Mautic vs phpList (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Mautic grades higher than phpList: 2.4 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Mautic grades higher on the free plan, features and platforms. phpList grades higher on value for money and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Mautic
Open source marketing automation you can self-host
phpList
Open-source newsletter software, hosted or self-run
Which one is for you
Pick Mautic if
- Fits if you have developers or a hosting partner and want to own your marketing data
- Makes sense if you need full automation and want no per-contact price
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you do not want to host a server or pay for a hosting partner
- Pricey if you want it managed: from 247.50 euros a month billed annually, and Professional starts at 1,237 euros
- Watch out: managed plans come from Dropsolid, not Mautic itself, and are priced in euros
- Watch out: email sending is set up separately and costs extra
- Skip it if you want a quick start, as setup and migration fees are not stated
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
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAMauticFair | 2.2GPAphpListFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CThe software is free, but you run, update and secure it, and sending is separate. Managed hosting from Dropsolid starts at 247.50 euros a month, so one person pays either way. | BHosted plans start at $5 a month for 2,000 messages, or $8 for 500 subscribers, against $10 for the cheaper quarter of email marketing tools. It climbs fast, though: $60 a month at 30,000 messages and $240 at 150,000. |
| Free plan and trial | BThe open-source software is free to self-host. There is no free managed plan, and no trial is listed. | CThe hosted free account allows 300 messages a month, which one small list will use up. The open source edition is free, but you have to host it yourself. |
| Features | BCampaign builder, email and landing pages, lead nurturing and scoring, a REST API and plugins. The listing shows no gap in the core job. | CLists, attributes, templates, scheduling, bounce handling and open and click reports are all there. Image storage, extra user accounts and exclude lists need the Plus option, which costs more. |
| Ease of use | DSelf-hosting means a server, updates and security, and setup and migration fees vary by hosting partner. No rating on record. | CNo store rating on record. The hosted service takes a sign-up and then lists, templates and domain records to set up, and the self-run edition needs a server on top of that. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, with a REST API, plugins and a Drupal integration. | CWeb only, with Google Analytics as the one listed integration. No apps for phones or computers. |
| Best for | marketing teams that can host their own automation | newsletters you can host yourself or pay for by the message |
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: Mautic and phpList. How we grade
Price against what you get
Mautic starts at about $276.51 a month and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. phpList starts at $5 a month and scores 2.0.
Mautic scores higher, and starts $271.51 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, 33 score higher than Mautic for less, and 3 score higher than phpList 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
- Mautic also covers marketing automation.
- phpList also covers reports.
At a glance
| Mautic | phpList | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | €247.50 per month, billed annually (€275 billed quarterly) | $5 per month for up to 2,000 messages, billed monthly |
| Free plan | The open source software is free to self-host on your own infrastructure. | Trial account: 300 messages a month, free forever. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Mautic project | phpList Ltd |
| Price read from | mautic.org | phplist.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Mautic
- Managed plans come from Dropsolid, not Mautic itself, and are priced in euros: from €247.50 a month billed annually.
- Self-hosting means you run, update and secure the install, and email sending is set up separately.
- Essential covers up to 50K contacts and 50K emails a month; Professional starts at €1237 a month.
- Setup and migration fees vary by hosting partner and are not stated on the pricing page.
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.
Key features
Mautic
- Campaign builder
- A click-and-drag builder for multi-step campaigns that respond to what contacts do.
- Email and landing pages
- Drag-and-drop email and landing page builders, built for mobile and cross-client use.
- Lead nurturing and scoring
- A central contact overview with point scoring to prioritize leads.
- REST API and plugins
- A REST API and a plugin ecosystem let teams connect Mautic to other systems and extend it.
- Data control
- Self-hosting keeps data on your own infrastructure, and the project lists privacy features aimed at data-protection laws.
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.
Plans
Mautic
Mautic Essential€247.50
per month for up to 50K contacts, billed annually (€275 quarterly)
Shared managed hosting by Dropsolid, 50K emails a month, 100 emails a minute, standard workflows. Priced in euros.
Mautic Professional€1237
per month and up
Dedicated managed hosting from 50K contacts, extendable to 3M, with a dedicated IP, dynamic content and a support manager.
Mautic EnterpriseCustom
Dedicated infrastructure, up to 6M emails a month, SSO, custom plugin support. Sold through sales.
Self-hosted$0
The open source software, which you host and maintain yourself; email sending is separate.
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.
Ways to pay less
Mautic
- Annual discount
10% off managed Essential billed annually
Mautic Essential is €247.50 a month billed annually against €275 a month billed quarterly, a 10% discount.
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.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Mautic or phpList?
As of Nov 13, 2026, phpList is cheaper to start with: $5 a month, against about $276.51 a month for Mautic. Mautic starts at €247.50 per month, billed annually (€275 billed quarterly), and phpList starts at $5 per month for up to 2,000 messages, billed monthly.
Which has a free plan, Mautic or phpList?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Mautic and phpList 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.