Freemium
Runs newsletters from WordPress with signup forms, subscriber lists, WooCommerce emails, and automated new-post notifications.
Table of contents
MailPoet and Newsletter are both WordPress-native newsletter systems, but their business models are almost opposite. MailPoet can bundle sending infrastructure and scales paid pricing by subscriber count. Newsletter keeps subscriber and campaign management local, does not impose its own subscriber limit, and expects you to take more responsibility for the sending layer.
TL;DR
MailPoet is the more integrated WordPress email service when you want the plugin, subscriber management, campaign editor, WooCommerce email features, and optional managed sending under one product. Newsletter is the more infrastructure-neutral option when you want unlimited plugin-level subscribers and prefer to choose your own SMTP or delivery provider.
MailPoet vs Newsletter at a glance
| Compare |  MailPoetFree Starter; paid plans from €7/month and scale by subscriber count |  NewsletterFree; premium bundles use a one-time payment with 1 year of updates and support |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Freemium | Freemium |
| Starting price | Free Starter; paid plans from €7/month and scale by subscriber count | Free; premium bundles use a one-time payment with 1 year of updates and support |
| Free version | Yes | Yes |
| Sites included | 1 site on individual plans; Agency supports multiple sites | 1 site (Essential); 3 (Professional); unlimited (Agency) |
| Lifetime option | No | Yes |
| Refund policy | 30-day policy; sending plans have conditions | Check current purchase terms before buying |
| Setup level | Beginner-friendly | Intermediate |
| WordPress.org rating | 4.4/5 (1,432) | 4.6/5 (1,204) |
| Active installs | 500K+ | 200K+ |
| Best for | WordPress publishers and WooCommerce stores that want email marketing and subscriber management inside WordPress. | WordPress owners who want local subscriber and campaign control with unlimited plugin-level subscribers and flexible SMTP delivery. |
| Not ideal for | Teams that need a broader cross-channel CRM and marketing platform rather than WordPress-centered email workflows. | Teams that want a fully managed email-delivery SaaS with vendor-managed infrastructure and subscriber billing. |
| Tested version | 5.38.0 | 9.3.7 |
| Last reviewed | 2026-09-09 | 2026-09-09 |
The biggest difference is who owns email delivery
MailPoet can combine subscriber management and delivery. Its Starter, Business, and Agency models can use MailPoet Sending Service, so a site owner does not have to assemble a separate sending stack for common newsletter workflows.
Newsletter keeps the WordPress plugin focused on subscribers, lists, forms, campaign creation, automation add-ons, and reporting. Actual sending can go through the host, SMTP plugins, or external delivery services. That gives you more infrastructure choice, but it also means deliverability and sending capacity are your responsibility to configure.
Subscriber growth affects the pricing models differently
MailPoet’s free Starter plan currently supports up to 500 subscribers and 5,000 emails per month. Paid plans scale according to subscriber count and plan type. For a growing publication, list size therefore becomes part of the software cost.
Newsletter states that the plugin itself does not impose a subscriber or newsletter limit. Premium pricing is tied to plan features, site allowance, updates, and support instead. Sending providers can still charge by volume, so “unlimited subscribers” should not be read as unlimited email delivery at no cost.
Automation and WooCommerce depth
MailPoet includes automated email workflows and deeper WooCommerce marketing features on paid plans, while keeping the editor and subscriber system tightly integrated with WordPress content. Newsletter’s Professional tier adds autoresponders, automatic newsletters, WooCommerce and Easy Digital Downloads integrations, membership integrations, premium mailer connections, and bounce management.
The better fit depends on whether you want one vendor to package more of the sending experience or prefer a modular WordPress-plus-delivery-provider stack.
Pricing and licensing
Pricing checked September 25, 2026. MailPoet starts free and currently advertises paid plans from €7/month, with final cost depending on subscriber count and plan type. Newsletter has a free core and premium Essential, Professional, and Agency plans sold as one-time purchases that include one year of updates and support. The live Newsletter checkout amount should be verified before purchase because the public pricing surface does not expose stable amounts consistently.
What to test before switching
Preserve subscriber consent, unsubscribes, custom fields, lists, form placement, WooCommerce segments, scheduled campaigns, automated emails, sending-domain authentication, bounce handling, and suppression data. If you leave MailPoet Sending Service, you also need to validate the replacement sender before migrating production campaigns.
Which setup fits?
MailPoet makes sense when you want a more integrated newsletter-and-delivery experience in WordPress. Newsletter makes sense when you want local subscriber control with fewer plugin-level list limits and are comfortable owning the sending setup. Neither model removes the need for consent, unsubscribe handling, and domain authentication.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Newsletter limit the number of subscribers?
The plugin states that it does not impose its own subscriber or newsletter limit. Your hosting and sending provider can still impose practical limits and costs.
Does MailPoet include email sending?
Yes on plans that use MailPoet Sending Service. Creator is designed for users who want premium features while using another sending method.
Which one scales pricing with list size?
MailPoet’s paid pricing scales with subscriber count and plan type. Newsletter’s plugin pricing is feature/site based instead.
Can both work with WooCommerce?
Yes. Both support WooCommerce-related email workflows, but the available automation and integration depth depends on the plan and extensions used.
Practical decision notes
MailPoet is positioned around wordPress publishers and WooCommerce stores that want email marketing and subscriber management inside WordPress, while Newsletter is positioned around wordPress owners who want local subscriber and campaign control with unlimited plugin-level subscribers and flexible SMTP delivery. That difference is more useful than counting features: map the product to the workflow your site actually needs to run every week.
Watch the fit: MailPoet is less suitable when teams that need a broader cross-channel CRM and marketing platform rather than WordPress-centered email workflows. Newsletter is less suitable when teams that want a fully managed email-delivery SaaS with vendor-managed infrastructure and subscriber billing. Treat those limits as implementation checks rather than absolute drawbacks.
Before switching or buying: MailPoet currently lists Free Starter; paid plans from €7/month and scale by subscriber count; Newsletter currently lists Free; premium bundles use a one-time payment with 1 year of updates and support; the setup profiles are MailPoet: beginner-friendly and Newsletter: intermediate. Recheck the vendor pricing page, then test the actual payment, email, permissions, automation, and data-migration path your production site depends on.
Compare before you choose
Use structured feature, pricing, and editorial research to compare these WordPress plugins side by side.