EmailOctopus vs MailBluster (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, EmailOctopus grades higher than MailBluster: 2.8 against 2.4 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
EmailOctopus grades higher on the free plan and features. They get the same grade on value for money, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
EmailOctopus
Simple, low-cost email marketing with a free plan for 2,500
MailBluster
Email marketing with unlimited contacts, on your own SMTP or managed
Which one is for you
Pick EmailOctopus if
- Fits if you run a club, charity or small group with a list under 2,500
- Works for nonprofits, which get 20% off for life, or writers who want a plain newsletter
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want to try Pro before paying, as there's no trial of it
- Tight if you're staying free, at 1 user, 1 form, 1 landing page and reports that disappear after 30 days
- Skip it if EmailOctopus branding on your free emails would bother you
- Too light for shops that want SMS or store flows, as none are on record
- Watch out: only WordPress, Shopify and Zapier are listed, and its Amazon SES product is priced separately
Pick MailBluster if
- Fits if you already have an Amazon SES account and want to avoid list-size pricing
- Works for ecommerce senders on WordPress or WooCommerce
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you stay free: 3,000 emails in total, not a month
- Watch out: your SMTP provider bills you separately, and Amazon SES adds a small SNS charge past 100,000 requests
- Watch out: Pro and Executive are shown only as billed yearly, with no monthly price
- Skip it if you want one bill, as the managed plans cost more and stop at 250,000 emails a month on the page
- Not for you if you want a mobile or desktop app, as it is web only
How we grade them
| 2.8GPAEmailOctopusGood | 2.4GPAMailBlusterFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BPro is $9 a month for 500 subscribers on yearly billing, or $10 monthly, inside the cheaper quarter of email tools. At 10,000 subscribers it's $44.50 a month billed monthly, and nonprofits get 20% off for life. | B$5 a month plus $0.60 per 1,000 emails on yearly billing is inside the cheapest quarter, before your SMTP provider's fees. A managed plan with sending included is $15.30 for 10,000 emails. |
| Free plan and trial | BStarter is free for 2,500 subscribers and 10,000 emails a month, with no card and no time limit. That's enough for a club newsletter. You get 1 user, 1 form and 1 landing page, branding on emails and 30 days of reports. | CStarter is free with your own SMTP, but it allows 3,000 emails in total and keeps MailBluster branding. There is also a 14-day trial of Managed plans with no card. |
| Features | BA drag-and-drop editor with over 100 templates, your own HTML, automated sequences, fields, tags and segments, pop-up forms, landing pages and live reports. That covers the email marketing job, kept plain, with no SMS or store flows on record. | CUnlimited leads, automation, A/B testing, custom fields, a WordPress plugin and API access. The listing shows no forms or landing pages. |
| Ease of use | CNo App Store rating on record and no phone app. You'll import a list and set up a form and templates in the web app before the first send. | CA web app where you connect your own SMTP provider on the cheaper plans, which is setup work. No rating on record. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, with WordPress, Shopify and Zapier and an API. It's a short list, and with no desktop or phone app, a B is the ceiling. | BWeb only, with WordPress, WooCommerce, Salesforce, Zoho, Zapier, Make, Pabbly Connect and Amazon SES. |
| Best for | plain newsletters for small groups | senders who bring their own SMTP and want low fees |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: EmailOctopus and MailBluster. How we grade
Price against what you get
EmailOctopus starts at $9 a month and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. MailBluster starts at $5 a month and scores 2.3.
EmailOctopus scores higher, and starts $4 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other email marketing and newsletter tools on the chart, none scores higher than EmailOctopus for less, and 2 score higher than MailBluster for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- EmailOctopus also covers forms.
- MailBluster also covers transactional email and a/B testing.
At a glance
| EmailOctopus | MailBluster | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $9 per month for up to 500 subscribers, billed yearly | $5 per month, plus $0.60 per 1,000 emails, billed yearly |
| Free plan | Starter plan: up to 2,500 subscribers and 10,000 emails a month, 1 user, 1 landing page and 1 form, reports kept 30 days and EmailOctopus branding on emails. | Starter plan with your own SMTP provider: up to 3,000 emails in total, with MailBluster branding on your emails. No credit card needed. |
| Free trial | None listed | 14-day free trial of Managed plans, up to 100 emails a day, no credit card required |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Three Hearts Digital Ltd | MailBluster |
| Price read from | emailoctopus.com | mailbluster.com |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
EmailOctopus
- There is no free trial of Pro; EmailOctopus suggests starting on the free Starter plan.
