Mailerlite vs Semrush — Pricing, Plans, and Verified Costs (2026)
Mailerlite starts at $12/mo. Semrush starts at $139/mo. Mailerlite is $127/mo cheaper on the entry tier than Semrush.
See price history: Mailerlite · Semrush
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.
- 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.
- Semrush (Flat Rate) — Semrush bills on a fixed plan from $139/mo, so the listed price is what you pay regardless of volume.
Per-minute, per-credit and per-token rates exclude any downstream model, speech or telephony costs unless the vendor states otherwise.
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.
Enterprise SEO + digital marketing platform, acquired by Adobe for $1.9B in cash (deal closed April 28, 2026) and now part of Adobe's Customer Experience (CX) Enterprise. Formerly publicly traded (SEMR) before the take-private. Positioned as the alternative to Ahrefs for teams that want a broader marketing suite (social media, PPC intelligence, content marketing, and now Generative Engine Optimization / AI Search) beyond pure SEO. Distinctive as the marketing generalist tool (Ahrefs is SEO-specialist), and increasingly as the Adobe-blessed answer to brand visibility across ChatGPT/Perplexity/AI Overviews. Priced $139-$549/mo across four main tiers plus custom Enterprise. Real cost bloat: user seats + Local + Trends + Content Marketplace still charge extra even after Adobe.
All plans compared
| Tier role | Plan | Mailerlite monthly | Mailerlite annual | Semrush monthly | Semrush annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free / starter | Free / — | Free | Free | — | — |
| Entry paid | Comfort / SEO | $12 | $10.8 | $139 | $117.33 |
| Mid tier 1 | — / Starter (SEO + AI Search) | — | — | $199 | $165.17 |
| Mid tier 2 | — / Pro+ (SEO + AI Search) | — | — | $299 | $248.17 |
| Pro / power | Power / Advanced (SEO + AI Search) | $25 | $22.5 | $549 | $455.67 |
| Enterprise | Enterprise | Custom | Custom | 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
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.
Semrush is worth it if… marketing agencies and in-house SEO teams (5-100 people) that need the full SEO/PPC/content/AI Search stack — keyword research + rank tracking + backlink audit + site audit + content optimization + local SEO + AI visibility (ChatGPT/Perplexity/AI Overview citations). SEO covers small teams doing traditional search; Starter adds AI Search monitoring; Pro+ scales for growing agencies across multiple sites; Advanced adds API + deeper AI visibility for larger orgs.
Bottom line: Choose based on how you want to pay — Mailerlite is per usage, Semrush is flat rate.
Choose Mailerlite over Semrush if…
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.
Choose Semrush if…
- You want fixed-price predictability (flat rate, from $139/mo).
- You match the profile Semrush is built for: marketing agencies and in-house SEO teams (5-100 people) that need the full SEO/PPC/content/AI Search stack — keyword research + rank tracking + backlink audit + site audit + content optimization + local SEO + AI visibility (ChatGPT/Perplexity/AI Overview citations).
- You need a general-purpose marketing & email option rather than a vertical-specific one.
At a glance
| Mailerlite | Semrush | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | No |
| Entry price | $12/mo | $139/mo |
| Enterprise available | Yes | Yes |
| Pricing model | Per Usage | Flat Rate |
| Last verified | September 13, 2026 | September 12, 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 Mailerlite and Semrush
- 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?
- How much does Semrush cost in 2026?
- Does Semrush have a free plan?
- How often does Semrush change prices?
- What are the best Semrush alternatives in 2026?