GetResponse vs MailerLite
A source-aware comparison of pricing, documented capabilities and workflow fit.
Short answer
- Price: not directly comparable — GetResponse is from $19/user/mo, MailerLite is free tier available.
- How to start: GetResponse is from $19/user/mo, MailerLite is free tier available.
- Where they differ: only GetResponse has mobile app and sso (saml); both offer public api.
These lines are generated from the pricing we track, not from a paid placement. How we score tools.
What GetResponse is
GetResponse is an email marketing platform that has grown into course selling, webinars and a website builder, and its plans separate on automation depth rather than send volume — every paid tier advertises unlimited monthly email sends. The Starter plan includes exactly one custom automation workflow, which is the feature most buyers are actually shopping for; unlimited workflows, segmentation and abandoned-cart recovery begin on Marketer at three times the price. Prices also move with list size through a contact selector, so the published figures are the floor for the smallest list rather than a flat rate.
What MailerLite is
MailerLite offers email campaigns, landing pages and automation with a notably generous free tier. It is the sensible default for a small list: campaigns, automation and landing pages without a platform-sized bill. Deep segmentation and event-driven messaging are where it stops, and that is usually the moment to move on.
Side by side
| GetResponse | MailerLite | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Marketing | Marketing |
| How to start | $19/user/moverified | Free tiernot a monthly price |
| Public API | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile app | Yes | No |
| Open source / self-hostable | not checked | No |
| SSO (SAML) | Yes | No |
| Visit | GetResponse ↗ | MailerLite ↗ |
What GetResponse is built to do
- Email marketing
- Unlimited monthly sends with AI content generation and welcome series.
- Automation workflows
- One custom workflow on Starter, unlimited from Marketer upward.
- Content monetisation
- Course creator, premium newsletters and webinars on the Creator plan.
What MailerLite is built to do
- Drag-and-drop campaigns
- Builds newsletters visually with reusable blocks.
- Automation workflows
- Triggers sequences from signups, clicks and dates.
- Landing pages and forms
- Hosts signup pages without a separate website tool.
Choose GetResponse if
- Starting a list cheaply: Starter is $15.58 a month paid annually with unlimited monthly sends
- Marketers needing real automation — unlimited workflows, segmentation and abandoned-cart recovery start on Marketer at $48.38 a month annually
- Creators selling courses or premium newsletters, which is the Creator plan at $56.58 a month annually including up to 500 students
- Anyone testing first, since the trial needs no credit card
Skip GetResponse if
- You need more than one automation workflow on Starter — that is its single hardest limit
- You have a large contact list: published prices are for the default list size and rise with the contact selector
- You need SSO, a dedicated IP or a dedicated sending domain, which are Enterprise and quote-only
- You teach more than 500 students on Creator, where student management moves to Enterprise
Choose MailerLite if
- Lists up to 250 subscribers who can live with 2,500 emails a month for free
- Small businesses that want automations and landing pages from $12/month
- Growing senders that need unlimited emails and seats on Power from $25/month
Skip MailerLite if
- Your list grows past the entry tier — prices scale with subscriber count
- You need more than 2 seats on Free or 3 on Comfort
- You need 200K+ subscribers with a dedicated manager: that is Enterprise
Evidence and freshness
Where a claim on this page comes from a vendor page, it is linked here.
GetResponse: pros & cons
- Unlimited monthly email sends on every paid plan
- Course creator, webinars and website builder on the Creator tier
- 14-day trial with no credit card
- Starter allows only one automation workflow
- Prices scale with contact list size
- Enterprise features like SSO and dedicated IP are quote-only
MailerLite: pros & cons
- Free tier that small senders can live on
- Clean, quick editor
- Landing pages included
- Approval process rejects some accounts
- Fewer integrations than larger rivals
- Advanced automation is limited
Our verdict on GetResponse
Starter is only enough if you genuinely need one automation. Most buyers land on Marketer, so compare against that price, not the headline.
Our verdict on MailerLite
One of the more generous free tiers in email marketing. Growth beyond a few thousand subscribers invites a comparison.
GetResponse vs MailerLite: common questions
- Does GetResponse or MailerLite have a free plan?
- GetResponse has no free plan listed, while MailerLite has a free tier with limits.
- What is the difference between GetResponse and MailerLite?
- On the criteria we check, only GetResponse has mobile app and sso (saml); both offer public api. The table above lists every criterion side by side.