Disclosure: ConvertKit affiliate link below (30% recurring, 24 months). MailerLite has an affiliate program; link below earns a commission.
Quick verdict
MailerLite if you want good email marketing at the lowest possible cost, or you're a small business not selling digital products. ConvertKit if you're a creator selling courses/ebooks, need advanced automation, or want digital product sales built into your email platform.
Price Comparison
| Subscribers | MailerLite | ConvertKit | Savings with ML |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 | $13.50/mo | $29/mo | $15.50/mo |
| 5,000 | $27/mo | $66/mo | $39/mo |
| 10,000 | $54/mo | $99/mo | $45/mo |
| 25,000 | $109/mo | $199/mo | $90/mo |
Over a year, at 10,000 subscribers: MailerLite saves you $540. That's real money.
Features: What MailerLite Matches
Automation sequences
MailerLite has a visual automation builder with branching, time delays, and conditional logic. It handles welcome sequences, lead nurture sequences, and basic behavioral triggers. For 80% of small business use cases, MailerLite's automation covers everything you need.
Landing pages
MailerLite's landing page builder is clean and functional — comparable to ConvertKit's. Both produce good-looking opt-in pages without needing a separate tool.
Deliverability
MailerLite consistently scores well on deliverability benchmarks. This is the most important metric for email marketing — if your emails go to spam, nothing else matters. Both platforms perform well here.
Email templates
MailerLite's template library is strong. Good-looking, mobile-responsive templates that match or exceed ConvertKit's designs.
Where ConvertKit Beats MailerLite
Tag-based segmentation depth
ConvertKit's subscriber tagging is more powerful. You can tag based on any behavior (product purchased, link clicked, form submitted, sequence completed) and build sequences that branch based on those tags. MailerLite has basic segments but doesn't match ConvertKit's depth for complex behavioral targeting.
Digital product sales
ConvertKit has a built-in digital product storefront. Sell ebooks, courses, and templates without Gumroad or Stripe integration. MailerLite has no native commerce features — you'd need to integrate separately.
Creator-focused features
The newsletter referral program, subscriber scoring, and Creator Network (paid subscribers) are ConvertKit-exclusive. If you're building a creator business, these features matter.
Decision Rule
Choose MailerLite if: You run a small business or e-commerce newsletter, don't sell digital products via email, and want the same quality for half the price.
Choose ConvertKit if: You're a creator building an audience to sell to, need advanced behavioral automation, or want digital product sales built into your email platform.
Try ConvertKit free (1,000 subs) ↗Affiliate disclosure: ConvertKit link earns 30% recurring commission for 24 months. MailerLite link earns a commission. Both platforms tested independently.