MailerLite vs Constant Contact Review [2026]

MailerLite and Constant Contact are often considered direct alternatives, and at first glance, it’s easy to see why. Both are designed to simplify email marketing; they’re easy to learn, reasonably priced, and focused on getting campaigns out without unnecessary complexity.

But that similarity doesn’t go beyond the surface level. Once you actually start using these platforms, the differences become much more noticeable, especially if your needs go beyond basic email campaigns.

In this comparison, we break down how MailerLite and Constant Contact actually perform in practice, and which one is the better fit based on your goals and marketing setup.

TL;DR MailerLite vs Constant Contact brief comparison

Before we go deep into details, let’s have a quick overview of the key aspects covered in this comparison. If a particular category matters most to you, click on it to jump straight to the relevant section.

The numbers are right in front of you, and they already hint at a winner. But if you want to make a well-informed decision and choose a platform that will fit your workflows, it’s worth going a bit deeper and seeing what each one can offer your business.

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Side-by-side MailerLite vs Constant Contact comparison

Now, let’s compare the key aspects that define an email marketing platform, from pricing and automation to customer support, in more detail. Below you will find everything you need to know about MailerLite and Constant Contact in one place.

Pricing and value

⭐ MailerLite: 10/10 | Constant Contact: 7/10

Disclaimer: Pricing changes frequently. These figures are accurate as of April 2026. Always verify final costs on official pricing pages.

Let’s start with pricing, as it’s one of the first things most people look at when comparing tools. Tiers, limits, and what you actually get for the price often matter more than features alone.

Among all the platforms in our comparison series, MailerLite remains the most affordable. Its entry-level plan is cheaper than Constant Contact’s. However, there’s an important nuance to consider: many features that other platforms include for free are only available on MailerLite’s higher-tier plans. Here’s a quick example:

When selecting a campaign type, you’ll notice that some options are locked behind higher-tier plans. Features like RSS campaigns and auto-resend, which are often standard elsewhere, are treated as premium in MailerLite.

Since functionality varies across tiers, we made another comparison covering several plans for MailerLite and Constant Contact.

If pricing isn’t your only deciding factor – good for you! Let’s take a look at how the two platforms compare across other key areas.

Ease of use and interface

⭐ MailerLite: 10/10 | Constant Contact: 8.5/10

If MailerLite and Constant Contact are among your top choices, you’re likely looking for a simple, easy-to-use email platform, and both fit that description. However, there are still differences worth noting. Take a look at the table below to find out more.

Both platforms are easy to use, so what explains a 1.5-point gap? MailerLite keeps things simple on the surface, but gives you more to work with underneath, such as stronger automation, more flexible contact management, and better guidance when tackling more complex tasks.

This difference becomes even clearer when you look at the learning curve visualization below:

So, both are easy to learn, but for different reasons. Constant Contact is simple because it lacks advanced features, while MailerLite stays beginner-friendly by turning its complex concepts into easy-to-use interfaces.

Email builder and templates

⭐ MailerLite: 8.6/10 | ⭐ Constant Contact: 8.6/10

The email builder is where most of the work happens. At first glance, MailerLite and Constant Contact look quite different, largely due to Constant Contact’s more dated design. However, once you start using them, the differences become less noticeable, as their core functionality is actually quite similar.

The score is equal, but the two builders work quite differently. MailerLite uses a section-based builder designed for speed and ease of use. You work with pre-built sections, such as hero blocks or product layouts, that already look complete when you add them. This makes the building process faster and more intuitive, especially for beginners. The tradeoff is that you’re mostly working within the limits of pre-defined structures rather than building layouts from scratch.

Constant Contact takes a more detailed approach. Instead of relying on ready-made sections, you build emails from smaller elements, which gives you more control over your layout. Its design tab exposes more detailed styling options, reflecting a more layered system underneath. This means more flexibility, but also more decisions during the build process.

What this means for everyday workflows is that Constant Contact offers more control and depth if you want to fine-tune your layout and styling. MailerLite is faster and easier to work with, letting you produce polished emails with less effort. The better choice comes down to what you value more: flexibility and control, or speed and simplicity.

Marketing automation

⭐ MailerLite: 6.5/10 | Constant Contact: 5/10

Since both MailerLite and Constant Contact focus on simplicity, their automation capabilities are fairly limited. Still, they take different approaches to how that simplicity works in practice.

MailerLite lets you build logic into your workflows, not just set up scheduled emails. You can respond to user behavior, such as clicks, engagement, or inactivity, and guide contacts down different paths.

Once everything is set up, the system works for you. Engaged contacts move forward, inactive ones are filtered out, and each step has a clear purpose. It takes a bit more planning upfront, but the result is automation that feels efficient and intentional, not repetitive.

Constant Contact, in contrast, feels more like a scheduling tool than a true automation system. You decide when emails go out, and the platform follows that timeline without really adapting to what contacts do.

That’s the key difference. MailerLite reacts to behavior, while Constant Contact mostly follows a fixed sequence. This makes Constant Contact easier to set up and understand, but it also limits how much you can personalize communication.

In practice, MailerLite gives you more control. Your campaigns adjust based on engagement, so you avoid sending unnecessary emails to people who have already converted or stopped responding. It feels like a system that works with your data.

