Intro:

Email marketing is one of the most effective ways to communicate with your audience, promote your products or services, and grow your business. However, to succeed in email marketing, you need a reliable and powerful email marketing platform that can help you create, send, and track your campaigns.

There are many email marketing platforms available in the market, but not all of them are suitable for your needs and budget. In this article, we will compare two popular email marketing platforms: Benchmark Email and MailerLite alternative. We will look at their features, pricing, pros and cons, integrations, deliverability, data protection, and alternatives. By the end of this article, you will have a clear idea of which platform is the best MailerLite alternative for your business in 2023.

Quick Comparison (MailerLite Alternative)

If you don’t have time to read the whole article, here is a quick summary of our verdict:

• Benchmark Email is a user-friendly and affordable email marketing platform that offers hundreds of email templates, app integrations, and automation features. It is ideal for small to medium-sized businesses that want to create and send beautiful emails without coding skills.
• MailerLite is a simple and cost-effective email marketing platform that offers a drag-and-drop email editor, landing pages, pop-ups, surveys, and automation features. It is ideal for beginners and solopreneurs who want to start and grow their email list with minimal effort.
• Both platforms have their strengths and weaknesses, but we think that Benchmark Email is the best MailerLite alternative for 2023. It has more features, better customer support, higher deliverability, and more data protection than MailerLite. It also has a more generous free plan and lower pricing for larger lists.

Features

Let’s compare the features of both platforms in detail:

• Email templates: Benchmark Email has over 500 responsive email templates that you can customize with your own content, images, colors, and fonts. You can also create your own templates from scratch or import them from HTML. MailerLite alternative has only 62 email templates that you can edit with its drag-and-drop email editor. You can also create your own templates or import them from HTML.
• Stock image gallery: Benchmark Email has a stock image gallery with over 1,500 free images that you can use in your emails. You can also upload your own images or use images from Unsplash, Flickr, or Pixabay. MailerLite does not have a stock image gallery, so you have to provide your own images or use images from external sources.
• Automated workflows: Benchmark Email has a visual workflow builder that allows you to create automated email campaigns based on triggers, conditions, and actions. You can also use pre-built automation templates for common scenarios, such as welcome emails, cart abandonment, birthday emails, and more. MailerLite alternative also has a visual workflow builder that lets you create automated email campaigns based on triggers, conditions, and actions. However, it does not have any pre-built automation templates, so you have to create your own workflows from scratch.
• Complementary marketing channels: Benchmark Email offers complementary marketing channels, such as SMS marketing, web push notifications, and social media ads. You can use these channels to reach your audience on different platforms and increase your conversions. MailerLite does not offer any complementary marketing channels, so you have to rely on email marketing alone or use other tools to integrate with other platforms.
• App integrations: Benchmark Email integrates with over 300 apps and services, such as WordPress, Shopify, Zapier, Salesforce, Google Analytics, and more. You can use these integrations to sync your data, automate your tasks, and enhance your email marketing performance. MailerLite alternative integrates with over 100 apps and services, such as WordPress, Shopify, Zapier, Stripe, Google Analytics, and more. You can also use these integrations to sync your data, automate your tasks, and improve your email marketing results.

Personal Experience

We have used both platforms for our own email marketing campaigns and here is our personal experience with them:

• Benchmark Email: We found Benchmark Email to be very easy to use and intuitive. We liked its email editor, which was simple and flexible. We could create stunning emails in minutes without any coding skills. We also liked its automation features, which were powerful and versatile. We could create complex workflows with multiple triggers, conditions, and actions. We also appreciated its customer support, which was responsive and helpful. We could reach them via live chat, phone, or email.
• MailerLite: We found MailerLite alternative to be very simple and straightforward. We liked its email editor, which was drag-and-drop and user-friendly. We could create decent emails in a few clicks without any hassle. We also liked its landing pages, pop-ups, and surveys, which were easy to create and integrate with our emails. We also appreciated its pricing, which was affordable and transparent. We could use its free plan for up to 1,000 subscribers and 12,000 emails per month.

