Is MailerLite cheaper than Constant Contact?

Yes, once the list grows. At 500 contacts they tie on monthly billing: Constant Contact Lite is $12/month billed monthly and MailerLite Comfort is $12/month billed monthly. At 5,000 contacts MailerLite is $49/month billed monthly and Constant Contact is $80/month billed monthly. MailerLite also has a free plan, which Constant Contact doesn't.

Does MailerLite have a free plan?

Yes. It's permanent, not a trial: 250 subscribers, 2,500 emails a month, 2 seats, 3 automations.

Does Constant Contact have a free plan?

No. Constant Contact only offers a 14-day trial. After that you're on a paid plan, starting at Lite.

Which has a real money-back guarantee, Constant Contact or MailerLite?

Constant Contact. Its 30-day money-back guarantee applies across Lite, Standard and Premium. MailerLite's refund policy covers the same 30-day window to ask, but it's discretionary: MailerLite may grant a refund, its terms don't commit to one just because you changed your mind.

What will 5,000 contacts cost on each?

MailerLite Comfort is $49/month billed monthly on monthly billing, or $44.10/month billed annually on annual billing. Constant Contact Lite is $80/month billed monthly on monthly billing. Constant Contact shows an annual rate only as a starting price, so monthly billing is the like-for-like comparison.

Does MailerLite limit seats for a team account?

Not much, and it tells you exactly what you get: 2 seats on Free, 3 on Comfort, unlimited from Power up. Constant Contact doesn't publish a seat count for any tier.

Which is better for a small business just getting started with email?

MailerLite, for most small business owners. Its free plan lets you send real campaigns before you pay anything, it costs the same as Constant Contact at 500 contacts and much less at 5,000, and it publishes its seat and automation limits. Pick Constant Contact instead if a guided, simpler setup and a contractual refund guarantee matter more to you than price.

Constant Contact vs MailerLite: free plan or a guided send tool?

Email marketing and CRM platforms · Verified 1 Oct 2026 · By Joonas Rotko

Constant Contact

Desk research

From Lite, billed annually

$10.20/mo

$12/mo billed monthly

MailerLite

Desk research

From Comfort, billed annually

$10.80/mo

$12/mo billed monthly

Quick answer

I'd start with MailerLite for most small businesses. At 500 contacts the two cost the same on monthly billing: Constant Contact Lite is $12/month billed monthly and MailerLite Comfort is $12/month billed monthly. At 5,000 contacts the gap is wide: MailerLite is $49/month billed monthly and Constant Contact is $80/month billed monthly. MailerLite also has a permanent free plan up to 250 subscribers, and Constant Contact has none. Constant Contact does carry a real 30-day money-back guarantee, where MailerLite's is discretionary.

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
On monthly billing the two cost the same at 500 contacts: MailerLite Comfort is $12/month billed monthly and Constant Contact Lite is $12/month billed monthly. MailerLite adds a free plan to fall back on, published seat counts, and an annual rate of $10.80/month billed annually.
Why this pick, and when to skip it
The monthly prices tie, so this pick rests on the free plan, the published seat counts and the cheaper path as your list grows.
Skip it if you'd rather have Constant Contact's guided, simpler setup and its contractual refund guarantee. Its annual rate also starts a little lower, at $10.20/month billed annually.
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 on monthly billing. Constant Contact Lite is $80/month billed monthly. That is a wide gap for the same list on the same basis.
Why this pick, and when to skip it
Skip it if you want Constant Contact's guided setup and its contractual refund guarantee and the extra cost doesn't matter to you.
See MailerLite plans
Small team managing one list together
MailerLite
My pick
$17.10/mo billed annually
Three people need logins, and MailerLite is the only one of these two with published seat counts: Comfort includes 3 seats and comes to $19/month billed monthly at 1,000 contacts. Constant Contact doesn't publish a seat count for any tier, so I can't price a 3-seat plan on it.
Why this pick, and when to skip it
This pick rests on seats. Constant Contact doesn't say how many logins a plan includes, so confirm that with them directly if you lean towards it.
See MailerLite plans

Neither fits? See the alternatives, or take the 2-minute recommendation.

