ConvertKit and MailerLite both land on every “best newsletter platform” list. Both promise high deliverability. Both offer free tiers, automation builders, and landing pages. So which one actually gets your emails into inboxes more reliably?
The short answer: it’s closer than you think, and deliverability alone probably shouldn’t decide this.
Deliverability reputation and shared IP pools
Both platforms use shared IP pools for most senders. That means your emails go out alongside thousands of other newsletters. If you’re on the Creator plan at ConvertKit (starts at $25/month for 1,000 subscribers) or any paid MailerLite tier (starts at $9/month for the same size), you’re sharing infrastructure with everyone else at your tier.
ConvertKit’s advantage: they segment pools by sender reputation. High-engagement senders get routed through better-performing IPs. MailerLite uses a flatter pool structure, though they do isolate problematic senders.
In practice, third-party inbox placement studies from mid-2025 through early 2026 show both platforms landing 92–96% of emails in primary inboxes for senders with clean lists and consistent engagement. The difference is statistically narrow—often within 2 percentage points depending on the test cohort.
What matters more: your own list hygiene. A 40% open rate on MailerLite will outperform a 15% open rate on ConvertKit every time.
Deliverability tooling: where they differ
ConvertKit includes SPF and DKIM setup in onboarding, but custom domain sending (the “from” address uses your domain, not convertkit.com) requires a paid plan. MailerLite offers custom domain sending on all paid plans, including the $9 tier.
Both platforms enforce list verification and double opt-in by default. ConvertKit is stricter about imported lists—they’ll flag high bounce rates faster and throttle sending if you upload a stale list. MailerLite gives you slightly more rope, which can be a liability if you’re not careful.
Neither platform offers dedicated IPs on standard plans. ConvertKit Creator Pro (starts at $50/month) includes that option. MailerLite requires you to contact sales for dedicated IP pricing, typically starting around $80/month for higher-volume senders.
Where ConvertKit pulls ahead
Automation sophistication. ConvertKit’s visual builder lets you branch on link clicks, tag additions, custom field values, and purchase behavior. If you’re running a funnel with lead magnets, trip-wire offers, and product launches, ConvertKit’s logic handles complexity better.
Subscriber tagging is more flexible. You can apply multiple tags per action, segment by tag combinations, and trigger sequences based on tag presence or absence. MailerLite has groups and segments, but the tagging system feels more rigid once you’re past 3,000 subscribers.
Paid newsletter integration is native. ConvertKit Commerce lets you sell subscriptions and digital products without connecting Stripe separately. Revenue share is 3.5% + transaction fees. MailerLite requires third-party integrations for paid memberships.
Where MailerLite wins
Price. For the same 5,000 subscribers, ConvertKit charges $66/month. MailerLite charges $30/month. That’s $432/year in savings, which matters when you’re bootstrapped.
Drag-and-drop email builder. ConvertKit’s editor is intentionally simple—plain text with minimal formatting. MailerLite gives you a visual editor with image blocks, buttons, columns, and templates. If your newsletter includes product showcases or event promotions, MailerLite’s design flexibility shows.
Included features at lower tiers. Landing pages, pop-up forms, and A/B testing are available on MailerLite’s $9 plan. ConvertKit gates landing pages behind the $25 tier and limits forms on the free plan.
Built-in website builder. MailerLite added a simple site builder in late 2025. It’s not WordPress, but if you need a landing page hub without spinning up hosting, it’s included.
Who should pick which
Choose ConvertKit if you’re running a creator business with multiple offers, a segmented audience, and automation sequences that branch based on behavior. The extra cost pays for itself if you’re monetizing through courses, coaching, or premium subscriptions.
Choose MailerLite if you’re launching, your list is under 10,000, and you need a full-featured platform without spending $500+/year. The design flexibility and lower price make it easier to experiment before you’ve nailed product-market fit.
Switch between them? Both platforms let you export your list as CSV. Automation sequences don’t transfer cleanly—you’ll rebuild those by hand. Expect half a day of work to migrate 3,000+ subscribers.
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