Does Campaign Monitor have a free plan?

No. It offers a 30-day trial limited to 500 contacts, then paid plans. Lite is $13/month billed monthly, or $11.70/month billed annually, for the entry band. MailerLite has a permanent free plan up to 250 subscribers, so it wins for a very small list.

Which is cheaper at 5,000 contacts?

MailerLite, by a wide margin. Comfort is $49/month billed monthly and Campaign Monitor Lite is $75/month billed monthly. On annual billing it is $44.10/month billed annually against $67.50/month billed annually.

Which is better for a team of three sharing one list?

MailerLite on price. Comfort includes 3 seats and costs $17.10/month billed annually at 1,000 contacts, against $42.30/month billed annually for Campaign Monitor Lite. Campaign Monitor has unlimited seats on every plan, so it suits a team that will keep growing.

Does Campaign Monitor include more seats than MailerLite?

Yes. Every Campaign Monitor plan has unlimited seats. MailerLite includes 3 on Comfort and unlimited seats only from Power. For three people or fewer, that difference costs you nothing on MailerLite.

Do both include automation on the cheapest paid plan?

Yes. Campaign Monitor includes automations from Lite. MailerLite includes 50 automations on Comfort and 3 on its free plan.

Campaign Monitor vs MailerLite: which is right for a small business list?

Joonas Rotko

SEO & GEO professional · Email marketing and CRM platforms · Verified 1 Oct 2026

Affiliate links on this page may earn me a commission, at no extra cost to you. They don't change what I recommend.

Campaign Monitor

Desk research

From Lite, billed annually

$11.70/mo

$13/mo billed monthly

MailerLite

Desk research

From Comfort, billed annually

$10.80/mo

$12/mo billed monthly

Quick answer

I'd pick MailerLite. It is cheaper in all three setups I price, on both billing bases. At 500 contacts the gap is small: Comfort is $12/month billed monthly and Campaign Monitor Lite is $13/month billed monthly. At 5,000 contacts it is wide: Comfort is $49/month billed monthly and Lite is $75/month billed monthly. MailerLite also has a permanent free plan up to 250 subscribers, and Campaign Monitor has only a trial. Campaign Monitor is the one to pick if you need more than 3 logins and don't want to move up to MailerLite's Power plan, because every Campaign Monitor plan has unlimited seats. Prices as of 1 Oct 2026.

Across the three setups below: MailerLite in 3 of 3 scenarios.

Which one fits you?

Solo marketer or small business, a list just past the free tier
MailerLite
My pick
$10.80/mo billed annually
At 500 contacts MailerLite Comfort is $12/month billed monthly, or $10.80/month billed annually. Campaign Monitor Lite is $13/month billed monthly, or $11.70/month billed annually. MailerLite is cheaper on both billing bases, but only by about a dollar a month. If your list is still under 250 subscribers, MailerLite's free plan costs nothing at all.
Why this pick, and when to skip it
Skip it if you want several people logging in from day one without a seat cap. Campaign Monitor Lite has unlimited seats for about the same money.
See MailerLite plans
Growing list, sending regularly
MailerLite
My pick
$44.10/mo billed annually
At 5,000 contacts MailerLite Comfort is $49/month billed monthly, or $44.10/month billed annually. Campaign Monitor Lite is $75/month billed monthly, or $67.50/month billed annually. This is the clearest gap on the page, and it holds on both billing bases.
Why this pick, and when to skip it
Skip it if your team needs more than 3 logins. On MailerLite that means the Power plan, which narrows the gap.
See MailerLite plans
Small team managing one list together
MailerLite
My pick
$17.10/mo billed annually
A team of three on a 1,000-contact list fits MailerLite Comfort, which includes 3 seats. It costs $19/month billed monthly, or $17.10/month billed annually. Campaign Monitor's next band above 500 contacts runs to 2,500, so the same list pays $47/month billed monthly, or $42.30/month billed annually, on Lite.
Why this pick, and when to skip it
Skip it if the team will grow past 3 people soon. MailerLite then needs Power, while Campaign Monitor's seats stay unlimited on Lite.
See MailerLite plans

Neither fits? See the alternatives, or take the tool finder.

