Overview

Under the AGPLv3 license, listmonk brings subscriber management, campaign tools, and analytics into a self-hosted package. It supports single- and double-opt-in lists and is built to manage millions of subscribers, with SQL expressions available for segmentation. That flexibility can suit operators with large or complex audiences, but it is not a turnkey hosted service: database and application operations remain your responsibility.

Key features

Campaign analytics cover performance, bounces, and top links, giving teams practical signals for reviewing sends. Multithreaded queues can use multiple SMTP connections, with throughput controls and sliding-window rate limits. These controls offer room to manage delivery pace, though the sending setup still depends on the SMTP connections and infrastructure you operate.

Template choices range from Go expressions and functions to a drag-and-drop builder, WYSIWYG editor, Markdown, HTML, and plain text. That breadth accommodates both custom message logic and visual editing workflows. The API exposes dashboard features through JSON over REST-like HTTP endpoints, with BasicAuth or authorization tokens; it can also send transactional messages from predefined templates through email, SMS, and WhatsApp messenger interfaces.

Messenger web services can receive campaign messages as JSON for delivery through services such as SMS or FCM. OIDC single sign-on and granular user and list roles help teams control access. These features make listmonk more than a basic newsletter sender, but they also reward operators prepared to configure and maintain a self-hosted system.

Pricing

The Self-hosted plan costs 0.00 USD per free and includes free, open-source software. There is no paid tier to weigh against a hosted subscription, but the zero software price does not remove the infrastructure requirement: listmonk needs PostgreSQL 12 or later, and you operate the installation and sending setup yourself. It is a strong fit for teams able to take on that work; readers seeking a managed service should compare hosted alternatives instead.

Platforms

listmonk is self-hosted and offers 64-bit downloads for Darwin, FreeBSD, Linux, NetBSD, OpenBSD, and Windows, plus a Docker image. Its dashboard is web-based, and API access is available. The broad operating-system options help teams choose a deployment environment, but the PostgreSQL requirement remains regardless of platform.

Who it's for

Choose listmonk if you want control over a mailing-list system, need fine-grained SQL segmentation or API-driven workflows, and can manage the database and application. Its support for large subscriber lists, multiple SMTP connections, and transactional messaging can suit technically capable teams with varied delivery needs. It is a poor fit if you want the vendor to host and maintain the service, or if your main requirement is two-way audience communication: listmonk is focused on one-way lists.

Pros and cons

Pro: Free, open-source software with no paid tier, useful for teams that can supply their own infrastructure.
Pro: SQL-expression segmentation and support for millions of subscribers suit operators managing large or finely divided audiences.
Pro: Broad template tools, campaign analytics, and API-based transactional and messenger delivery cover a wide range of workflows.
Con: PostgreSQL 12 or later is required, adding a firm database dependency for every installation.
Con: Self-hosting leaves setup and ongoing operation to you, so the free price is not a substitute for infrastructure and administration.
Con: Its one-way-list focus is not suited to teams seeking a two-way messaging product.

Alternatives

For a hosted newsletter platform, browse Newsletter Platforms; for broader campaign tools, compare Email Marketing Software.

Curated is worth considering if you want a freemium option with a free allowance of up to 1,500 subscribers and a paid tier at 39.00 USD per month for 1,501–2,500 subscribers. Audienceful may suit a smaller team that can work within a free plan capped at 1,000 contacts, one team collaborator, and one automated journey. Email Fast is an alternative if you want a free plan with 2,500 emails per month and unlimited contacts, rather than self-hosting listmonk.

Mailtrain is another free, self-hosted mailing-list option. phpList offers a free plan with unlimited subscribers and a 300-message allowance. Sympa is a free server-software alternative that requires administrator-managed mail, database, and web server components. LetterBucket has a free plan for up to 1,000 subscribers and unlimited posts. SendFox offers a free plan for 1,000 contacts and 3,000 sends per month.

Verdict

listmonk is a strong choice for technically capable teams that want free, open-source control over one-way newsletters, with SQL segmentation and extensive API workflows. Its central advantage is flexibility without a software fee; its central cost is running the application and PostgreSQL yourself. If you need a managed service or a two-way messaging focus, look elsewhere.

	listmonk	Substack
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Free trial	No	No
Paid from	Free	Free
Open source	No	No
Platforms	api, Linux, macOS, self-hosted, Web, Windows	Android, iOS, Web
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Email automation	—	Yes
Audience segmentation	—	Yes

listmonk vs Substack

listmonk

Substack