MailerLite: what it costs at your list size, its AI and its terms
Verdict on MailerLite
MailerLite Comfort is the cheapest paid email plan with a published price we track at 500 subscribers, AI drafting included. It costs $12 a month there, checked , while Kit, Brevo and beehiiv hold 500 subscribers free. And terms clause 17.3 lets MailerLite use your AI inputs and outputs “to improve AI models”.
MailerLite
- Best for
- Small lists past 250 subscribers that want automations and AI drafting at the lowest paid price we track for 500 contacts.
- Skip it if
- you want a free plan past 250 subscribers or free AI drafting. Kit Free holds 10,000 subscribers, and MailerLite’s writing assistant starts on Comfort.
| Made by | MailerLite |
|---|---|
| Category | Email marketing |
| Makes | Email campaigns and newsletters; email automations; landing pages and websites; signup forms and pop-ups; AI-written email copy and subject lines; AI-generated images (DALL-E 3, per the AI policy) |
| Entry price | From $12 a month |
| Cost per output | Not computed: no plan states a quantity |
| Use in ads | Terms of service updated 22 September 2026. Clause 17.3: AI Outputs may not be unique, and the same Outputs generated for other Customers are not considered your Content; you are responsible for reviewing them. The terms do not assign ownership of AI Outputs. Clause 23.1: MailerLite claims no intellectual property rights over the material you provide to the Service. Training: clause 17.3 says You grant MailerLite a license to use your Inputs and Outputs to improve AI models. The AI policy separately says OpenAI and Google, MailerLite’s AI partners, do not train on your data under enterprise agreements; the privacy policy (updated 14 October 2026, section 3.6) says the same. No benchmark or competitive-analysis clause was found. Terms |
| Free plan | Yes. Paid ads on the free plan: Unclear |
| Free trial | The pricing page says the paid plans have a 14-day free trial with no credit card required (read 2026-11-01). |
| Languages | The pricing page language selector lists English, Spanish and Polish; no list of AI writing languages was found. |
| API | Yes |
| Status | Active |
What MailerLite is
MailerLite is an email marketing platform for small senders and online shops. You build a list with sign-up forms and landing pages. Then you send newsletters (one-off campaigns) and automations (emails triggered when someone joins a group or buys).
The plans are Free, Comfort, Power and Enterprise. Comfort and Power price by active subscribers; Enterprise is a custom quote from 200,000.
Free shrank on 16 June 2026. The limit fell from 500 to 250 active subscribers, and monthly sends from 12,000 to 2,500 (Free plan update FAQ). Reviews written before June describe the bigger plan.
What MailerLite costs at your list size
At 500 subscribers MailerLite charges less than any other paid plan with a published price in our email price data.
Kit, Brevo and beehiiv have free plans that hold 500 subscribers. From 2,500 up, Brevo and GetResponse Starter cost less, and Kit’s Free plan holds 10,000 subscribers.
| Tool | 500 contacts | 2,500 contacts | 10,000 contacts | 50,000 contacts | Free plan | Checked | Pricing page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MailerLite | $12 Comfort | $33 Comfort | $89 Comfort | $319 Comfort | Free: up to 250 contacts, 2,500 emails a month250 subscribers and 2,500 emails a month, 2 seats, 1 website, 1 landing page, 3 forms, 3 automations, MailerLite logo, knowledge base support only. Subject line generator limited, AI landing page builder once, no AI writing assistant. | mailerlite.com/pricing |
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The bill follows active subscribers. Comfort reaches $89 a month at 10,000 and $319 at 50,000.
Power costs more at each step and lifts the send cap. Yearly billing takes 10 per cent off either plan (pricing page), as the plan cards below show at 500 subscribers.
The MailerLite pricing page has every step, the Power gap and what the free plan leaves out.
