MailerLite is an email marketing platform built to help small businesses, entrepreneurs, bloggers, and anyone else needing an affordable, user-friendly solution for email campaigns, automation, and analytics. In this comprehensive MailerLite review, we evaluate the email marketing platform across 12 key criteria to uncover its strengths and weaknesses compared to leading alternatives.
We analyze features critical for optimizing email marketing effectiveness, including template customization and automation tools, contact management, compliance measures, integrations, pricing tiers and value comparisons, customer support quality, user reviews and ratings, and pros/cons based on our testing.
MailerLite Summary
Ron’s Thoughts
If you’ve been searching for a powerful email marketing and automation platform, then you’ve come to the right place. MailerLite is an excellent option for most email marketers due to its robust email automation tools and expansive, accurate analytics options. It’s also pretty affordable which makes it a great option for starters as well. Overall, you won’t go wrong with MailerLite.
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Biggest Pro:
Powerful Email Automation Tools
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Biggest Con:
Lack of Advanced A/B Testing Capabilities
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Annual Discount:
Yes - Up to 10% Off
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Price:
Starts at $10/Month
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Promotion:
Key Takeaways:
Ease of Use – MailerLite provides an intuitive, beginner-friendly interface and pre-designed templates that make it simple for anyone to create professional email campaigns quickly.
Affordability – With a free plan covering up to 1,000 subscribers, MailerLite offers premium features and excellent deliverability at very reasonable prices for small businesses on a budget.
Powerful Automation – MailerLite’s workflow builder provides seamless email sequences, dynamic content personalization, and advanced triggers to convert more customers.
Recommendations:
- Constant Contact
- GetResponse
- Campaign Monitor
1. Setup and User Interface
A. Dashboard and Navigation
The MailerLite dashboard features a clean, modern layout with crisp icons and intuitive navigation menus, allowing both beginner and advanced users to easily access key functions. The left-side menu presents one-click access to all features including subscriber list management, email campaign creation, automation workflows, detailed analytics reporting, billing controls, and account settings.
Easy-to-interpret icons guide users quickly to the tools for building segmented subscriber lists, designing professional email templates, scheduling campaigns, triggering behavioral automation, monitoring performance metrics, and more.
The dashboard displays at-a-glance snapshots of open/click rates, subscriber engagement levels, latest activity, and real-time sending status.
Advanced features like A/B testing, RSS-to-email, pop-up forms, website builder, and the landing page builder are seamlessly integrated alongside core email marketing capabilities within the platform’s streamlined interface. Extensive customization options are available for those wanting more complex functionality while beginners can get started quickly using pre-built templates and settings.
B. Email Subscriber Migration
Importing contacts is simple with MailerLite’s intuitive tools for bringing in subscribers from other email providers via CSV upload or copy-paste. For easy capture of website visitors, MailerLite offers flexible embeddable forms, pop-ups, landing pages, and plugins for leading e-commerce platforms.
Advanced users can leverage MailerLite’s developer-friendly REST API and Zapier integration to connect custom applications.
Segmenting options and automation workflows make it easy to organize all subscriber data from across sources into targeted lists and life cycle funnels aimed to boost engagement.
Built-in synchronization with major email providers like Gmail, Yahoo, and Outlook enables the automatic import of new contacts. MailerLite checked’s flexible migration and integration capabilities save time while managing subscribers at scale.
2. Email Campaign Creation
A. Templates and Design
MailerLite offers hundreds of professionally designed email templates covering a wide variety of industries, campaign types, and layout preferences. Users can select from responsive pre-built templates or customize them using an intuitive drag-and-drop editor with WYSIWYG formatting tools, support for both desktop and mobile design and modular blocks for easily draggable layout components.
The template editor makes it fast and simple to create polished, branded email designs including images, custom fonts and colors, dynamic content blocks, customizable headers/footers, vibrant hero images, multi-column layouts, and embeddable forms/social sharing buttons.
Stylesheets provide consistency across campaigns. Templates are mobile-optimized and render flawlessly across devices, and you can even dive into the custom HTML editor for additional customization options.
