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Omnisend vs MailerLite: ecommerce SMS, or the cheaper plain email tool?

Email marketing and CRM platforms · Verified · By Joonas Rotko

Omnisend logo

Omnisend

Desk research

From Standard, billed monthly

$16/mo
MailerLite logo

MailerLite

Desk research

From Comfort, billed annually

$10.80/mo

$12/mo billed monthly

Quick answer

MailerLite is the cheaper buy at all three list sizes I price. Both tools have a free plan that stops at 250 contacts. At 500 contacts the gap is only a few dollars, $12/month billed monthly for MailerLite against $16/month billed monthly for Omnisend. At 5,000 contacts it opens up a lot. MailerLite is $49/month billed monthly. Omnisend is $81/month billed monthly. A 3-person team is the clearest split, because Omnisend Standard includes 1 seat and MailerLite Comfort includes 3. Omnisend's edge is ecommerce: SMS and shop-focused sending in the same account. If you sell products and want SMS, that is worth paying for. If you just need email, I'd pick MailerLite.

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

Which one fits you?

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

    MailerLite logo

    MailerLite

    My pick

    $10.80/mo billed annually

    At 500 contacts both tools are past their free plan. MailerLite Comfort comes to $12/month billed monthly and Omnisend Standard to $16/month billed monthly. The gap is a few dollars, so this one is close, but MailerLite is cheaper on monthly billing. If you pay yearly, MailerLite drops to $10.80/month billed annually. Omnisend has no annual plan to set against that.

    Why this pick, and when to skip it

    Skip it if you sell products online and want SMS next to email. Omnisend sells SMS as a volume-priced add-on on Standard and Pro, at $0.007-0.009 per message depending on volume, and for a shop that can outweigh a small monthly difference.

    See MailerLite plans

  2. Growing list, sending regularly

    MailerLite logo

    MailerLite

    My pick

    $44.10/mo billed annually

    At 5,000 contacts MailerLite Comfort comes to $49/month billed monthly and Omnisend Standard to $81/month billed monthly. That is a wide gap for the same list size. Monthly against monthly is the fair comparison, because Omnisend has no annual plan. Paying yearly would take MailerLite down to $44.10/month billed annually.

    Why this pick, and when to skip it

    Skip it if your sending is mostly shop-driven, such as abandoned carts, product emails and SMS. Omnisend is built around that, and MailerLite's plans are built around general email, landing pages and websites.

    See MailerLite plans

  3. Small team managing one list together

    MailerLite logo

    MailerLite

    My pick

    $17.10/mo billed annually

    Three people on one 1,000-contact list is a seats question. MailerLite Comfort includes 3 seats and comes to $19/month billed monthly. Omnisend Standard and Pro include 1 seat each and Omnisend doesn't publish a price for extra seats, so I can't build a priced 3-seat Omnisend plan from its pricing page.

    Why this pick, and when to skip it

    Skip it if you only need one login, in which case the seat difference disappears and the choice goes back to price and ecommerce fit.

    See MailerLite plans

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

How are Omnisend and MailerLite really different?

  • Free plan

    Omnisend
    A free plan up to 250 contacts, with 1 seat.
    MailerLite
    A permanent free plan up to 250 subscribers, with 2 seats and 3 automations.

    The two free plans stop at the same list size, so the free plan doesn't separate them. What does is what you get inside it: MailerLite's has two seats and its own automation limit.

  • Entry paid price at 500 contacts

    Omnisend
    Standard: $16/month billed monthly.
    MailerLite
    Comfort: $12/month billed monthly.

    Close at the smallest paid size, with MailerLite a few dollars cheaper. The gap grows as the list grows, which is where the choice starts to matter.

  • Price at 5,000 contacts

    Omnisend
    Standard: $81/month billed monthly.
    MailerLite
    Comfort: $49/month billed monthly.

    On the same list, Omnisend costs noticeably more every month. That is the premium for its ecommerce and SMS focus.

  • Seats on the entry paid plan

    Omnisend
    1 seat on Standard and Pro, no published extra-seat price.
    MailerLite
    3 seats on Comfort, unlimited on Power.

    A small team can share one MailerLite Comfort account. On Omnisend the pricing page doesn't say how to add more people.

  • SMS and ecommerce focus

    Omnisend
    Built for ecommerce, with a volume-priced SMS add-on on Standard and Pro, $0.007-0.009 per message.
    MailerLite
    A general email tool with landing pages and websites on its plans; no SMS add-on listed in its plan details.

