newsletter platform · listmonk project

listmonk

Free, open-source newsletter and mailing list manager that you host yourself.

29/100

#10 of 12 newsletter platforms
Facts checked 9 Oct 2026

In short

The software is free, licensed under AGPLv3, and ships as a single binary^1,3.
It stores data in PostgreSQL, so you provide the server^2,3.
Documented API covers subscribers, lists, campaigns, imports and templates^2,6.
Subscribers can be imported from a CSV file, which may be ZIP-compressed⁵.
No built-in paid subscriptions, ads or recommendations appear in the documentation².

listmonk suits people who can run their own server and want a free, open-source sender with an API and CSV import^1,2,5. Software cost is zero, with no subscriber cap stated¹. The catch: it is a one-way mailing tool, so its documentation lists no paid subscriptions, automations, referral or recommendation features, and the docs list only a per-subscriber export^1,2,6.

Best for: Technical publishers who want a free tool and full control of their list.

Where the points come from

Earning0 of 25

Your list12 of 32

Growth0 of 26

Price17 of 17

Earning 0 of 25 points

Rule	What is published	Points
Paid subscriptions	Not publishedNot published on the vendor's home page or docs index; the docs call it a one-way newsletter manager^1,2.	0 / 8
Fee on paid subscriptions	Not publishedNo built-in paid subscriptions are described on the vendor's pages, so there is no fee to record^1,2.	0 / 10
Built-in sponsorship or ad network	Not publishedNot published on the vendor's home page or docs index^1,2.	0 / 4
Sell digital products	Not publishedNot published on the vendor's home page or docs index^1,2.	0 / 3

Your list 12 of 32 points

Rule	What is published	Points
Export your subscriber list	Not publishedNot published as a full-list export; the API docs describe only a single-subscriber export⁶.	0 / 8
Import subscribers	YesAPI docs: POST /api/import/subscribers takes a CSV file, optionally ZIP-compressed⁵.	5 / 5
Website on your own domain	Not publishedDocs describe an optional public archive, but not running it on your own domain⁷.	0 / 7
Send from your own domain	Not publishedNot published: the docs we read do not cover the From address domain, SPF or DKIM^2,7.	0 / 5
Open source	YesLicensed under AGPLv3, per the vendor's site and the GitHub README^1,3.	3 / 3
Public API	YesDocs have an API section covering subscribers, lists, import, campaigns, templates, transactional mail and bounces².	4 / 4

Growth 0 of 26 points

Rule	What is published	Points
Recommendation network	Not publishedNot published on the vendor's home page or docs index^1,2.	0 / 6
Referral program	Not publishedNot published on the vendor's home page or docs index^1,2.	0 / 4
Send to a tag or segment	Not publishedDocs describe SQL queries to segment subscribers, but no page we read says a campaign can be sent to one⁴.	0 / 5
Automated email sequences	Not publishedNot published on the vendor's home page or docs index^1,2.	0 / 4
Subscriber source reports	Not publishedNot published: docs cover view and click tracking, not where subscribers came from^1,2.	0 / 4
Subject-line A/B tests	Not publishedNot published on the vendor's home page or docs index^1,2.	0 / 3

Price 17 of 17 points

Rule	What is published	Points
Free plan	YesThe software is free and open source and self-hosted, with no subscriber cap stated¹.	8 / 8
Cost at 1,000 subscribers	$0Free software under AGPLv3, so the licence costs $0; hosting is left out^1,3.	9 / 9

The rule behind each line: how we score newsletter platforms.

Plans and prices

As the vendor lists them, before tax. Prices are in US dollars unless the plan shows euros; the points use US dollars, with euros converted at the ECB rate.

Plan	Price as listed	Per month	Notes
Self-hosted softwareYour own server	Free^1,3	$0	AGPLv3 licence; you provide hosting and sending

Hosting, the database and an outgoing mail service are your own costs and are not counted.

Strengths

Free software under AGPLv3, with no subscriber limit stated^1,3.
Documented API for subscribers, lists, campaigns and templates^1,2.
CSV import, with ZIP-compressed files accepted⁵.
Subscribers can be filtered with SQL expressions⁴.

Limits

You must host it and run PostgreSQL yourself^2,3.
The docs describe it as a one-way mailing list and newsletter manager, with no paid subscriptions².
The only documented export is for a single subscriber, not the whole list⁶.
GitHub lists six security advisories for the project, two of them rated Critical⁸.

Concerns on record

The project's GitHub security advisories list six published advisories from June 2025 to June 2026, two rated Critical and two High⁸.

Other newsletter platforms

1
beehiivWriters who want an ad network, referrals and growth tools
97/100
$0cost at 1,000 subscribers
2
KitCreators who sell products and want a large free plan
94/100
$0cost at 1,000 subscribers
3
GhostWriters who want open-source software and no cut of paid-subscription revenue
77/100
$0cost at 1,000 subscribers
4
SubstackWriters who want paid subscriptions and reader discovery with no monthly fee
71/100
$0cost at 1,000 subscribers

All 12 newsletter platforms

Sources

listmonk home page, listmonk. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
listmonk documentation, listmonk. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
knadh/listmonk, GitHub. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
Querying and segmenting subscribers, listmonk. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
API: Import, listmonk. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
API: Subscribers, listmonk. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
Archives, listmonk. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
Security advisories, knadh/listmonk, GitHub. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.

Website: listmonk.app · Markdown version · We are not affiliated with listmonk project.