The Mailster Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Mailster 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.
Mailster
The Insider’s Guide
Email newsletter plugin that runs inside WordPress
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among email marketing and newsletter tools, read from Mailster’s own pages.
Made by Mailster · checked Nov 12, 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 Mailster’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Mailster’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 12, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
1.8
GPA, above 2 of the 57 other email marketing and newsletter tools we grade
Mailster is a premium WordPress plugin for sending newsletters and automated emails from your own site. Subscribers are stored in the site's own database, and mail can go out through any email provider or an SMTP connection. It is licensed per year for one site, with unlimited subscribers on every tier.
To get you started, here are 8 things to know about Mailster, taken from its own pages and our grades.
You need a WordPress site that you host and keep updated, plus an SMTP or email-service connection.
- 1
Best for newsletters sent from inside your own WordPress site
Mailster is a WordPress plugin that sends newsletters from your own site, with unlimited subscribers on every tier.
- 2
Paid plans start at $6.58 a month when paid by the year
As its pricing page puts it: $79 per year for 1 site, renewing at full price after a first-year price of $39.
- 3
It runs on Web
Web.
- 4
Newsletters and automation
Send newsletters, welcome emails, birthday emails, drip campaigns and autoresponders. The number of automations depends on the tier.
- 5
Send your latest posts
Send new posts, products, events or other custom post types, and use them to trigger automations.
- 6
Editor and templates
A drag-and-drop editor with more than 400 free and premium templates.
- 7
A 1.8 GPA, above 2 of 57
That is against the other email marketing and newsletter tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 8
Keep it
To replace Mailster 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.
Mailster at a glance
- Pricing
- Paid, from $79 per year for 1 site, renewing at full price after a first-year price of $39
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- Mailster
- Category
- Email Marketing & Newsletters
- Our grade
- 1.8 GPA, weak
The report card
Best for newsletters sent from inside your own WordPress site
Mailster is a WordPress plugin that sends newsletters from your own site, with unlimited subscribers on every tier. It costs $79 a year for one site, but you still need a separate sending service, only 3 automations come on the entry tier, and it's no use if you're not on WordPress.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | B | $79 a year for 1 site is about $6.60 a month, inside the cheaper quarter of email tools ($9.99). The first-year price is $39, then it renews at full price, and you pay your sending provider on top. |
| Free plan and trial | F | No free edition and no trial. There's a demo and a 14-day money-back guarantee, which isn't the same thing. |
| Features | C | Newsletters, drip emails, post-triggered sends, a template editor and segmentation. But Starter has 3 automations, and it doesn't send mail itself, so delivery depends on the provider you connect. |
| Ease of use | D | You need a WordPress site that you host and keep updated, plus an SMTP or email-service connection. No rating on record. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web only, inside WordPress, but it connects to Mailgun, SendGrid, SparkPost, Mailjet, Gmail and Gravity Forms, among others. |
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 Mailster is for
- Fits if you already run WordPress and want your subscriber list kept in your own database
- Works for sites that send their latest posts or products to a list
Who it is not for
- Skip it if your site isn't on WordPress, because the plugin only runs there
- Tight if you want to send for free: there's no free edition and no trial
- Watch out: it renews at full price after the first year, and each licence covers one site
- Not for you if you don't want to set up a separate sending provider, since Mailster doesn't send the mail itself
- Tight if you need more than 3 automations, which is the Starter limit
Good to know
Good for
- WordPress site owners who want subscriber data to stay in their own database
- Publishers who want new posts emailed automatically
- Anyone who prefers a yearly licence over pricing by list size
Worth knowing
- It runs only inside WordPress, and every licence covers one site or domain.
- There is no free edition; the site offers a demo and a 14-day money-back guarantee.
- Updates and support need an active licence. The plugin keeps working after expiry, but renewals are at full price.
- Mailster does not send mail itself. Deliverability depends on the email provider or server you connect, and the vendor recommends a dedicated provider.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$6.58
A month to start, paid by the year
Mailster is a paid product, starting at $79 per year for 1 site, renewing at full price after a first-year price of $39.
Starter
$79
per year for 1 site
Unlimited subscribers, 3 automations, 10 prechecks a month, 10 free templates. $39 for the first year in a Black Friday listing; renewals at full price.
Professional
$99
per year for 1 site
Adds 10 automations, 100 prechecks a month and 7 premium templates. Shown at $49 for the first year in a Black Friday listing, with renewals at the full price.
Agency
$199
per year for 1 site
Unlimited automations and 1,000 prechecks a month. Shown at $99 for the first year in a Black Friday listing, with renewals at the full price.
Read from mailster.co on Nov 12, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Other savings
First-year price in a Black Friday listing
The pricing page currently shows $39, $49 and $99 for Starter, Professional and Agency, against $79, $99 and $199 regular prices, and states that renewals are at full price. It gives no end date.
Stated on mailster.co
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
Email newsletter plugin that runs inside WordPress. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: templates, marketing automation, forms, rSS reader, email campaigns.
Newsletters, drip emails, post-triggered sends, a template editor and segmentation.
- Newsletters and automation
- Send newsletters, welcome emails, birthday emails, drip campaigns and autoresponders. The number of automations depends on the tier.
- Send your latest posts
- Send new posts, products, events or other custom post types, and use them to trigger automations.