How are Constant Contact and MailerLite really different?

Free plan
Constant Contact
None. 14-day trial only, then you're on a paid plan
MailerLite
Permanent: 250 subscribers, 2,500 emails/month, 2 seats
Only MailerLite lets you run real campaigns indefinitely without paying anything.
Entry-plan price at 500 contacts
Constant Contact
Lite: $12/month billed monthly, or $10.20/month billed annually as a starting annual rate.
MailerLite
Comfort: $12/month billed monthly, or $10.80/month billed annually.
The monthly prices match at the smallest paid size, and Constant Contact's starting annual rate is slightly lower. The difference shows up as the list grows.
Price at 5,000 contacts
Constant Contact
Lite: $80/month billed monthly.
MailerLite
Comfort: $49/month billed monthly.
On the same list and the same billing basis, Constant Contact costs noticeably more every month.
Team seats
Constant Contact
Not itemized anywhere for Constant Contact: no seat count is published for Lite, Standard or Premium
MailerLite
2 on Free, 3 on Comfort, unlimited on Power and Enterprise
If a small team needs shared logins, MailerLite tells you exactly what you get. Constant Contact doesn't say.
Refund terms
Constant Contact
Real 30-day money-back guarantee across Lite, Standard and Premium
MailerLite
Discretionary only; MailerLite's terms don't commit to a refund for a wrong-tier purchase or a change of mind, even within the stated window
Constant Contact's guarantee is contractual. MailerLite's is a courtesy it may grant, not one you can count on.

What will Constant Contact 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

Constant Contact

$12

$10.20

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

Constant Contact

Uses 500 of 50,000 subscribers.
On monthly billing: $144 a year.
On annual billing: $122.40 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

Constant Contact

$80

$10.20

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

Constant Contact

Uses 5,000 of 50,000 subscribers.
On monthly billing: $960 a year.
On annual billing: $122.40 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

Constant Contact

Fit unconfirmed

Lite is priced, but users limit isn't published

MailerLite

My pick

$19

$17.10

Comfort

Above 200,000 subscribers: nothing published fits.

See MailerLite plans

Usage, limits and billing

Constant Contact

The plan's price is published, but a limit this setup needs isn't, so the fit can't be confirmed.

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.Constant Contact, monthly billing: Lite is priced, but users limit isn't published. Users limit isn't published.Constant Contact, annual billing: Lite is priced, but users limit isn't published. Users limit isn't published.

Constant Contact 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).

Constant Contact and MailerLite compared on the main buying criteria
Criterion	Constant Contact	MailerLite
Real cost at 500 contacts	Lite: $12/month billed monthly, or $10.20/month billed annually as a starting annual rate.	Comfort: $12/month billed monthly, or $10.80/month billed annually.
Real cost at 5,000 contacts	Lite: $80/month billed monthly. No annual rate by list size.	Comfort: $49/month billed monthly, or $44.10/month billed annually.
Free-tier contact ceiling before you must pay	None; 14-day trial only, then a paid plan	250 subscribers, permanently free
Team seats included	Not published for this pair	2 on Free, 3 on Comfort, unlimited on Power and Enterprise
Automation workflow depth	Not published for this pair	3 automations on Free, 50 on Comfort, unlimited on Power