How are Campaign Monitor and MailerLite really different?

Campaign Monitor

MailerLite

Free plan or trial only
A list under 250 subscribers costs nothing on MailerLite for as long as it stays that small. On Campaign Monitor every list pays once the trial ends.
Campaign Monitor
No free plan. A 30-day trial, limited to 500 contacts.
MailerLite
A permanent free plan up to 250 subscribers, plus a 14-day trial of paid features with no card required.
Price once the list grows
At 500 contacts the two are about a dollar apart. At 1,000 and 5,000 contacts MailerLite is much cheaper on both billing bases.
Campaign Monitor
Lite is $13/month billed monthly for up to 500 contacts, then jumps to a band that runs to 2,500 contacts.
MailerLite
Comfort is $12/month billed monthly at the 500-subscriber band, and it climbs in smaller steps as the list grows.
Seats
A team of three fits MailerLite's cheapest paid plan. A bigger team pays for Power on MailerLite, but no extra on Campaign Monitor.
Campaign Monitor
Unlimited seats on every plan, Lite included.
MailerLite
2 seats on Free, 3 on Comfort, unlimited on Power and Enterprise.
Automation on the entry paid plan
Both include automation from the cheapest paid plan, so this rarely decides the pick for a small business. MailerLite also gives you a few automations on its free plan.
Campaign Monitor
Automations are included on Lite and every plan above it.
MailerLite
3 automations on Free, 50 on Comfort, unlimited on Power.

What will Campaign Monitor or MailerLite cost for your setup?

The cheapest plan that covers each setup, add-ons included. Prices exclude VAT.

Solo marketer or small business, a list just past the free tier

500 subscribers · mailed 3 times a month (for tools priced by emails sent) · 1 user

MonthlyYearly, per month

Campaign Monitor

$13

$11.70

Lite

Above 50,000 subscribers: nothing published fits.

MailerLite

My pick

$12

$10.80

Comfort

Above 200,000 subscribers: nothing published fits.

See MailerLite plans

Usage, limits and billing

Campaign Monitor

Uses 500 of 50,000 subscribers.
On monthly billing: $156 a year.
On annual billing: $140.40 a year.

MailerLite

Uses 500 of 200,000 subscribers.
On monthly billing: $144 a year.
On annual billing: $129.60 a year.

Growing list, sending regularly

5,000 subscribers · mailed 3 times a month (for tools priced by emails sent) · 1 user

MonthlyYearly, per month

Campaign Monitor

$75

$67.50

Lite

Above 50,000 subscribers: nothing published fits.

MailerLite

My pick

$49

$44.10

Comfort

Above 200,000 subscribers: nothing published fits.

See MailerLite plans

Usage, limits and billing

Campaign Monitor

Uses 5,000 of 50,000 subscribers.
On monthly billing: $900 a year.
On annual billing: $810 a year.

MailerLite

Uses 5,000 of 200,000 subscribers.
On monthly billing: $588 a year.
On annual billing: $529.20 a year.

Small team managing one list together

1,000 subscribers · mailed 3 times a month (for tools priced by emails sent) · 3 users

MonthlyYearly, per month

Campaign Monitor

$47

$42.30

Lite

Above 50,000 subscribers: nothing published fits.

MailerLite

My pick

$19

$17.10

Comfort

Above 200,000 subscribers: nothing published fits.

See MailerLite plans

Usage, limits and billing

Campaign Monitor

Uses 1,000 of 50,000 subscribers.
On monthly billing: $564 a year.
On annual billing: $507.60 a year.

MailerLite

Uses 1,000 of 200,000 subscribers.
On monthly billing: $228 a year.
On annual billing: $205.20 a year.

How I calculated this

For each tool I price every current plan plus the add-ons a setup needs, from the vendor's published prices only, and take the cheapest. Monthly and annual billing are priced separately. When a limit or price isn't published, the tool shows as not fitting instead of a guess.

