The Keila Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Keila in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Keila
The Insider’s Guide
Open-source newsletter tool, self-hosted or EU-hosted cloud
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among email marketing and newsletter tools, read from Keila’s own pages.
Made by Keila · checked Nov 13, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Keila’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Keila’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 13, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.2
GPA, above 42 of the 102 other email marketing and newsletter tools we grade
Keila is an open-source newsletter tool for managing contact lists, designing campaigns and sending them. It can be self-hosted with the official Docker image or used as a paid cloud service hosted in Germany and France. Cloud plans are priced by emails per month, with unlimited contacts and projects.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Keila, taken from its own pages and our grades.
There's no free cloud plan, the vendor says there never will be one, and automation workflows aren't listed.
- 1
Best for a newsletter tool you can host yourself
Keila is an open-source newsletter tool with campaigns, segments and forms, hosted in Germany and France or run on your own server.
- 2
Paid plans start at about $8.94 a month
As its pricing page puts it: €8 per month for 2,000 emails a month.
- 3
There is a free plan
No free cloud plan; the open-source edition is free to run on your own server.
- 4
It runs on Web
Web.
- 5
Several ways to write emails
A visual block editor, Markdown (with or without a WYSIWYG view), MJML for custom layouts, or plain text.
- 6
Segments and custom data
Segments from contact data and tags, and Liquid templates to personalize emails from custom JSON data.
- 7
Forms
A form builder with custom fields, double opt-in and captcha protection through hCaptcha or Friendly Captcha.
- 8
A 2.2 GPA, above 42 of 102
That is against the other email marketing and newsletter tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace Keila you would be making newsletters sent to thousands of people that still reach the inbox. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Keila at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from €8 per month for 2,000 emails a month
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- Keila
- Category
- Email Marketing & Newsletters
- Our grade
- 2.2 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for a newsletter tool you can host yourself
Keila is an open-source newsletter tool with campaigns, segments and forms, hosted in Germany and France or run on your own server. There's no free cloud plan, the vendor says there never will be one, and automation workflows aren't listed.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| 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. |
| Free plan and trial | D | No free cloud plan or trial. The open-source edition costs nothing but needs your own server and your own email sending. |
| Features | C | Visual, Markdown and plain-text editors, segments, forms, analytics and an API. Automation workflows aren't listed on its pages. |
| Ease of use | C | No store rating on record. The cloud version is a web app, though you'll connect a sending domain; self-hosting means Docker. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web, with an API and connections to Zapier, AWS SES, Mailgun, Postmark and Sendgrid. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Keila is for
- 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
Who it is not for
- 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
Good to know
Good for
- Organizations that want an open-source newsletter tool they can host themselves
- Senders who want data kept on EU infrastructure
- Small newsletters that want a predictable price and unlimited contacts
Worth knowing
- 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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
~$8.94
A month to start. There is a free plan too
Keila has a free plan. Paid plans start at €8 per month for 2,000 emails a month.
The open-source edition costs nothing but needs your own server and your own email sending.
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.
The free plan
No free cloud plan; the open-source edition is free to run on your own server.
Read from keila.io on Nov 13, 2026.
Ways to pay less
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.
Stated on keila.io
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Web
Open-source newsletter tool, self-hosted or EU-hosted cloud. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: open source, self-hostable, public API, Markdown, forms, email campaigns.
Visual, Markdown and plain-text editors, segments, forms, analytics and an API.
- 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.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- Zapier
- AWS SES
- Mailgun
- Postmark
- Sendgrid
Keila is made by Keila.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
42/102
Other email marketing and newsletter tools it is graded above
Keila's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 42 of the 102 other email marketing and newsletter tools we grade, and level with 24.
It stands best on value for money (B, above 81 of 102) and worst on free plan and trial (D, above 28).
Its paid plans start at about $8.94 a month, against a middle price of $19 for the category: 9 of the 78 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. 5 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 103 email marketing and newsletter tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Keila’s own letter is outlined.
