Groundhogg vs Newsletter
Updated 11 Oct 2026. 25 features compared side by side.
Self-hosted CRM and marketing automation for WordPress with a visual flow builder, broadcasts, forms and contact records; premium plans add integrations.
Long-running free newsletter plugin by Stefano Lissa with unlimited subscribers, a drag-and-drop composer and paid add-ons for automation and delivery.
Choose Groundhogg if…
- You need A/B testing and visual automation builder
- You also want built-in sending service and revenue tracking
- You want the more complete feature set (97/100 vs 83/100)
- You weigh user ratings (4.8 vs 4.6 on WordPress.org)
Choose Newsletter if…
- You prefer the more widely used option
Groundhogg includes 4 features that Newsletter lacks, including A/B testing, Visual automation builder and Built-in sending service. Both include 21 of the 25 features we track.
At a glance
Feature comparison
Click a screenshot to see both plugins side by side.
Groundhogg NewsletterCampaigns5/54/5
Core includes a block email editor with columns, text, image, button, posts and socials blocks.
Drag-and-drop composer with 25+ blocks and live preview; extra blocks via paid add-on.
Start from built-in templates or import HTML; template libraries are an Agency extra.
Reusable templates and composer presets included free.
Post Published flow trigger can email contacts on publish; needs the Advanced Features add-on.
Paid Automated add-on (Professional) builds newsletters from recent posts and custom post types.
Broadcasts can be scheduled and are shown on a month calendar.
Newsletters can be sent immediately or scheduled after choosing the target.
Split (A/B) testing is included from the Basic plan.
No A/B testing in the plugin or its add-on catalogue.
Automation4/43/4
Core flows with triggers, actions and delays; conditional logic needs Pro.
Paid Autoresponder add-on (Professional) sends follow-up email series with delays.
WooCommerce integration and cart abandonment are Pro-plan features.
Paid WooCommerce add-on: checkout opt-in, lists by product/category; no abandoned cart.
Drag-and-drop flow editor with templates, undo/redo and per-flow metrics.
Automation is limited to post digests and linear autoresponder series; no workflow canvas.
Core forms and user-role triggers are free; form-plugin triggers from Plus, LearnDash and MemberPress from Pro.
Paid add-ons for MemberPress, PMPro, Ultimate Member and event plugins add subscribers to lists.
Subscribers & lists7/77/7
Built-in form builder with shortcode block; no popup or slide-in display.
Widget, shortcode, in-post and HTML forms free; popup and top bar via paid Leads add-on.
Confirmation links set an opt-in status that can trigger follow-up flows.
Single or double opt-in with a confirmation email and privacy checkbox.
Tags, saved searches and filters on any contact data.
Lists plus targeting by list combinations, custom fields and language; no tags.
Unlimited CRM custom fields in the core plugin.
Custom profile fields can be collected in forms and used for targeting.
Contact records show activity and email history, notes, tasks and location.
Subscriber edit panel shows sent emails and status with the Reports add-on; no CRM timeline.
CSV import and export of contacts.
CSV import and export of subscribers in the free plugin.
Automatic preferences centre with profile, erase and unsubscribe pages.
Auto-generated profile page where subscribers edit details and choose lists.
Sending & deliverability5/54/5
Contacts, emails and flows are stored in your WordPress database.
Subscribers and newsletters are stored in your WordPress database.
Uses your site's mail setup, so any SMTP plugin works; native SES, SendGrid and SMTP integrations need Pro.
Works with SMTP plugins; free SMTP/Brevo add-ons, SES/SendGrid/Mailgun on Professional.
MailHawk, the team's sending service, is a separate subscription from $10/year.
No vendor-run sending service; mail goes through your host or a connected provider.
Bounce and complaint handling, including IMAP bounce checks, is a Pro-plan feature.
Bounce Management and ESP delivery add-ons with complaint handling are in Professional.
No vendor limits on contacts, flows or emails; real limits depend on hosting and sender.
No cap on subscribers or newsletters in the free plugin.
Reports & integrations4/43/4
Open, click and conversion reports for broadcasts and flows.
Open and click tracking free; Reports and Retargeting add-on adds detail.
Ecommerce Impact reporting attributes revenue; requires Pro integrations.
Neither the Reports nor WooCommerce add-on attributes sales to newsletters.
WPForms, Gravity Forms, Fluent Forms, CF7 and others are included from Plus.
Paid add-ons for CF7, WPForms, Gravity, Ninja, Fluent, Formidable, Forminator, Elementor (Essential).
Tracks consent, offers data download and erase, and blocks marketing after consent is withdrawn.
Privacy checkbox, double opt-in, tracking consent controls and GDPR tools in free.
Statuses: Yes Pro Add-on Partial 3rd-party No ?
Pricing compared
Groundhogg Freemium
| Free | $0 |
|---|---|
| Free | Free per year, Unlimited |
| Basic | $240 per year, 1 site |
| Plus | $480 per year, 3 sites |
| Pro | $600 per year, 5 sites |
| Agency | $1,200 per year, 25 sites |
Newsletter Freemium
| Free | $0 |
|---|---|
| Free | Free per year, Unlimited |
| Essential | $69 one-off, 1 site |
| Professional | $99 one-off, 3 sites |
| Agency | $299 one-off, Unlimited |
Downloads trend
Groundhogg
1,761 downloads last week
Newsletter
275,615 downloads last week
Verdict
Groundhogg scores higher on our feature checklist (97/100 against 83/100) and includes A/B testing, visual automation builder and built-in sending service that Newsletter does not. Check the features you rely on in the table below before deciding.
Biggest differences
Groundhogg: paid version (Basic). Newsletter: not included. Split (A/B) testing is included from the Basic plan.
Groundhogg: included. Newsletter: not included. Drag-and-drop flow editor with templates, undo/redo and per-flow metrics.
Groundhogg: via add-on. Newsletter: not included. MailHawk, the team's sending service, is a separate subscription from $10/year.
Groundhogg: paid version (Pro). Newsletter: not included. Ecommerce Impact reporting attributes revenue; requires Pro integrations.
Written from the feature, pricing and install data on this page, not from hands-on testing. How we compare.
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FAQ
Which is better, Groundhogg or Newsletter?
Groundhogg scores higher on our feature checklist (97/100 against 83/100) and includes A/B testing, visual automation builder and built-in sending service that Newsletter does not. Check the features you rely on in the table below before deciding.
Which has more features?
Groundhogg includes 25 of the 25 features we track, against 21 for Newsletter. Feature count is only part of the picture; check which of the differences matter to you.
Is Groundhogg free?
Groundhogg has a free version on WordPress.org. Paid plans start at $240/yr.
Is Newsletter free?
Newsletter has a free version on WordPress.org. Paid plans start at $69.
Feature data last changed 11 Oct 2026. Spotted something wrong? Suggest an edit to Groundhogg or Newsletter. Some links are affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no cost to you; it never affects our data or rankings.