That Marketing Buddy

MailerLite vs Sender: a free plan capped at 250, or one that runs to 2,500 subscribers?

Email marketing and CRM platforms · Verified · By Joonas Rotko

MailerLite logo

MailerLite

Desk research

From Comfort, billed annually

$10.80/mo

$12/mo billed monthly

Sender logo

Sender

Desk research

From Standard, billed annually

$9/mo

$9/mo billed monthly

Quick answer

Sender is the cheaper buy at all three list sizes I price. Its free plan covers 2,500 subscribers with automation included, while MailerLite's free plan stops at 250, and past that Sender Standard undercuts MailerLite Comfort ($9/mo against $12/month billed monthly at 500 subscribers). MailerLite keeps the trial and the refund window.

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

Which one fits you?

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

    Sender logo

    Sender

    My pick

    $0/mo billed annually

    At 500 subscribers, Sender's free plan still fits (it covers up to 2,500 subscribers), so the list costs $0/month billed monthly. MailerLite's free plan stops at 250, so 500 subscribers forces Comfort at $12/month billed monthly, or $10.80/month billed annually.

    Why this pick, and when to skip it

    Skip it if you need more than one login at this size. Sender's free plan includes 1 seat, so a second user means a paid Sender plan, while MailerLite's Comfort includes 3.

    See Sender plans

  2. Growing list, sending regularly

    Sender logo

    Sender

    My pick

    $39/mo billed annually

    At 5,000 subscribers Sender Standard is $39/month billed monthly, and the same per month on annual billing after the first year. MailerLite Comfort is $49/month billed monthly, or $44.10/month billed annually. A 5,000 list is past Sender's free-plan cap of 2,500 subscribers, so this is Standard against Comfort.

    Why this pick, and when to skip it

    Sender is cheaper on monthly billing at this size and costs the same on renewed annual billing, while MailerLite's annual rate is lower than its monthly one. Sender still comes out ahead on both bases here.

    Skip it if you want annual billing to cost less than monthly. On Sender the first year carries a new-customer discount, after which annual billing costs the same as monthly, while MailerLite's annual rate stays below its monthly one.

    See Sender plans

  3. Small team managing one list together

    Sender logo

    Sender

    My pick

    $15/mo billed annually

    At 1,000 subscribers and 3 seats, Sender Standard is $15/month billed monthly and includes 3 seats. MailerLite Comfort is $19/month billed monthly, or $17.10/month billed annually, with 3 seats included.

    Why this pick, and when to skip it

    Both plans cover three seats at this size, and Sender's price is lower on both billing bases.

    Skip it if you need more than three logins. Sender Professional includes 10 seats, but at 1,000 subscribers it costs more than MailerLite Comfort.

    See Sender plans

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

How are MailerLite and Sender really different?

  • Free plan ceiling

    MailerLite
    Free up to 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails a month, with 3 automations.
    Sender
    Free up to 2,500 subscribers and 15,000 emails a month, with email automation included.

    A list of 500 or 2,000 subscribers costs nothing on Sender. On MailerLite it is already a paid plan.

  • Entry paid price at 500 subscribers

    MailerLite
    Comfort: $12/month billed monthly, or $10.80/month billed annually.
    Sender
    Standard: $9/month billed monthly. On annual billing new customers get 30% off the first year ($6.30/month billed annually), then it renews at $9/month billed annually.

    Sender's paid entry rate is lower than MailerLite's, and only the first year of annual billing carries a discount. Budget against the renewal figure.

  • Monthly billing

    MailerLite
    Published. Comfort starts at $12/month billed monthly at the entry band and rises in steps with the list.
    Sender
    Published. Standard is $9/month billed monthly at the entry band on monthly billing, and the plan card shows a price for every list size up to 200,000 subscribers.

    Both vendors publish a month-to-month number. On Sender, annual billing renews at the same monthly figure, so the only saving from committing to a year is the first-year new-customer discount.

  • Seats by tier

    MailerLite
    2 on Free, 3 on Comfort, unlimited on Power.
    Sender
    1 on Free, 10 on Professional.

    MailerLite's free plan allows a second login. Sender's free plan is a single seat, and its paid seat counts come from a higher tier.

  • Trial and refund terms

    MailerLite
    A 14-day trial of paid features with no card required. Refunds are discretionary, within 30 days.
    Sender
    No trial of the paid plans, and no refund or money-back policy on its pricing page. The free plan is the way to try it.

    You can test MailerLite's paid features before paying. On Sender you test the free plan, then commit to a paid one.

What will MailerLite or Sender 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

ToolMonthlyYearly, per month

MailerLite

$12
$10.80

Comfort

Above 200,000 subscribers: nothing published fits.

