Klaviyo vs Mailerlite — Pricing, Plans, and Verified Costs (2026)
Klaviyo starts at $20/mo. Mailerlite starts at $12/mo. Mailerlite is $8/mo cheaper on the entry tier than Klaviyo.
See price history: Klaviyo · Mailerlite
How pricing works
These two tools don't price the same way, so the headline numbers below aren't directly comparable until you plug in your own volume.
- Klaviyo (Per Usage) — Klaviyo bills purely on usage — Contacts. There is no fixed per-seat fee, so the monthly cost depends entirely on how much you consume.
- Mailerlite (Per Usage) — Mailerlite bills purely on usage — Subscribers. There is no fixed per-seat fee, so the monthly cost depends entirely on how much you consume.
Per-minute, per-credit and per-token rates exclude any downstream model, speech or telephony costs unless the vendor states otherwise.
Marketing automation built specifically for e-commerce, publicly traded (KVYO), ~$10B market cap. Positioned as the alternative to Mailchimp for e-commerce brands that need behavioral segmentation and revenue attribution. Distinctive for tight Shopify integration and its "attributed revenue" reporting that lets marketers show ROI cleanly. Priced per subscribed profile starting free; scales aggressively past 10K contacts. Real cost bloat comes from SMS add-on and abandoned-cart flows.
European (Lithuanian) email platform positioned as the value alternative to Mailchimp for SMBs. Distinctive for its transparent pricing (public tiers, no per-contact games) and formerly generous free tier. Restructured June 16, 2026: Growing Business renamed 'Comfort', paid tiers up 10-30% on effective per-subscriber basis (headline held, coverage shrank), free plan cut to 250 subs / 2,500 emails effective July 1, 2026. Priced $9-$12/mo Comfort tier (annual/monthly). Owned by Vista Equity Partners since 2021. Popular with creators and small businesses in Europe.
All plans compared
| Tier role | Plan | Klaviyo monthly | Klaviyo annual | Mailerlite monthly | Mailerlite annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free / starter | Free | Free | Free | Free | Free |
| Entry paid | Email / Comfort | $20 | — | $12 | $10.8 |
| Pro / power | Email + SMS / Power | $35 | — | $25 | $22.5 |
| Enterprise | — / Enterprise | — | — | Custom | Custom |
Tier names differ across vendors. Rows are aligned by tier role, not name. Full tier structures on each tool's page.
What each is best for
Klaviyo is worth it if… e-commerce brands (Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento) that need product-triggered email + SMS flows — abandoned cart, browse abandonment, post-purchase, winback — with revenue attribution baked in. Free covers up to 250 subscribers; paid tiers scale by subscriber count with email + SMS bundled or separate.
Mailerlite is worth it if… creators and SMBs (post-restructure: under 500 subscribers) who want polished email marketing at lower price than Mailchimp — particularly if you value modern templates and drag-and-drop simplicity. Free covers newsletters with under 250 subs (post-July 2026 cut); Comfort adds landing pages, automations, and covers up to 500 subs.
Bottom line: Similar positioning, closer to a preference call than a strategic one.
Choose Klaviyo over Mailerlite if…
Choose Klaviyo if…
- You want to pay only for actual usage (per usage, from $20/mo).
- You match the profile Klaviyo is built for: e-commerce brands (Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento) that need product-triggered email + SMS flows — abandoned cart, browse abandonment, post-purchase, winback — with revenue attribution baked in.
- You need a general-purpose marketing & email option rather than a vertical-specific one.
Choose Mailerlite if…
- You want to pay only for actual usage (per usage, from $12/mo).
- You match the profile Mailerlite is built for: creators and SMBs (post-restructure: under 500 subscribers) who want polished email marketing at lower price than Mailchimp — particularly if you value modern templates and drag-and-drop simplicity.
- You need a general-purpose marketing & email option rather than a vertical-specific one.
At a glance
| Klaviyo | Mailerlite | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Entry price | $20/mo | $12/mo |
| Enterprise available | Yes | Yes |
| Pricing model | Per Usage | Per Usage |
| Last verified | September 10, 2026 | September 13, 2026 |
| Full pricing | View full pricing | View full pricing |
Pricing last verified September 13, 2026. Tracked daily.
Frequently asked questions
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Common questions about Klaviyo and Mailerlite
- How much does Klaviyo cost in 2026?
- Does Klaviyo have a free plan?
- How often does Klaviyo change prices?
- What are the best Klaviyo alternatives in 2026?
- How much does Mailerlite cost in 2026?
- Does Mailerlite have a free plan?
- How often does Mailerlite change prices?
- What are the best Mailerlite alternatives in 2026?