Constant Contact vs MailerLite for Nonprofits (2026)
Event tools vs free plan — which fits your nonprofit?
16
Features Compared
4
Key Differences
4
User Reviews
10
FAQs Answered
Constant Contact has built-in event management and phone support but no free plan since 2023, with Lite starting at $12/month and Standard at $35/month. MailerLite has a free plan (500 contacts, 12,000 emails/month, halved from 1,000 in September 2025), Growing Business from $10/month, and a 30% nonprofit discount on paid plans. Both charge as your contact count grows. Groupmail costs $15/month flat with unlimited contacts and no application paperwork.
Platform Overview
See how each platform compares
Constant Contact
Email and events platform
Constant Contact has been in email since 1995 and targets small organisations and nonprofits. Its standout features are built-in event management (registrations, ticketing, payments) and real phone support — unusual in the email platform space. The tradeoffs: no free plan since 2023, higher base prices than most competitors, and a 30% nonprofit discount that requires 12-month prepayment.
MailerLite
Affordable email with a free plan
MailerLite is a budget-focused email platform popular with small organisations and creators. It offers a free plan (500 contacts, 12,000 emails/month after the September 2025 reduction from 1,000) and a Growing Business plan from $10/month. The 30% nonprofit discount applies to paid plans with proof of status. It is one of the most affordable major platforms — but has no event management and limits some features on the free tier.
Key Differences
Free plan
MailerLite winsMailerLite offers a free plan for up to 500 contacts and 12,000 emails per month — reduced from 1,000 contacts in September 2025 but still a genuine free tier. Constant Contact removed its free plan in 2023 and only offers a 60-day trial in some markets. If your nonprofit has fewer than 500 active contacts and no budget, MailerLite is the clear choice.
Event management
Constant Contact winsConstant Contact includes built-in event management on all paid plans — create event pages, manage registrations, collect ticket payments, and send follow-up emails from one platform. MailerLite has no event management; nonprofits running galas or fundraising dinners need a separate tool like Eventbrite or Givebutter. For event-heavy nonprofits, this is a meaningful Constant Contact advantage.
Price at 5,000 active contacts
Groupmail winsAt 5,000 contacts: Constant Contact Standard is ~$110/month (~$77/month after 30% nonprofit discount with 12-month prepay). MailerLite Growing Business is ~$39/month (~$27/month after 30% nonprofit discount). Groupmail Community is $15/month regardless of contact count, with no discount paperwork. MailerLite is the cheapest mainstream option after discount; Groupmail is cheaper still without any verification.
Charging for unsubscribed contacts
Groupmail winsBoth Constant Contact and MailerLite count active subscribers toward your billing tier — MailerLite excludes unsubscribed and bounced contacts from billing (a meaningful difference from Constant Contact, which historically counts unsubscribes). A nonprofit with 4,000 active members and 6,000 historical unsubscribes pays differently on each platform. Groupmail never charges for unsubscribed or inactive contacts on any plan.
Feature Comparison
16 features · pricing verified May 14, 2026
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| Feature | Constant Contact | MailerLite | Groupmail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing | |||
| Free plan | None (removed 2023) | 500 contacts, 12,000 emails/mo | 500 contacts, 1,000 emails/mo |
| Starting paid plan | $12/mo (Lite, 500 contacts) | $10/mo (Growing Business, 500 subs) | $15/mo (Community, unlimited) |
| Price at 2,500 contacts | ~$75/mo (Standard) | ~$25/mo (Growing Business) | $15/mo (unlimited contacts) |
| Price at 10,000 contacts | ~$160/mo (Standard) | ~$73/mo (Growing Business) | $15/mo (unlimited contacts) |
| Unlimited contacts | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Nonprofit discount | 30% with 12-month prepay (Standard+) | 30% with verified 501(c)(3) | Community-First pricing, no application |
| Email Features | |||
| Drag-and-drop editor | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Email automation | Standard+ (3 workflows) | All paid plans | ✗ |
| A/B testing | Standard+ (subject line) | All paid plans | ✗ |
| Reporting & analytics | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Extra Tools | |||
| Event management | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Landing pages / websites | Landing pages only | Websites + landing pages | ✗ |
| Support & Compliance | |||
| Human support | Phone & chat (paid plans) | Chat & email (no phone) | Every plan, including free |
| Volunteer handover support | ✗ | ✗ | Included (Continuity plan) |