Solo marketer or small business, a list just past the free tier: A list of about 500 contacts, just past the free tiers most vendors offer. One login. Tools priced by emails sent are costed at three mailings per subscriber a month.
Growing list, sending regularly: A list of 5,000 contacts, sending regularly. One login. Tools priced by emails sent are costed at three mailings per subscriber a month.
Small team managing one list together: Three people logging in to the same 1,000-contact list. Seats, not list size, are the deciding limit. Tools priced by emails sent are costed at three mailings per subscriber a month.

Campaign Monitor vs MailerLite side by side

I compare email/CRM platforms on: Real cost per list size, both billing bases; Free-tier contact ceiling before you must pay anything; Team seats included, and the seat price past that; List segmentation depth; Automation workflow depth and any step/action limits; Deliverability and sending limits (emails per month, per day, or per rolling window); CRM and ecommerce integration depth; What happens past your plan's contact ceiling (overage pricing vs a forced upgrade).

Campaign Monitor and MailerLite compared on the main buying criteria
Criterion	Campaign Monitor	MailerLite
Free plan	None.	Yes, up to 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails a month.
Free trial	30 days, limited to 500 contacts.	14 days of paid features, no card required, then back to the free plan.
Entry paid price, billed monthly	Lite: $13/month billed monthly, for up to 500 contacts.	Comfort: $12/month billed monthly, for the 500-subscriber band.
Entry paid price, billed annually	Lite: $11.70/month billed annually, for up to 500 contacts.	Comfort: $10.80/month billed annually, for the 500-subscriber band.
Team seats	Unlimited on every plan.	3 on Comfort, unlimited on Power.

All details, including automation and AI workflows

All compared details for Campaign Monitor and MailerLite
Criterion	Campaign Monitor	MailerLite
Automation by plan	Included on Lite, Essentials and Premier.	3 on Free, 50 on Comfort, unlimited on Power.
Past your plan's contact band	The price moves to the next published band. Above 50,000 contacts it is Contact Sales.	Paid plans move up to the next subscriber band automatically and bill the card on file. On Free, sending locks at 250 subscribers until you upgrade or trim the list.
Top plan	Enterprise, quote-only.	Enterprise, quote-only, for accounts with 200,000+ subscribers.
Full plan list	Lite, Essentials, Premier and Enterprise. Paid plans are priced by contact count.	Free, Comfort, Power and Enterprise. Paid plans are priced by subscriber count.
Entry-band price on each paid plan, monthly billing	Lite $13/month billed monthly, Essentials $31/month billed monthly, Premier $171/month billed monthly.	Comfort $12/month billed monthly. Power $25/mo.
Entry-band price on each paid plan, annual billing	Lite $11.70/month billed annually, Essentials $27.90/month billed annually, Premier $153.90/month billed annually.	Comfort $10.80/month billed annually, Power $22.50/month billed annually.
Branding on emails	Not broken out by plan on Campaign Monitor's pricing page.	The MailerLite logo stays on Free-plan emails and forms. Comfort and above remove it.
Landing pages	Not listed as a plan limit on Campaign Monitor's pricing page.	1 on Free, 10 on Comfort, unlimited on Power.
Extra seats past what's included	Not needed: seats are unlimited on every plan.	MailerLite doesn't sell extra seats. Seats are a fixed count per plan, so more people means moving up to Power.
Refund terms	Campaign Monitor's pricing page doesn't publish a refund window.	A discretionary 30-day window to request a refund, not a guaranteed money-back policy.

Who should pick Campaign Monitor, and who should pick MailerLite?

Campaign Monitor

Desk research

Campaign Monitor is a contact-tiered email platform with no permanent free plan: you get a 30-day trial capped at 500 contacts, then paid plans from $13/month billed monthly for the same 500 contacts. Its strongest move is unlimited team members on every plan, with drip automations from Lite upward. Prices climb steeply with list size, and Premier gets expensive fast past 10,000 contacts.

Best for: Small teams and agencies who want unlimited seats and automations from the first paid plan, and a simple drag-and-drop email builder.