    This is Omnisend's one clear advantage. If SMS matters to you, MailerLite's plan details don't list it.

What will Omnisend 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

ToolMonthlyYearly, per month

Omnisend

$16
Monthly only

Standard

Above 150,000 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

Omnisend

  • Uses 500 of 150,000 subscribers.
  • On monthly billing: $192 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

ToolMonthlyYearly, per month

Omnisend

$81
Monthly only

Standard

Above 150,000 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

Omnisend

  • Uses 5,000 of 150,000 subscribers.
  • On monthly billing: $972 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

ToolMonthlyYearly, per month

Omnisend

Fit unconfirmed
Not priced

Standard 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

Omnisend

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.Omnisend, annual billing: Not sold on annual billing. Price limit isn't published.
  • 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.Omnisend, annual billing: Not sold on annual billing. Price limit isn't published.
  • 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.Omnisend, monthly billing: Standard is priced, but users limit isn't published. Users limit isn't published.Omnisend, annual billing: Standard has no published price. Users limit isn't published. Price limit isn't published.

Omnisend 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).

Omnisend and MailerLite compared on the main buying criteria
Free-tier contact ceiling before you pay250 contacts, no cost.250 subscribers, no cost.
Real cost at 500 contactsStandard: $16/month billed monthly. No annual plan.Comfort: $12/month billed monthly, or $10.80/month billed annually.
Real cost at 5,000 contactsStandard: $81/month billed monthly. No annual plan.Comfort: $49/month billed monthly, or $44.10/month billed annually.
Team seats included, and the seat price past that1 seat on Standard and Pro. No published extra-seat price.3 seats on Comfort, unlimited on Power. No per-seat price; seats are fixed per tier.
Automation workflow depthAutomations are included on Standard and Pro. No flow-count limit published.3 on Free, 50 on Comfort, unlimited on Power.
All details, including automation and AI workflows
All compared details for Omnisend and MailerLite
SMSVolume-priced add-on on Standard and Pro, $0.007-0.009 per message.No SMS add-on listed in its plan details.
Sending limitsNot published on its pricing page.2,500 emails a month on Free. Not published for paid plans.
Trial termsThe pricing page doesn't mention a trial or a card requirement.14 days of paid features, no card required, then the account drops back to the free plan.
Full price ladderFree (250 contacts). Standard: $16/month billed monthly at the entry band, rising in steps as the list grows. Pro: $59/month billed monthly at the entry band, rising in steps as the list grows. Custom: price on request, for 150,001+ contacts. No annual plan for any tier.Free (up to 250 subscribers). Comfort: $12/month billed monthly at the entry band, rising in steps as the list grows. Power: $25/month billed monthly at the entry band, rising in steps as the list grows. Enterprise: Custom, gated to 200K+ subscribers.
How pricing scalesBy contact count, on a published table that steps up with list size. Monthly billing only.By subscriber count, on a published table that steps up with list size. Monthly and annual billing are both listed at every size.
Annual billing discountOmnisend has no annual plan. The pricing page offers a short prepay on the monthly rate, which is a promotion and not a yearly price.Comfort and Power each have an annual rate at every list size. At the entry band they are $10.80/month billed annually and $22.50/month billed annually.
SMS pricing detailVolume-priced add-on, $0.007-0.009 per message depending on volume, sold on Standard and Pro.No SMS add-on listed in its plan details.
Extra-seat pricing past what's includedNot published. Standard and Pro include 1 seat each.Not published. Seats are fixed per tier: 2 on Free, 3 on Comfort, unlimited on Power and Enterprise.
What happens past your contact ceilingCustom is the named plan for 150,001+ contacts, price on request.Paid plans move up to the next subscriber tier automatically and bill the card on file. On Free, sending locks at 250 subscribers until you upgrade or trim the list.
Refund / money-back termsNo refund terms on its pricing page.Discretionary refunds are considered within 30 days of the transaction date. It isn't a guaranteed money-back window, and unused plans are excluded.

Who should pick Omnisend, and who should pick MailerLite?

Omnisend logo

Omnisend

Desk research

Omnisend is an email and SMS platform built for ecommerce, with a real free tier (250 contacts) that packs basic automation and web push. Once you outgrow 250 contacts, the Standard plan ($16/month billed monthly) adds SMS and more advanced sequences. It's cheaper than Klaviyo for small lists but doesn't pretend to be a full CDP; it's a focused email-plus-SMS tool for DTC brands.