Constant Contact is simpler and more predictable. You send the same sequence to everyone and rely on timing rather than behavior. That works well for basic campaigns, but once you want automation to actually improve results, the limitations become clear.

But what if simple automation flows alone aren’t enough? For example, if you also need a CRM built into the same platform. Neither MailerLite nor Constant Contact offers a fully integrated CRM, but SendPulse does.

What we've built in the SendPulse CRM system is a single environment where automation isn't a separate layer – it's part of the same space as your contacts and deals. A deal moves to a new stage, and a flow triggers automatically: a task gets assigned, contact data updates, and the next step happens without manual input. That's what makes the difference between a CRM system that stores data and one that actually runs your sales process.

Iurii Kislitsyn

CRM Project Manager at SendPulse

Contact management

⭐ MailerLite: 8/10 | Constant Contact: 7.5/10

Contact management defines how you store, organize, and filter your audience, which directly affects how precisely you can target your campaigns. It comes down to two things: how your contacts are structured and how quickly your segments update. If both work well, your messages reach the right people at the right time.

Even simple campaigns rely on accurate grouping. More advanced ones require up-to-date data and flexible segmentation. That’s why it’s crucial to look not just at available filters, but also at how quickly and reliably segments update.

MailerLite and Constant Contact handle contacts in similar ways at a basic level, as both let you segment audiences using rules, tags, and activity data. The difference comes down to depth and responsiveness. MailerLite updates segments in real time and supports a wider range of criteria, which makes it easier to keep audience data accurate without extra effort.

Constant Contact covers the essentials well, but segments refresh less dynamically and rely on fewer conditions. For simple campaigns, this isn’t a major issue. But once your targeting becomes more detailed or time-sensitive, MailerLite offers a smoother and more efficient workflow.

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Signup forms and landing pages

⭐ MailerLite: 8.6/10 | Constant Contact: 6.8/10

Signup forms and landing pages are essential for growing your contact list. But not all email platforms handle them the same way. Some offer only basic customization, while others give you more flexibility and control. Here’s how MailerLite and Constant Contact compare:

Let’s get a bit deeper into landing pages.

With MailerLite, building a landing page is natural and purpose-driven. The workflow matches how standalone pages are typically created, so it’s easier to structure content around a specific objective. You get more control, fewer workarounds, and a clearer sense of how everything fits together.

With Constant Contact, creating a landing page feels closer to building an email. It uses the same editor, which makes it easy to learn. At the same time, it can feel like you’re adapting an email tool for something it wasn’t fully designed for. Because of that, building pages may feel a bit limiting, especially when you try to go beyond simple layouts.

Because of these differences, Constant Contact feels familiar and easy to use, but also somewhat limited, as if you’re repurposing an email tool to build pages. MailerLite, on the other hand, feels more natural for landing pages. The workflow is smoother, and it’s easier to see how everything comes together.

Reporting and analytics

⭐ MailerLite: 6.6/10 | Constant Contact: 6.4/10

Reporting and analytics show how well your email campaigns perform, and where you can improve. While both platforms cover the basics, the real difference lies in how quickly and clearly the data is delivered. Here’s how MailerLite and Constant Contact compare:

MailerLite has a slight advantage in how quickly and consistently data updates. Metrics refresh as user activity happens, which makes reporting feel more immediate and easier to trust during or right after a campaign.

Constant Contact covers more areas, including email, SMS, and landing pages, but its reporting is more static and can take time to update. As a result, it feels less responsive in day-to-day use.

Customer support

⭐ MailerLite: 7.3/10 | Constant Contact: 7/10

What if something doesn’t work? At that point, support becomes critical. Both MailerLite and Constant Contact have their limitations here, whether it’s channel availability or response formats. Here’s how their customer support compares:

The difference comes down to how support works in real situations, and how users rate it. MailerLite has a clear edge here, with a 4.8 vs 4.2 rating on Capterra, which suggests a more consistently positive support experience overall.

MailerLite relies more on structured, easy-to-navigate documentation and chat support, which makes it faster to find answers independently. Constant Contact, on the other hand, offers phone support and live onboarding, which can feel more reassuring, especially at the start. However, its knowledge base is less consistent, which contributes to the lower rating.

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Your decision checklist

Before the final verdict, it’s worth taking one more look at the platforms’ target audiences. The checklist below will help you see which platform aligns better with your needs.

In the end, the right choice depends on your needs. Both MailerLite and Constant Contact require some time to learn and set up. And switching platforms later takes effort. Choose carefully, so the platform can stay with you for many years and support your business growth.

Final verdict and recommendations

⚖️ Final scores: MailerLite – 8.7/10 | Constant Contact – 6.5/10

In our previous comparisons of Constant Contact with Mailchimp, Klaviyo, and ActiveCampaign, the conclusion was usually open-ended. Each of those tools targets a different audience, so the choice depends on specific needs. With MailerLite vs Constant Contact, the situation is different, as they compete for the same users.

Both platforms are built for marketers who prefer simplicity over advanced automation and segmentation. Typically, it’s small businesses looking for an easy, affordable solution. But when compared directly, MailerLite comes out ahead in most areas, especially in pricing and ease of use, which are the factors that matter most for this audience.

So, would we recommend Constant Contact over MailerLite? Probably not.

And if MailerLite still doesn’t fully meet your needs, make sure to explore how it compares with other tools like Mailchimp or ActiveCampaign.