- BValue for moneyAbove 81 of 102
- DFree plan and trialAbove 28 of 102
- CFeaturesAbove 4 of 102
- CEase of useAbove 11 of 102
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 31 of 102
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 82 email marketing and newsletter tools. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Keila is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace Keila you would be making newsletters sent to thousands of people that still reach the inbox. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It costs $107.25 a year. Keila is open source, so there is a third way: take its code and run it yourself.
What you could make
- Markdown and forms: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- Newsletters sent to thousands of people that still reach the inbox.
- It plugs into other products, Zapier, AWS SES and Mailgun among them, and has an API.
What this rests on. Keila’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
listmonk, Mautic, Mailcoach, Sendy and Buttondown
The 5 tools Keila is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.0GPA
listmonk
Free
Free self-hosted newsletter and mailing list manager.
- Keila also covers Markdown and forms.
- listmonk also covers transactional email.
- 2.4GPA
Mautic
Free plan · from €247.50/mo
Open source marketing automation you can self-host.
- Keila also covers Markdown and forms.
- Mautic also covers marketing automation.
- 2.2GPA
Mailcoach
Free trial · from $9.99/mo
Email campaigns priced by emails sent, hosted or self-hosted.
- Keila has a free plan. Mailcoach does not, though it has a free trial.
- Keila is open source, according to its own site.
- Keila also covers Markdown and forms.
- 2.0GPA
Sendy
From $69 one-time
Self-hosted newsletter app that sends through Amazon SES.
- Keila has a free plan. Sendy does not.
- Keila is open source, according to its own site.
- Sendy can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- 2.4GPA
Buttondown
Free plan · from $9/mo
Newsletter software priced by active subscribers, with add-ons.
- Keila is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Keila also covers Markdown and forms.
- Buttondown also covers marketing automation and paid newsletters.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
14
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Keila free?
Keila has a free plan. No free cloud plan; the open-source edition is free to run on your own server.
How much does Keila cost?
Keila lists 5 plans. Keila XS: €8 per month for up to 2,000 emails a month.
What platforms does Keila work on?
Keila is available on Web.
Does Keila offer any discounts?
Keila publicly lists the following: Discounts for open source and nonprofits.
Does Keila have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Keila is listed for Web.
Does Keila have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Keila is listed for Web.
Is Keila open source?
Yes. Keila is open source, according to its own site.
Does Keila have an API?
Yes. Keila offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does Keila integrate with?
Keila's listing names Zapier, AWS SES, Mailgun, Postmark and Sendgrid.
Who makes Keila?
Keila is made by a company of the same name.
What are the alternatives to Keila?
The closest alternatives to Keila in our directory are listmonk, Mautic, Mailcoach, Sendy and Buttondown.
How does Keila compare with other email marketing and newsletter tools?
Keila's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 42 of the 102 other email marketing and newsletter tools we grade, and level with 24.
Is Keila good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Keila B for value for money. Its paid plans start at about $8.94 a month, against a middle price of $19 for the category: 9 of the 78 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Keila?
To replace Keila you would be making newsletters sent to thousands of people that still reach the inbox.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Keila’s own pages on Nov 13, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 13, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Keila's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Keila. Prices change, so check keila.io before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
7,721
Tools graded, in 95 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
7,721
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Keila, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/keila
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Keila: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 13, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/keila
Know someone choosing between email marketing and newsletter tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/keila/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded email marketing and newsletter tools after Keila, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Email Marketing & Newsletters Insider's GuideEvery one of the 103 email marketing and newsletter tools we grade, compared
- Substack Insider's GuideNewsletter, podcast and video publishing with paid subscriptions3.2 GPA
- Mailrelay Insider's GuideEmail marketing with a large free plan and SMS and WhatsApp add-ons3.0 GPA
- SendFox Insider's GuideEmail newsletters and list building for creators on a budget3.0 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Keila’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Keila is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Keila. Prices and plans change: check keila.io before you buy.