MauticvsMailerLite

Mautic vs MailerLite

Self-hosted power vs simple elegance

TL;DR

Mautic is open-source and self-hosted, offering unlimited contacts and advanced automation but requiring technical skills. MailerLite is a simple, affordable SaaS with a generous free plan and clean interface. Choose Mautic if you have developers and need advanced features. Choose MailerLite if you want simplicity and fast setup.

Key Differences

The main things that set these tools apart

Simplicity vs Power

MailerLite is designed to be simple and accessible. Mautic is designed to be powerful and flexible. If you value ease of use, MailerLite wins. If you need advanced automation, Mautic has more capability.

Technical Requirements
MailerLite wins

MailerLite requires zero technical skills. Mautic requires PHP knowledge, server administration, and ongoing maintenance. This is the fundamental divide.

Automation Depth
Mautic wins

Mautic offers lead scoring, advanced behavioral triggers, and website tracking. MailerLite has basic automation suitable for standard workflows. For sophisticated marketing automation, Mautic leads.

Cost at Scale
Mautic wins

MailerLite costs $73/month at 10,000 contacts. Mautic self-hosted costs hosting plus email delivery. At large scale, Mautic can be dramatically cheaper if you have technical resources.

Pricing Comparison

At 10,000 contacts

Mautic
$0+/month

Self-hosted is free. Cloud from $500/mo. Add hosting and sending costs.

Visit Mautic
MailerLite
$73/month

Growing Business plan with automation and advanced features.

Visit MailerLite
Sequenzy

The SaaS alternative

$49/month

10k contacts, unlimited emails, Stripe integration included.

Feature Comparison

Side-by-side feature breakdown

Feature
Mautic
MailerLite
Sequenzy
Email Marketing
Email Campaigns
Visual Email Builder
Basic
Excellent
Modern
Templates
Community
Modern templates
AI-generated
A/B Testing
RSS to Email
Automation
Visual Workflow Builder
Lead Scoring
Advanced
Behavioral Triggers
Advanced
Basic
Events + Stripe
Website Tracking
Dynamic Content
Limited
Additional Features
Landing Pages
Website Builder
Forms and Popups
Paid Newsletters
Technical & Control
Self-Hosted Option
Open Source
Free Plan
Self-hosted (free)
Up to 1,000 contacts
14-day trial
Setup Time
Days
Minutes
Minutes

Best For

When to choose each tool

Choose Mautic if you...
  • Technical teams with development resources
  • Companies needing advanced lead scoring
  • Organizations with data sovereignty requirements
  • Large contact lists where per-contact pricing hurts
  • Agencies wanting full customization control
Choose MailerLite if you...
  • Small businesses and creators
  • Teams wanting simple, clean email marketing
  • Bloggers and newsletter writers
  • Beginners to email marketing
  • Budget-conscious users wanting a free plan
Choose Sequenzy if you...
  • SaaS companies with Stripe billing
  • Teams wanting managed service with payment triggers
  • Founders seeking automation without complexity

When to Consider Sequenzy Instead

SaaS-Specific Automation

Neither Mautic nor MailerLite has native Stripe integration. Sequenzy triggers emails from subscription events, trial endings, and payment failures.

More Than MailerLite, Less Than Mautic

Sequenzy offers more SaaS-relevant features than MailerLite without Mautic's complexity. It is right-sized for software companies.

Better Value

At 10,000 contacts, Sequenzy is $49/month with Stripe integration vs MailerLite's $73 without it.

Overview

Mautic and MailerLite represent opposite philosophies in email marketing. Mautic is powerful open-source software for technical teams. MailerLite is simple, elegant email marketing for everyone. See our detailed MailerLite comparison for more alternatives.

The Simplicity Gap

MailerLite is one of the easiest email marketing platforms to use. Clean interface, intuitive workflows, and you can be sending emails within minutes. Mautic requires server setup, configuration, and ongoing maintenance. If simplicity matters, MailerLite is the clear choice.

Feature Depth

Mautic has features MailerLite lacks: advanced lead scoring, website tracking, sophisticated behavioral triggers, and dynamic content. If you need marketing automation that rivals enterprise platforms, Mautic delivers. MailerLite keeps things simple.

The Cost Question

MailerLite is $73/month at 10,000 contacts. Mautic self-hosted requires hosting ($30-100+/month) plus email delivery service plus your time. For many small businesses, MailerLite is actually cheaper when you factor in time and complexity.

Creator Features

MailerLite has a website builder and paid newsletter subscriptions built in. Mautic does not. For bloggers, newsletter creators, and content creators, MailerLite offers tools Mautic lacks.

For SaaS Companies

MailerLite lacks SaaS-specific features like Stripe integration. Mautic can be customized for it, but requires development work. Sequenzy was built for SaaS companies with native Stripe integration and subscription-aware automation. See our pricing page for comparison.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, significantly. MailerLite is designed for beginners and non-technical users. Mautic requires PHP knowledge and server administration. They are not comparable in ease of use.

Yes, MailerLite offers a free plan for up to 1,000 contacts with 12,000 emails/month. Mautic self-hosted is free with no limits, but requires technical setup.

Yes, and more. Mautic has advanced features MailerLite lacks, like lead scoring and website tracking. However, MailerLite has a website builder and paid newsletter features Mautic does not.

MailerLite is better for most newsletter creators. It has a website builder, paid newsletter subscriptions, and simpler workflow. Mautic is overkill for basic newsletters.

Only if you have technical resources. Most small businesses would find MailerLite much easier to use and maintain. Mautic's power comes with complexity.

MailerLite has built-in paid newsletter features. Mautic does not have native payment processing. Neither directly integrates with Stripe for SaaS billing.

Export subscribers from MailerLite as CSV. Set up Mautic on your server with proper configuration. Import contacts and map fields. Rebuild automations in Mautic's campaign builder. Configure your email sending infrastructure. Be prepared for a steeper learning curve.

Export contacts from Mautic. Create a MailerLite account and import subscribers. Map custom fields. Rebuild automations in MailerLite's simpler workflow builder. Note that advanced Mautic features like lead scoring will not transfer directly.

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) - 15k emails/month
  • 1,001-5,000 subscribers: $29/month ($313/year annually) - 60k emails/month
  • 5,001-10,000 subscribers: $49/month ($529/year annually) - 120k emails/month
  • 10,001-25,000 subscribers: $99/month ($1069/year annually) - 300k emails/month
  • 25,001-50,000 subscribers: $199/month ($2149/year annually) - 600k emails/month
  • 50,001-100,000 subscribers: $349/month ($3769/year annually) - 1.2M 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)

  • Visual automation builder
  • Transactional email API
  • Reply tracking & team inbox
  • Goal tracking & revenue attribution
  • Dynamic segments
  • Payment integrations
  • Full REST API access
  • Custom sending domain

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

  • Visual automation builder
  • Transactional email API
  • Reply tracking & team inbox
  • Goal tracking & revenue attribution
  • Dynamic segments
  • Payment integrations (Stripe, Paddle, Lemon Squeezy)
  • Full REST API access
  • Custom sending domain

Enterprise Plan Features (100,000+ subscribers)

  • Visual automation builder
  • Transactional email API
  • Reply tracking & team inbox
  • Goal tracking & revenue attribution
  • Dynamic segments
  • Payment integrations
  • Full REST API access
  • Custom sending domain

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

Contact

  • Pricing Page: https://sequenzy.com/pricing
  • Sales: hello@sequenzy.com