Curated vs MailerLite Comparison 2026
Curated stays free to 1,500 subscribers with every feature including sending, built specifically for the weekly link roundup. MailerLite is a general, cheap email tool whose free plan stops at 250 subscribers, a fraction of Curated's, with paid tiers priced against whatever subscriber count you pick, starting around $12 a month. Price is not really the question. Format is.
A link newsletter that stays free to 1,500 readers
Email marketing that stays cheap as lists grow
At a glance
- MailerLite starts cheaper, at $12.
- Both have a genuinely free tier.
Side by side
Curated | MailerLite | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price (they differ) | From $39 | From $12 |
| Pricing model | Free plan, paid tiers | Free plan, paid tiers |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes |
| Billing | Monthly or annual | Monthly or annual |
| Free trial | Not stated | 14 days |
| API | Not stated |
Curated
A link newsletter that stays free to 1,500 readers
Curated is built for the link-roundup newsletter specifically, so collecting items through the week, writing a line under each and having the issue assemble itself is the main path rather than a workaround. Every feature including sending is on the free tier, which runs to 1,500 subscribers. Pricing then moves in published subscriber bands rather than on a quote. Anybody writing long-form essays rather than curating links will find the whole editor shaped around a job they are not doing.
Our note
Take this over a general newsletter tool only if your format really is curation, because the collection workflow is the product and everything else here is ordinary. The band table is worth reading before you grow: the jump from free to $39 arrives at 1,501 subscribers, which is sooner than most people plan for.
MailerLite
Email marketing that stays cheap as lists grow
MailerLite sends campaigns, runs automations and hosts the signup forms feeding them, and prices all of it under the tools it competes with. The editor is plain in a way that suits people who write more than they design. The free plan stops at 250 subscribers, which is a fraction of what beehiiv and Kit give away, so the comparison is really about what you pay at ten thousand.
Why people weigh these two
- MailerLite instead of Curated
- MailerLite is a general newsletter tool priced to stay cheap as the list grows, free tier then $12, with the weekly link-collecting flow left for you to do by hand.
- Curated instead of MailerLite
- Curated stays free up to 1,500 readers and is built specifically for a link-roundup newsletter format rather than general email marketing.
Which one should you pick
Pick Curated if the newsletter really is a roundup of links, since the free plan alone carries a list to 1,500 subscribers with sending included, six times what MailerLite gives away for free. Growth changes the price here, not the feature set.
Pick MailerLite if the format is an ordinary campaign or automation and the bill at scale is what matters most, since it stays cheap as a list grows. Its free plan is small, at 250 subscribers, more a two-week trial than a place to run a newsletter from, and the entry paid tier starts around $12 a month, though that figure is quoted against whatever subscriber count you choose and rises with the list.
Common questions
- Which free plan is bigger, Curated or MailerLite?
- Curated, by a wide margin: 1,500 subscribers against MailerLite's 250. MailerLite's free tier works better as a short trial than as a place to run an actual newsletter from.
- Is MailerLite cheaper than Curated once I need to pay?
- Its entry tier starts around $12 a month against Curated's $39, though MailerLite's price is quoted against a subscriber count you pick and climbs as the list grows, so the two numbers are not sitting at the same list size.
- Does MailerLite offer the same link-collection workflow as Curated?
- No. MailerLite is a general campaign and automation tool with a plain editor, not built around any one newsletter format. Curated's whole editor exists to collect links through the week and assemble the issue automatically.
- Can I try MailerLite's paid features before committing?
- Yes, for 14 days with no card required. Curated has no equivalent trial mentioned, since its free tier already includes every feature, including sending, up to 1,500 subscribers.
Ratings are the average of reviews readers left. The facts are stated by each tool’s own listing and are not verified by CloutStack. How we make money.