Newsletter Platform Comparison
MailerLite focuses on affordable email marketing, newsletters, websites, landing pages, automation, and digital products. GetResponse offers a broader marketing toolkit with advanced automation, ecommerce features, funnels, webinars, courses, and premium newsletters.
Last reviewed: September 2026
Choose MailerLite if you want a simple, cost-effective newsletter and email marketing platform. It has a free plan for small lists and its Comfort plan remains one of the cheaper paid options for creators and small businesses.
Choose GetResponse if you need a more complete marketing system with advanced automation, ecommerce workflows, sales funnels, webinars, courses, and premium newsletters under one account.
| Feature | MailerLite | GetResponse |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | $0 up to 250 subscribers | $0 up to 500 contacts with limitations |
| Starting paid price | Comfort from about $10.80/mo billed annually | Starter from $15.58/mo billed annually |
| Paid newsletters | Yes | Yes, with Creator |
| Platform transaction fee | 0% + Stripe processing | 0% + payment processor fees |
| Automation | Strong visual email automations | Advanced marketing automation on Marketer and Creator |
| Courses and webinars | Not the main focus | Available with Creator |
| Best for | Affordable newsletter and email marketing | Broader marketing and creator businesses |
Pricing shown reflects publicly available annual billing rates reviewed in September 2026. Pricing can change as your list grows.
MailerLite is cheaper at the entry level, with its paid plan starting at about $10.80 per month when billed annually. GetResponse Starter begins at $15.58 per month for up to 1,000 contacts, but includes a broader set of marketing tools.
MailerLite's Free plan supports up to 250 active subscribers and up to 2,500 monthly email sends.
Comfort starts at about $10.80 per month when billed annually for the smallest paid subscriber tier. It includes additional templates, email marketing features, automation, websites, landing pages, and monetization tools.
Power costs more but increases limits and adds more advanced features for businesses with larger or more complex marketing operations.
For up to 1,000 contacts, GetResponse currently starts at $15.58 per month when Starter is billed annually.
Marketer adds more advanced automation and ecommerce tools, while Creator includes premium newsletters, courses, webinars, and additional creator monetization features.
If Kit is also on your shortlist, read our detailed ConvertKit vs GetResponse comparison for pricing, automation, paid newsletters and transaction fees.
At 1,000 subscribers, the cheapest paid plans are much closer than they first appear. Using current annual-billing prices, GetResponse Starter is slightly cheaper than MailerLite Comfort at this exact list size.
| Feature | MailerLite | GetResponse |
|---|---|---|
| Free account | Up to 250 subscribers | Up to 500 contacts with limitations |
| 1,000-subscriber paid tier | Comfort: about $17.10/month billed annually | Starter: $15.58/month billed annually |
| Email sending at 1,000 | 10,000 emails/month on Comfort | Unlimited monthly email sends on Starter |
| Automation focus | Easier newsletter-focused automations | Starter includes one workflow; higher plans unlock advanced automation |
| Best fit | Creators prioritizing simplicity | Businesses wanting a broader marketing toolkit |
Price winner at exactly 1,000 contacts: GetResponse Starter is about $1.52 per month cheaper on annual billing. MailerLite still has advantages for creators who value a simpler interface and newsletter-focused workflow, while GetResponse includes unlimited sends and a broader marketing feature set.
Pricing reviewed in September 2026. Prices and plan limits can change.
For a basic newsletter, MailerLite is generally the cheaper option. Its free plan covers the first 250 subscribers, and its entry-level Comfort pricing starts below GetResponse Starter.
The comparison becomes less straightforward when you need advanced marketing features. GetResponse's higher-priced plans bundle automation, ecommerce, funnels, webinars, courses, and other tools that could otherwise require multiple separate services.
Use the NewsletterFit calculator to compare estimated costs using your actual subscriber count, paid subscribers, subscription price, growth rate, and automation requirements.
MailerLite is the more natural choice for a small free newsletter. Its Free plan supports up to 250 active subscribers and 2,500 monthly email sends without a software subscription.
Once you grow beyond the free limit, Comfort provides a relatively inexpensive upgrade path. GetResponse Starter costs more but offers unlimited monthly email sends and a broader marketing toolkit.
Both platforms can be attractive for paid newsletter creators because neither relies on a percentage-based platform commission on subscription revenue.
MailerLite integrates with Stripe to collect recurring newsletter payments. You pay the MailerLite subscription cost for your plan and the normal Stripe processing fees.
GetResponse requires Creator for premium paid newsletters. GetResponse lists a 0% platform transaction fee, while the connected payment processor can still charge its normal processing fees.
For a creator focused almost entirely on an affordable paid newsletter, MailerLite can be difficult to beat on software cost. GetResponse becomes more compelling if courses, webinars, funnels, and advanced automation are part of the same business.
MailerLite offers an easy-to-use visual automation builder and is capable of handling many common newsletter workflows, including onboarding, segmentation, promotions, and paid subscriber journeys.
GetResponse is more powerful when the automation extends beyond email newsletters. Its Marketer and Creator plans support unlimited automation workflows, advanced segmentation, funnels, ecommerce tools, abandoned cart recovery, and more complex customer journeys.
For straightforward email automation, MailerLite is usually easier and cheaper. For a larger marketing automation system, GetResponse has the advantage.
MailerLite has built much of its reputation around simplicity. Its interface is designed for creators and small businesses that want email campaigns, landing pages, websites, and automations without a steep learning curve.
GetResponse includes significantly more functionality, which also means there are more tools and settings to learn. That complexity can be worthwhile for businesses that will actually use the wider feature set.
For most small newsletter creators who care primarily about affordability and simplicity, MailerLite is our preferred option. It provides the essential newsletter, automation, website, and monetization tools at a relatively low price.
Choose GetResponse if you are building a broader marketing or education business and expect to use advanced automation, ecommerce tools, sales funnels, webinars, or courses alongside your newsletter.
NewsletterFit calculates estimated costs based on the information you enter. Always confirm current platform pricing and payment processing terms before subscribing.