An honest listmonk alternative
listmonk is free, open-source newsletter software you host yourself: a single binary with a Postgres database, sending through SMTP servers you set up. Terlido Newsletter is hosted and sends each issue from your own mailbox. Here is an honest look at both.
Pricing, as of November 2026
listmonk itself is free (AGPL-3.0). You pay for the server and Postgres database it runs on, and for the SMTP provider that sends your email. listmonk has no hosted plan of its own; its site lists third-party one-click hosts it is not affiliated with.
listmonk
| Software$0 | Free and open source (AGPL-3.0), self-hosted: a single binary plus a Postgres database |
|---|---|
| HostingYour own server | Or a third-party one-click host from the list on listmonk's site |
| SendingYour SMTP provider | Multi-threaded queues across one or more SMTP servers |
Terlido
| Free$0, forever | Up to 10,000 subscribers, 1 brand, a welcome email, and a small "Sent with Terlido Newsletter" line in the footer. |
|---|---|
| Pro$29/month | Up to 100,000 subscribers across unlimited brands, all automations, A/B tests, referrals, RSS-to-email, the API, your own domain, and an AI agent that drafts, tests, schedules and sends. Past 100,000: +$10 a month for each extra 50,000. |
Where listmonk is stronger
- Free, open-source software built for millions of subscribers, by listmonk's own description; you pay only for your server and sending.
- High-throughput sending across several SMTP servers, so a big list is not tied to one mailbox's pace.
- Segments written as SQL expressions, transactional email through an API, and single sign-on with roles.
Where Terlido is stronger
- Nothing to install, host, back up or update.
- Connect the Gmail or Microsoft 365 mailbox you already use; there is no sending provider to set up, and replies land in your own inbox.
- A welcome automation on Free, and on Pro sequences, A/B tests, referrals and RSS-to-email.
- On Pro, your AI agent can draft, test, schedule and send through Terlido's MCP server.
Who Terlido Newsletter is for
For: Writers, founders and small teams who want to send a newsletter from their own address and read replies in their own inbox.
Not a fit:
- Paid newsletters. Terlido has no paid subscriptions or paywall.
- Sending a big list in one burst. Terlido sends from your mailbox at your provider's pace, so a large list can take more than a day.
- Lists of people who never agreed to hear from you.
Which one should you pick?
Pick listmonk if: You have a developer to run it, a big list, and want full control on your own servers.
Pick Terlido if: You want a newsletter running today from your own address, with no server, database or SMTP account to look after.
Terlido Newsletter is new and has no customer logos or open-rate numbers to show you. The fastest way to judge it is to connect a mailbox on the Free plan and send yourself a test issue.
Start freeSources
listmonk details were checked in November 2026. Prices are billed monthly unless a plan says otherwise. Prices and plans change, so check their site before you buy.