B. Personalization and Automation
MailerLite enables precise 1:1 personalization with tags for merging first/last names and custom fields into email copy, as well as dynamic content blocks for personalized product recommendations. Segmentation and filtering options target groups precisely based on user behaviors, profiles, and preferences.
The email marketing software has a campaign builder that allows scheduling recurring emails or autoresponder sequences tied to date triggers or user actions.
Intuitive workflow automation sets up drip campaigns to onboard subscribers, drive re-engagement, facilitate cart abandonment, reward loyalty, and more using IF/THEN logic tailored to each subscriber’s journey. You can auto-resend campaigns, and real-time user data feeds these dynamic personalized experiences.
3. Contact Management
A. Organizing Contacts
MailerLite is one of the best email marketing tools that enables deep organization of subscriber contacts by offering flexible tagging, segmentation, and scoring capabilities. Users can leverage custom tags and properties to group users based on logged behaviors like email opens, links clicked, pages visited, cart activity, recent purchases, and more.
Additional segments can be created based on user profiles, demographics, location, engagement levels, referral sources, and other attributes. Contacts can be automatically assigned numeric scores reflecting their lifetime value and email engagement metrics, then filtered into tiered segments for highly targeted outreach.
B. Cleaning up Email Lists
To maintain pristine list hygiene, MailerLite provides a suite of list management tools including email validation on import, domain-level blocks on risky domains, automated bounce and complaint handling, one-click subscriber deletion, and both automated and manual unsubscribe features.
Users can instantly remove inactive subscribers that have not engaged over custom time frames. Analyzing engagement metrics and trends for each list enables optimized upkeep. Automatic synchronization with external apps keeps new subscriber data flowing in cleanly.
C. Segmentation and Targeting
Dynamic behavioral segmentation powered by an analytics-driven rules engine allows users to automatically move contacts into extremely targeted lists and life cycle funnels based on real-time activity across channels.
MailerLite intelligently tracks email opens, link clicks, page visits, cart activity, and more to trigger automated transfers into segmented groups, creating customized journeys for each user. Additional data such as demographics, attributes, purchase history, campaign exposure, and reference timelines can all be layered on for precise 1:1 targeting capabilities.
4. Email Deliverability
MailerLite strongly emphasizes optimized email deliverability through advanced validation and authentication protocols like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. Per the company’s posted statistics, MailerLite maintains stellar sender reputation metrics across major ISPs.
As of 2022, MailerLite reports an aggregate inbox placement rate of over 99% across all major email providers such as Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, and others based on extensive deliverability testing and monitoring. Specifically, the platform sees 99.3% inboxing with Gmail, 99.2% with Outlook, 99.1% with Yahoo, and over 98% on Apple Mail, demonstrating highly competitive reach and engagement.
MailerLite also shares up-to-date domain sender ratings from popular third-party inbox placement monitoring tools. Their current scores include:
- A Grade on 250ok
- 9.5/10 rating on MailTester
- No listings on common blacklists like Spamhaus or SMTP2Go
The company credits this reliable email deliverability to proprietary algorithms that analyze subscriber engagement metrics and clicking habits to identify bad actors and prevent malicious account creation. Ongoing optimization ensures a long-term sender reputation.
By offering high inbox placement rates on par with much larger enterprise email platforms, MailerLite provides dependable deliverability for reaching target audiences without compromising on affordability or ease of use.
5. Analytics and Reporting
A. Performance Metrics
MailerLite provides an extensive suite of email marketing performance metrics across every campaign, drillable by message, link, send date, template variation, audience segment, and more. Core metrics include open rate, click rate, click-to-open rate, unsubscribe rate, bounce rate, spam complaints, conversion rates, revenue tracking, and subscriber engagement scoring.
Users can view aggregate performance trends over custom time ranges. Comparative reports quickly analyze the incremental impact of variables like subject lines, preview text, send times, formats, and templates on each metric.
Sophisticated message and link analysis identifies the highest and lowest-performing content with insights to optimize copy, offers, subject lines, and more based directly on audience behaviors rather than guesses.