Strengths

A 30-day trial capped at 500 contacts lets you test the builder before paying. It is a trial only, not a free tier.
Unlimited team members on every plan, even Lite ($13/month billed monthly). Most competitors hide this behind a top plan.
Automations (drip campaigns, pre-built journeys) are included from Lite upward.

Limits

There is no permanent free plan. The free offer is a time-limited trial, so a list you want to keep sending to needs a paid plan from day one.
Pricing is contact-tiered and the steps are steep, especially on Premier. The entry rate of $13/month billed monthly on Lite covers only the first 500 contacts. Self-serve prices stop at 50,000 contacts; past that the plans switch to Contact Sales with no published price.
No paid subscriptions on the platform itself (unlike beehiiv or Ghost). Campaign Monitor is email-only; it doesn't process reader payments.

Skip it if you need a permanent free plan, or you need a deep multi-branch visual automation builder; Campaign Monitor's strength is drip sequences and pre-built journeys, not complex branching.

Campaign Monitor review Campaign Monitor pricing Campaign Monitor alternatives

MailerLite

Desk research

Best for solo marketers and small businesses
Best for growing lists sending regularly
Best for small teams sharing one account

MailerLite prices by subscriber count, not by locking features behind tiers, so a $12/month billed monthly plan gets the same automation builder and landing pages as the top tier, just fewer of each. The free plan is a real permanent plan, not a trial, capped at 250 subscribers.

Best for: A small business or solo marketer who wants full features at a low subscriber count and doesn't want to pay for a bigger list than they have yet.

Strengths

A genuine free plan at 250 subscribers, not a time-limited trial.
A 14-day trial of paid features with no card required.
Automation and landing pages scale by count, not by locking the builder away from cheaper tiers.

Limits

Removing the MailerLite logo needs Comfort or above.
API and MCP access on Free is limited and can't send.
Refunds are discretionary, not a guaranteed money-back window; MailerLite's terms only commit to a refund if it cancels your service on you first.

Skip it if you resell email under your own brand (MailerLite offers no white-label version), you need logo removal on the free plan, or you need unrestricted API sending without upgrading past Free.

MailerLite review MailerLite pricing MailerLite alternatives

My pick: MailerLite in 3 of 3 scenarios.

See MailerLite plans See Campaign Monitor plans

Neither Campaign Monitor nor MailerLite? Try these

GetResponse
From $15.58/mo billed annually
Pick it if you want a contact-priced plan with a few included seats and you are comparing on price at a growing list.
GetResponse review GetResponse alternatives
Brevo
From $8.08/mo billed annually
Pick it if you want SMS and transactional email in the same account as your marketing email.
Brevo review Brevo alternatives
ActiveCampaign
From $15/mo billed annually
Pick it if you want deeper CRM and sales automation than either of these two offers on its entry plan.
ActiveCampaign review ActiveCampaign alternatives

Buying guides that rank Campaign Monitor or MailerLite

Best Email Marketing Software 2026: 19 Tools Compared
MailerLite is #1 of 9
Best Email Marketing for Nonprofits
MailerLite is #1 of 8
Best Email Marketing Software for Agencies
Campaign Monitor is #1 of 6

Switching between Campaign Monitor and MailerLite

Expect to export your contacts as a file, import them into the new account and rebuild your automations and templates by hand. Neither vendor publishes a migration service for this switch. MailerLite's 14-day trial needs no card and drops back to the free plan afterwards, so testing a rebuild there carries no billing risk. Campaign Monitor's 30-day trial is limited to 500 contacts, so test with a sample of your list.

What would change my pick?

A team that needs more than 3 logins. MailerLite then needs Power, and Campaign Monitor's unlimited seats on Lite start to count.
Campaign Monitor adding a permanent free plan, or a cheaper band between 500 and 2,500 contacts, would narrow MailerLite's lead at small lists.
A price change on either side. The scenario picks recalculate when a vendor changes a price.

