Overview
Mautic describes itself as the world's largest open-source marketing automation product and says more than 40,000 companies use it. It covers the core of commercial marketing automation suites: a click-and-drag campaign builder, a drag-and-drop email and landing page builder, forms, segments, contact point scoring for lead prioritisation, and a plugin ecosystem.
Because it is self-hosted, you control where contact data lives, which Mautic positions as data sovereignty and privacy compliance. A REST API supports integrations, and the project offers developer certification.
Installation uses a production package with a web installer or command line, Composer, or a GitHub clone for development. Setup has three steps: connect a database, create an admin account, and configure the email server used for sending. PHP settings such as a max execution time of at least 240 seconds are required.
Running Mautic well takes real operations work, including cron jobs, upgrades and deliverability; teams without that capacity can use a hosting partner.
Pricing and plans
Free tier · no card
Free, open-source software with no contact limits; you pay for hosting, database and an email sending provider
At the limit Not stated The vendor does not say what happens at the limit, or we have not found it yet.
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Self-hosted | Free | Production package, Composer or GitHub install; needs a web server, database and email server |
| Hosted by partners | Varies | Mautic lists partners offering SaaS hosting and support; prices set by each partner |
What it does
- Campaign builder
- Click-and-drag builder for multi-step automated campaigns.
- Email and page builder
- Drag-and-drop emails and landing pages optimised for mobile and many mail clients.
- Lead scoring
- Point scoring to prioritise contacts, with a central contact overview.
- REST API and plugins
- REST API for integrations and a plugin ecosystem for extensions.
- Self-hosting
- Run on your own infrastructure for data control.
Strengths and limitations
Strengths
- Free software with no contact or send limits
- Full marketing automation feature set including lead scoring
- Complete control over data location
- Active community and partner ecosystem
Limitations
- Requires a PHP server, database and separate email provider
- You manage upgrades, cron jobs and deliverability
- No official hosted plan from the project itself
- Setup is more involved than hosted tools
Who it suits
Good for
- Agencies running automation for several clients
- Organisations with strict data residency needs
- Technical teams replacing a costly automation suite
Look elsewhere if
- Non-technical teams without hosting support
- Simple newsletters where a hosted tool is easier
Alternatives to Mautic
| Tool | From | Free option | Stages |
|---|---|---|---|
| ActiveCampaign Marketing automation platform | $15/mo | ||
| GetResponse Email marketing and automation | $19/mo | Free tier | |
| Brevo Email marketing and transactional platform | $9/mo | Free tier | |
| Loops Lifecycle email for SaaS | $49/mo | Free tier | |
| Ghost Open-source publishing and newsletter platform | $18/mo | Free tier | |
| Notifuse Open-source email platform | $19/mo |
Questions
Is Mautic free?
Yes, it is open source and free to self-host; you pay for hosting and email sending.
What do I need to install Mautic?
A web server that meets its PHP requirements, a supported database and an email server or sending provider.
Is there a hosted version of Mautic?
Not from the project itself, but partners listed on mautic.org offer hosting and support.
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