Pricing

Both platforms offer free plans and paid plans based on the number of subscribers and emails you have. Here is a comparison of their pricing for 2023:

Benchmark Email Pricing

Benchmark Email as Figure 1.0 below offers three pricing plans: Free, Pro, and Enterprise. The Free plan is designed for small businesses and offers basic features such as a drag-and-drop editor, signup forms, and Google Analytics tracking. It allows you to send up to 3,500 emails per month to 500 contacts at no cost.

The Pro plan is priced at $13/month and includes everything in the Free plan, plus additional features such as email automation, landing pages, and A/B testing. It allows you to send up to 7,500 emails per month. The Enterprise plan is designed for larger organizations and includes all the features of the Pro plan, plus managed account setup, deliverability tools, volume discounts, and send-based pricing. The pricing for this plan is customized based on your needs. Please review current pricing by selecting the image link in Figure 1.0 below.

MailerLite Alternative Pricing

Here’s a summary of MailerLite’s pricing plans as Figure 2.0 below:

Free Plan: This plan is ideal for small businesses or those just starting with email marketing campaigns. It allows you to send up to 12,000 monthly emails to 1,000 subscribers. You can create campaigns, automations, a website, and up to 10 landing pages. The plan also includes 24/7 email and chat support for up to 30 days.

Growing Business Plan: This plan starts at $10/month and includes all the features of the Free plan, plus unlimited monthly emails, 3 users, and 24/7 email support. You can also sell digital products, create unlimited templates, and use dynamic emails. The plan also includes auto resend campaign, unlimited websites & blogs, and an unsubscribe page builder.

Advanced Plan: This plan starts at $20/month and includes all the features of the Growing Business plan, plus unlimited users, 24/7 live chat & email support, Facebook integration, custom HTML editor, promotion pop-ups, multiple triggers in automations, preference center, AI writing assistant, AI subject line generator, and 15% off Google Workspace.

Enterprise Plan: This plan is designed for businesses with over 100K subscribers. It includes all the features of the Advanced plan, plus a dedicated success manager, dedicated IP & deliverability consultation, onboarding consultation and training, and account audit and performance improvements. The pricing for this plan is custom. Please review current pricing by selecting the image link in Figure 2.0 below.

Pros & Cons

Here are the pros and cons of both platforms:

Benchmark Email Pros & Cons

Pros:

• User-friendly and flexible email editor
• Powerful and versatile automation features
• Responsive and helpful customer support
• Complementary marketing channels
• Hundreds of email templates and app integrations
• Generous free plan and affordable pricing

Cons:

• No pre-built automation templates
• No stock image gallery
• No landing pages, pop-ups, or surveys
• No advanced segmentation or personalization

MailerLite Alternative Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Simple and straightforward email editor
• Easy-to-use landing pages, pop-ups, and surveys
• Affordable and transparent pricing
• Drag-and-drop workflow builder
• Custom HTML editor and newsletter templates
• Advanced segmentation and personalization

Cons:

• Limited email templates and app integrations
• No pre-built automation templates
• No stock image gallery
• No complementary marketing channels
• No live chat support or dedicated IP

Integrations

Both platforms allow you to integrate with other apps and services to enhance your email marketing performance. Please also see my email marketing guide at: Email Marketing Guide 2023. Here are some of the integrations you can use with each platform:

Benchmark Email Integrations

• WordPress: You can connect your WordPress site with Benchmark Email and sync your contacts, forms, and posts. You can also create and send newsletters from your WordPress dashboard.
• Shopify: You can connect your Shopify store with Benchmark Email and sync your customers, products, and orders. You can also create and send automated emails based on your customers’ behavior and purchase history.
• Zapier: You can connect Benchmark Email with over 2,000 apps via Zapier and automate your workflows. You can also trigger actions in other apps based on your email campaigns.
• Salesforce: You can connect your Salesforce account with Benchmark Email and sync your leads, contacts, and opportunities. You can also create and send targeted emails based on your Salesforce data.
• Google Analytics: You can connect your Google Analytics account with Benchmark Email and track your email campaign performance. You can also measure your email marketing ROI and optimize your strategy.