| GDPR compliant | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| EU data storage | ✗ | ✗ | Ireland (EU by default) |
Pricing at 10,000 Contacts
All prices USD · verified May 14, 2026
Constant Contact
$160/mo
Standard plan, 10,000 contacts
~$112/mo after 30% nonprofit discount (12-month prepay)
MailerLite
$73/mo
Growing Business, 10,000 subscribers
~$51/mo after 30% nonprofit discount
Groupmail
$15/mo
Community plan, unlimited contacts
Same price at 1,000 or 100,000 contacts
Pros & Cons
Constant Contact
Pros
- Built-in event management (registrations, ticketing, payments) on all paid plans
- Phone and chat support — rare in the email platform space
- Up to 30% nonprofit discount with 12-month prepay (20% on 6-month prepay)
- Strong deliverability track record across long-established sender reputation
- Simple interface familiar to non-technical volunteer coordinators
- Social posting tools and surveys included on paid plans
Cons
- No free plan since 2023 — only a 60-day trial in select markets
- Counts unsubscribed contacts toward billing tier
- Lite plan ($12/mo) doesn't qualify for the full 30% nonprofit discount structure
- Higher base prices than most competitors — Standard at 10,000 contacts is ~$160/month before discount
- Limited automation on Standard plan (3 pre-built workflows)
- TechSoup verification and prepay commitment required to access nonprofit pricing
MailerLite
Pros
- Free plan for up to 500 contacts and 12,000 emails per month
- 30% nonprofit discount on paid plans with verified 501(c)(3) status
- Growing Business plan from $10/month — among the cheapest paid tiers
- Clean, modern drag-and-drop editor consistently praised for ease of use
- Unlimited emails on paid plans (no daily or monthly send caps)
- Built-in website and landing page builder included on all plans
Cons
- Free plan was cut in half in September 2025 — from 1,000 to 500 contacts
- Counts unsubscribed contacts toward billing tier on paid plans
- No event management tools — relies on integrations or external platforms
- No phone support — email and chat only (24/7 chat on paid plans)
- Manual approval required for new accounts — can take 1-3 business days
- Free plan removes MailerLite branding only on paid tiers
What others say
Verified third-party reviews and resources for further reading.
Which Should You Choose?
Choose Constant Contact if…
- →Nonprofits that run galas, auctions, fundraising dinners, or community events
- →Organisations that need phone support and have budget for a paid plan
- →Teams comfortable prepaying 12 months to lock in the 30% nonprofit discount
- →Non-technical volunteer coordinators who want a familiar, established interface
- →Nonprofits combining email with event registration and ticketing in one tool
Choose MailerLite if…
- →Small nonprofits with fewer than 500 active contacts and no budget
- →Organisations that send high email volume (12,000/month on free plan)
- →Nonprofits that qualify for the 30% nonprofit discount and want a modern editor
- →Teams that need a website or landing pages alongside email
- →Budget-conscious nonprofits that don't need event management or phone support
A third option
Neither was built for nonprofits.
Constant Contact was built for small businesses and added nonprofit discounts. MailerLite was built for creators and marketers and added a discount program. Groupmail has been built for community organizations like yours since 1996.
Flat $15/month pricing
Unlimited contacts, no TechSoup application, no prepay commitment. Same price at 500 contacts or 50,000.
No penalty for unsubscribes
Unsubscribed and inactive contacts never count toward your billing limit — ever.
Volunteer handover included
Annual handover call when your coordinator changes (Continuity plan, $29/mo). Built for the reality of nonprofit staffing.
User Reviews
“The event management feature is what sold us. We run four fundraising galas a year and handling registrations, tickets, and follow-up emails from one platform saves our team hours. The 30% nonprofit discount helps with the cost, but I wish they hadn't removed the free plan — onboarding new volunteer-led chapters is now harder.”
Michelle R.
Event Coordinator, Youth Services Nonprofit
“We've been on Constant Contact for six years and the price keeps climbing. We have 8,000 contacts but probably 3,000 are old unsubscribes we can't afford to keep paying for. Phone support is genuinely helpful when you can get through, and the events tools are real — but the basic plan feels limited for what we pay.”
James T.
Membership Director, Historical Society
“We are so happy with MailerLite because affordability is important to our small nonprofit. The editor is the easiest I've used — our volunteers picked it up in about twenty minutes. The 30% nonprofit discount made it possible to stay on a paid plan when our list grew past 500.”
