Sendy costs $49/mo.
These cost $0.
6 free alternatives to Sendy, checked for license, recent activity and real adoption. Each one tells you the catch, so you can switch with your eyes open.
The top-rated free, open-source replacement for Sendy is Listmonk (AGPL-3.0 Open Source). Across this category, 6 self-hostable tools are available (including Listmonk and Plunk). Switching a 5-person team saves up to $2,940/year compared to Sendy's $49/mo subscription.
The catch: listmonk is fast and explicit about subscriber states, but it lacks Brevo's managed deliverability, broad automation suite, CRM-style contact tools, and polished visual workflow builder.
Sendy vs Free Alternatives
Quick side-by-side comparison · $0/mo vs $49/mo
| Alternative | Type | License | Where It Runs | Stars | Head-to-Head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Listmonk | open source | AGPL-3.0 | Self-host | ★ 24.2k | Sendy vs Listmonk → |
| Plunk | open source | AGPL-3.0 | Self-host | ★ 5.6k | Sendy vs Plunk → |
| useSend | open source | Open Source | Self-host | ★ 4.8k | Sendy vs useSend → |
| MailCheap | open source | Open Source | Self-host | ★ 1.7k | Sendy vs MailCheap → |
| Sendportal | open source | Open Source | Self-host | ★ 2.2k | Sendy vs Sendportal → |
| Keila | open source | AGPL-3.0+ | Self-host | ★ 2.3k | Sendy vs Keila → |
The picks
6 open source · ranked by fit
- 01
Listmonk
open sourceAGPL-3.0Self-host24.2knov 2026Send email campaigns and transactional messages to millions of subscribers with a single high-performance binary backed by Postgres.
The catch vs Sendylistmonk is fast and explicit about subscriber states, but it lacks Brevo's managed deliverability, broad automation suite, CRM-style contact tools, and polished visual workflow builder.
Install, platforms & data +
- platforms
- webself-hosteddocker to self-host
- install
- Docker Compose or a single release binary plus PostgreSQL
- setup
- You still need a PostgreSQL database and a trustworthy SMTP/API sender with authenticated DNS.
- your data
- Subscribers, campaigns, templates, and analytics live in a PostgreSQL database on your server.
- checked
- 2026-11-07
- 02
Plunk
open sourceAGPL-3.0Self-host5.6knov 2026Plunk unifies marketing, transactional, and broadcast emails into a single, complete solution for businesses of all sizes.
The catch vs SendyPlunk is developer-first and much thinner in visual audience management, CRM depth, segmentation tooling, and marketer-oriented reporting.
Install, platforms & data +
- platforms
- webself-hosteddocker to self-host
- install
- Hosted signup, or the official Docker Compose stack
- setup
- Hosted use still needs domain authentication; self-hosting adds PostgreSQL, Redis, MinIO, Nginx or another proxy, exposed web and SMTP services, DNS, and ongoing deliverability work.
- your data
- The self-hosted stack stores core data in PostgreSQL, jobs and cache in Redis, and objects in MinIO; hosted data is kept in Plunk's EU infrastructure.
- checked
- 2026-11-07
- 03
useSend
open sourceOpen SourceSelf-host4.8knov 2026Open source email platform for transactional and marketing emails. Self-host or use cloud service with transparent pricing - pay only for emails sent.
The catch vs SendyRequires self-hosting setup, updates, and server maintenance compared to managed Sendy.
Install, platforms & data +
- platforms
- webself-hosteddocker to self-host
- install
- Clone https://github.com/usesend/usesend or deploy with Docker Compose
- setup
- Deploy via Docker or binary release from GitHub and configure environment variables.
- your data
- All application data and configuration live on your own server or local database.
- checked
- 2026-11-07
- 04
MailCheap
open sourceOpen SourceSelf-host1.7knov 2026Newsletter platform billed by emails sent, not list size, with scheduling, a public website, AI agent access and deliverability tools from $19 a month.
The catch vs SendyRequires self-hosting setup, updates, and server maintenance compared to managed Sendy.
Install, platforms & data +
- platforms
- webself-hosteddocker to self-host
- install
- Clone https://github.com/marclou/mailcheap or deploy with Docker Compose
- setup
- Deploy via Docker or binary release from GitHub and configure environment variables.
- your data
- All application data and configuration live on your own server or local database.
- checked
- 2026-11-07
- 05
Sendportal
open sourceOpen SourceSelf-host2.2knov 2026Open-source email marketing platform offering unlimited subscribers, campaigns, and workspaces. Self-hosted solution with powerful API and beautiful interface.
The catch vs SendyRequires self-hosting setup, updates, and server maintenance compared to managed Sendy.
Install, platforms & data +
- platforms
- webself-hosteddocker to self-host
- install
- Clone https://github.com/mettle/sendportal or deploy with Docker Compose
- setup
- Deploy via Docker or binary release from GitHub and configure environment variables.
- your data
- All application data and configuration live on your own server or local database.
- checked
- 2026-11-07
- 06
Keila
open sourceAGPL-3.0+Self-host2.3knov 2026Self-hosted newsletter platform with powerful features, data protection, and full control over your mailing lists and campaigns.
The catch vs SendyKeila gives you a friendly campaign editor and tracking, but delivery reputation, SMTP configuration, backups, and upgrades become your responsibility rather than Campaign Monitor's.
Install, platforms & data +
- platforms
- webself-hosteddocker to self-host
- install
- Keila Cloud signup or Docker image plus PostgreSQL
- setup
- Self-hosting requires Docker, PostgreSQL, a public HTTPS domain, and credentials for SMTP, SES, SendGrid, Mailgun, or Postmark.
- your data
- Self-hosted subscribers, campaigns, and job state live in PostgreSQL; uploaded campaign assets live on persistent server storage.
- checked
- 2026-11-07
Sendy Head-to-Head Comparisons (2027)
Side-by-side trade-off breakdowns · 6 free alternatives
Frequently Asked Questions
Direct answers · Sendy open-source replacements
What is the best free alternative to Sendy?+
The top free alternative to Sendy is Listmonk (open source, AGPL-3.0). Send email campaigns and transactional messages to millions of subscribers with a single high-performance binary backed by Postgres. Other popular Sendy replacements include Plunk, useSend, MailCheap.
Can I self-host a free replacement for Sendy?+
Yes. Of the 6 free alternatives to Sendy, 6 can be self-hosted on your own server or local machine: Listmonk (AGPL-3.0), Plunk (AGPL-3.0), useSend (Open Source), MailCheap (Open Source), Sendportal (Open Source), Keila (AGPL-3.0+).
How much does switching from Sendy to a free alternative save?+
Sendy starts at $49/month per seat ($588/year). Switching a 5-person team to a free alternative like Listmonk saves $2,940 per year in software subscription fees.
Should I vibe-code or build my own Sendy clone from scratch?+
Our build verdict for Sendy is NO (use a free alternative, save the tokens). Instead of paying recurring SaaS fees for Sendy or rebuilding it from scratch, deploy one of the 6 battle-tested open-source alternatives like Listmonk.
What is the catch when switching from Sendy to Listmonk?+
listmonk is fast and explicit about subscriber states, but it lacks Brevo's managed deliverability, broad automation suite, CRM-style contact tools, and polished visual workflow builder.