All details, including automation and AI workflows

All compared details for Constant Contact and MailerLite
Criterion	Constant Contact	MailerLite
Deliverability and sending limits	Not published for this pair	2,500 emails a month on Free; paid-tier sending caps aren't published
Trial terms	14 days; whether a card is required isn't published	14 days, no card required
Refund terms	Real 30-day money-back guarantee, all three published tiers	Discretionary, 30-day window to ask, not a guaranteed grant
What happens past your plan's contact ceiling	Subscriber-count tiered, with published prices from 500 up to 50,000 subscribers. Above 50,000, no price is published; check the vendor's own calculator.	Paid plans auto-upgrade to the next subscriber tier and bill the card on file when the active subscriber count exceeds the current limit; Free accounts get campaign and automation sending locked at 250 subscribers until you upgrade or trim the list
Full price ladder	Lite: $12/month billed monthly at the entry band, or $10.20/month billed annually as a starting annual rate. Standard: $35/month billed monthly, or $29.75/month billed annually. Premium: $80/month billed monthly, or $68/month billed annually. Multi-Account: contact sales, no published price. Monthly prices step up with list size; the annual rates are shown only as starting prices.	Free: $0/month billed monthly. Comfort: $12/month billed monthly, or $10.80/month billed annually, rising in steps as the list grows. Power: $25/month billed monthly, or $22.50/month billed annually. Enterprise: talk to sales.
Pricing model	Subscriber-count tiered, with published prices from 500 up to 50,000 subscribers. Above 50,000, no price is published; check the vendor's own calculator.	Priced by subscriber count. Every paid tier carries the same feature set at every subscriber band; only the price changes as your list grows. Monthly and annual rates are both listed at every size.
White labeling	Not published for this pair	Removing the MailerLite logo unlocks on Comfort and stays through Power
Landing pages	Not published for this pair	1 on Free, 10 on Comfort, unlimited on Power
API access	Not published for this pair	Limited (no sending) on Free (no sending), full sending access on Comfort and Power
Extra seat pricing	Not published for this pair	No published per-seat add-on price; seats are a fixed count per tier, not an incremental purchase
Refund guarantee scope	30-day guarantee across Lite, Standard and Premium; the Multi-Account plan's terms aren't published since it requires a sales conversation	30-day window to ask for a refund, granted at MailerLite's discretion rather than guaranteed

Who should pick Constant Contact, and who should pick MailerLite?

Constant Contact

Desk research

Constant Contact starts at $10.20/month billed annually, with contact-count pricing that scales as your list grows. It suits a small business running email campaigns and light automation, and the 30-day guarantee means you can test it risk-free before committing to the higher-tier Standard or Premium plans.

Best for: Small business owners running email marketing campaigns who want a familiar, established platform with straightforward automation and don't mind paying more as their contact list grows.

Strengths

Starts at $10.20/month billed annually for the Lite plan, affordable entry point.
14-day free trial plus 30-day money-back guarantee on all standard plans.
Contact-count tiered pricing is transparent and fair (you pay more only as your audience grows).

Limits

Pricing scales with contact count: Standard at $29.75/month billed annually and Premium at $68/month billed annually are entry-tier prices only; costs rise as your list grows.
Multi-Account plan requires custom pricing consultation (no published rate).
Pricing is tiered by list size. Subscriber-count tiered, with published prices from 500 up to 50,000 subscribers. Above 50,000, no price is published; check the vendor's own calculator.

Skip it if you need flat-rate pricing (your costs scale with list size, not fixed), or you're looking for advanced marketing automation that competitors like ActiveCampaign or Klaviyo offer at higher tiers.

Constant Contact review Constant Contact pricing Constant Contact 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 need white label or logo removal on the free plan, or 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 Constant Contact plans

Neither Constant Contact nor MailerLite? Try these

ActiveCampaign
From $15/mo billed annually
Pick it if you want CRM and sales-pipeline tools bundled with email from day one, something neither Constant Contact nor MailerLite attempts.
ActiveCampaign review ActiveCampaign alternatives
Brevo
From $8.08/mo billed annually
Pick it if you want a genuine free plan like MailerLite's but with SMS and a broader multichannel angle bundled in.
Brevo review Brevo alternatives
Klaviyo
From $20/mo billed monthly
Pick it if ecommerce-specific segmentation and revenue attribution matter more than a simple guided setup; it leans harder into online-store data than either tool here.
Klaviyo review Klaviyo alternatives

Switching between Constant Contact and MailerLite

Check each vendor's help center for a Constant Contact-to-MailerLite migration guide before switching; a general CSV export/import is the fallback either way. Constant Contact gives you a 14-day trial and MailerLite gives you a 14-day trial, so you can rebuild your core sends and automations on the new platform before committing either way. Budget time for manually recreating segments and automation logic rather than assuming a one-click import.

