Customer.io vs MailerLite
Both sit in email marketing. Here is how they differ on the things you can actually check.
On price: MailerLite starts $88 a month cheaper than Customer.io ($12 against $100, 88% less) on its Comfort tier. Both figures were read from the vendors' own pricing pages on the dates shown below.
Customer.io
customer.io
Triggers messages from product events rather than lists — email, push, in-app and SMS driven by what a user actually did. Data-warehouse-friendly.
MailerLite
mailerlite.com
Straightforward newsletters, automations, landing pages and signup forms at a noticeably lower price point than the incumbents. Popular with solo operators.
| Customer.io | MailerLite | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry price | $100/mo | $12/mo |
| Entry plan | Essentials | Comfort |
| Paid annually | — | — |
| Price checked | 21 Sept 2026 | 21 Sept 2026 |
| Pricing model | Free trial | Free plan |
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Category | Email Marketing | Email Marketing |
| Around since | 2012 | 2010 |
Every price here was read from the vendor's own pricing page, most recently on 21 Sept 2026. Entry tier only — vendors change pricing without notice.
Customer.io vs MailerLite, answered
- Is Customer.io cheaper than MailerLite?
- No — MailerLite is the cheaper entry point, at $12 a month against Customer.io's $100, 88% less.
- Do Customer.io or MailerLite have a free plan?
- MailerLite publishes an ongoing free plan; Customer.io does not.
- What is the difference between Customer.io and MailerLite?
- Customer.io: Triggers messages from product events rather than lists — email, push, in-app and SMS driven by what a user actually did. Data-warehouse-friendly. MailerLite: Straightforward newsletters, automations, landing pages and signup forms at a noticeably lower price point than the incumbents. Popular with solo operators.