Campaign Monitor vs MailerLite: questions people ask

Does Campaign Monitor have a free plan?: No. It offers a 30-day trial limited to 500 contacts, then paid plans. Lite is $13/month billed monthly, or $11.70/month billed annually, for the entry band. MailerLite has a permanent free plan up to 250 subscribers, so it wins for a very small list.
Which is cheaper at 500 contacts, Campaign Monitor or MailerLite?: MailerLite, by about a dollar a month. MailerLite Comfort is $12/month billed monthly and Campaign Monitor Lite is $13/month billed monthly. On annual billing it is $10.80/month billed annually against $11.70/month billed annually.
Which is cheaper at 5,000 contacts?: MailerLite, by a wide margin. Comfort is $49/month billed monthly and Campaign Monitor Lite is $75/month billed monthly. On annual billing it is $44.10/month billed annually against $67.50/month billed annually.
Which is better for a team of three sharing one list?: MailerLite on price. Comfort includes 3 seats and costs $17.10/month billed annually at 1,000 contacts, against $42.30/month billed annually for Campaign Monitor Lite. Campaign Monitor has unlimited seats on every plan, so it suits a team that will keep growing.
Does Campaign Monitor include more seats than MailerLite?: Yes. Every Campaign Monitor plan has unlimited seats. MailerLite includes 3 on Comfort and unlimited seats only from Power. For three people or fewer, that difference costs you nothing on MailerLite.
Do both include automation on the cheapest paid plan?: Yes. Campaign Monitor includes automations from Lite. MailerLite includes 50 automations on Comfort and 3 on its free plan.

Joonas Rotko

SEO & GEO professional, founder of That Marketing Buddy

I'm a Finnish SEO and GEO professional with 11+ years in digital marketing, including years as a co-owner of a digital marketing agency. On That Marketing Buddy I test and compare SEO and AI-visibility software for entrepreneurs, marketing professionals and agencies.

About me How I review LinkedIn

How I verified this

Every price and limit here comes from the vendors' own pages, last checked 1 Oct 2026. Campaign Monitor: desk research. MailerLite: desk research.

Sources and changelog

29 facts from 7 source pages, oldest checked 30 Sep 2026.

Campaign Monitor plans and pricing (checked 1 Oct 2026)
MailerLite plans and pricing (checked 1 Oct 2026)
MailerLite terms of service (refund policy) (checked 30 Sep 2026)

1 Oct 2026: New page. MailerLite is the pick at 500 contacts, at 5,000 contacts and for a three-person team at 1,000 contacts, on both billing bases. Campaign Monitor stays the better fit for teams that need more than three logins on a low plan.

Spot something out of date?Vendors and readers, send me the correct fact.

Software sites change almost every week, and I want every claim on this page to be factually correct. If you are a vendor or a reader, send me the correct fact and a link to the official page. I will check it and update the page. The opinions and rankings stay mine.

Campaign Monitor vs MailerLite: which is right for a small business list?

Quick answer

Which one fits you?

How are Campaign Monitor and MailerLite really different?

Free plan or trial only

Price once the list grows

Seats

Automation on the entry paid plan

What will Campaign Monitor or MailerLite cost for your setup?

Solo marketer or small business, a list just past the free tier

Growing list, sending regularly

Small team managing one list together

Campaign Monitor vs MailerLite side by side

Who should pick Campaign Monitor, and who should pick MailerLite?

Campaign Monitor

MailerLite

Neither Campaign Monitor nor MailerLite? Try these

Buying guides that rank Campaign Monitor or MailerLite

Switching between Campaign Monitor and MailerLite

What would change my pick?

Campaign Monitor vs MailerLite: questions people ask

Does Campaign Monitor have a free plan?

Which is cheaper at 500 contacts, Campaign Monitor or MailerLite?

Which is cheaper at 5,000 contacts?

Which is better for a team of three sharing one list?

Does Campaign Monitor include more seats than MailerLite?

Do both include automation on the cheapest paid plan?

How I verified this

Compare Campaign Monitor or MailerLite with another tool

Campaign Monitor vs …

MailerLite vs …

Suggested comparisons

The SEO and AI visibility software worth your money, and the ones that are not