MailerLite vs Kit

A good email marketing software has become a key tool for any small and medium-sized business. In 2025, any SME that wants to connect with its audience, sell digital products, or grow its community needs to have an efficient, automated platform for sending, and above all, one adapted to its goals.

There are dozens of tools on the market for this purpose. In fact, it is an almost oversaturated sector. However, there are very few alternatives that stand out for their reliability, ease of use, and value for money. That is why, from Softonic for Business, we are analyzing the most relevant platforms in the sector to help you make informed decisions before you take a wrong step.

Today, we compare two of the best alternatives for growing businesses and creators: MailerLite and Kit (formerly known as ConvertKit). Both options offer very generous free plans, advanced automation capabilities, and monetization options. However, their approach is very different: while MailerLite focuses on design, simplicity, and a smooth experience, Kit is oriented toward creators who need to segment, automate, and sell directly to their audience.

Which one should you choose? We analyze it in depth below. The main thing to keep in mind is that there is no one better than the other, but it depends largely on what you are looking for. However, their features make it very clear which type of audience each is aimed at.

MailerLite vs Kit: Which Email Marketing Software Fits Your Business Best?

Both MailerLite and Kit are modern tools, highly rated by most companies that have tried them, and additionally, they are designed with small businesses and digital creators in mind. However, the philosophy behind each platform is different, and that difference directly influences how you work with your campaigns. 

MailerLite is synonymous with visual simplicity and intuitive design. In short, it is an ideal option for those who prioritize the aesthetic aspect of their emails and landing pages, and also need a system that works from the first minute, without technical complications that make everything harder.

Kit, on the other hand, is a true automation hub. It is designed for professional creators (authors, trainers, bloggers) to segment their audience and sell digital products directly from the system, thanks to its tags, visual funnels, and integrated monetization tools. It is not primarily intended for companies, but rather for independent individuals; however, it can be adapted well to meet each person's needs.

Kit vs MailerLite: Direct Comparison

After testing both platforms and comparing our opinions with feedback from customers and experts in the digital marketing world, we have created this table with a direct comparison between Kit and MailerLite:

With all this in mind, the next step is to seriously reflect on some key concepts before choosing an email marketing platform for your business. Consider the following first and foremost:

• Do you need a tool focused 100% on visual design and campaign sending, or are you looking for a complete ecosystem that integrates advanced automation, dynamic segmentation, and monetization tools?
• Do you or your team have the technical knowledge, or do you need something that works from the start, without the need to configure tags, rules, or complex funnels?
• Does your business model rely more on visual content or on automation strategies and digital sales?
• Do you prefer a minimalist platform where everything is organized and clear, or are you interested in a more powerful tool with more options, customization, and control?

Both solutions can answer many of these questions, but they are based on very different models (though equally interesting). Thus, where MailerLite is synonymous with clarity, design, and simplicity, Kit is synonymous with power, segmentation, and advanced automation.

MailerLite: A simple, powerful, and extremely visual platform

MailerLite is one of the most beloved email marketing tools for entrepreneurs, small businesses, and teams that value simplicity without sacrificing functionality. Its interface stands out for being clean, fast, and intuitive. Everything revolves around the visual design of emails, landing pages, and forms, making it ideal for businesses of this type.

From the very beginning, you can create impactful newsletters, automate welcome sequences, or sell digital products with a minimal learning curve. Undoubtedly, its specialty in visuals can be beneficial for many people, especially companies that focus more on the creative and aesthetic side of products or services.

Additionally, the platform not only looks good but also functions well. Its drag-and-drop editor is one of the most complete on the market, offering a wide variety of elements to customize your content, such as buttons, text blocks, galleries, and more. Additionally, it facilitates image management to create attractive visual campaigns. Its automation system, although simpler than Kit's, is more than sufficient for most small businesses.