Anna L.
Communications Lead, Community Nonprofit
“MailerLite cut the free plan from 1,000 to 500 contacts last September and that put us in a tough spot — we had to either upgrade or trim our list. The product itself is solid and support has been responsive, but the surprise change made budgeting harder. No event tools means we still pay separately for Eventbrite.”
Rebecca H.
Executive Director, Arts Nonprofit
Frequently Asked Questions
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Constant Contact vs MailerLite: Full Overview
Constant Contact and MailerLite represent two very different approaches to email for nonprofits. Constant Contact is the established, full-featured platform with event management and phone support. MailerLite is the modern, budget-focused option with a clean editor and a free plan. Both target small organisations, but they appeal to different needs.
Constant Contact has been in the email space since 1995, making it one of the oldest providers in the market. It positioned itself early as the platform for small businesses and nonprofits, and that focus shows in features like built-in event tools, phone support, and a 30% nonprofit discount. The tradeoff is higher prices and a dated interface compared to newer competitors.
MailerLite launched in 2010 and built a reputation for affordability and ease of use. It is consistently rated among the easiest email platforms to learn, and its Growing Business plan starts at $10/month. The September 2025 reduction of its free plan from 1,000 to 500 contacts surprised many users, but the free tier remains one of the most generous in the market with 12,000 emails per month.
Core Email Features Compared
Both platforms cover the essentials nonprofits need: drag-and-drop editors, contact management, signup forms, automation, and analytics. The differences appear in depth and what is included at each tier.
Constant Contact's Lite plan ($12/month) covers basic email sends, templates, and contact management. Standard ($35/month) adds three pre-built automation workflows, A/B subject-line testing, and contact segmentation. Event management is included on all paid plans — a genuine differentiator. The Premium plan ($80/month) adds advanced reporting and unlimited users.
MailerLite's Growing Business plan ($10/month) includes full automation, A/B testing, dynamic emails, unlimited websites and landing pages, and removes MailerLite branding from emails. The Advanced plan ($21/month) adds promotion popups, multivariate testing, and additional automation triggers. There is no event management on any tier.
For nonprofits sending newsletters and fundraising appeals without events, MailerLite offers more functionality per dollar. For nonprofits where events are central, Constant Contact's bundled tools justify the higher cost.
Where Constant Contact Adds Value for Nonprofits
Constant Contact's strongest case for nonprofits is event management. Galas, auctions, fundraising dinners, community workshops, and recurring meetings can all be managed from a single platform — create event pages, sell tickets, manage registrations, collect payments, and send follow-up sequences. For nonprofits where events drive a meaningful share of fundraising, this consolidation saves real time and money.
Phone support is another genuine differentiator. Most email platforms restrict support to email and chat. Constant Contact maintains phone support on paid plans, and the customer service is consistently praised in G2 and Capterra reviews as the kind of old-fashioned, human-led support that has become rare. For volunteer coordinators who need to call a real person, this matters.
The 30% nonprofit discount is the most generous among major US email platforms, though it comes with conditions — 12-month prepayment and Standard plan or higher. For nonprofits with predictable annual budgets, the prepay commitment is manageable. For organisations with cash-flow constraints, it can be a barrier.
The tradeoff is cost. Constant Contact's base prices are significantly higher than MailerLite's, and the discount only narrows the gap, never closes it. At 10,000 contacts, Constant Contact after discount is roughly $112/month — MailerLite after discount is roughly $51/month.
Where MailerLite Adds Value for Nonprofits
MailerLite's strongest case is cost. The Growing Business plan starts at $10/month for 500 subscribers, climbing to ~$73/month at 10,000 subscribers — before the 30% nonprofit discount brings it to ~$51/month. For nonprofits that don't run events and don't need phone support, MailerLite offers far more headroom per dollar.
The free plan, even after the September 2025 reduction from 1,000 to 500 subscribers, remains one of the most generous in the market. The 12,000 emails per month cap on the free tier is unusually high — most free plans cap sends around 1,000 to 3,000 per month. For small nonprofits sending weekly newsletters to under 500 members, the free plan is genuinely usable as a permanent home.
MailerLite is consistently rated among the easiest email platforms to use. The drag-and-drop editor is clean and modern, and most volunteer coordinators can build a functional newsletter within 20 minutes. For nonprofits with non-technical staff or volunteer rotation, this matters more than feature depth.