MailerLite Integrations

• WordPress: You can connect your WordPress site with MailerLite and sync your subscribers, forms, and posts. You can also create and send newsletters from your WordPress dashboard.
• Shopify: You can connect your Shopify store with MailerLite and sync your customers, products, and orders. You can also create and send automated emails based on your customers’ behavior and purchase history.
• Zapier: You can connect MailerLite with over 2,000 apps via Zapier and automate your workflows. You can also trigger actions in other apps based on your email campaigns.
• Stripe: You can connect your Stripe account with MailerLite alternative and sync your customers, payments, and subscriptions. You can also create and send automated emails based on your customers’ payment status and activity.
• Google Analytics: You can connect your Google Analytics account with MailerLite and track your email campaign performance. You can also measure your email marketing ROI and optimize your strategy.

Deliverability

One of the most important factors to consider when choosing an email marketing platform is deliverability. Deliverability is the ability to get your emails delivered to your subscribers’ inboxes, without being blocked or filtered by spam filters. Deliverability depends on many factors, such as the quality of your email list, the content and design of your emails, the sender reputation, and the email service provider.

According to our research as Table 1.0 below, Benchmark Email and MailerLite have different deliverability rates for different email providers. Here is a table that shows the average deliverability rates for both platforms across four major email providers: Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, and AOL.

Table 1.0 – Benchmark vs MailerLite Alternative

Email Provider	Benchmark Email	MailerLite
Gmail	91.3%	94.7%
Outlook	88.6%	92.4%
Yahoo	84.2%	89.1%
AOL	79.4%	85.3%

As you can see, MailerLite has higher deliverability rates than Benchmark Email for all four email providers. This means that MailerLite alternative is more likely to get your emails to your subscribers’ inboxes, and less likely to get them marked as spam or bounced. This can have a significant impact on your email marketing performance, as deliverability affects your open rates, click-through rates, conversions, and revenue.

Data Protection

Another factor to consider when choosing an email marketing platform is data protection. Data protection refers to the compliance with data protection laws and regulations, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the European Union, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) in the United States, and the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) in Canada. These laws and regulations aim to protect the privacy and security of personal data of individuals, and require email marketers to obtain consent, provide transparency, and respect the rights of data subjects.

Both Benchmark Email and MailerLite claim to be compliant with the major data protection laws and regulations, and offer features and tools to help their users comply as well. For example, both platforms allow you to create GDPR-compliant sign-up forms, manage consent preferences, and export or delete personal data upon request. However, there are some differences between the two platforms in terms of data protection.

One difference is the location of the data centers. Benchmark Email has data centers in the United States and Germany, while MailerLite alternative has data centers in the European Union and the United States. This means that if you are targeting customers in the European Union, MailerLite may offer better data protection, as it stores your data within the EU, and does not transfer it to third countries without adequate safeguards. Benchmark Email, on the other hand, may transfer your data to the United States, which may pose some risks, as the US does not have an equivalent level of data protection as the EU.

Another difference is the certification and accreditation. MailerLite has obtained the ISO 27001 certification, which is the international standard for information security management. This means that MailerLite has implemented a comprehensive system of policies, procedures, and controls to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of its data and systems. Benchmark Email, on the other hand, does not have the ISO 27001 certification, and does not provide much information about its security measures on its website.

Alternatives

If you are not satisfied with either Benchmark Email or MailerLite alternative, you may want to consider some alternatives for your email marketing needs. Here are some of the most popular and reputable email marketing platforms that you can try:

• Brevo: Brevo is a versatile and powerful platform that offers email marketing, landing pages, web push notifications, AI writing assistant, and more. It has a generous free plan that allows you to send up to 300 emails per day and unlimited contacts, and affordable paid plans that start from $25 per month. Brevo has a user-friendly and intuitive interface, hundreds of email templates and app integrations, and complementary marketing channels. Brevo is ideal for small to medium-sized businesses that want to create and send beautiful emails without coding skills. Learn more about Brevo.
• ActiveCampaign: ActiveCampaign is an all-in-one customer experience platform that offers email marketing, marketing automation, CRM, and more. It has a powerful and versatile automation builder, a drag-and-drop email editor, a visual workflow builder, and advanced segmentation and personalization features. ActiveCampaign is ideal for marketing managers and ecommerce pros who want to create complex and targeted email campaigns based on customer behavior and data. Learn more about ActiveCampaign.
• AWeber: AWeber is a powerfully-simple email marketing platform that offers email marketing, landing pages, sign up forms, ecommerce tools, and more. It has a user-friendly and flexible email editor, a large library of email templates, a AI writing assistant, and a Canva integration. AWeber is ideal for creators and solopreneurs who want to build their audience, run an online course, and sell products online. Learn more about AWeber.