Best for: Ecommerce and DTC brands who want email, SMS, and web push in one platform without overpaying for enterprise CRM features they don't need.

Strengths

  • A genuine free plan up to 250 contacts, no credit card needed.
  • SMS and email together at $16/month billed monthly (Standard), which is below Klaviyo's entry price.
  • Automation workflows included from Standard up, plus web push notifications on all paid plans.

Limits

  • No separate seats: all plans include just 1 user account, so team collaboration requires account sharing.
  • Free plan caps at 250 contacts; there is no middle tier between Free and Standard (a gap if you have 300 contacts).
  • No public pricing above 150,000 contacts; you hit Custom and have to contact sales, which is typical for the category but still a friction point.

Skip it if you need advanced segmentation, complex customer data unification, or attribution across multiple channels. Omnisend is email-SMS first, not a full CDP.

Omnisend reviewOmnisend pricingOmnisend alternatives

MailerLite logo

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 reviewMailerLite pricingMailerLite alternatives

My pick: MailerLite in 3 of 3 scenarios.

See MailerLite plansSee Omnisend plans

Neither Omnisend nor MailerLite? Try these

  • Brevo logo

    Brevo

    From $8.08/mo billed annually

    Pick it if you want a free plan with a higher contact ceiling than either of these, or SMS bundled in under one account.

    Brevo reviewBrevo alternatives

  • Klaviyo logo

    Klaviyo

    From $20/mo billed monthly

    Pick it if you run a larger online shop and want deeper ecommerce data and segmentation than Omnisend offers.

    Klaviyo reviewKlaviyo alternatives

  • Mailchimp logo

    Mailchimp

    From $13/mo billed monthly

    Pick it if you want the widest range of integrations and a name your team already knows.

    Mailchimp reviewMailchimp alternatives

Switching between Omnisend and MailerLite

Neither vendor documents a migration tool, import fee or list-transfer guarantee for this move, so expect to re-import contacts and rebuild automations by hand in either direction. Both have a free plan up to 250 contacts, so you can rebuild a small version of your setup on the other tool before you pay. MailerLite's 14-day trial needs no card. If you use Omnisend's SMS, plan for that channel separately, because MailerLite's plan details list no SMS add-on to move it to.

What would change my pick?

  • A published extra-seat price from Omnisend would let me price a 3-person team on it and compare like for like.
  • An annual plan from Omnisend would let me compare both tools on yearly billing. Today only MailerLite has one.
  • If ecommerce sending and SMS are central to your business, Omnisend moves to the top regardless of the price gap.
  • A price change on either side. The scenario picks recalculate when a vendor changes a price.

Omnisend vs MailerLite: questions people ask

Is Omnisend or MailerLite cheaper?

MailerLite. At 500 contacts it comes to $12/month billed monthly, with Omnisend at $16/month billed monthly. At 5,000 contacts it is $49/month billed monthly, with Omnisend at $81/month billed monthly.

Do Omnisend and MailerLite both have a free plan?

Yes. Omnisend's free plan covers 250 contacts and MailerLite's covers 250 subscribers. MailerLite's includes 2 seats, Omnisend's 1.

Does Omnisend have SMS?

Yes, as a volume-priced add-on on Standard and Pro, at $0.007-0.009 per message depending on volume. MailerLite's plan details don't list an SMS add-on.

Which is better for an online shop?

Omnisend, if you want SMS and ecommerce-focused sending in one account. It costs more at the same list size, so it only pays off if you will actually use those features.

What will 5,000 contacts cost on each?

MailerLite Comfort comes to $49/month billed monthly and Omnisend Standard to $81/month billed monthly, both on monthly billing. Omnisend has no annual plan. On yearly billing MailerLite would be $44.10/month billed annually.

Can a 3-person team share one account?

On MailerLite, yes: Comfort includes 3 seats and comes to $19/month billed monthly at 1,000 contacts. Omnisend Standard includes 1 seat and doesn't publish an extra-seat price.

How I verified this

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

Sources and changelog

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

  • : New page. All three scenarios pick MailerLite: it is a few dollars cheaper at 500 contacts, much cheaper at 5,000 contacts, and the only one of the two that prices a 3-person team on its entry paid plan. Omnisend stays the pick for online shops that want SMS.
Spot something out of date?Vendors and readers, send me the correct fact.

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