Which MailerLite plan has the AI features
The AI writing assistant drafts email copy for you. It starts on Comfort and runs on credits: Comfort gets “a limited amount” and Power the most (help article).
| Tool | AI feature | Lowest plan | Limits | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MailerLite | Subject lines Subject line generator | Free (limited); full on Comfort | Free is marked Limited without a stated cap. | |
| MailerLite | Email writing AI writing assistant | Comfort | Not on Free. Runs on credits: Comfort has a limited amount, Power the most (help article, edited 16 June 2026). | |
| MailerLite | Send time Smart sending | Comfort | Not on Free. Also deliver by timezone on Comfort. | |
| MailerLite | AI agent MCP server (Claude, ChatGPT) | Free (limited); full on Comfort | Terms clause 17.2: connecting an agent authorises it to read and modify account data. | |
| MailerLite | Images AI landing page builder | Free (once); unlimited use on Comfort | The AI policy also lists an AI image generator (DALL-E 3); its plan was not stated. | |
| MailerLite | Other AI-powered A/B testing | Listed under HeyLite intelligence; plan not itemised | Named in the pricing page menu; the comparison table lists email A/B testing on all plans and multivariate testing on Comfort. |
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Free gets small tastes. The subject line generator is marked “Limited” with no figure, and the AI landing page builder runs once.
The MCP server is the newer piece. MCP is a standard that lets an assistant such as Claude or ChatGPT log into your account and act on it. Clause 17.2 of the terms says connecting one authorises it to read and modify your account data, subscriber lists included. Free has limited API and MCP access (pricing page).
MailerLite groups these tools as HeyLite Intelligence, where in-context suggestions and an AI coding assistant are still marked Beta.
The AI runs on OpenAI (GPT, DALL-E 3) and Google (Gemini, Vertex AI), according to the AI policy. The AI features guide shows where rivals put the same tools.
Does MailerLite train AI on your content
Yes, under its terms. Clause 17.3 (terms updated 22 September 2026) reads: “You grant MailerLite a license to use your Inputs and Outputs to improve AI models”.
Terms of service, 17.3
You grant MailerLite a license to use your Inputs and Outputs to improve AI models, and you agree to comply with any restrictions on AI usage.
| Tool | Trains AI on your data | In plain words | The clause | Terms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MailerLite | Yes | Terms clause 17.3 grants MailerLite a licence to use your AI Inputs and Outputs to improve AI models. The AI policy and privacy policy 3.6 say its partners OpenAI and Google do not train on your data under enterprise agreements. No opt-out was found. | You grant MailerLite a license to use your Inputs and Outputs to improve AI models, and you agree to comply with any restrictions on AI usage.Terms of service 17.3 | Dated 22 Sep 2026 |
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The AI policy answers a different question. It says data sent through the AI features “will not be used to train the AI models of our partners”, meaning OpenAI and Google. Privacy policy section 3.6 says the same. We found no opt-out from MailerLite’s own licence in either document.
So the practical control is use. The writing assistant, subject lines, image generator and MCP are optional; skip them and you send no inputs. Clause 17.3 also warns that outputs may repeat across customers and “are not considered your Content”.
The AI-training guide compares this clause with the other 14 tools.
Contact counting, send caps and account checks
MailerLite counts active subscribers only. Unsubscribed and bounced addresses are free, which Mailchimp’s count is not.
The trap is timing. An address active at any point in a billing cycle counts for that cycle, even if you delete it later. The count resets on your billing anniversary. Clean your list before the renewal date.
Cross a tier on a paid plan and MailerLite moves you up and charges the card. A move down starts at the next billing cycle.
Comfort caps sends at 10 times the top of your tier: 25,000 emails a month on the 2,500 tier. A daily sender hits that within the month. Power is unlimited under a fair use policy.
On Free, passing 250 active subscribers pauses sending and new sign-ups until you upgrade or trim the list.
A dedicated IP (an address only your mail uses) is an Enterprise add-on with no published price.
The AI policy lists account screening and campaign review as “Essential Service Functions” that “are not optional”: your campaigns pass an automated check whether or not you use the AI tools.
MailerLite reviewers praise support and report sudden closures
We read 22 public reviews dated 17 June to 30 October 2026: the 20 most recent on Trustpilot and 2 Reddit items.
