In this buying guide, we compare the Emma & MailerLite email marketing platforms on automation, features, and pricing. Spoiler alert: we’re pretty fond of Emma, but we’ll call out where each platform actually wins—even when it stings a little 🤍
Disclaimer: The features, pricing, and details mentioned for each product are as of September 2025 and may have changed since then.
| Category | Emma | MailerLite |
| Pricing | Starts $99/mo; Emma Lite for 10k contacts, annual contract | Free plan (12,000 emails), then starts at $10/mo |
| User sentiment | 4/5 average rating (500+ reviews) | 4.6/5 (1,000+ reviews) |
| Automation & journeys | Multi-step journeys with branching, welcome and drip, API and date triggers | 50+ triggers and prebuilt journeys |
| AI features | AI Assistant for writing and edits, A/B and subject tests, reporting insights | AI writing assistant, smart sending |
| Deliverability & reliability | High deliverability (99.53% as of a 2022 review), SPF/DKIM/DMARC guidance, SFTP sync | Strong deliverability (rate not disclosed) |
| Segmentation & personalization | Dynamic segments with real-time updates, dynamic content, opt-down center | Auto-updating segments with AND/OR logic |
| Integration ecosystem | Hundreds of integrations and open API, deep CRM syncs (Salesforce, Blackbaud, EverTrue), Shopify app, Eventbrite | 150+ integrations |
| Conversion & list-building tools | Landing pages included on Essentials plan, brand controls for consistent capture | Forms, landing pages, website builder |
| Support & resources | Email and phone support, live tech support Mon–Fri 7am–7pm CT, onboarding services | Email & chat (30 days free), email on entry-level, live chat on mid-tier+ |
| Best for | Franchises, higher ed/nonprofits, and media; consistent branding and engagement. | Creators and SMBs needing affordable email, simple automations, and built-in site builder. |
“Emma is our top-of-the-line and favorite email marketing tool”
Anna L., Senior Vice President Marketing (G2)“We have never faced failure since day one. I can say that it helps generate a positive turnover. Emma has been our favorite since the start. I decided to choose Emma as our email marketing tool and beyond any doubt it has proved itself over and over again…”
| Feature | Emma | MailerLite |
| Average Rating | 4/5 (500+ reviews) | 4.6/5 (1,000+ reviews) |
| Setup Experience | Quick and easy setup — from minutes to hours for SPF authentication. | Quick, intuitive setup, may take up to 48 hrs for validating domain authentication. |
| Learning Curve | Intuitive interface with guide to getting started, and Quick Start training. | User-friendly interface with with guides and video tutorials for new users |
| Best for: | Franchises & multi-location teams needing centralized brand control | Businesses needing simple setup, fast support, and learning resources |
Emma is designed for franchises and multi-location teams that need centralized brand control. Its straightforward setup and intuitive training resources reduce onboarding friction, helping dispersed teams stay aligned without technical overhead.
MailerLite stands out for businesses wanting simple setup and fast support. With its higher user ratings and beginner-friendly tutorials, it’s ideal for small to mid-sized teams that value ease of use over complex configurations.
“Emma is very user friendly and insight oriented”
“The navigations to Emma are very simple and self explanatory. There is a very short learning curve and a very clean UI to use.”
| Feature | Emma | MailerLite |
| Email Editor | Drag-and-drop editor with mobile design mode | Drag‑and‑drop with custom blocks, inline editing, AI writing assistant |
| Template Library | Hundreds of pre-designed, mobile-optimized templates | 100+ responsive templates for campaigns (paid plans) |
| Design Flexibility | Style locking, asset sharing, template approval workflows | Save reusable content blocks, dynamic content visibility per segment, HTML editing |
| Branding Consistency | Professional templates with brand locking capabilities for consistent branding | Save blocks and templates for consistent campaigns |
| Best for: | Teams requiring consistent branding across locations | Users wanting easy design tools, consistent branding, and AI efficiency |
Emma fits brands with strict brand consistency needs across many locations. Governance and workflows keep layouts on-brief, so distributed teams ship on time without rogue designs or endless approvals. Best for franchises, universities, and multi-brand orgs that value control over speed-at-all-costs.
MailerLite suits lean teams that want easy design and lightweight AI efficiency to crank out campaigns fast. Saving blocks and reusing layouts keeps output snappy while still looking on-brand. Best for SMBs, creators, and side-hustlers who prize momentum and low overhead.
