phpList
Campaigns, segmentation and click tracking from the old guard; the interface remembers when gradients were a feature.
Technical Profile & Specs
verified 2026-08-10
- Cost
- $0 / forever (Open Source)
- License
- AGPL-3.0
- Hosting Model
- Local or hosted (your machine or their cloud)
- Platforms
- webself-hostedself-host, real ops
- Installation
- Free hosted signup or upload the PHP package to a web host
- Operational Setup
- Manual hosting means configuring PHP, MySQL, cron/queue processing, and a sender; the installer is old-school rather than one-click.
- Where Your Data Lives
- Self-hosted subscribers, preferences, queues, campaigns, and analytics live in a MySQL/MariaDB database; CSV/Excel import and export are built in.
- The Catch / Trade-off
- phpList covers campaigns, segmentation, and click tracking, but its dated interface and weaker modern template workflow are noticeably less pleasant than Campaign Monitor.
Replaces 1 paid app
up to $12/mo ($144/yr) in subscriptions
phpList FAQ
Common questions
Is phpList free and open source?+
phpList is an open-source tool licensed under AGPL-3.0 that runs on local or hosted. Campaigns, segmentation and click tracking from the old guard; the interface remembers when gradients were a feature.
What paid software does phpList replace?+
phpList serves as a free replacement for 1 paid SaaS application: Campaign Monitor, saving up to $12/month ($144/year) in subscription bills.
How do you install and set up phpList?+
Installation: Free hosted signup or upload the PHP package to a web host. Setup notes: Manual hosting means configuring PHP, MySQL, cron/queue processing, and a sender; the installer is old-school rather than one-click.
What is the catch or trade-off with phpList?+
phpList covers campaigns, segmentation, and click tracking, but its dated interface and weaker modern template workflow are noticeably less pleasant than Campaign Monitor.