Sender

My pick
$0
$0

Free Forever

Above 2,500 subscribers: Standard (+$39/mo, billed annually).

See Sender plans
Usage, limits and billing

MailerLite

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

Sender

  • Uses 500 of 2,500 subscribers.
  • On monthly billing: $0 a year.
  • On annual billing: $0 a year.

Growing list, sending regularly

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

ToolMonthlyYearly, per month

MailerLite

$49
$44.10

Comfort

Above 200,000 subscribers: nothing published fits.

Sender

My pick
$39
$39

Standard

Above 200,000 subscribers: nothing published fits.

See Sender plans
Usage, limits and billing

MailerLite

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

Sender

  • Uses 5,000 of 200,000 subscribers.
  • On monthly billing: $468 a year.
  • On annual billing: $468 a year.

Small team managing one list together

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

ToolMonthlyYearly, per month

MailerLite

$19
$17.10

Comfort

Above 200,000 subscribers: nothing published fits.

Sender

My pick
$15
$15

Standard

Above 200,000 subscribers: nothing published fits.

See Sender plans
Usage, limits and billing

MailerLite

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

Sender

  • Uses 1,000 of 200,000 subscribers.
  • On monthly billing: $180 a year.
  • On annual billing: $180 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.

MailerLite vs Sender 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).

MailerLite and Sender compared on the main buying criteria
Free-tier contact ceiling250 subscribers. Sending locks above that until you upgrade or trim the list.2,500 subscribers.
Entry paid price, both billing basesComfort: $12/month billed monthly, $10.80/month billed annually.Standard: $9/month billed monthly. Annual billing: 30% off the first year for new customers, then $9/month billed annually at renewal.
Team seats included2 on Free, 3 on Comfort, unlimited on Power and Enterprise.1 on Free, 10 on Professional. No extra-seat price published.
Automation depth3 on Free, 50 on Comfort, unlimited on Power.Email automation on every plan including Free; Professional adds advanced automation. Sender does not publish an automation count per tier.
Sending limits2,500 emails a month on Free. MailerLite does not publish a send cap for Comfort or Power.15,000 emails a month on Free. Paid plans cap sends at 12 times the subscriber count on Standard and 24 times on Professional, and Enterprise is unlimited.
All details, including automation and AI workflows
All compared details for MailerLite and Sender
API and integrationsLimited (no sending) on Free, full sending from Comfort up. 100+ integrations including WordPress and Zapier.A Sender API, plus an official MCP server for managing subscribers, segments and campaign drafts. By design it cannot send or activate a campaign.
Trial and refunds14-day trial, no card. Refunds at MailerLite's discretion.No paid-plan trial and no published refund policy. Free plan needs no card.
Full price ladderFree (up to 250 subscribers). Comfort: $12/month billed monthly, or $10.80/month billed annually at the entry band, rising in steps as the list grows. Power: $25/month billed monthly, or $22.50/month billed annually at the entry band, with the same steps. Enterprise: Custom.Free (up to 2,500 subscribers). Standard: $9/month billed monthly at 500 subscribers, rising with the list up to 200,000 subscribers on the main pricing page. Professional: $15/month billed monthly at 500 subscribers, on the same ladder. A separate high-volume page prices Standard from 225,000 subscribers. Enterprise: custom price, contact sales.
How pricing scalesSubscriber-tiered, with a published table that has both a monthly and an annual price at each size.Subscriber-tiered. The pricing page shows a price at every dropdown band from 500 to 200,000 subscribers on both billing toggles, and a separate high-volume page carries Standard to 2,000,000 and Professional to 750,000.
Annual and first-year discountsAnnual billing is cheaper than monthly at every list size. At the entry band it is $10.80/month billed annually against $12/month billed monthly.A 30% discount for first-time customers on the first year of annual billing. After year one, Standard renews at $9/month billed annually and Professional at $15/month billed annually at 500 subscribers, the same as their monthly-billing prices.
Extra-seat pricing past what's includedNot published. MailerLite's seat counts are fixed per tier, not an add-on.Not published. Sender's seat counts are fixed per tier.
Branding removalMailerLite branding stays on Free emails and forms. Removing the logo starts on Comfort.Sender does not publish a branding-removal rule on its pricing page.

Who should pick MailerLite, and who should pick Sender?

MailerLite logo

MailerLite

Desk research

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 reviewMailerLite pricingMailerLite alternatives

Sender logo

Sender

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

Sender's Free Forever plan covers 2,500 subscribers and 15,000 emails a month with no credit card, a generous free tier for a list-priced ESP. Paid plans start at $9/month billed monthly at 500 subscribers, with a published price at every list size up to 200,000 subscribers. Annual billing carries a first-year new-customer discount ($6.30/month billed annually at 500 subscribers), then renews at $9/month billed annually. Prices climb fast with list size.

