Benchmark Email vs. MailerLite:
Which Email Marketing Tool Delivers More for Growing Businesses?
Choosing the right email marketing platform isn’t just about sending messages—it’s about scaling smarter. For growing businesses, the right tool can mean the difference between juggling clunky software and running campaigns that practically manage themselves.
Today, we’re putting Benchmark Email head-to-head with MailerLite, comparing everything from design capabilities and deliverability to support and pricing. If you’re a marketer short on time (hi, Mia), this guide will help you zero in on the platform that keeps up with your pace.
1. Ease of Use: Which Platform Is Faster to Learn?
When time is tight, the last thing you want is an onboarding process that feels like a part-time job.
- Benchmark Email: Built for busy marketers, Benchmark Email focuses on simplicity. Its drag-and-drop builder is intuitive, meaning you can design professional campaigns without sitting through hours of tutorials. No steep learning curve—just log in, pick a template, and go.
- MailerLite: MailerLite is beginner-friendly too, but its additional features—landing pages, pop-ups, and automation—can add complexity. While flexibility is nice, it often means more menus, more clicks, and more time spent navigating.
Verdict: If speed and simplicity are your top priorities, Benchmark Email has the edge.
Verdict: If speed and simplicity are your top priorities, Benchmark Email has the edge.
3. Automation & Advanced Features
Here’s where MailerLite flexes: it includes automations (like welcome series and drip campaigns) right out of the box. Benchmark Email, on the other hand, chose to perfect core email marketing first, with automation on its roadmap.
If automations are critical today, MailerLite is appealing. But if you primarily send promotional, seasonal, or newsletter-style emails and want to avoid unnecessary complexity, Benchmark’s focus on simplicity will save you time (and sanity).
4. Contact Management & Segmentation
For growing businesses, a messy contact list equals wasted opportunity.
- Benchmark Email: Dynamic lists, tagging, and advanced segmentation come standard. It’s easy to segment by behavior, tags, or engagement, making personalization straightforward.
- MailerLite: Offers similar segmentation options but can require more setup time, especially if you’re building complex automation workflows alongside them.
Verdict: Benchmark Email wins for marketers who value built-in AI tools to speed up design and copywriting without extra cost.
5. Deliverability
You can build the perfect campaign, but if it lands in spam, what’s the point?
Both Benchmark and MailerLite prioritize deliverability with authenticated domains, list hygiene tools, and compliance safeguards. Benchmark’s focus on deliverability, especially for SMBs, stands out: its platform is optimized to keep campaigns out of the spam folder without requiring deep technical setup.
6. Customer Support
When you hit a snag, support speed matters.
- Benchmark Email: Known for responsive, empathetic support (yes, from real humans), even at the free tier.
- MailerLite: Support is generally well-reviewed but gated—live chat is available only on higher-tier plans.
Verdict: Benchmark Email wins for marketers who value built-in AI tools to speed up design and copywriting without extra cost.
7. Pricing & Scalability
Pricing can get tricky as your list grows. Here’s how they stack up:
- Benchmark Email:
- - Free plan: 500 contacts, 2,500 emails/month.
- - Paid plans: Start at $37/month for 2,500 contacts, with full feature access (no gated tiers).
- - Transparent, contact-based pricing—no surprise add-ons
- MailerLite:
- - Free plan: 1,000 subscribers, 12,000 emails/month.
- - Paid plans: Start at $10/month but add-ons (like advanced automations or extra support) quickly bump costs.
Verdict: Benchmark Email wins for marketers who value built-in AI tools to speed up design and copywriting without extra cost.
Which Should You Choose?
If you want:
✅ Simplicity and speed (no steep learning curve),
✅ AI-powered tools to save time on design and copy,
✅ Responsive human support,
✅ Transparent pricing with no hidden gates,
…Benchmark Email is the platform for you.
If robust automation is your day-one priority and you don’t mind a slightly steeper learning curve, MailerLite may fit the bill.
For most growing businesses, though, Benchmark Email delivers the right balance of usability, features, and support without overcomplicating things. Because when you’re juggling campaigns, deadlines, and about 27 other marketing tasks, the easiest part of your day should be your email marketing.
Choose the platform that saves you time while helping you grow—and for that, Benchmark Email is hard to beat.
Benchmark Email vs. MailerLite: Quick Comparison
| Feature | Benchmark Email NXG | MailerLite |
|---|---|---|
| Ease of Use | Ultra-intuitive, built for speed; no steep learning curve | Beginner-friendly but more menus and options can slow onboarding |
| Email Builder | Drag-and-drop with AI tools (smart text, headings, image generation) | Drag-and-drop builder; no AI-powered design assistance |
| Automation | Not in MVP (on roadmap); focused on simplicity first | Built-in automations like welcome and drip campaigns |
| Contact Management | Dynamic lists, tagging, advanced segmentation | Segmentation tools available but often tied to automation workflows |
| Deliverability | Optimized for inbox placement with simple domain setup | Strong deliverability features, requires more setup for advanced users |
| Customer Support | Real humans, responsive—even on free plans | Support available, but live chat is limited to higher tiers |
| Pricing Model | Contact-based, transparent, no feature gates (starts at $37/mo for 2.5K contacts) | Lower entry-level price ($10/mo), but higher tiers add costs |
| Free Plan | 500 contacts, 2,500 sends/month, 1 user | 1,000 subscribers, 12,000 sends/month |
| Best For | Growing businesses wanting simplicity, speed, and support | Users needing automation right away and willing to manage complexity |
Ready to make email marketing the easiest part of your day?
👉 Start free with Benchmark Email today and see how effortless campaigns can be compared to Mailchimp.