Car Talk simplified templates and optimized for mobile with clear CTAs using Emma, sustaining ~40% opens and up to 50% clicks on The Puzzler and lifting overall click rates by nearly 20%.
| Feature | Emma | MailerLite |
| Trigger Options | Signup, date-based, field change, contact import, and custom API events | Six core triggers, plus e‑commerce triggers (abandoned cart, purchase events) |
| Conditional Logic | Branching on opens/clicks; dynamic-content rules from contact fields; up to 20 branches | Branch workflows using Condition steps (Yes/No) |
| Prebuilt Journeys | Common workflows: welcome series, re-engagement/drip, abandoned cart | Welcome, abandoned cart, date-based, and purchase flows |
| Journey Complexity | Multi-step workflows with Wait/Send steps and branching; automate from activity inside or outside the inbox | Multi-step workflows with sequence controls (delays, conditions, retries, A/B splits, webhooks) |
Emma is built for brands that need sophisticated automation with deep branching and custom API triggers. Its flexibility helps marketing teams orchestrate nurture, retention, and re-engagement campaigns across multiple channels.
MailerLite is a good fit for teams that want straightforward automation with e-commerce hooks and easy sequence controls. It gives SMBs and online shops the tools to set up purchase flows and abandoned cart recovery without technical overhead.
Dogfish Head activated automated welcomes and a web-series send with Emma, with welcome emails averaging ~78% opens and 27% clicks and the series pulling ~58% opens and 33% clicks.
| Feature | Emma | MailerLite |
| AI Content Creation | AI Assistant writes/rewrites email copy, fixes grammar, and adjusts tone/length to speed up campaign creation | Built-in AI writing assistant for generating emails, headlines, and CTAs |
| Design Intelligence | Drag-and-drop editor with mobile design mode; brand controls lock styles and manage shared templates | AI tone control for consistent, non-spammy messaging |
| Optimization Tools | Subject line split testing, A/B content testing, click-map visualization, and detailed analytics/compare reports | Smart sending optimizes delivery by behavior and time zone |
| Predictive Features | Response Dashboard shows robust analytics that reveal subscriber insights so you can double down on what works. | Smart segment suggestions based on engagement (opens, clicks, activity) |
| Best For | Small businesses needing all-in-one AI help for content, design, and reporting. | Users needing AI copy help and smart send-time optimization |
Emma gives small businesses a reliable all-in-one AI layer to speed up campaign creation and reporting. Its balanced mix of copy support, analytics, and design consistency makes it a strong choice for lean teams that want professional output without heavy technical lift.
MailerLite focuses on AI copy help and delivery optimization, making it ideal for brands that need messages to land at the right time and in the right tone. Best suited for startups and e-commerce shops looking to scale fast with minimal manual tweaking.
“Very smooth email marketing experience with Emma”
“I liked using the platform a lot, it was very smooth to use and AI suggestions were cherry on a cake truly.”
— Nirmalya N., WhatsApp Chatbots and Automation Information Technology and Services (G2)
| Feature | Emma | MailerLite |
| Delivery Rate | High deliverability (99.53% deliverability as of 2022 review) | High deliverability (rate not disclosed) |
| Inbox Placement | Strong reputation management across multiple accounts | Reliable inbox delivery with MailerCheck list cleaning and spam checks |
| Deliverability Tools | Supports SPF, DKIM, and DMARC authentication with best-practice guidance to improve inboxing | MailerCheck list cleaning & verification, SPF/DKIM setup, optional dedicated IP with warm-up, double opt-in & hygiene tools |
| Sending Reliability | Automated SFTP Connect for steady contact syncs. | Campaign and automation dashboards track metrics like bounces, opens, and complaints |
| Best for: | Multi-location brands needing to monitor delivery and manage authentication across sub-accounts | Senders wanting transparent deliverability, expert support, and low-impact bounces |
Emma is built for multi-location brands that need dependable inbox placement and authentication management. Its strong deliverability record gives larger organizations confidence in consistent performance.
MailerLite is better suited for senders who want clear visibility into deliverability and hands-on support. With tools to minimize bounces and spam risks, it’s ideal for businesses prioritizing transparency and list health.
“Emma is an excellent product for SMEs for email & SMS marketing”
“The deliverability rate of Emma was the highest we ever saw for any of our Email campaigns and we could send numerous campaigns at once that was the highlight.”
| Feature | Emma | MailerLite |
| Segmentation Capabilities | Dynamic segments with real-time updates based on behavior, demographics | Real-time auto-updating segments using AND/OR logic, tags |
| Dynamic Content | Dynamic blocks that personalize per subscriber using fields or custom API events. | Dynamic blocks targeted by group, segment, or custom field |
| Personalization Tags | Personalization/merge tags from contact fields (e.g., name, custom fields) in the editor. | Custom fields, merge tags with fallback values |
| Subscriber Preferences | Customizable subscription center with opt-down options | Preference center let subscribers update groups/tags for targeting |
| Best for: | Complex audience management across multiple accounts | Users needing flexible segments, dynamic blocks, and personalization |
Emma is designed for complex audience management, giving multi-location brands advanced segmentation, dynamic content blocks, and customizable subscriber preferences. This makes it ideal for organizations managing large or diverse customer bases.
MailerLite is built for flexible personalization, offering auto-updating segments, dynamic content by groups, and an easy-to-use preference center. It’s best for teams that want straightforward but powerful targeting options.
