Side by side
| EmailOctopus | MailerLite | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes. Starter is free for up to 2,500 subscribers and 10,000 emails a month, with 1 landing page, 1 form and EmailOctopus branding on emails. | Yes. Free for up to 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails a month, with 2 seats. If active subscribers go over 250, sending is locked until you upgrade or remove subscribers. |
| Starting price | Pro is $9 a month billed yearly. | Comfort starts at $12 a month. It can be billed yearly, which saves 10%, or monthly. |
| How it charges | By subscriber count and monthly email volume. Plans change automatically as the list grows, and lists above 500,000 need a custom quote. | By subscriber count and sending volume. You pay for the number of subscribers you have and the volume you send. |
| Works with | WordPress through an official plugin, Zapier, and Shopify through Zapier. It works with over 1,000 apps. | ChatGPT and Claude through MailerLite MCP, Shopify, WooCommerce, Stripe, Mailchimp, Zapier, WordPress and Canva. There are 150+ integrations. |
| AI features | Not published. | An AI email generator, plus an AI writing assistant and subject line generator on Comfort. The free plan has MCP access for tools like Claude and ChatGPT, limited and excluding sending. |
Prices and plans change. We checked these figures on October 10, 2026, so confirm them before you buy.
What EmailOctopus is
EmailOctopus is an email marketing platform. It is focused on making email marketing easy, and it does not sell SMS.
A newsletter operator can use its drag-and-drop editor, automations, sign-up forms, tags, segments, custom fields and reports. Templates can be generated in your brand colors. A developer API connects websites and apps.
The free plan covers 2,500 subscribers. Paid plans move with subscriber count and monthly email volume.
What MailerLite is
MailerLite is an email marketing platform for email marketers and businesses that want advanced email tools without complicated software. More than 1 million businesses use it.
A newsletter operator can use it to send campaigns, build forms and pop-ups, run automations, make landing pages and websites, and take paid newsletter subscriptions.
A/B testing is on all plans, including the free plan.
Which one fits
EmailOctopus is the roomier free plan and the lower first paid price. Its Starter plan is free for up to 2,500 subscribers and 10,000 emails a month, with EmailOctopus branding on emails, and Pro is $9 a month billed yearly.
MailerLite's free plan covers 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails a month with two seats, and Comfort starts at $12 a month. MailerLite has an AI email generator, and an AI writing assistant on Comfort. If price and free-plan size decide it, EmailOctopus leads. If those AI writing features matter, check MailerLite's plan list.
Is EmailOctopus free?
There is a free Starter plan for up to 2,500 subscribers and 10,000 emails a month. It includes 1 landing page and 1 form, and emails carry EmailOctopus branding.
What happens if my list grows past my plan?
You are moved to the plan that fits and emailed about it, so you do not need to adjust payment plans yourself.
Is MailerLite free?
Yes, up to 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails a month, with 2 seats, 3 automations and 1 website. Sending locks if active subscribers go above 250.
How does MailerLite count subscribers for billing?
Active subscribers are counted cumulatively within each billing cycle, and the count resets monthly on your billing anniversary. On paid accounts, going over a limit moves you to the next tier and your card is charged.