LISTSERV vs Sendy (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Sendy grades higher than LISTSERV: 2.0 against 1.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
LISTSERV grades higher on the free plan. Sendy grades higher on value for money and platforms. They get the same grade on features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
LISTSERV
Email list server software for newsletters and discussion groups
Which one is for you
Pick LISTSERV if
- Fits if you run discussion lists, for example for a university or a society
- Works for non-profit hobby lists that fit inside 10 lists of 500 members
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you are commercial: licences start at $2,875 and climb to $29,440
- Skip it if you want a price list, as only ranges are published and prices are for the US and Canada
- Not for you if you need marketing features, which need the Maestro add-on
- Watch out: the hosted ListPlex service has a $500 per node setup fee and $750 per node a year
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
| 1.6GPALISTSERVWeak | 2.0GPASendyFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | DLite is $2,875 to $4,945 once, nearly six times the $495 middle of this category's one-time prices, and Classic runs to $19,435. HPO is $28,060 or more. | 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 | CA free edition is limited to 10 lists of 500 subscribers each, for non-profit hobby or interest lists only, which is a cap you will hit. | 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 | CAll list types, archives, self-service, bounce and content handling. Marketing features need the separate Maestro add-on. | 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 | DNo store rating on record. It runs on a server you maintain, 64-bit Windows, RHEL or Solaris. | 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 | CWeb interface, on Windows, Red Hat Linux and Solaris servers. The listing names no integrations. | 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 | mailing lists for discussion groups and announcements | 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: LISTSERV and Sendy. How we grade
Where they differ
- Sendy can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- LISTSERV also covers templates.
- Sendy also covers marketing automation.
At a glance
| LISTSERV | Sendy | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Paid |
| Starts at | $2,875 and up, one-time (Lite); free edition for non-commercial use | $69 one-time purchase, for one domain |
| Free plan | LISTSERV Lite Free Edition: up to 10 mailing lists with 500 subscribers each, for hobby or interest lists that do not make a profit. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | L-Soft international, Inc. | Sendy |
| Price read from | lsoft.com | sendy.co |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Oct 17, 2026 |
Worth knowing
LISTSERV
- No fixed price list: the vendor publishes perpetual license ranges and asks buyers to contact sales for a quote; academic discounts are mentioned.
- Prices shown are for the United States and Canada only.
- The hosted ListPlex service charges a $500 per node setup fee, $750 per node a year, and a $1,050 a year support plan for up to 20 lists plus $2.50 per 1,000 deliveries.
- Runs on 64-bit Windows, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 to 9 and Solaris; marketing features need the separate Maestro add-on.
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
LISTSERV
- All list types
- Supports newsletters, announcement lists and both moderated and unmoderated discussion groups, with open or closed membership.
- Archives
- Searchable message archives with classic, forum and blog views, plus RSS.
- Subscriber self-service
- People can subscribe, unsubscribe and set digest or index delivery themselves on one web screen, with double opt-in and one-click unsubscribe on Classic.
- Bounce and content handling
- Automatic bounce processing, plus content and attachment filters that list owners set on Classic.
- Newsletter templates
- A library of mobile-friendly HTML newsletter templates and a builder for your own.
- Maestro add-on
- Adds email marketing and analytics, including tracking, subscriber management and GDPR tools.
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
LISTSERV
Lite Free Edition$0
Freeware limited to 10 lists of up to 500 subscribers each, for non-profit hobby or interest lists. Runs on Windows or Unix.
LISTSERV Lite$2,875
one-time, perpetual license, up to $4,945 by size
Entry-level version for small workloads. Price depends on lists and subscribers; the vendor publishes only a range. Annual licenses are also offered.
LISTSERV Classic$2,905
one-time, perpetual license, up to $19,435 by size
The full-featured version, including moderation sharing, topics, content filters and one-click unsubscribe. Price depends on lists and subscribers.
LISTSERV HPO$28,060
one-time, perpetual license, up to $29,440
High-performance version for large numbers of lists and subscribers.
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
LISTSERV
- Education
Academic discounts
The license pricing page says academic discounts are available; details come from L-Soft sales.
Sendy
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, LISTSERV or Sendy?
As of Nov 13, 2026, LISTSERV starts at $2,875 and up, one-time (Lite); free edition for non-commercial use, and Sendy starts at $69 one-time purchase, for one domain.
Which has a free plan, LISTSERV or Sendy?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only LISTSERV 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.