- Starter emails carry EmailOctopus branding and reports disappear after 30 days.
- Lists above 500,000 subscribers need a quoted plan.
- EmailOctopus Connect, its Amazon SES product, is a separate service with its own pricing.
MailBluster
- With your own SMTP, provider fees are extra; Amazon SES also adds a small Amazon SNS charge past 100,000 requests a month.
- The Starter plan allows 3,000 emails in total, not per month, and keeps MailBluster branding.
- Managed plans cover up to 250,000 emails a month on the page; above that it is sold through sales.
- Pro and Executive are shown as billed yearly, and the page does not show a monthly price for them.
Key features
EmailOctopus
- Drag-and-drop editor and templates
- Over 100 mobile-friendly templates that adapt to your brand's colors, a drag-and-drop editor, and the option to write or import your own HTML.
- Automated sequences
- Build sequences that send emails to subscribers automatically after they join or take an action.
- Fields, tags and segments
- Collect custom fields, tag subscribers and target emails by data and behavior, then schedule sends for later.
- Forms and landing pages
- Pop-up forms and landing pages to collect subscribers. Starter allows one of each; Pro has no limit.
- Reports
- Opens, clicks and other campaign stats in real time. Starter keeps reports for 30 days; Pro keeps them indefinitely.
MailBluster
- No list-size pricing
- Every plan allows unlimited leads; cost follows the number of emails sent.
- Bring your own SMTP
- Connects to Amazon SES, Postmark, Mailgun or SMTP2GO, whose own sending fees are billed by those providers.
- Managed sending
- Managed plans include sending infrastructure, IP blacklist monitoring and sender reputation management, with no separate SMTP account.
- Automation and A/B testing
- Pro and above include automation and A/B testing, with unlimited automation workflows on Executive.
- Ecommerce and WordPress connections
- A WordPress plugin and WooCommerce connection, plus Salesforce, Zoho, Zapier, Make and other connectors.
Plans
EmailOctopus
Starter$0
2,500 subscribers, 10,000 emails a month, 1 user, 1 landing page and 1 form, with EmailOctopus branding and 30-day reports.
Pro$9
per month for up to 500 subscribers, billed yearly ($10 monthly)
10,000 emails a month, unlimited users, forms and landing pages, no branding, reports kept for good. $44.50 a month billed monthly at 10,000 subscribers.
CustomCustom
Quoted plans for lists of more than 500,000 subscribers.
MailBluster
Starter$0
Bring your own SMTP provider. Up to 3,000 emails in total, with MailBluster branding. Meant for testing before upgrading.
Pro$5
per month, plus $0.60 per 1,000 emails (billed yearly)
Bring your own SMTP. Unlimited leads, automation, A/B testing, custom fields, no MailBluster branding, WordPress plugin and API access. SMTP fees are billed separately.
Executive$10
per month, plus $0.60 per 1,000 emails (billed yearly)
Pro plus dedicated 1-1 setup and support, 3 years of data retention, unlimited automation workflows and a 5% yearly reward on email sending.
Managed$15.30
per month for up to 10,000 emails, billed annually ($17 monthly)
MailBluster sends for you, with SMTP included. Steps up to 250,000 emails a month. Extra emails on the 10,000 pack cost $1.96 per 1,000.
Ways to pay less
EmailOctopus
- Annual discount
Save 10% with yearly billing
EmailOctopus's pricing page shows Pro at 500 subscribers for $9 a month billed yearly instead of $10 billed monthly, a $12 saving.
- Nonprofit
20% lifetime discount for nonprofits
All nonprofits using EmailOctopus get a 20% lifetime discount.
MailBluster
- Annual discount
10% off Managed plans paid yearly
The pricing page marks yearly payment on Managed plans as saving 10%.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, EmailOctopus or MailBluster?
As of Nov 12, 2026, MailBluster is cheaper to start with: $5 a month, against $9 a month for EmailOctopus. EmailOctopus starts at $9 per month for up to 500 subscribers, billed yearly, and MailBluster starts at $5 per month, plus $0.60 per 1,000 emails, billed yearly.
Which has a free plan, EmailOctopus or MailBluster?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both EmailOctopus and MailBluster have a free plan.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.