Best for: Small stores and solo lists under 2,500 subscribers that want real automation for free, or a cheap paid plan while the list stays small. The free plan's automation and segmentation match what some competitors charge for.

Strengths

  • Free plan covers 2,500 subscribers with automation and segmentation included, not gated behind a paid tier.
  • Entry paid pricing is cheap at small list sizes: Standard is $9/month billed monthly at 500 subscribers, or $6.30/month billed annually in the first year on annual billing.
  • An official MCP server (mcp.sender.net) with 40+ tools for managing subscribers, segments, and campaign drafts, though by design it cannot send or activate a campaign.

Limits

  • The first-year annual price ($6.30/month billed annually for Standard, $10.50/month billed annually for Professional at 500 subscribers) includes a new-customer discount; renewal is $9/month billed annually for Standard and $15/month billed annually for Professional, the same as monthly billing, and that is the number to budget against past year one.
  • No published money-back guarantee, refund policy, or cancellation terms anywhere on the pricing page.
  • No free trial for the paid plans; the free-forever tier is the only no-card option, so there's no way to trial Standard or Professional features before paying.

Skip it if you want a standing annual-billing discount: after the first year, annual billing costs the same per month as monthly billing.

Sender reviewSender pricingSender alternatives

My pick: Sender in 3 of 3 scenarios.

See Sender plansSee MailerLite plans

Neither MailerLite nor Sender? Try these

Switching between MailerLite and Sender

Sender does not publish a migration tool, import fee, or list-transfer guarantee, and MailerLite does not either, so expect to re-import your contact list and rebuild automations by hand in either direction. Both have a free plan you can test a rebuild on without a card: MailerLite up to 250 subscribers, Sender up to 2,500. Only MailerLite also offers a 14-day trial of its paid features.

What would change my pick?

  • Sender adding a standing annual-billing discount past the first year would make annual billing cheaper than monthly, as it is on MailerLite, and widen Sender's lead on the annual basis.
  • MailerLite raising its free-plan ceiling toward Sender's 2,500 subscribers would remove Sender's main small-list edge.
  • A price change on either side. The scenario picks recalculate from the published numbers on their own.

MailerLite vs Sender: questions people ask

Is MailerLite free?

Yes, up to 250 subscribers, permanently. Past that, Comfort starts at $12/month billed monthly, or $10.80/month billed annually at the entry band.

Is Sender free?

Yes. The Free Forever plan covers up to 2,500 subscribers and 15,000 emails a month, with no credit card and with email automation included. It includes 1 seat.

Which is cheaper, MailerLite or Sender, for a 500-subscriber list?

Sender. A 500-subscriber list fits its free plan at $0/month billed monthly. MailerLite's free plan stops at 250, so the same list needs Comfort at $12/month billed monthly.

Does Sender's paid price include a discount?

Yes, on annual billing. The $6.30/month billed annually Standard entry price at 500 subscribers includes a 30% discount that Sender states is valid for first-time users, for the first year. After that the rate is $9/month billed annually, the same as monthly billing.

Can I pay Sender month to month?

Yes. Sender's pricing page has a Monthly Billing toggle: Standard is $9/month billed monthly at 500 subscribers with no commitment, and the card shows no first-year discount on that basis. MailerLite publishes one too: Comfort at $12/month billed monthly at the entry band.

What will a 5,000-subscriber list cost on each?

Sender Standard is $39/month billed monthly. MailerLite Comfort is $49/month billed monthly, or $44.10/month billed annually. Sender's first year on annual billing is lower again for new customers.

Does the best tool depend on list size?

Yes. Under 2,500 subscribers with one person logging in, Sender's free plan is the strongest value in this pair. Past that, Sender Standard is cheaper than MailerLite Comfort at 1,000 and 5,000 subscribers, while MailerLite offers a 14-day trial and a refund window that Sender does not.

How I verified this

Every price and limit here comes from the vendors' own pages, last checked . MailerLite: desk research. Sender: desk research.

Sources and changelog

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

  • : Re-read Sender's pricing page on both billing toggles across every subscriber band. Sender publishes a monthly-billing price at every size, and Standard is cheaper than MailerLite Comfort at 1,000 and 5,000 subscribers, so the second and third scenarios go to Sender.
  • : Updated for new MailerLite prices. Sender's free plan fits the 500-subscriber scenario at no cost, so Sender takes that one. Sender publishes no monthly-billing rate and no price for 1,000 or 5,000 subscribers, so the other two scenarios are priced for MailerLite only, on both billing bases, and go to MailerLite.
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