Mailcoach vs phpList (2026): which should you pick?

Pick Mailcoach if

• Fits if you have a big list but only email it a few times a month
• Works for teams that want data kept in the EU, or Laravel developers who want email inside their own app

Look elsewhere if

• Skip it if you need sign-up forms or landing pages built in, as none are named
• Pricey if you email a large list every day, since every email past 2,000 is billed
• Not for you if you like paying yearly, as usage is billed monthly with VAT on top and there's no annual plan
• Watch out: each team picks Mailcoach's sending or its own provider, not both
• Watch out: the self-hosted version is a separate license whose dollar price couldn't be read

Pick phpList if

• Fits if you would rather run the newsletter software on your own server than rent it
• Works for low-volume senders who want to pay per message, not per list size

Look elsewhere if

• Tight if you are staying free: the hosted account stops at 300 messages a month
• Pricey if you send a lot, as pay-per-message reaches $240 a month at 150,000 messages
• Watch out: image storage, extra user accounts and exclude lists are part of the Plus option, which costs more
• Watch out: the features page says basic accounts start at US$1 a month, but the pricing slider's lowest paid step is $5
• Skip it if you want integrations, as the listing names only Google Analytics

Mailcoach

• There is no annual plan: usage is invoiced monthly, and prices exclude VAT.
• Each team must choose either Mailcoach's sending or its own provider, not both.
• The self-hosted Laravel version is a separate license bought through spatie.be, with a year of updates per purchase; its dollar price could not be read.
• The pricing page names no sign-up forms or landing page builder among its features.

phpList

• The free account stops at 300 messages a month.
• Pay-per-message prices climb with volume, to $240 a month at 150,000 messages.
• A Plus option raises the price and adds items such as image storage, multiple user accounts and exclude lists.
• The features page says basic accounts start at US$1 a month, but the pricing slider's lowest paid step is $5.

Mailcoach

Campaigns

Newsletters with segmentation, split testing, open and click analytics, pre-send checklists and a searchable archive of past issues.

Automations

Workflows for onboarding, lead nurturing and other sequences, built without code.

Transactional email

Edit, send and track transactional emails in the same app, sent from your product through Mailcoach's API.

Unlimited contacts

Contacts, lists and audiences cost nothing extra; the bill depends only on how many emails go out each month.

Bring your own provider

Send through Postmark, Mailgun, Brevo, Amazon SES or any SMTP server instead of Mailcoach's own sending, at half the per-email fee.

EU hosting and GDPR

Data is stored encrypted in the EU, and open and click tracking can be switched off.

phpList

Lists, attributes and segments

Subscribers are organized into lists with attributes such as name, country and language, and exclude lists refine who receives a campaign.

Personalized campaigns

Plain text, HTML and templates with placeholders, plus scheduling and repeat sending.

Analytics

Opens, clicks and forwards by campaign, link and subscriber, and Google Analytics integration.

Deliverability handling

Bounce processing, abuse-complaint handling, DKIM and SPF setup, and sender-score and blacklist monitoring on the hosted service.

Double opt-in and unsubscribe handling

Confirmed sign-up, self-service preference updates and a do-not-send list for unsubscribers.

Open source and hosting choice

Run your own copy of the software or use the hosted service; the vendor says there is no vendor lock-in.

Mailcoach

• Pay as you go$9.99

  per month with 2,000 emails, plus $0.002 per extra email

  Unlimited contacts, lists and automations, campaigns, transactional email and the API. Extra emails cost $0.001 each when sent through your own provider.

phpList

• Free account$0

  per month for up to 300 messages

  Send 300 messages a month at no charge.

• Pay-per-message$5

  per month for up to 2,000 messages, billed monthly

  Price rises with volume: $60 a month at 30,000 messages. Billing for 6 months saves 5% and annual billing saves 10%.

• Pay-per-subscriber$8

  per month for up to 500 subscribers, billed monthly

  Covers up to 1 million messages a month. $45 a month at 10,000 subscribers; 5% off for 6 months, 10% off annually.

• Pro marketer accountCustom

  Quote on request, for higher volumes and dedicated networks.

• Open source edition$0

  Software you host yourself, from phpList.org; community support through forums.

Mailcoach

No public discounts listed.

phpList

• Annual discount

  10% off annual billing, 5% off 6 months

  The pricing slider offers a discount of 5% when paying for 6 months and 10% when paying annually.