The 30% nonprofit discount applies without prepayment requirements — submit proof of 501(c)(3) status and the discount is applied to your monthly bill. This is a more flexible structure than Constant Contact's 12-month prepay requirement.
Free Plan Comparison
MailerLite has a free plan; Constant Contact does not. This is the simplest difference and often the deciding factor for small nonprofits.
MailerLite's free plan supports 500 subscribers and 12,000 emails per month. It includes the drag-and-drop editor, basic templates, signup forms, websites, and limited automation. MailerLite branding appears on emails sent from the free tier — a tradeoff for organisations that care about brand presentation.
The September 2025 reduction from 1,000 to 500 subscribers caught many small nonprofits off-guard. The 12,000 emails per month cap remained, which is actually generous compared to most free tiers. For a nonprofit sending one newsletter per month to 500 members, that is 6,000 emails — well within the limit.
Constant Contact removed its free plan in 2023 and now offers only a 60-day trial in select markets. For nonprofits with zero budget and fewer than 500 active contacts, Constant Contact is not an option. Groupmail also offers a free plan at 500 contacts and 1,000 emails per month — lower send volume than MailerLite, but no MailerLite-style branding on emails.
Migration Considerations
Switching between Constant Contact and MailerLite is straightforward. Both platforms allow CSV export of contacts including email addresses, names, tags, and custom fields. Neither exports email campaign history or automation workflows — those need to be rebuilt manually.
If you are leaving Constant Contact for MailerLite, expect to spend 2-4 hours rebuilding templates and recreating any automations. The good news: MailerLite's editor is significantly easier to use than Constant Contact's, so the rebuild typically goes faster than you expect.
If you are leaving MailerLite for Constant Contact, the migration is similar but you will need to recreate event pages from scratch in Constant Contact's events module — there is no direct import path.
If considering Groupmail as an alternative to either platform, the migration is simpler: export your contacts as a CSV, import into Groupmail, and start sending. There are no automations to recreate because Groupmail focuses on email sends rather than marketing workflows. Migration assistance is included on the Continuity plan ($29/month). One critical note: both Constant Contact and MailerLite may have unsubscribes on your list — export only active subscribers to avoid paying for inactive contacts on any new platform.
Deliverability Track Records
Deliverability — the percentage of emails that reach the inbox rather than spam — matters more than features for nonprofit communication. Both Constant Contact and MailerLite maintain strong reputations, though each has trade-offs.
Constant Contact has a long-established sender reputation built over 30 years. Industry tests consistently place it in the 85-95% inbox placement range. The platform actively monitors sender reputation and may suspend accounts with high bounce rates or spam complaints — strict but generally fair.
MailerLite also maintains strong deliverability, though its newer infrastructure means slightly less established reputation with some inbox providers. Its strict approval process for new accounts (1-3 day manual review) is designed specifically to protect deliverability by filtering out high-risk senders.
Groupmail handles deliverability through managed email delivery — the platform manages the technical infrastructure (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) and sending reputation on behalf of each organization. For nonprofits without a technical team, managed delivery removes a category of problems entirely. Constant Contact and MailerLite both require some level of DNS configuration for best deliverability, particularly when sending from a custom domain.
For Nonprofits Specifically
Neither Constant Contact nor MailerLite was built specifically for nonprofits. Constant Contact was built for small businesses and added a nonprofit discount and event tools as the market demanded. MailerLite was built for creators and small marketers and added a nonprofit discount more recently. Both platforms reflect their origins in the dashboards and features they emphasize.
The core fit question for nonprofits comes down to events. If your nonprofit runs more than one or two events per year, Constant Contact's bundled event management is genuinely useful and may justify the higher price. If your nonprofit is primarily newsletter-driven, MailerLite is significantly cheaper and easier to use.
Both platforms charge based on contact count, though MailerLite's treatment of unsubscribes (excluded from active subscriber count) is more favourable than Constant Contact's historical approach. For nonprofits with long-established lists carrying years of unsubscribes, this matters.
For volunteer-led nonprofits where the coordinator rotates every 1-2 years, neither platform offers structured transition support. The outgoing person hands over login credentials and hopes the incoming person figures out the platform. Groupmail was built for exactly this scenario: flat $15/month pricing, no penalty for unsubscribes, and annual handover calls (Continuity plan) for coordinator changes. Pricing last verified May 2026.
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