Campaign Monitor vs MailerLite: agency tools or a lower bill?
By Jean Luc Poitier, SEO and growth marketing strategist · Campaign Monitor Reviews · Updated October 4, 2026
Campaign Monitor is the pick for agencies and for teams that want someone to call. Every paid plan includes client sub-accounts and private labeling, where MailerLite needs a separate plan per account, and Premier adds phone support, which MailerLite has on no plan. Its 30-day trial needs no card, and reviewers rate the builder as easy for clients and new staff.
MailerLite is the pick on price. Its Power plan has no monthly send cap, like Essentials, and costs $25 at 500 subscribers against $31, and $129 at 10,000 against $182. It also has a free plan for up to 250 subscribers and rates higher on G2.
Campaign Monitor vs MailerLite at a glance
| Compared on | Campaign Monitor | MailerLite |
|---|---|---|
| Comparable plan | Essentials (unlimited sends) | Power (unlimited sends, fair use policy) |
| Price at 500 contacts | $31/mo | $25/mo |
| Price at 2,500 contacts | $74/mo | $49/mo |
| Price at 10,000 contacts | $182/mo | $129/mo |
| Entry plan at 500 contacts | Lite: $13/mo, 2,500 emails/mo | Comfort: $12/mo, 5,000 emails/mo |
| Annual billing | 10% off | 10% off |
| Free plan | No | Yes: 250 subscribers, 2,500 emails/mo, MailerLite logo, 3 automations |
| Free trial | 30 days, 500 contacts and 500 emails, no card | 14 days of premium features, no card |
| Phone support | Premier plan | None published; 24/7 live chat on Power |
| Agency sub-accounts / white label | Sub-accounts and private labeling on every paid plan | None published; each account needs its own plan and billing |
| Trustpilot, organic reviews only | 1.44 (n=18) | 1.25 (n=8) |
| G2 rating (reviews) | 4.1 (731) | 4.6 (1,123) |
Figures checked against each company's published pages and review-platform listings as of 2026-10-04. “Not published” means the company does not publish that figure.
Prices are monthly billing at the stated list size. Trustpilot row: organic reviews only (written without an invitation or link from the company), from our pull on October 4, 2026. Campaign Monitor's 18 span January 2023 to September 2026; MailerLite's 8 span September to October 2026. Both samples are small and the windows differ. G2 figures are each product's overall rating and review count on G2.
Running email for clients: where Campaign Monitor pulls ahead
Campaign Monitor was built with agencies in mind. You set up each client as a sub-account under one admin login, give clients access to their own campaigns, replace Campaign Monitor's branding with yours, and add a markup to their bill. Sub-accounts and private labeling come with Lite, Essentials, and Premier, so a small agency doesn't need the top plan to get them. Premier adds section locking, which lets clients edit copy without breaking the design.
“Campaign Monitor has an excellent agency plan that lets you run campaigns on clients’ behalf while keeping the billing and branding under your control.”Anum R., G2, Apr 2026
MailerLite answers this one directly in its FAQ: it offers no discounts for multiple accounts, and each account needs its own separate plan and billing. Agencies get a referral and affiliate program. For an agency, that means a separate login and a separate bill for every client.
Support: a phone tier on one side, chat on the other
Campaign Monitor holds G2's Best Support badge for small business for Fall 2026 (see awards), and Capterra reviewers in our pull rate its support 8.3 out of 10. Premier adds phone support. MailerLite publishes no phone support on any plan. Its free plan gets community support, Comfort gets 24/7 email, Power adds 24/7 live chat, and Enterprise adds a dedicated success manager.
Campaign Monitor vs MailerLite pricing at 500, 2,500, and 10,000 contacts
MailerLite costs less at every size we checked. On the plans with no monthly send cap, Power runs $25, $49, and $129 a month at 500, 2,500, and 10,000 subscribers, against $31, $74, and $182 for Campaign Monitor Essentials. At the entry level, MailerLite Comfort is $12 at 500 subscribers with 5,000 emails a month, and Campaign Monitor Lite is $13 with 2,500. Both take 10% off for annual billing.
MailerLite bills on active subscribers, so unsubscribed and bounced addresses don't count. Any address that was active during the billing cycle does count, even if you delete it later, and paid accounts move up a tier automatically. Campaign Monitor's price also rises with list size. What the extra money buys there is the agency setup and the phone tier above.
“I really like MailerLite because it offers a fair price, which caught our attention.”Rafael G., G2, Apr 2026
A free plan or a 30-day trial
MailerLite's free plan covers up to 250 subscribers, 2,500 emails a month, 2 user seats, and 3 automations, with the MailerLite logo on every email. Above 250 subscribers, sending locks until you upgrade. New accounts also get a 14-day trial of the paid features with no card. Campaign Monitor has no free plan. Its 30-day trial runs on 500 contacts and 500 emails with no card at signup, which is long enough to build templates and send a few real campaigns before you choose a plan.
Try Campaign Monitor freeWhat the trial includes and which plan to pick after: Campaign Monitor free trial. Full plan breakdown: pricing.
Where MailerLite wins
- Lower prices at every list size we checked, on both the uncapped plan and the entry plan.
- A free plan for up to 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails a month.
- Billing on active subscribers only: unsubscribed and bounced addresses don't count.
- Every paid plan gets the full feature set, so you pay more only for a bigger list or more sending.
- 24/7 live chat on Power and 24/7 email support on Comfort.
- A higher G2 rating: 4.6 from 1,123 reviews, against Campaign Monitor's 4.1 from 731.
Still choosing? See MailerLite alternatives or Campaign Monitor vs Brevo, another option with a free plan.
Campaign Monitor vs MailerLite FAQ
Is MailerLite cheaper than Campaign Monitor?+
Yes. On the plans without a monthly send cap, MailerLite Power costs $25 a month at 500 subscribers, $49 at 2,500, and $129 at 10,000. Campaign Monitor Essentials costs $31, $74, and $182. Both take 10% off for annual billing. Prices checked October 4, 2026.
Does MailerLite have client sub-accounts for agencies?+
MailerLite publishes none. Its FAQ says each account needs its own separate plan and billing, and it offers agencies a referral and affiliate program. Campaign Monitor includes client sub-accounts and private labeling on Lite, Essentials, and Premier, plus markup billing so you can charge clients for their sending.
Which has better support, Campaign Monitor or MailerLite?+
Campaign Monitor holds G2's Best Support badge for small business (Fall 2026) and offers phone support on Premier. MailerLite has no phone support on any plan; it offers 24/7 email support on Comfort and 24/7 live chat on Power.
Is there a free version of Campaign Monitor like MailerLite's free plan?+
Campaign Monitor has no permanent free plan. It offers a 30-day free trial with 500 contacts and 500 emails, and the signup form asks for no card. MailerLite's free plan covers up to 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails a month with the MailerLite logo on your emails.
How do Campaign Monitor and MailerLite reviews compare?+
MailerLite rates higher on G2: 4.6 from 1,123 reviews against Campaign Monitor's 4.1 from 731. Among organic Trustpilot reviews (written without an invitation), Campaign Monitor averages 1.44 across 18 and MailerLite 1.25 across 8, both small samples, pulled October 4, 2026.