The best of MailerLite

• Outstanding visual design. The editor is intuitive, powerful, and allows you to create modern emails and landing pages without knowing HTML. Everything is designed so the visual aspect is flawless, effortless, and without technical knowledge, including the integration of images and other visual elements.
• Generous free plan. Includes up to 1,000 subscribers, basic automation, and up to 12,000 emails per month. It’s an ideal option to start without risk and test all essential features.
• Professional landing pages. Its visual builder is so good it can replace tools like Leadpages or Carrd. Allows customizing each section, adding forms, and adapting the design to your brand in just a few clicks.
• Hassle-free automation. Allows creating visual flows with triggers and basic actions. Ideal for welcome campaigns, lead nurturing, and simple promotions without the need to code.
• User and segment management. You can use filters and groups without having to deal with complex rules. Additionally, segmenting your database by interests or behavior is straightforward, clear, and efficient.
• Excellent value for money. Its Growing plan (from €9/month) includes features that others charge separately.
• Functional mobile app. Available to manage campaigns, view statistics, or respond to forms. It also offers sufficient storage space for images and files, allowing you to manage your visual resources from anywhere. Perfect for checking data or making quick adjustments even when you’re out of the office.

What can MailerLite improve?

Although MailerLite excels in design and usability, it is not the most advanced platform for those who need complex automation or large-scale digital commerce features. Additionally, it lacks advanced e-commerce functions, which limits its usefulness for managing online stores. In fact, many others can compete against this platform in other functionalities. Therefore, the aspects that should be improved include, among others:

• Strict approval process. Many new users have their accounts rejected upon registration, a problem that lacks a clear solution.
• Limited automation. It does not allow triggering actions based on web visits, purchases, or external clicks. It is more limited in terms of automation compared to other alternatives, and its integrations with other platforms or tools are less flexible, thereby reducing the possibilities for extending functionalities.
• Basic analytics. The metrics cover opens and clicks, but lack advanced revenue reports. It is not the best for analyzing each of your posts.
• No dynamic tagging. It does not allow assigning multiple tags to subscribers, unlike Kit.
• Some features require an extra payment. For functionalities such as a custom domain or e-commerce, you need to upgrade your plan. The free one is generous but has a clear limit.

What is the user experience like with MailerLite?

MailerLite stands out for its accessibility. It is the typical tool you can start using the same day you discover it, with no complex installations or a technical team needed to set it up. From creating your account to launching your first campaign, only a few minutes can pass (or, if you want to do it well, hours).

In MailerLite, everything is well organized, explained, and designed for the average user. Additionally, you have help available to resolve any questions or issues that may arise during the use of the platform, making the experience even easier. You don’t need to be technical or know advanced marketing to get the most out of it. The customer service also stands out for its professionalism and commitment, contributing to a positive and smooth experience. Thus, if you are looking for a frictionless platform to help you create visual content quickly, MailerLite is an excellent option.

MailerLite Plans and Pricing

MailerLite offers a free plan for up to 1,000 subscribers, as well as two paid subscriptions. Each has been designed to help you easily create newsletters, email automations, landing pages, websites, and other marketing features. They are as follows:

• Free: Completely free plan designed for businesses with up to 1000 subscribers and 12,000 emails per month. Includes its drag-and-drop editor, email automation, website builder, 10 landing pages, comparative report creation, subscription forms, and pop-ups.
• Growing Business: (€9/month, for 3 users and up to 500 subscribers). Includes the features of the Free plan plus unlimited emails, digital product sales, unlimited templates, dynamic emails, automatic resend campaigns, unlimited websites and blogs, unsubscribe page builder, A/B testing, 24/7 email customer support, and unlimited landing pages. This paid plan also grants access to technical support through ticket submission for additional assistance.
• Advanced: (€19/month, for unlimited users and up to 500 subscribers) Includes everything in the Growing Business plan plus Facebook integration, custom HTML editor, promotional pop-ups, multiple triggers in automations, preference center, writing assistant, and AI-powered smart sending, discounts on Google Workspace, and 24/7 customer support via email and live chat.

If you want to get familiar with the tool, we recommend opting for the free plan. It also provides access to MailerLite’s premium features for 14 days without requiring payment or sharing your credit card number.