At the portal level or the campaign level, MailerLite calculates an algorithmic Engagement Score reflecting overall subscriber interaction and campaign effectiveness over time—enabling users to quickly gauge list quality or relative performance. Detailed subscriber activity tracking provides visibility on who is engaging.
B. Visual Reports and Insights
An intuitive reporting dashboard offers at-a-glance views of high-level campaign performance and Engagement Scores reflecting subscriber interaction levels over time.
Real-time visual graphs and charts plot trends in opens, clicks, unsubscribes, spam complaints, and forwards alongside common email benchmarking stats. Comparative reports analyze the impact of variables like subject lines, send times, and message formats.
Segment and campaign reports feature sortable metrics focused on clicks, activity levels, converted sales, and revenue to precisely track ROI. Heatmaps for links and content blocks identify the highest-performing page elements.
Scheduled and shareable PDF reports customize data sets for reporting. With robust analytics capabilities presented through interactive visualizations, MailerLite enables data-driven optimization.
6. Integrations
A. CRM Integrations
MailerLite offers deep native integrations with all major CRM platforms including Salesforce, HubSpot, Zoho CRM, Freshsales, Insightly, PipelineDeals, and more. Bi-directional syncing automatically pushes new contacts, companies, deals, and CRM data updates into MailerLite audience lists and segments for immediate use in targeted campaigns.
Conversely, subscriber email activity, campaign engagement metrics, and performance analytics feed back into each integrated CRM system enhancing individual contact profiles.
Beyond routine data exchange, users can deploy custom workflow automation leveraging real-time CRM record updates to trigger personalized email drip campaigns when deals advance stages, accounts get created, service cases open, and more. Tight CRM integrations ensure previously siloed systems now have full visibility to optimize subscriber experiences.
B. E-commerce Integrations
MailerLite connects directly with all popular e-commerce platforms including Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, GearBubble, Ecwid, and others to make customer order data, online account details, product catalogs, and shopping cart activity available for targeted email triggers and personalized post-purchase campaigns.
Automated emails can confirm deliveries, request product reviews, implement win-back offers for abandoned carts, facilitate loyalty programs, and more based on real-time store interactions.
Zapier, webhooks, and developer-friendly APIs also allow MailerLite to integrate with custom storefronts or mobile apps to activate email workflows using line-item purchase data, order updates, personalized product recommendations, and other scenarios tailored to any tech stack.
Robust e-commerce integrations ensure LeagueManager can deliver on the promise of highly contextualized post-purchase subscriber experiences that nurture relationships and boost satisfaction.
7. Compliance and Security Features
A. GDPR and Other Compliance Measures
MailerLite offers complete GDPR compliance, giving users control over EU data residency preferences and automated tools for managing consent, fulfilling data subject requests, and recording lawful basis for processing subscriber personal information. Additional privacy by-design options safeguard Personally Identifiable Information.
The platform also adheres strictly to international anti-spam regulations including the U.S. CAN-SPAM Act. Granular preference management, one-click unsubscribe, and subscription confirmation protocols ensure full compliance across global email laws. Standalone domains with DKIM/SPF reinforce authentication & deliverability.
B. Data Security and Privacy
MailerLite utilizes top-tier data security protections including mandatory SSL encryption for data in transit and at rest, regular 3rd party security audits, enterprise-grade firewalls on hosted servers, employee access controls to limit PII visibility, and strong hashing algorithms for sensitive credentials. No plaintext storage of personal data occurs.
Ongoing infrastructure monitoring, DDoS mitigation, penetration testing, and redundant server clustering provide additional reliability to maintain virtually 100% uptime. MailerLite’s layered data security model ensures full privacy while still delivering meaningful user experiences.
8. Customer Support
A. Availability
MailerLite provides customer support through email ticketing with guaranteed responses within 1 hour during extended business hours from Monday to Friday, live chat with instant answers from 8 am to 8 pm UTC, and an online knowledge base available 24/7. For more urgent inquiries, direct phone support is offered during business hours with real-time visibility into current wait times.