Convince & Convert used Emma’s audience-choice segmentation and sponsor-friendly newsletter format to grow and engage the daily “Definitive” readership while preserving trust and giving partners credible visibility.
| Feature | Emma | MailerLite |
| Number of Integrations | Hundreds of integrations + open API | 150+ integrations across e-commerce, CRM, automation, and analytics |
| CRM Integrations | Salesforce, Blackbaud, EverTrue with deep sync capabilities | Salesforce, ClickFunnels, HubSpot, Pipedrive |
| E-commerce Integrations | Shopify app; SFTP Connect for automated data sync | Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce with cart sync and tracking |
| API Flexibility | Ecommerce, landing pages, events (Eventbrite) | REST API plus no-code connectors |
| Best for | Distributed brands (franchises, universities) needing centralized control with deep CRM integrations. | Teams needing smooth commerce + CRM sync with flexible API |
Emma gives distributed brands the structure and control needed to manage complex ecosystems. It’s built for organizations that value centralized oversight and stability across multiple locations.
MailerLite leans toward agility, making it easier for growing teams to adapt quickly. It’s best for businesses that prioritize flexibility and faster integration over rigid centralized systems.
“Emma is the best ever multi-channel email marketing software”
“Emma is the best ever email marketing software used by me with various features. The ease of use in analytics of campaigns makes my life easier… Integration of this software to my CRM is soo easy and if I get any query, their customer support is ready to help me in the quickest way.”
| Feature | Emma | MailerLite |
| Starter Offer | $99/mo; Emma Lite (10,000 contacts, annual contract) | Free plan (1,000 subscribers, 12K emails/month, automation, landing pages, and pop-ups) |
| Most Popular | Emma Essentials — $159/mo (10,000 contacts, annual contract; adds landing pages, unlimited automation, SMS*) | Growing Business: $10/mo — dynamic content, unlimited templates, auto-resend, multivariate testing, RSS campaigns |
| Pricing Model | Contact-based tiers with flat monthly/annual billing; per-contact overages if you exceed your limit; custom quotes for >10k contacts; annual discounts available | Contact-based pricing; no double charges; 10% annual & 30% nonprofit discount |
| Best for | Large organizations who want to scale | Small businesses scaling affordably with advanced features |
Emma is built for large organizations ready to scale. Its pricing model supports enterprises managing high contact volumes with predictable costs and flexibility for growth.
MailerLite is best for small businesses that need to scale affordably. It balances low pricing with access to advanced features, making it attractive for lean teams.
| Feature | Emma | MailerLite |
| Support Availability | Email & phone support, plus Support Hub; live tech support Mon–Fri, 7am–7pm CT. | Email support on Advanced/ Growing Business, live chat for Advanced plans |
| Support Response Time | Business-hours live support; priority phone support available on Corporate plan | Generally well-regarded, live chat replies averaging ~5 minutes |
| Knowledge Resources | Support Hub, Emma 101 resource hub & webinar , and video library | Knowledge base, video tutorials, and academy |
| Onboarding Assistance | Professional Services onboarding packages (strategic kickoff, list import, custom training). | Onboarding & deliverability help with Advanced/Enterprise plans |
| Best for | Teams wanting business-hours live help + self-serve resources; larger orgs needing priority phone support & services. | Teams needing self-service, fast support, and expert onboarding |
Emma fits teams that want business-hours live help plus self-serve resources. It’s especially useful for larger organizations that need priority phone support and tailored onboarding services.
MailerLite is better for self-service teams that value fast responses and expert onboarding on higher plans. It’s a practical choice for smaller businesses that need support without heavy service packages.
“Emma has made my job communicating to my customers so valuable!”
“Emma’s customer support is extremely superior to many other development tools I have used in the past. By using Emma to send my emails, newsletters and landing pages, I am able to get metrics that are so valuable.”
“Emma captures any type of campaign solution”
Hanna L., Head Of Solutions Media Production (G2)“Emma has supported the creation of a content distribution resolution component; for us, it has been invaluable because it has been able to automate the marketing and sending of mass emails to promote our services… It has helped us improve the quality of our service through customer interaction.”
“We have been using Emma for a few years now”
Sarah D., Senior E-commerce Strategy Manager (G2)“We use Emma for marketing our campaigns, target our specific customers and audience as well as send targeted emails for subscriptions and promotions to our targeted customers. Sending mass emails is not a big deal now…Honestly, it works so well for us.”
“Emma email marketing – a multi-tasker email marketing tool”
Angelika E., Marketing & Sales Lead, Retail (Brick and Mortar) Gift Cards (G2)“It provides ease to the users for creating and summarizing results. It is easy to update and add new contacts on this platform. It allows people to manage their list of emails. It has great integration with other applications. Users can also edit them for a long time as well. There are certain different features in this regard.”