Quick, named support staff lead the praise (15 of 22 sources: Trustpilot, Trustpilot). One reviewer says the live chat team answers “within minutes”. Five of the 22 call it easy to use.
The sharpest complaint is an account closed for a terms breach with no detail given (2 of 22 sources: Trustpilot, Trustpilot). One of the two was blocked after upgrading, about to send a first campaign.
Two more report an account terminated with no cause stated. One came within 48 hours of paying and one at a first send (2 of 22 sources: Trustpilot, Reddit). Unanswered support requests come next (2 of 22 sources: Trustpilot, Trustpilot).
One reviewer regrets the smaller free plan, and none discusses the AI writing features.
MailerLite pros and cons
Pros
- Comfort at 500 subscribers is the lowest paid price in our email data
- AI writing assistant included from Comfort, on a limited credit allowance (Power gets the most)
- Unsubscribed and bounced addresses never count towards the bill (pricing FAQ)
- Quick, personal support replies (15 of 22 sources: Trustpilot, Trustpilot)
- Easy to use (5 of 22 sources: Trustpilot, Trustpilot)
Cons
- Free holds 250 active subscribers and 2,500 emails a month since 16 June 2026
- Clause 17.3 licenses your AI inputs and outputs for improving AI models
- Accounts closed for a terms breach with no detail given (2 of 22 sources: Trustpilot, Trustpilot)
- Accounts terminated at a first send or soon after paying, cause not stated (2 of 22 sources: Trustpilot, Reddit)
- Support requests left unanswered (2 of 22 sources: Trustpilot, Trustpilot)
- Comfort caps monthly sends at 10 times the subscriber tier
- Addresses deleted mid-cycle still count for that month’s bill
How MailerLite compares
Kit vs MailerLite weighs Kit’s 10,000-subscriber Free plan against MailerLite’s lower paid entry. Mailchimp vs MailerLite covers the closest rival on price at 500 contacts. Brevo vs MailerLite suits anyone with a big list and few sends, since Brevo bills by emails sent.
The email price table prices all 15 tools at your own list size, and the AI email marketing hub maps the whole section. The AI email tools list sorts them by the AI on each plan.
Questions buyers ask about MailerLite
Is MailerLite free?
Yes, up to 250 active subscribers and 2,500 emails a month. The AI writing assistant needs Comfort.
Is MailerLite good for beginners?
Yes, for a first list of up to 250 subscribers. Five of the 22 reviews we read call it easy to use, and 15 praise quick support.
Does MailerLite have AI?
Yes. Comfort includes an AI writing assistant, subject line generator and smart sending, and an MCP server lets Claude or ChatGPT manage campaigns.
Does MailerLite use my data to train AI?
Its terms (clause 17.3) license your AI inputs and outputs to improve AI models. Its AI policy says partners OpenAI and Google do not train on them.
Why did MailerLite close my account?
Reviewers who report a closure for a terms breach say MailerLite gave no detail (2 of 22 sources). We found no list in the terms or AI policy of the checks that lead to a closure.
Every email tool, with its price at your list size, is in the AI email marketing hub
Sources
- MailerLite: MailerLite pricing, the subscriber slider, plan comparison table, billing FAQ and the 14-day trial. Checked
- MailerLite: Free plan update FAQ, the 16 June 2026 change to the Free plan and what pauses over the limits, edited 2 July 2026. Checked
- MailerLite: MailerLite terms of service, updated 22 September 2026; clause 17.2 on AI agents, 17.3 on AI inputs and outputs, 23.1 on your material. Checked
- MailerLite: MailerLite AI policy, the AI partners, the partner training promise and the review functions that are not optional. Checked
- MailerLite: MailerLite privacy policy, updated 14 October 2026; section 3.6 on AI partners. Checked
- Trustpilot: MailerLite on Trustpilot, the 20 most recent reviews read, 13 to 30 October 2026. Checked
- Reddit: r/Emailmarketing threads naming MailerLite, two items from June 2026, one a post title whose body was removed. Checked
Alexandre S.
Alexandre S. is a creative ad strategist and copywriter with ten years' experience in digital marketing across multiple channels.
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