Additionally, note that MailerLite offers discounts to all customers who opt for an annual subscription over a monthly one. For more information, we recommend checking the platform’s official page.

Kit (ConvertKit): Advanced automation, website creation, and digital sales for creators

Kit (formerly ConvertKit) is a program created by and for digital creators. Its focus goes beyond sending emails: it centers on building relationships, nurturing audiences, and selling products. It is perfect for both small e-commerce businesses and influencers, as well as other content creators, who seek to reach their audience more directly and effectively segment it.

Kit's tagging system, visual automations, and advanced segmentation make it a true funnel engine. With Kit, you can deliver personalized lead magnets, automate educational series, or sell paid subscriptions directly from the platform. Additionally, this program optimizes users' work by simplifying task and process management through automation, facilitating the efficient organization and execution of email marketing campaigns.

That said, its learning curve is steeper than MailerLite’s. This isn’t about getting started within minutes; rather, it will take time to master and get the most out of it. Although its interface is clean, understanding how tags, triggers, conditions, and digital products work requires time and planning.

The Best of Kit

• Advanced Visual Automation. Its funnel builder allows defining “if this, then that” type flows with multiple branches. You can create complex sequences with conditional logic, making it ideal for scalable and personalized campaigns.
• Dynamic Tagging System. Unlike other CRMs, it allows users to be assigned multiple tags based on their actions. This gives you full control over who receives what message and at what point in the funnel.
• Integrated Monetization. You can sell digital products, premium newsletters, or even accept donations directly from the platform. And all without relying on external tools: the payment and delivery process is fully integrated within.
• Functional Landing Pages. Although more basic, they allow capturing leads and activating funnels easily. They are quick to set up and effective for starting any lead generation strategy.
• Great Free Plan. Includes 1,000 subscribers, basic automation, and custom forms. This makes it perfect for creators who are just starting out and want to validate their strategy without incurring initial costs.
• Powerful Segmentation. Ideal for diverse audiences that require personalized messages. You can tailor each email to the interests, behavior, or history of each subscriber.
• Very High Deliverability. Open rates and non-spam rates are among the best in the industry. This ensures your campaigns reach the primary inbox, increasing the effectiveness of your sends.

What can Kit improve?

Kit is a powerful tool designed for companies that take digital marketing seriously. However, it does not stand out for its aesthetics or initial ease of use. It is far from MailerLite in that regard. Although many features are included, the cost rises quickly as your list grows. Overall, several key points should be considered regarding areas for improvement. For example:

• Limited design options. The templates are very basic and offer limited visual customization options. Here you won’t have a tool that “makes everything look pretty.”
• Initial learning curve. It takes time to understand the logic of tags and conditions. It’s an investment that’s worth it, but it has to be made eventually.
• No advanced A/B testing. Only subject lines can be tested; content and designs cannot be tested.
• Higher cost. Paid plans start at a higher price and scale quickly with the number of subscribers. In this way, the price can skyrocket before you hardly notice.
• Less polished aesthetics. If your brand relies on visuals, you’ll need to complement it with CSS or external tools.

What is the experience of using Kit like?

Kit's onboarding is designed for creators. It includes tutorials, automation templates, and educational resources. However, its potential is only fully realized after a few days of intensive use. You will need an investment that many are not willing to make, although what awaits you afterward is a tool you can leverage to the fullest.

Because the truth is, once you set up Kit, you realize it is an extremely versatile tool. You can nurture your audience for weeks without touching anything, launch products with complete automations, or segment with millimetric precision. All this, with the caveat that its biggest drawback is that it is not a plug-and-play alternative. It requires planning and structure.

Kit Plans and Pricing (ConvertKit)

Kit offers a free plan and two paid plans, designed to grow alongside your business as an email marketing platform. Additionally, all plans provide the ability to create complete websites thanks to their integrated tools, templates, and ease of use.

