Quick verdict: EmailOctopus is the stronger starting point if you want a generous free allowance and a focused email-marketing tool. MailerLite is the stronger fit if you want a broader built-in toolkit for websites, digital products, bookings and more advanced marketing workflows. Neither is automatically best for every creator.
Research note: This comparison is based on official product, pricing and help documentation checked on 6 October 2026. We have not presented it as a hands-on test. Prices and features can change, so confirm the current details before subscribing.
Affiliate disclosure: This article contains referral links for EmailOctopus and MailerLite. If you sign up through one of them, Creator Systems Hub may receive account credit or a commission at no extra cost to you. Affiliate relationships do not determine our conclusions.
EmailOctopus vs MailerLite at a glance
| Area | EmailOctopus | MailerLite |
|---|---|---|
| Free subscriber allowance | Up to 2,500 subscribers | Up to 250 subscribers |
| Free monthly email allowance | 10,000 emails | 2,500 emails |
| Headline paid starting price | From $9/month when billed yearly | Comfort from $12/month; Power from $25/month |
| Free automations | Up to 3 automations, with up to 5 steps each | Up to 3 automations, with up to 5 steps each |
| Landing pages on free plan | 1 landing page and 1 form | 1 website, 1 landing page and 3 forms |
| Broader creator tools | Focused on email, forms and landing pages | Includes website, digital-product, booking and paid-newsletter capabilities |
| Best initial fit | A larger list needing straightforward newsletters at a low entry cost | A creator wanting more marketing and selling tools in one platform |
The headline numbers make the basic difference clear: EmailOctopus gives beginners considerably more list and sending capacity for free, while MailerLite includes a wider range of tools around the email service.
Free plans: EmailOctopus offers much more sending room
EmailOctopus currently lists a free Starter plan for up to 2,500 subscribers and 10,000 emails per month. It includes one landing page, one form and one user. Reports remain available for 30 days, and emails carry EmailOctopus branding.
MailerLite’s free plan currently supports up to 250 subscribers and 2,500 monthly emails. It includes two user seats, three automations, one website, one landing page, three signup forms and one digital product or booking.
For a creator whose immediate requirement is simply to build a list and send a regular newsletter, EmailOctopus gives far more room before a paid upgrade. MailerLite’s allowance is smaller, but its free account lets you explore a broader set of functions.
Paid pricing: compare the plan you will actually need
EmailOctopus advertises Pro pricing from $9 per month when billed yearly. The exact cost depends on both subscriber storage and sending requirements. The annual option is discounted by 10%, while monthly billing is also available. Pro removes the free-plan branding and provides permanent reports, unlimited landing pages and forms, and unlimited users.
MailerLite lists Comfort from $12 per month and Power from $25 per month. Comfort includes up to 50 active automations, ten websites and landing pages, ten signup forms, three seats and additional optimisation features. Power moves to unlimited monthly emails, users, automations, landing pages and forms, subject to the provider’s policies and plan details.
Both services scale as usage grows, so a starting price alone is not enough. Model the cost at your expected subscriber count and sending frequency. UK customers should also allow for exchange-rate movements and any applicable taxes because the headline prices checked for this article were displayed in US dollars.
Email creation and templates
Both platforms provide drag-and-drop editing, mobile-friendly templates, personalisation and the option to work with HTML. EmailOctopus lists more than 100 templates and keeps its positioning deliberately focused on essential email marketing.
MailerLite also supplies drag-and-drop, simple and custom-HTML editors. Its paid plans add a wider collection of optimisation and content tools, including features such as multivariate testing, dynamic content, smart sending and an AI writing assistant on the relevant plan.
If you mainly need a dependable editor for broadcasts and basic sequences, the narrower EmailOctopus approach may be enough. If testing, personalisation and campaign optimisation are central to the plan, MailerLite deserves closer examination.
Automations
The free plans are closer than the subscriber limits suggest: each currently permits three automations with up to five steps. EmailOctopus supports triggers, waits, conditional branches and actions such as updating fields or tags. Its Pro plan also supports multiple triggers in a single automation.
MailerLite’s Comfort plan allows up to 50 active automations, while Power allows unlimited automations and adds multiple automation triggers. MailerLite also highlights e-commerce triggers and a visual automation builder.
For a straightforward welcome sequence, either platform may be sufficient. For a business planning several funnels, behavioural branches and commerce-led journeys, compare the exact triggers and limits against a written workflow before choosing.
Landing pages, websites and selling tools
EmailOctopus provides forms and landing pages designed to collect subscribers. On Pro, both are unlimited. That is a sensible fit when your main website, checkout and products already live elsewhere.
MailerLite reaches further beyond email. Its current plans include a website builder and tools for digital products, bookings and paid newsletters, with the quantities depending on the plan. This could reduce the number of separate services required for a simple creator business.
The trade-off is focus. A creator who already has WordPress, a course platform or a dedicated checkout may not need MailerLite’s additional tools. Someone building a lean business from scratch may value having them in one account.
List organisation and billing details
EmailOctopus states that each list is independent. If the same person appears on multiple lists, that subscriber can be counted more than once for billing. Its documentation recommends keeping contacts in one list and using tags and fields where possible.
MailerLite bases billing on active subscribers. Its current pricing explanation says a subscriber who was active at any time during a billing cycle counts until the next billing anniversary, even if removed earlier. These details matter when forecasting costs or migrating an established list.
Which one should a UK creator choose?
Choose EmailOctopus if:
- You want the largest useful free allowance of these two options.
- Your main need is newsletters, forms, landing pages and manageable automations.
- Your website, products and checkout already live elsewhere.
- You prefer a focused tool with a lower advertised paid starting point.
Choose MailerLite if:
- You want email plus a website, digital products, bookings or paid newsletters.
- You expect to use more numerous or more advanced automations.
- Testing, optimisation and e-commerce connections are important.
- You are comfortable with a smaller free subscriber allowance.
Our conclusion
For a new UK newsletter project, EmailOctopus is the better value starting point because its free plan leaves far more room to grow an audience and send campaigns. MailerLite becomes more compelling when the business needs a wider set of creation, selling and optimisation tools inside the same platform.
The sensible decision is therefore based on the system around the newsletter. Pick EmailOctopus for a focused and economical email layer. Pick MailerLite when its broader tools can replace other services you would otherwise pay for.
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Visit MailerLite through our referral link →
Continue your research
- EmailOctopus review for UK creators
- EmailOctopus pricing in the UK
- How to start a newsletter with EmailOctopus
- Browse all Creator Systems Hub comparisons