Keila vs Sendy (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Keila grades higher than Sendy: 2.2 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Keila grades higher on the free plan and ease of use. Sendy grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on features and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Keila
Open-source newsletter tool, self-hosted or EU-hosted cloud
Which one is for you
Pick Keila if
- Fits if you want a small newsletter tool priced by emails sent, with unlimited contacts
- Makes sense if you want open-source software you can move to your own server later
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a free plan or a trial: the vendor says it won't offer one
- Not for you if you need automated email sequences, as workflows aren't listed
- Pricey if you grow: the price doubles with each step, reaching €256 a month at 250,000 emails
- Watch out: self-hosting means running your own server and your own email sending
- Watch out: prices are in euros
Pick Sendy if
- Fits if you publish to a list of tens of thousands and want to stop paying per subscriber
- Works for agencies that run a PHP host and want to give each client a branded account with its own limits
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if the words PHP, MySQL and Amazon SES make you nervous, as you set them up
- Not for you if you want to try it first, as there's no trial, only a refund
- Tight if you run several sites, since each license covers one domain
- Watch out: major version upgrades aren't included, and the AI add-on is $39 and installation $79
- Too light for anyone wanting a phone app or a hosted service, as it runs only on your own server
How we grade them
| 2.2GPAKeilaFair | 2.0GPASendyFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | B€8 a month for 2,000 emails, with unlimited contacts and projects. That's inside the cheapest quarter of email marketing tools, which start at $10. | A$69 once for one domain, less than half a year of this category's middle subscription. Sending is Amazon's $1.6 per 10,000 emails, paid to Amazon. Add your own server, $79 if you want Sendy to install it, and $39 for the AI add-on. |
| Free plan and trial | DNo free cloud plan or trial. The open-source edition costs nothing but needs your own server and your own email sending. | FNothing is free and there's no trial. Sendy promises a refund if it doesn't work out, but a money-back promise isn't a trial. |
| Features | CVisual, Markdown and plain-text editors, segments, forms, analytics and an API. Automation workflows aren't listed on its pages. | CThree editors, autoresponders on intervals or dates, rules and webhooks, segments, custom fields, live reports, automatic list cleaning and white-labeled client brands. It does newsletters fully, but it's a smaller job, and it can't send without your own Amazon SES or SMTP account. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. The cloud version is a web app, though you'll connect a sending domain; self-hosting means Docker. | DNo App Store rating on record, and you install it yourself on a PHP and MySQL server and set up your own Amazon SES account. That's self-hosting, which puts it at a D. Sendy will install it for $79. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, with an API and connections to Zapier, AWS SES, Mailgun, Postmark and Sendgrid. | BIt runs in a browser on your own server, with Amazon SES, SendGrid, Mailjet, Elastic Email, Zapier, WordPress, Magento and Joomla, plus an API. No desktop or phone app, so a B. |
| Best for | a newsletter tool you can host yourself | big lists without a monthly bill |
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: Keila and Sendy. How we grade
Where they differ
- Keila is open source, according to its own site.
- Sendy can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Keila also covers Markdown and forms.
- Sendy also covers marketing automation.
At a glance
| Keila | Sendy | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Paid |
| Starts at | €8 per month for 2,000 emails a month | $69 one-time purchase, for one domain |
| Free plan | No free cloud plan; the open-source edition is free to run on your own server. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Keila | Sendy |
| Price read from | keila.io | sendy.co |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Oct 17, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Keila
- There is no free cloud plan or trial; the vendor says it will not offer one.
- Cloud prices are in euros and rise with monthly email volume, from €8 at 2,000 to €256 at 250,000 emails.
- Automation workflows are not listed among the features; the pages describe campaigns, segments and forms.
- Self-hosting means running your own server and email sending.
Sendy
- You host it yourself on a PHP and MySQL server and need your own Amazon SES account.
- Each license covers one domain, and major version upgrades are not included.
- The AI Assistant is a $39 one-time add-on (shown cut from $49), and installation by Sendy costs $79.
- There is no free trial; Sendy offers a refund if it does not work out.
Key features
Keila
- Several ways to write emails
- A visual block editor, Markdown (with or without a WYSIWYG view), MJML for custom layouts, or plain text.
- Segments and custom data
- Segments from contact data and tags, and Liquid templates to personalize emails from custom JSON data.
- Forms
- A form builder with custom fields, double opt-in and captcha protection through hCaptcha or Friendly Captcha.
- Analytics and privacy options
- Open and click tracking, which can be turned off entirely.
- Sending options
- Send with Keila's own delivery or bring your own SMTP, AWS SES, Mailgun, Postmark or Sendgrid.
- API
- An API to manage contacts and campaigns; a Zapier integration is described as being in private beta.
Sendy
- Sending through Amazon SES
- Campaigns go out through your own Amazon SES account at Amazon's rate; SendGrid, Mailjet and Elastic Email also work natively over SMTP.
- Three email editors
- Switch between drag-and-drop, WYSIWYG and HTML editors when building templates.
- Autoresponders, rules and webhooks
- Drip sequences sent at set intervals or on dates, plus rules that send notifications, fire webhooks or move subscribers when something happens.
- Segments and custom fields
- Build segments from any conditions, store custom fields for personalization, and include or exclude lists and segments per campaign.
- White-labeled client brands
- Group lists into brands and give clients their own access, permissions, sending limits and pricing.
- Live reports and list cleaning
- Real-time opens, clicks, bounces, complaints and locations, with bounces and complaints removed automatically.
Plans
Keila
Keila XS€8
per month for up to 2,000 emails a month
Unlimited contacts and projects; send with Keila or bring your own email server.
Keila S€16
per month for up to 5,000 emails a month
Unlimited contacts and projects; send with Keila or bring your own email server.
Keila M€32
per month for up to 15,000 emails a month
Unlimited contacts and projects; send with Keila or bring your own email server.
Keila L€64
per month for up to 50,000 emails a month
Unlimited contacts and projects. Larger steps: €128 for 100,000 emails (XL) and €256 for 250,000 (XXL).
Self-hosted$0
AGPLv3-licensed; you host it yourself with the official Docker image. The vendor says there are no proprietary premium features.
Sendy
Sendy software$69
one-time purchase, for one domain
The self-hosted app for one domain, with free updates until the next major version. Sending through Amazon SES costs $1.6 per 10,000 emails, paid to Amazon.
Ways to pay less
Keila
- Other savings
Discounts for open source and nonprofits
The pricing page says discounts may be possible for open-source projects, nonprofits and small businesses that have trouble affording a plan; you contact the vendor.
Sendy
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Keila or Sendy?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Keila starts at €8 per month for 2,000 emails a month, and Sendy starts at $69 one-time purchase, for one domain.
Which has a free plan, Keila or Sendy?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Keila has a free plan. Sendy does not.
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.