The different ConvertKit plans are as follows:

• Newsletter: Free (up to 10,000 subscribers). Includes 1 basic visual automation, 1 email sequence, and 1 user. Ideal for growing your audience.
• Creator: €25/month up to 1,000 subscribers. It includes 2 users and unlimited visual automations and email sequences. This subscription is ideal for automating your marketing tasks.
• Creator Pro: €50/month up to 1,000 subscribers. Includes users, automations, and unlimited email sequences. Designed to scale alongside your business.

Both the Creator and Creator Pro plans include a 14-day trial period, during which you can evaluate the platform without needing to make a payment commitment.

Regarding discounts, if an annual payment is chosen instead of a monthly one, you receive 2 free months of Kit.

Why look for alternatives to MailerLite and Kit?

MailerLite and Kit are comprehensive platforms for email marketing, but, like any tool, there is no universally perfect solution. Depending on your company profile, your team's technical level, your sales strategy, the type of product you offer, or the channel you use to distribute your content and connect with your audience, other options may better suit your needs.

Below, we show you some common situations in which it is worth considering alternatives:

• Looking for an automation tool more focused on e-commerce? Then Omnisend may be a more suitable option. It is specifically designed for online stores and allows automating campaigns based on purchase behavior, abandoned cart, or order history, with direct integration into Shopify, WooCommerce, or Prestashop.
• Need a newsletter platform that is aesthetically pleasing and has a low learning curve? In that case, Flodesk could be a better choice. It is designed for visual and creative brands, featuring top-quality templates and an extremely minimalist interface. Ideal for small brands that prioritize design over advanced automation.
• Interested in a more comprehensive option with integrated CRM and marketing capabilities? ActiveCampaign stands out by combining email marketing, CRM, and advanced automation in a single platform. It offers multichannel campaigns, lead scoring, and intelligent workflows. Ideal for businesses that need to integrate sales and marketing in a single system.
• Want to send newsletters without worrying about budget? If you are starting out or looking for a free solution with the basics covered, Benchmark Email is a very affordable platform with quite generous free plans. Easy to use, it has pre-designed templates and allows basic automations.
• Need a solution for premium newsletters with an editorial focus? Then try beehiiv. Designed for creators who monetize through email, it allows free or paid newsletters, premium subscriptions, and advanced analytics. Ideal for businesses that focus on informative content, such as blogs, podcasts, or paid newsletters.

Recommended use cases for MailerLite and Kit

Below we offer you a table detailing both solutions and their ideal use cases:

MailerLite	Kit
Create beautiful campaigns quickly	Automate complex sales funnels
Start without technical knowledge	Monetize newsletters or sell digital products
Get professional design without external tools	Segment by interests and behaviors
	Create an all-in-one marketing system

Also, remember that whether you choose MailerLite or Kit (ConvertKit), you can access a free version that, although with limitations, will help you get familiar with the platforms.

Conclusion: MailerLite or Kit?

MailerLite and Kit are two of the best email marketing platforms that an SME or a digital creator can adopt in 2025. Although there are many more options on the market, few offer such a balanced combination of functionality, reliability, and quality support as these two. Both are well-designed, highly valued by their users, and solve real needs in digital marketing.

Now, it must be clear that they are not designed for the same type of user. They are very different from each other, and therefore, we cannot say which one is better. The most important thing when choosing is to know precisely what you need and the level of complexity you are willing to accept.

MailerLite is an ideal platform for businesses that prioritize clarity, aesthetics, and ease of use. Its interface is straightforward, its visual editor is one of the best on the market, and its learning curve is minimal. If your priority is designing beautiful newsletters, creating professional landing pages, and launching campaigns without complicating yourself with complex automations, MailerLite remains one of the most complete and affordable options.

Kit, on the other hand, offers a much more ambitious vision: helping you build a complete system for automating and monetizing your audience. It includes dynamic tags, visual funnels, direct product sales, and paid newsletters, all of which can be managed within the system itself. This makes it an extremely powerful all-in-one platform, especially useful for professional creators or small businesses.

From Softonic for Business, our recommendation is that you carefully evaluate the type of content you produce, your team's technical profile, and the level of sophistication you need. Which one is better depends solely on you.