What would change my pick?

Constant Contact publishing an annual rate for each list size would let me compare it with MailerLite's $44.10/month billed annually at 5,000 contacts on annual billing.
Constant Contact publishing seat counts per tier would let me price the team-account scenario on cost and capability together, instead of on seats alone.
A price change on either side. The scenario picks recalculate when a vendor changes a price.

Constant Contact vs MailerLite: questions people ask

Is MailerLite cheaper than Constant Contact?: Yes, once the list grows. At 500 contacts they tie on monthly billing: Constant Contact Lite is $12/month billed monthly and MailerLite Comfort is $12/month billed monthly. At 5,000 contacts MailerLite is $49/month billed monthly and Constant Contact is $80/month billed monthly. MailerLite also has a free plan, which Constant Contact doesn't.
Does MailerLite have a free plan?: Yes. It's permanent, not a trial: 250 subscribers, 2,500 emails a month, 2 seats, 3 automations.
Does Constant Contact have a free plan?: No. Constant Contact only offers a 14-day trial. After that you're on a paid plan, starting at Lite.
Which has a real money-back guarantee, Constant Contact or MailerLite?: Constant Contact. Its 30-day money-back guarantee applies across Lite, Standard and Premium. MailerLite's refund policy covers the same 30-day window to ask, but it's discretionary: MailerLite may grant a refund, its terms don't commit to one just because you changed your mind.
What will 5,000 contacts cost on each?: MailerLite Comfort is $49/month billed monthly on monthly billing, or $44.10/month billed annually on annual billing. Constant Contact Lite is $80/month billed monthly on monthly billing. Constant Contact shows an annual rate only as a starting price, so monthly billing is the like-for-like comparison.
Does MailerLite limit seats for a team account?: Not much, and it tells you exactly what you get: 2 seats on Free, 3 on Comfort, unlimited from Power up. Constant Contact doesn't publish a seat count for any tier.
Which is better for a small business just getting started with email?: MailerLite, for most small business owners. Its free plan lets you send real campaigns before you pay anything, it costs the same as Constant Contact at 500 contacts and much less at 5,000, and it publishes its seat and automation limits. Pick Constant Contact instead if a guided, simpler setup and a contractual refund guarantee matter more to you than price.

How I verified this

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

Sources and changelog

34 facts from 6 source pages, oldest checked 30 Sep 2026.

Constant Contact plans and pricing (checked 30 Sep 2026)
MailerLite plans and pricing (checked 1 Oct 2026)

1 Oct 2026: Updated for new pricing. All three scenarios pick MailerLite: it ties Constant Contact at 500 contacts on monthly billing and is much cheaper at 5,000 contacts, and it is the only one of the two that publishes seat counts for the 3-person team scenario.

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.

Constant Contact vs MailerLite: free plan or a guided send tool?

Quick answer

Which one fits you?

How are Constant Contact and MailerLite really different?

Free plan

Entry-plan price at 500 contacts

Price at 5,000 contacts

Team seats

Refund terms

What will Constant Contact 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

Constant Contact vs MailerLite side by side

Who should pick Constant Contact, and who should pick MailerLite?

Constant Contact

MailerLite

Neither Constant Contact nor MailerLite? Try these

Switching between Constant Contact and MailerLite

What would change my pick?

Constant Contact vs MailerLite: questions people ask

Is MailerLite cheaper than Constant Contact?

Does MailerLite have a free plan?

Does Constant Contact have a free plan?

Which has a real money-back guarantee, Constant Contact or MailerLite?

What will 5,000 contacts cost on each?

Does MailerLite limit seats for a team account?

Which is better for a small business just getting started with email?

How I verified this

Compare Constant Contact or MailerLite with another tool

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