- Editor and templates
- A drag-and-drop editor with more than 400 free and premium templates.
- Any sending provider
- Mail can go out through SMTP or an email service provider; integrations are available for services such as Mailgun, SendGrid, SparkPost, Mailjet and Gmail.
- Segmentation and tracking
- Segment subscribers and track opens, clicks, email providers and locations from within WordPress.
- Precheck
- A pre-send check that flags issues in a campaign, capped at 10, 100 or 1,000 runs a month by tier.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- Mailgun
- SendGrid
- SparkPost
- Mailjet
- Gmail
- Gravity Forms
- Contact Form 7
- MemberPress
Mailster is made by Mailster.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
2/57
Other email marketing and newsletter tools it is graded above
Mailster's GPA of 1.8 is higher than 2 of the 57 other email marketing and newsletter tools we grade, and level with 4.
It stands best on value for money (B, above 44 of 57) and worst on free plan and trial (F, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $6.58 a month when paid by the year, against a middle price of $15 for the category: 2 of the 47 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.0 out of 4. 3 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 58 email marketing and newsletter tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Mailster’s own letter is outlined.
- BValue for moneyAbove 44 of 57
- FFree plan and trialAbove 0 of 57
- CFeaturesAbove 3 of 57
- DEase of useAbove 0 of 57
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 7 of 57
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 50 email marketing and newsletter tools. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Mailster 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 Mailster 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.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 51 of the 57 other email marketing and newsletter tools grade higher. It costs $79 a year.
What you could make
- Templates, forms and rSS reader: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- Newsletters sent to thousands of people that still reach the inbox.
- Email sent in volume that still reaches the inbox.
- It plugs into other products, Mailgun, SendGrid and SparkPost among them.
What this rests on. Mailster’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
MailPoet, FluentCRM, Groundhogg, Mailcoach and Sendy
The 5 tools Mailster is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.6GPA
MailPoet
Free plan · from $8/mo
Email marketing plugin that runs inside WordPress and WooCommerce.
- MailPoet has a free plan. Mailster does not.
- Mailster also covers templates and rSS reader.
- MailPoet also covers transactional email.
- 2.4GPA
FluentCRM
Free plan · from $129/yr
CRM and email marketing plugin that runs inside WordPress.
- FluentCRM has a free plan. Mailster does not.
- Mailster also covers templates and rSS reader.
- FluentCRM also covers reports.
- 2.0GPA
Groundhogg
Free trial · from $20/mo
Flat-rate CRM and email marketing plugin for WordPress.
- Groundhogg is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Mailster also covers templates, forms and rSS reader.
- Groundhogg also covers sales pipeline and AI agents.
- 2.2GPA
Mailcoach
Free trial · from $9.99/mo
Email campaigns priced by emails sent, hosted or self-hosted.
- Mailcoach is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Mailster also covers templates, forms and rSS reader.
- 2.0GPA
Sendy
From $69 one-time
Self-hosted newsletter app that sends through Amazon SES.
- Sendy is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Sendy can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Mailster also covers templates, forms and rSS reader.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
13
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 Mailster free?
No. Mailster is a paid product, starting at $79 per year for 1 site, renewing at full price after a first-year price of $39.
How much does Mailster cost?
Mailster lists 3 plans. Starter: $79 per year for 1 site.
What platforms does Mailster work on?
Mailster is available on Web.
Does Mailster offer any discounts?
Mailster publicly lists the following: First-year price in a Black Friday listing.
Does Mailster have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Mailster is listed for Web.
Does Mailster have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Mailster is listed for Web.
Is Mailster open source?
Mailster is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 12, 2026.
What does Mailster integrate with?
Mailster's listing names Mailgun, SendGrid, SparkPost, Mailjet, Gmail, Gravity Forms, Contact Form 7 and MemberPress.
Who makes Mailster?
Mailster is made by a company of the same name.
What are the alternatives to Mailster?
The closest alternatives to Mailster in our directory are MailPoet, FluentCRM, Groundhogg, Mailcoach and Sendy.
How does Mailster compare with other email marketing and newsletter tools?
Mailster's GPA of 1.8 is higher than 2 of the 57 other email marketing and newsletter tools we grade, and level with 4.
Is Mailster good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Mailster B for value for money. Its paid plans start at $6.58 a month when paid by the year, against a middle price of $15 for the category: 2 of the 47 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Mailster?
To replace Mailster 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 Mailster’s own pages on Nov 12, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 13, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Mailster's own pages on 12 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 Mailster. Prices change, so check mailster.co before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
5,038
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.
5,038
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Mailster, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/mailster
- 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, "Mailster: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 12, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/mailster
Know someone choosing between email marketing and newsletter tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/mailster/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded email marketing and newsletter tools after Mailster, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Email Marketing & Newsletters Insider's GuideEvery one of the 58 email marketing and newsletter tools we grade, compared
- Substack Insider's GuideNewsletter, podcast and video publishing with paid subscriptions3.2 GPA
- SendFox Insider's GuideEmail newsletters and list building for creators on a budget3.0 GPA
- Zoho Campaigns Insider's GuideEmail, SMS and WhatsApp campaigns that tie into Zoho's apps3.0 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 Mailster’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. Mailster is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Mailster. Prices and plans change: check mailster.co before you buy.