listmonk vs MailCheap (2026)
Free, self-hosted newsletter and mailing-list manager — against — Open-source newsletters priced per email sent, not per subscriber. Same table, same scoring system, clear verdict.
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Head-to-head
Pricing and terms last verified 31 October 2026 — vendors change them often.
| listmonk | MailCheap 🏆 | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes: free software, you pay your own server and SMTP costs | No |
| Paid from | Free software; you supply hosting and an SMTP/SES provider | From $19/mo for 20,000 emails and 10,000 active subscribers |
| Free trial | None | None |
| Automations | ✗ | ✗ |
| Landing pages | ✗ | ✓ |
| Paid subscriptions | ✗ | ✗ |
| Ecommerce features | ✗ | ✗ |
| Our score | 3.5/5 | 4/5 |
Choose listmonk if…
- You're primarily developers and technical teams
- Free and open source with no subscriber limits
- You can live with: you must host it and set up smtp and deliverability yourself
Choose MailCheap if…
- You're primarily newsletters with large, partly inactive lists
- Pay for emails sent, so dormant subscribers cost nothing
- You can live with: no free plan or trial; cloud starts at $19/mo
listmonk vs MailCheap: FAQ
listmonk or MailCheap — which is better in 2026?
For most people matching MailCheap's strengths (newsletters with large, partly inactive lists), MailCheap is the stronger choice — it scores 4/5 on our four-factor score. But "better" depends on you: choose listmonk for developers and technical teams, and MailCheap for newsletters with large, partly inactive lists.
Is listmonk cheaper than MailCheap?
listmonk has a free plan (Free software; you supply hosting and an SMTP/SES provider), while MailCheap has no permanent free plan (From $19/mo for 20,000 emails and 10,000 active subscribers). Vendors reprice several times a year — check both pricing pages before deciding.
Can I switch from listmonk to MailCheap (or back)?
Yes. Subscribers export as CSV/JSON from either platform and import into the other. Automation sequences usually need rebuilding — map your tags and forms before migrating.