Drip alternatives: 7 open-source picks
Drip costs $39/mo — $468 a year. These 7 alternatives replace it for $0, led by Mautic, Plunk and Dittofeed. All 7 are open source. License, stars and last commit checked by hand on 2026-08-29. No trials, no crippled tiers.
Tracks behavior and fires campaigns from events; modern ecommerce niceties require integration work.
A small event stream can drive conditional email workflows; ecommerce dashboards do not appear by wishing.
licenseAGPL-3.0
runsyour machine or their cloud
installHosted signup or Docker Compose
dataSelf-hosted data lives in PostgreSQL, queues in Redis, and uploads in bundled MinIO or another S3-compatible store.
the catch vs DripPlunk can drive conditional email from a small event stream, but it lacks Drip's ecommerce dashboards, product-aware templates, and native store plumbing.
setupThe self-host path needs Docker, several subdomains, DNS/TLS, and an AWS SES account with credentials and domain verification.
facts verified 2026-08-10
Cart and product events can trigger branching email journeys; ecommerce integrations are yours to wire.
licenseMIT
runsyour machine or their cloud
installDittofeed Cloud or Docker Compose/Kubernetes self-host
dataSelf-hosted identity and configuration data lives in PostgreSQL and event/segment data in ClickHouse; optional blob data can use object storage.
the catch vs DripDittofeed can trigger journeys from cart and product events, but it lacks Drip's turnkey ecommerce integrations, store-aware reporting, and revenue attribution unless you build them.
setupDocker Compose brings Postgres and ClickHouse, but the harder first step is instrumenting product events and connecting an email provider.
facts verified 2026-08-10
Event-triggered campaigns and segmentation without contact pricing; store-specific reporting is absent.
licenseAGPL-3.0
runsyour machine or their cloud
installNotifuse Cloud signup or self-host with Docker
dataSelf-hosted contact, campaign, event, and analytics data lives in PostgreSQL; uploaded assets use S3-compatible storage.
the catch vs DripNotifuse supports event-triggered campaigns and segmentation, but it does not provide Drip's store-specific dashboards, revenue attribution, or ready-made ecommerce integrations.
setupSelf-hosting needs Docker, PostgreSQL, object storage, a public domain, and a separately configured SMTP or email API provider.
facts verified 2026-08-10
Publishing platform with memberships and paid newsletters built in. The self-hosted answer to Substack taking 10% of your revenue.
licenseMIT
runsyour server
setupnot verified by us yet — check the repo README
facts verified 2026-08-29
High-performance single-binary newsletter and mailing list manager with campaigns, templates, and Postgres backend
licenseAGPL-3.0
runsyour server
setupnot verified by us yet — check the repo README
facts verified 2026-08-29
Lean newsletter tool in Elixir — campaigns, segments, signup forms. Bring your own SES/SMTP and sending is nearly free.
licenseAGPL-3.0
runsyour server
setupnot verified by us yet — check the repo README
facts verified 2026-08-29
What each one is, in full: Mautic · Ghost · Listmonk
last updated 2026-08-29 · no votes, no pay-to-list · just what's real
how to choose a Drip alternative
Easiest to get running
Listmonk — a one-click install, no server to maintain.
Most proven
Ghost, with 49,000 GitHub stars — the largest community of the 7, which usually means more answers when something breaks.
Needs real ops to self-host
Mautic and Dittofeed are capable but expect someone to run a server, updates and backups. Budget for that before choosing one.
what you give up by leaving Drip
- commerce integrations, identity resolution, deliverability, segmentation, and revenue analytics
- inbox-placement expertise
- advanced automations
- commerce integrations
- recommendation and ad networks
None of the picks above covers all of it. The full verdict says which gaps matter.
Drip alternatives at a glance
| tool | license | running it | platforms | stars | active |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mautic | open source | self-host, real ops | web, self-hosted | 10,300 | 2026-08 |
| Plunk | AGPL-3.0 | docker to self-host | web, self-hosted | 5,300 | 2026-08 |
| Dittofeed | MIT | self-host, real ops | web, self-hosted | 2,887 | 2026-03 |
| Notifuse | AGPL-3.0 | docker to self-host | web, self-hosted | 2,038 | 2026-08 |
| Ghost | MIT | docker to self-host | self-hosted, web | 49,000 | 2026-08 |
| Listmonk | AGPL-3.0 | one-click install | self-hosted, web | 22,000 | 2026-08 |
| Keila | AGPL-3.0 | docker to self-host | self-hosted, web | 2,000 | 2026-08 |
why people still pay for Drip
People still pay for Drip because newsletter operators pay for inbox placement, growth mechanics, and operational confidence on publication day. The recurring cost buys DNS authentication, reputation, bounces, complaints, unsubscribe compliance, templates, queues, analytics, backups, and support, not just the visible interface. If none of that applies to you, any pick above saves $468 a year.
questions about switching from Drip
Is there an open-source alternative to Drip?
Yes: Mautic, Plunk, Dittofeed and 4 more. Every tool on this page is open source: no trials, no crippled tiers.
Can open source really replace Drip?
Our verdict is YES. Ghost (49k stars), Listmonk (22k stars), Mautic (10k stars) are mature open-source replacements for Drip — self-host with docker and stop paying $39/mo. The full verdict, and what you give up by switching, is at caniopensourceit.online/drip.
What is the easiest open-source Drip alternative to set up?
Listmonk — a one-click install, no server to maintain.
What is the most popular open-source Drip alternative?
By GitHub stars, Ghost (49,000). Listmonk is next with 22,000.
