MailerLite vs Substack (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Substack grades higher than MailerLite: 3.2 against 2.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
MailerLite grades higher on features. Substack grades higher on value for money and the free plan. They get the same grade on ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
MailerLite
Email newsletters, automations, sites and paid subscriptions
Substack
Newsletter, podcast and video publishing with paid subscriptions
Which one is for you
Pick MailerLite if
- Fits if you want a newsletter, a few automations and a basic website without juggling three tools
- Works for selling a paid newsletter or an ebook through Stripe
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you're staying free and your list is heading past 250 people, as campaigns lock past it
- Not for you if you also need receipts and password-reset emails, which come from a separate product
- Pricey if your list grows in bursts, as subscribers count up through each billing cycle and move you up a tier automatically
- Watch out: Comfort caps emails at 10 times your tier, and live chat support starts on Power at $25
- Watch out: the free plan can't send through the API and has community support only
Pick Substack if
- Fits if you want to start writing for free and let readers find you in the network
- Works for writers who plan to charge, as no monthly fee applies
Look elsewhere if
- Watch out: Substack keeps 10% of paid-subscription revenue, on top of card fees
- Skip it if you want drip sequences or segmentation, which the pages read do not describe
- Not for you if you want a custom site or heavy design control
- Watch out: there are no paid plans, so features and limits are the same for every publication
- Skip it if you want a desktop app, as only web and phone apps are listed
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAMailerLiteGood | 3.2GPASubstackVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C$12 a month for 500 subscribers, just under the middle of what email tools charge, and that already gets you 50 automations, 10 forms and 10 sites. At 10,000 subscribers it's $89 a month, and yearly billing takes 10% off. | AFree to start with no tiers, and no cost until you charge subscribers. Then Substack keeps 10% of paid-subscription revenue, and card fees come out of your share too. |
| Free plan and trial | CFree for up to 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails a month, with automations, one website and three forms. That's a start, but 250 people is a cap you'll hit, and then campaigns and automations lock until you pay. There's a 14-day trial of paid features too, no card needed. | AFree outright, with no paid plans or tiers listed and the same features for every publication. |
| Features | BThree email editors, a visual automation builder, websites, landing pages and forms, plus paid newsletters, digital products and bookings through Stripe. That's the whole job. Receipts and other transactional emails live in a separate product, MailerSend. | CPaid subscriptions, newsletter, podcast and video, a reader network and subscriber chats. The pages read describe no drip sequences or list segmentation. |
| Ease of use | B4.67 from about 1,100 App Store ratings for its companion app, just under the 4.7 an A needs. The real work still happens in the web app, building emails and automations. | BNo rating on record, but nothing to set up: sign up, write and publish. Apps are listed for iPhone and Android. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb and an iPhone app, with Shopify, WooCommerce, Stripe, Claude and ChatGPT, an API and an MCP server. No desktop app, so it can't go higher than a B. | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with no desktop app and no integration list on the pages read. |
| Best for | a newsletter with a simple website on the side | writers who want to start a paid newsletter free |
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: MailerLite and Substack. How we grade
Price against what you get
MailerLite starts at $12 a month and scores 3.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Substack has no paid plan and scores 2.7.
MailerLite scores higher, and starts $12 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, 1 scores higher than MailerLite for less, and none scores higher than Substack 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
- MailerLite also covers marketing automation and forms.
- Substack also covers community.
At a glance
| MailerLite | Substack | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free |
| Starts at | $12 per month for up to 500 subscribers, billed monthly | Free |
| Free plan | Up to 250 subscribers, 2,500 emails a month, 2 seats, automations, 1 website, 1 landing page and 3 forms. No sending through the API. | Free to start, with no platform fees or tiers; Substack keeps 10% of paid-subscription revenue. |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial of paid features, no credit card required | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | MailerLite | Substack Inc. |
| Price read from | mailerlite.com | substack.com |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
MailerLite
- The Free plan stops at 250 subscribers; above that, campaigns and automations are locked until you upgrade.
- Subscribers count cumulatively through each billing cycle, and passing your tier moves you up and charges the card automatically.
- Comfort caps monthly emails at 10 times the top of your subscriber tier; Power has no monthly cap, subject to fair use.
- Transactional email is not part of these plans; MailerLite points to its separate MailerSend product.
Substack
- Substack keeps 10% of paid-subscription revenue, and credit card processing fees come out of the writer's share as well.
- There are no paid plans or add-on tiers listed, so features and limits are the same for every publication.
- It is a publishing platform rather than a marketing-automation tool; the pages read do not describe drip sequences or list segmentation workflows.
Key features
MailerLite
- Three email editors
- Drag-and-drop, custom HTML and a simple text editor on every plan. Paid plans add the AI writing assistant, multivariate testing and dynamic content.
- Automation builder
- A visual workflow builder with templates, e-commerce triggers, RSS campaigns and auto-resend. Comfort allows 50 active automations; Power has no cap.
- Websites, landing pages and forms
- Build sites with a blog, landing pages, embedded forms and pop-ups. Free allows one site and three forms; an iPad app collects sign-ups offline.
- Paid newsletters and digital products
- Sell one-time or recurring newsletter subscriptions, digital downloads and bookings, with payments taken through Stripe.
- Reports
- Click maps, list growth and comparative reports, e-commerce sales tracking, individual subscriber profiles and custom report exports.
- MCP server and API
- Claude, ChatGPT and other AI tools can manage campaigns through MailerLite's MCP server. Full API and MCP access, including sending, needs a paid plan.
Substack
- Paid subscriptions
- Writers choose which posts are free and which are for paid subscribers only, and Substack handles the sign-up and payment side.
- Newsletter, podcast and video
- A publication can carry written posts, podcasts and video shows, with live video available for creators who want it.
- Built-in reader network
- Substack publishes a reader app and a discovery network, and says more than half of new subscribers arrive through that network.
- Subscriber chats and community
- The app includes discussions and chats hosted by writers, so subscribers can talk with the writer and each other.
- Own your list
- Substack states that writers own their content and their subscriber list, and that the platform is free to leave.
Plans
MailerLite
Free$0
250 subscribers, 2,500 emails a month, 2 seats, 1 website, 1 landing page and 3 forms. Community support only.
Comfort$12
per month for up to 500 subscribers, billed monthly
Emails up to 10 times the tier (5,000 here), 3 seats, 50 automations, 10 forms and sites. Price rises with the list: $89 a month at 10,000 subscribers.
Power$25
per month for up to 500 subscribers, billed monthly
Unlimited emails, seats, automations, forms and sites, plus 24/7 live chat. Price rises with the list: $129 a month at 10,000 subscribers.
EnterpriseCustom
For more than 200,000 subscribers: custom sending volume, a success manager, account audits and a dedicated IP as an add-on.
Substack
Substack$0
Free to start with no tiers or contracts. Writers keep 90% of paid-subscription revenue, minus credit card fees.
Ways to pay less
MailerLite
- Annual discount
Save 10% with yearly billing
MailerLite's pricing page takes 10% off paid plans billed yearly: Comfort at 500 subscribers is $10.80 a month instead of $12.
- Nonprofit
30% off paid plans for nonprofits
Nonprofits get 30% off paid plans after sending support a document showing their status, such as an IRS tax exemption certificate.
Substack
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, MailerLite or Substack?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Substack is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $12 a month for MailerLite. MailerLite starts at $12 per month for up to 500 subscribers, billed monthly, and Substack is free.
Which has a free plan, MailerLite or Substack?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both MailerLite and Substack have a free plan.
Which platforms do MailerLite and Substack run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Substack lists an Android app. Both list a web app and an iOS app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
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.