# Campaign Monitor vs listmonk (2026): Free Alternative to Campaign Monitor

Canonical: https://caniforkit.com/vs/campaign-monitor-vs-listmonk
Last updated: 2026-08-10

Compare Campaign Monitor ($12/mo) vs listmonk ($0/mo open source AGPL-3.0 alternative to Campaign Monitor). Side-by-side breakdown of pricing, self-hosting setup, data storage, and practical trade-offs.

## Side-by-Side Comparison Matrix

| Feature / Metric | Campaign Monitor | listmonk |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $12/mo | $0.00 / month |
| 1-Seat Annual Cost | $144/yr | $0.00 / year |
| 5-Person Team Annual Cost | $720/yr | $0.00 / year |
| 10-Person Team Annual Cost | $1,440/yr | $0.00 / year |
| License Model | Proprietary Commercial SaaS | AGPL-3.0 |
| Hosting / Runtime | Vendor Cloud | Self-host |
| Data Ownership | Stored on vendor servers | Subscribers, campaigns, templates, and analytics live in a PostgreSQL database on your server. |
| GitHub Stars | Closed Source | ★ 23k |
| Code Repository | None | https://github.com/knadh/listmonk |
| The Catch / Trade-off | Recurring subscription cost | listmonk is fast and capable, but its utilitarian editor and template workflow are less polished for design-heavy branded campaigns than Campaign Monitor. |

## About listmonk
Campaigns, segments and analytics in one fast compose file; templates favor competence over theatre.

- **Installation**: Docker Compose or a single release binary plus PostgreSQL
- **Setup Notes**: You still need a PostgreSQL database and a trustworthy SMTP/API sender with authenticated DNS.
- **Data Storage**: Subscribers, campaigns, templates, and analytics live in a PostgreSQL database on your server.
- **Supported Platforms**: web, self-hosted, docker to self-host
- **The Catch vs Campaign Monitor**: listmonk is fast and capable, but its utilitarian editor and template workflow are less polished for design-heavy branded campaigns than Campaign Monitor.

## Cost Savings Breakdown
Switching from Campaign Monitor to listmonk eliminates ongoing per-seat subscriptions:
- **Solo / 1-seat**: Save **$144/year**
- **5-person team**: Save **$720/year**
- **10-person team**: Save **$1,440/year**

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Is listmonk a good free alternative to Campaign Monitor?
Yes. listmonk is a verified open source (AGPL-3.0) replacement for Campaign Monitor. Campaigns, segments and analytics in one fast compose file; templates favor competence over theatre.

### What is the catch when switching from Campaign Monitor to listmonk?
listmonk is fast and capable, but its utilitarian editor and template workflow are less polished for design-heavy branded campaigns than Campaign Monitor.

## Related

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