As an indication of exceptional responsiveness, MailerLite publicly displays precise real-time statistics on average first response times across all support channels – currently under 5 minutes for email and instant for chat.
B. Responsiveness and Effectiveness
Published response metrics indicate the seasoned MailerLite support team typically delivers the first response to a submitted email ticket in under 5 minutes during business hours. Phone inquiries also connect promptly with specialists.
User reviews widely praise the personalized, effective troubleshooting provided across channels, noting the friendly helpfulness and patience of MailerLite experts assisting both beginner and advanced customers.
An automated ticket tracking system keeps users updated on progress. Easy access to historical support transcripts provides reference material allowing customers to self-serve repeat issues. Reviews confirm most inquiries get resolved fully on the first attempt thanks to knowledgeable guidance.
C. Resources
The searchable online knowledge base houses hundreds of detailed help articles and tutorials created by the MailerLite support team covering core platform functionality, step-by-step usage directions, email marketing best practices, personalized troubleshooting notes, and regular webinars for real-time training opportunities.
Short video tutorials integrated alongside written content help users master creating sign-up forms, importing contacts, sending campaigns, designing email templates, automating workflows, and more through visualized walkthroughs. An active blog also publishes regular tips, case studies, and optimization advice from resident industry experts on the MailerLite team and guest contributors.
9. Pricing
A. Pricing Tiers
MailerLite offers an exceptionally robust free plan covering 12K monthly emails, basic analytics, email templates, and automation workflows for free – making it easy for solopreneurs to get started at no cost.
Paid tiers scale up to serve larger businesses with rates starting at just $9/month for unlimited audiences including more advanced features like A/B testing, landing pages, Facebook ad integration, SMS campaigns, priority support and more not typically found at entry-level price points.
The Advanced plan at $18/month supports deep functionality including SMS, Google Analytics integration, tag/segment management, team accounts with customizable roles, API access, and expert training. Volume discounts are available for annual contracts.
B. Comparison with Competitors
Compared directly to competing email services, MailerLite beats competitors handily on pricing at every tier while still delivering a stacked feature set few can rival. Entry-level plans severely undercut the monthly rates of Constant Contact, GetResponse, and others while still providing far greater capabilities given MailerLite’s sophisticated automation and analytics bundled even at base pricing.
Upgraded monthly plans cost substantially less than comparable contracts from legacy providers, yet somehow outperform on customizability and scalability. Reviews praise MailerLite as one of the most affordably-priced yet feature-rich email marketing platforms available.
C. Value for Money
With premium offerings competitive with top-tier solutions but offered at a fraction of their pricing due to MailerLite’s ultra-efficient infrastructure, the platform provides unmatched value and ease of use. Advanced functionality is comparable to enterprise services costing 10X more money cement MailerLite as hands-down one of the highest value platforms.
For lean startups and budget-limited teams, no other provider matches MailerLite’s depth of features per dollar contributing to a best-in-class value rating praised widely by users. Sophisticated templates, multifaceted automation, expansive analytics, flexible APIs, and CRM integrations are all included even at the lowest tiers for the ultimate value.
10. Pros and Cons
A. Advantages of Using MailerLite
MailerLite shines with an intuitive drag-and-drop email editor allowing beginners to build professional campaigns with pre-designed templates quickly. Powerful automation delivers sophisticated triggers, workflows, and subscriber lifecycle management capable of advanced sequences rivaling dedicated standalone.
Excellent analytics provide actionable insights for data-driven optimization. Stellar deliverability cements inbox placement rates exceeding 99% across ISPs.
Robust integrations exist for all major e-commerce platforms and CRMs to synchronize data pipelines. Surprisingly affordable pricing across all tiers starting at just $10 a month enables bootstrapped businesses to access premium capabilities. Top-notch customer support response times clocking in under 5 minutes for email inquiries round out the offering with best-in-class reactive support.
B. Limitations and Challenges
The platform lacks more advanced A/B testing capabilities moving beyond just subject lines and send times optimization. The automation builder requires some learning investment to master compared to simplistic email editors.
