FluentCRM vs listmonk (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, FluentCRM grades higher than listmonk: 2.4 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
FluentCRM grades higher on ease of use and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan and features.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
FluentCRM
CRM and email marketing plugin that runs inside WordPress
Which one is for you
Pick FluentCRM if
- Fits if you already run a WordPress site and want contacts and email in one place
- Works for agencies, where one $499 licence covers 50 sites
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you do not use WordPress, as there is no separate app
- Watch out: delivery through Amazon SES or similar is billed separately
- Pricey if you renew: the first-year discount does not apply, so it returns to $129, $249 or $499
- Tight if you want drag-and-drop design on the free plugin, since that is Pro
- Not for you if you want email sent for you with no setup
Pick listmonk if
- Fits if you can run a server and want a mailing list you fully control
- Works for developers who want a transactional and newsletter tool without a monthly fee
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you do not want to host and update a server
- Skip it if you want automation journeys, which the pages do not describe
- Watch out: you supply a Postgres database and an SMTP provider, which cost money
- Watch out: the latest release shown is a v7 beta from 10 Nov 2026
- Skip it if you want one-click hosting backed by the project: third-party hosts exist, and the project says it has no affiliation with them
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAFluentCRMFair | 2.0GPAlistmonkFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C$129 a year for one site with unlimited contacts is about $10.75 a month, just above the cheapest quarter. The 40% first-year discount ends at renewal, and sending through a delivery service costs extra. | CThe software is free, but you need a server and an SMTP provider for sending, so it is not free in practice. Software that is free only if you host it yourself needs a server, so it sits at an ordinary C. |
| Free plan and trial | BThe base plugin is free forever, with contacts, lists, tags, basic segmentation, campaigns and automations. You need your own WordPress site and a sending service. | BFree and open source with no subscriber cap on record, but you pay for hosting and an SMTP service yourself. |
| Features | CCampaigns, sequences, automation and segmentation with a Fluent ecosystem. Drag-and-drop design, dynamic segmentation and many integrations are Pro only. | CLists, segmentation, templates, analytics, transactional messages and access control. The pages read describe no automation journeys or paid subscriptions. |
| Ease of use | CA plugin on your own WordPress site, with no rating on record. You install it and connect a sender such as Amazon SES. | DYou self-host it: a server, a Postgres database and an SMTP provider, plus updates. No rating on record. |
| Platforms and integrations | BRuns inside WordPress only, with WooCommerce, Fluent Forms, FluentCart, FluentBooking, FluentSMTP and other connections. | CWeb only, with no integrations listed on the pages read. |
| Best for | WordPress sites that want email inside the dashboard | self-hosted mailing lists for people who run servers |
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: FluentCRM and listmonk. How we grade
Price against what you get
FluentCRM starts at $10.75 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. listmonk has no paid plan and scores 1.7.
FluentCRM scores higher, and starts $10.75 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, 9 score higher than FluentCRM for less, and none scores higher than listmonk 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
- listmonk is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- FluentCRM also covers marketing automation, forms and reports.
- listmonk also covers transactional email.
At a glance
| FluentCRM | listmonk | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free |
| Starts at | $129 per year for 1 site | Free |
| Free plan | Free edition: lead generation, email campaigns and automations with the base plugin, with fewer features than Pro. | Free and open source; you host it yourself and supply your own SMTP service. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | WPManageNinja | Kailash Nadh |
| Price read from | fluentcrm.com | listmonk.app |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
FluentCRM
- It runs only on WordPress and has no separate app.
- Emails are sent through the site's own email setup, and the connected delivery service, such as Amazon SES, may charge separately.
- The 40% first-year discount does not apply to renewals, which return to $129, $249 and $499.
- Drag-and-drop email design, dynamic segmentation and many integrations are Pro features.
listmonk
- You install, host and update it yourself, and supply a Postgres database and an SMTP provider for sending.
- It is a one-way mailing list tool; the pages read do not describe automation journeys or built-in paid subscriptions.
- The latest release shown is a v7 beta, released 10 Nov 2026.
- Third-party one-click hosting exists, but the project says it has no affiliation with those providers.
Key features
FluentCRM
- Contact overview
- Each contact record gathers activity, and in Pro also purchase history from WooCommerce, FluentCart and EDD, form submissions and support tickets.
- Email campaigns and sequences
- One-off and recurring campaigns, email sequences and templates, with a drag-and-drop visual builder in Pro.
- Marketing automation
- Funnels that act when someone signs up, buys, books or joins, including abandoned cart recovery.
- Segmentation
- List and tag segments in Free, and dynamic, advanced and activity-based segmentation in Pro.
- Fluent ecosystem
- Connects to the company's own plugins such as Fluent Forms, FluentCart, FluentBooking, FluentCommunity and FluentSMTP.
listmonk
- Lists and segmentation
- Manage single and double opt-in lists with millions of subscribers, and query and segment subscribers with SQL expressions.
- Templates and editors
- Go-templated emails with logic and 100+ functions, written in a visual drag-and-drop builder, a WYSIWYG editor, Markdown or raw HTML.
- Analytics
- Built-in analytics show campaign performance, bounces and top links across campaigns.
- Transactional messages
- An API sends arbitrary messages from pre-defined templates, and messenger interfaces can send SMS or WhatsApp through HTTP webhooks.
- Access control and privacy
- OIDC single sign-on, granular roles, scoped API tokens, and subscriber data export and deletion on request.
Plans
FluentCRM
Free$0
The base plugin, described as free forever: contacts, lists and tags, basic segmentation, campaigns and automations.
Solo/Blogger$129
per year for 1 site
Pro license for one site with unlimited contacts and all Pro features, one year of updates and priority support. First year $77.
Small Business$249
per year for 5 sites
Pro license for five sites with all features. First year $149.
Agency License$499
per year for 50 sites
Pro license for fifty sites with all features. First year $299.
listmonk
Self-hosted$0
Free and open source; you host it yourself on a server with a Postgres database.
Ways to pay less
FluentCRM
- Other savings
40% off the first year
The pricing page shows first-year prices of $77, $149 and $299 for the 1, 5 and 50 site licenses; the offer applies to the first year only.
listmonk
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, FluentCRM or listmonk?
As of Nov 12, 2026, listmonk is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $10.75 a month when paid by the year for FluentCRM. FluentCRM starts at $129 per year for 1 site, and listmonk is free.
Which has a free plan, FluentCRM or listmonk?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both FluentCRM and listmonk 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.