Mailerlite vs Sprout Social — Pricing, Plans, and Verified Costs (2026)
Mailerlite starts at $12/mo. Sprout Social starts at $249/mo. Mailerlite is $237/mo cheaper on the entry tier than Sprout Social.
See price history: Mailerlite · Sprout Social
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 on usage — Subscribers on top of a paid plan starting at $12/mo. The plan includes an allowance; anything beyond it is metered.
- Sprout Social (Unknown model) — Sprout Social bills on a fixed plan from $249/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.
Social media management platform positioned as the modern, marketer-friendly alternative to Hootsuite — known for its polished UI + better analytics + Salesforce/Zendesk-tier support integrations. Distinctive for its Smart Inbox (unified message queue) and best-in-class reporting used by 34,000+ brands. Priced $199-$499/user/mo across Standard/Professional/Advanced tiers plus custom Enterprise. Public since 2019 (NASDAQ: SPT), $1.5B market cap. Acquired Tagger (influencer marketing) in 2023 and Repustate (AI/sentiment analysis) in 2022.
All plans compared
| Tier role | Plan | Mailerlite monthly | Mailerlite annual | Sprout Social monthly | Sprout Social annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free / starter | Free / — | Free | Free | — | — |
| Entry paid | Comfort / Standard | $12 | $10.8 | $249 | $199 |
| Mid tier | — / Professional | — | — | $399 | $299 |
| Pro / power | Power / Advanced | $25 | $22.5 | $599 | $499 |
| 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.
Sprout Social is worth it if… marketing teams (5-100 people) that treat social as a revenue channel and want modern UI + deep analytics + CRM integrations — particularly if Hootsuite feels dated. Standard covers small teams (5 profiles); Professional adds unlimited profiles + competitive reports; Advanced adds chatbots + sentiment analysis; Enterprise adds SSO and advanced permissions.
Bottom line: Similar positioning, closer to a preference call than a strategic one.
Choose Mailerlite over Sprout Social 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 Sprout Social if…
- You're comfortable with Sprout Social's from $249/mo entry point.
- You match the profile Sprout Social is built for: marketing teams (5-100 people) that treat social as a revenue channel and want modern UI + deep analytics + CRM integrations — particularly if Hootsuite feels dated.
- You need a general-purpose marketing & email option rather than a vertical-specific one.
At a glance
| Mailerlite | Sprout Social | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | No |
| Entry price | $12/mo | $249/mo |
| Enterprise available | Yes | Yes |
| Pricing model | Per Usage | — |
| Verification | Verified September 4, 2026 | Verified August 12, 2026 |
| Full pricing | View full pricing | View full pricing |
Pricing last verified September 25, 2026. Tracked daily.
Frequently asked questions
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Common questions about Mailerlite and Sprout Social
- 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 Sprout Social cost in 2026?
- Does Sprout Social have a free plan?
- How often does Sprout Social change prices?
- What are the best Sprout Social alternatives in 2026?