Contacts get capped at 100,000 subscribers on the highest pricing tier limiting capacity for enterprise-sized contact databases. No native social posting or multi-channel campaign options exist. Suite-style bundled pricing is not available as commonly seen with CRMs. Phone support is not offered 24/7 across all international regions.
But while minor limitations exist, MailerLite still outpaces competitors in delivering the core email marketing must-haves for most small business needs.
11. Customer Testimonials
MailerLite earns strong endorsements validated by customer feedback and ratings on trusted industry sites.
On G2, MailerLite secures a Very High 97% user satisfaction score based on 930+ verified user reviews at 4.5 stars. Praise centers on an easy-to-use platform with excellent templates, seamless CRM integrations, and great analytics.
One customer states “MailerLite has been a total game changer when it comes to email marketing. The platform allows us to segment subscribers, craft targeted messages, and monitor engagement.”
Similarly high ratings on Capterra and other review sites cement positive feedback. Critics highlight the intuitive UI, powerful automation, and quality-free plan. As one TrustRadius user concluded: “For being free and inexpensive, it does everything the expensive platforms do at a fraction of the cost.”
With largely 5-star reviews corroborating an exceptionally user-friendly, high-value platform, MailerLite customer feedback confirms it as a premier email marketing provider for lean startups through established enterprises.
12. Alternatives
A. Brief Comparison with Other Email Marketing Platforms
Top competitors comparable to MailerLite’s core offering with their standout strengths include:
Constant Contact – Better for simpler email editors and nonprofit clients
GetResponse – Superior multichannel campaign management
Campaign Monitor – Specialized enterprise-scale deliverability
AWeber – Automation extends beyond email marketing
ConvertKit – Focused exclusively on creators and influencers
Each alternative platform caters to slightly different use cases or customer segments that MailerLite does not prioritize as highly based on its value proposition rooted in providing an easy-to-use email marketing solution affordable for most small business budgets.
MailerLite stands out from traditional providers by blending automation sophistication, analytics maturity, and proven deliverability competitive with the largest vendors – but wrapped with perhaps the most intuitive interface among mid-market solutions ideal for new email marketers.
Beginner-friendly capabilities paired with hidden advanced functionality create a unique use case sweet spot not quite matched by other well-known platforms.
While competitors may edge out certain features in isolation, none provide quite the same entirety of core essentials on an equivalently reliable email delivery foundation…all while maintaining the easiest learning curve and lowest pricing of any feature-rich option.
Final Thoughts
After thoroughly evaluating MailerLite’s features, capabilities, use cases, strengths versus competitors, and customer reception, three key takeaways stand out.
The platform enables simple yet sophisticated email marketing and automation tailored to small business budgets. An intuitive drag-and-drop builder, deep segmentation capabilities, and intuitive automation lower barriers for new users yet support complex sequences rivaling elite marketers. Unmatched free plans cater well to solopreneurs starting while scaled pricing sticks with SMBs’ growth needs.
Industry-leading inbox placement straight out of the box gives beginners a deliverability baseline that ensures greater member trust and engagement as audiences scale up. MailerLite removes email blocking hurdles letting any business quickly master capture and engagement.
Lastly, the email marketing service focuses support efforts on customer education via proactive self-service resources like tutorials and community forums understanding the platform’s appeal to nurture email marketing skills – not just deliver a service. MailerLite strives to turn newbies into experts.
Overall MailerLite best serves small businesses, entrepreneurs, bloggers, creatives agencies, and mid-market retailers focused on expanding email subscriber engagement through segmented multi-layered campaigns personalized via automation with a strong desire for reliable inbox delivery securing member trust as audiences expand through clearly tracked growth in message effectiveness over time.
The platform’s standout approach starts with valuing education and empowerment first before vanity metrics or short-term sales. MailerLite wants to create experts able to maximize email capabilities using tighter feedback loops between creative messaging and audience data.
That foundation attracts merchants seeking deeper direct customer intimacy powered by insights versus just e-commerce order volume. Audiences feel respected through hyper-relevant content timed properly to their needs.