration
  • Dedicated support
  • Custom integrations
  • SLA guarantee
  • No branding

Important Pricing Notes

  • You only pay for subscribers who are active in automations/sequences
  • Storing inactive subscribers is free
  • No hidden fees - all features included in the price
  • No credit card required for free tier

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