EmailOctopus vs Mailercloud (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, EmailOctopus grades higher than Mailercloud: 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 value for money and features. They get the same grade on the free plan, 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
Mailercloud
Email marketing platform priced by contacts with unlimited sends
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 Mailercloud if
- Fits if you have a list under 1,000 contacts and send a lot of email
- Works for small shops on Shopify or WooCommerce
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you stay free: 1,000 contacts and 1 advanced automation
- Pricey if your list grows: $50 a month at 10,000 contacts
- Skip it if you want a dedicated IP or single sign-on, which are Enterprise features
- Watch out: the Email API for transactional mail starts at $7 a month and is billed separately
- Watch out: unlimited sending on paid plans falls under a fair use policy
How we grade them
| 2.8GPAEmailOctopusGood | 2.4GPAMailercloudFair | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | C$10 a month for 1,000 contacts is the cheap end of the category, but the price steps up with contacts to $50 at 10,000. Unlimited sending is subject to a fair use policy. |
| 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. | BA free plan with 1,000 contacts and 12,000 emails a month, no card needed, though it allows only 1 advanced automation. |
| 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. | CBuilder, automation, segmentation, A/B testing and AI subject lines. Dedicated IPs, SSO and an account manager are Enterprise features, and the Email API for transactional sending is billed apart from the marketing platform. |
| 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 with no rating on record. You build lists, templates and automations yourself. |
| 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 Shopify, WooCommerce and Magento connections. |
| Best for | plain newsletters for small groups | small lists on a free plan with room to send |
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 Mailercloud. 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. Mailercloud starts at $10 a month and scores 2.3.
EmailOctopus scores higher and starts $1 a month lower. Of the other email marketing and newsletter tools on the chart, none scores higher than EmailOctopus for less, and 8 score higher than Mailercloud 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
- Mailercloud also covers a/B testing.
At a glance
| EmailOctopus | Mailercloud | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $9 per month for up to 500 subscribers, billed yearly | $10 per month for up to 1,000 contacts, billed monthly |
| 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. | 1,000 contacts and 12,000 emails a month, with the drag-and-drop builder and basic automation. No credit card needed. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Three Hearts Digital Ltd | Mailercloud |
| Price read from | emailoctopus.com | mailercloud.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.
Mailercloud
- Pricing steps up by contacts stored, and the contact slider runs from 1,000 to 500,000 before a custom quote.
- Unlimited sending on paid plans is subject to a fair use policy.
- Dedicated IPs, SSO and a dedicated account manager are Enterprise features.
- The Email API for transactional sending starts at $7 a month and is billed separately from the marketing platform.
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.
Mailercloud
- Drag-and-drop builder and templates
- A template gallery, a drag-and-drop builder and a custom HTML editor, with AMP email support on Premium.
- Automation
- Basic workflows on Free; Premium adds advanced workflows, with 25 advanced automations on Premium and unlimited on Enterprise.
- Segmentation and contact rating
- Contacts can be segmented, monitored and rated, and a form builder collects signups.
- A/B testing and AI subject lines
- Premium includes A/B testing and an AI subject line generator.
- Reports and inbox tools
- Advanced reports, an inbox tracker, blacklist monitoring and delivery by time zone are listed among the features.
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.
Mailercloud
Free$0
1,000 contacts and 12,000 emails a month, with basic automation (1 advanced automation) and email support.
Premium$10
per month for up to 1,000 contacts, billed monthly
Unlimited emails (fair use), 25 advanced automations, A/B testing, AI subject lines, priority chat. The page's table lists $50 at 10,000 contacts.
EnterpriseCustom
Everything in Premium plus dedicated IPs, a dedicated account manager, SLA, SSO and custom integrations, priced to sending volume.
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.
Mailercloud
- Annual discount
25% off with annual billing
The pricing page says annual billing saves 25% compared with paying month to month, charged once for the year.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, EmailOctopus or Mailercloud?
As of Nov 12, 2026, EmailOctopus is cheaper to start with: $9 a month, against $10 a month for Mailercloud. EmailOctopus starts at $9 per month for up to 500 subscribers, billed yearly, and Mailercloud starts at $10 per month for up to 1,000 contacts, billed monthly.
Which has a free plan, EmailOctopus or Mailercloud?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both EmailOctopus and Mailercloud 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.