Circle vs MailerLite: Complete Comparison (2026)
An in-depth comparison of Circle and MailerLite to help you choose the right tool for your business.
Last updated: November 2026
Circle
5.8/10
Circle is an all-in-one community platform for creators and brands that combines discussion spaces, courses, live events, payments, and paid email marketing.
MailerLite
7.1/10
MailerLite is an email marketing platform for small businesses and creators, combining newsletters, automations, landing pages, sites, forms and digital product sales.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Feature | | |
|---|---|---|
| Scores | ||
| Overall Rating | 5.8/10 | 7.1/10 |
| Scalability | 7/10 | 6/10 |
| Ease of Use | 7/10 | 9/10 |
| Customization | 6/10 | 7/10 |
| Security | 5/10 | 6/10 |
| Support | 6/10 | 5/10 |
| Cost | 4/10 | 8/10 |
| Integration | 6/10 | 7/10 |
| Analytics | 5/10 | 6/10 |
| Pricing | ||
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Cheapest paid plan | Contact for pricing | $12/mo Comfort |
| Estimated cost for 10 users | Contact for pricing | $25/mo Power |
| Features | ||
| Email Marketing | ||
| Segmentation | ||
| A/B Testing | Not listed | |
| E-commerce Features | Not listed | |
| Landing Pages | Not listed | |
| Webinars | Not listed | |
Circle vs MailerLite cost by team size
| Team size | Circle | MailerLite |
|---|---|---|
| 1 user | Contact for pricing | FreeFree |
| 5 users | Contact for pricing | $25/moPower |
| 10 users | Contact for pricing | $25/moPower |
| 25 users | Contact for pricing | $25/moPower |
| 50 users | Contact for pricing | $25/moPower |
The plan that fits each team size, billed monthly, before add-ons and usage charges. Each cost opens that tool's pricing calculator for the team size.
Which One Should You Choose?
Why choose Circle
- Higher Scalability score (7/10 vs 6/10)
- Higher Support score (6/10 vs 5/10)
Why choose MailerLite
- Has a free plan (Circle does not)
- Higher Cost score (8/10 vs 4/10)
- Higher Ease of Use score (9/10 vs 7/10)
- Better fit for freelancers (8/10 vs 6/10)
- Better fit for small business (9/10 vs 7/10)
Pros & Cons
Circle
Pros
- Unlimited members on every plan, so cost does not rise with community size
- Community, courses, live streams, chat, and payments run in one branded app across web and mobile
- Native live streams and live rooms remove the need for a separate webinar tool for small events
- Email Hub can target event attendees and space members directly from community data
- Free 14-day trial with no credit card, and migration help
Cons
- Email marketing is a separate $99/mo add-on, and reviewers rate its editor as basic
- Transaction fees of 0.5% to 2% apply on top of Stripe fees
- Workflows, white-labeling, and APIs require the $199/mo Business plan or higher
- Add-ons for admins, spaces, and live hours raise the real cost
- No native course certificates or graded assessments
MailerLite
Pros
- The interface is clean, and reviewers say automations are quick to set up even for first-time users.
- Automations are included even on the free plan.
- Paid plans start at $12 a month, which reviewers say is cheaper than Mailchimp or Constant Contact.
- Native e-commerce integrations with Shopify, WooCommerce and Stripe feed purchase-based automations.
- Reviewers report deliverability ranking first in an independent EmailToolTester test.
Cons
- Many users report accounts suspended or terminated with little warning and difficult appeals.
- Support is email-only on Comfort, and some reviewers say replies are slow.
- The free plan has been cut more than once and now allows only 250 subscribers.
- Prices rise steeply as the list grows, according to a competitor's analysis.
- Reviewers find reporting and segmentation limited for larger companies.
Not sold on either?
Frequently Asked Questions
MailerLite scores higher on our Marketing criteria: 7.1/10 against 5.8/10 for Circle. The largest gap is in Cost: 4/10 for Circle and 8/10 for MailerLite.
MailerLite has a free plan; Circle does not list one.
MailerLite is the better fit for freelancers: we rate it 8/10 for them, against 6/10 for Circle.