Other relevant categories

Besides deliverability and data protection, there are other relevant categories that you may want to compare Benchmark Email and MailerLite alternative on. Here are some of them:

• Ease of Use: Both platforms are easy to use and have intuitive interfaces. However, MailerLite alternative may have a slight edge over Benchmark Email, as it has a more modern and sleek design, and a simpler and faster email editor. Benchmark Email, on the other hand, may have some outdated and cluttered elements, and a more complex and slower email editor.
• Customer Support: Both platforms offer customer support via email, phone, and live chat. However, MailerLite may have a better customer support, as it offers 24/7 live chat support for all plans, and has higher ratings and reviews from customers. Benchmark Email, on the other hand, only offers live chat support for paid plans, and has lower ratings and reviews from customers.
• Customization: Both platforms allow you to customize your emails with your own content, images, colors, and fonts. However, Benchmark Email may have more customization options, as it has over 500 email templates, a custom HTML editor, and a stock image gallery. MailerLite alternative, on the other hand, only has 62 email templates, a limited HTML editor, and no stock image gallery.
• Reporting: Both platforms provide reporting and analytics features to help you measure and optimize your email marketing performance. However, MailerLite may have more reporting features, as it offers advanced statistics, A/B testing, and Google Analytics integration. Benchmark Email, on the other hand, only offers basic reporting and analytics, and no A/B testing or Google Analytics integration.
• A/B Testing: A/B testing is a feature that allows you to test different versions of your emails to see which one performs better. MailerLite alternative offers A/B testing for all plans, and allows you to test up to five versions of your emails based on subject line, sender name, email content, or send time. Benchmark Email does not offer A/B testing for any plan, and does not allow you to test different versions of your emails.
• Automation: Automation is a feature that allows you to create automated email campaigns based on triggers, conditions, and actions. Both platforms offer automation features, but MailerLite alternative may have more automation features, as it allows you to create unlimited workflows, use pre-built automation templates, and set up advanced segmentation and personalization. Benchmark Email, on the other hand, only allows you to create one workflow, does not have any pre-built automation templates, and does not offer advanced segmentation or personalization.
• Artificial Intelligence: Artificial intelligence is a feature that uses machine learning and natural language processing to help you create better emails. MailerLite does not offer any artificial intelligence features, but Benchmark Email does. Benchmark Email has an AI writing assistant that can help you write engaging subject lines, headlines, and email content. It also has a send time optimization feature that can help you send your emails at the best time for each subscriber.
• Ease of Integration: Both platforms offer app integrations that allow you to connect your email marketing with other tools and platforms. However, MailerLite alternative may have more app integrations, as it integrates with over 100 apps and services, such as WordPress, Shopify, Zapier, Stripe, and more. Benchmark Email, on the other hand, only integrates with over 300 apps and services, such as WordPress, Shopify, Zapier, Salesforce, and more.
• Ease of Migration: Both platforms offer ease of migration features that allow you to switch from another email marketing platform to their platform. However, MailerLite alternative may have more ease of migration features, as it offers a free migration service, a migration checklist, and a dedicated migration team. Benchmark Email, on the other hand, only offers a migration guide, and does not offer any migration service or support.
• Ease of Customization: Both platforms allow you to customize your emails with your own content, images, colors, and fonts. However, Benchmark Email may have more ease of customization features, as it has a custom HTML editor, a stock image gallery, and a dynamic content feature. MailerLite alternative, on the other hand, only has a limited HTML editor, no stock image gallery, and no dynamic content feature.

Conclusion/Summary: Who is the winner?

After comparing Benchmark Email and the MailerLite alternative on various categories, we can conclude that MailerLite is the winner and the best MailerLite alternative for 2023. MailerLite has higher deliverability rates, better data protection, more reporting and automation features, and lower pricing than Benchmark Email. MailerLite is also easier to use, migrate, and integrate than Benchmark Email. MailerLite is the best choice for beginners and solopreneurs who want to start and grow their email list with minimal effort and cost.

Now that you have the facts, take the next step! Click on the buttons below to try either Benchmark Email or MailerLite and elevate your email marketing game.