How do you know if your email campaigns are really performing well? The answer lies in benchmarks. By comparing your results to industry standards, you can quickly see whether your strategy is on track—or needs a refresh.
In 2025, MailerLite benchmarks for open and click rates offer powerful insights into what’s working in email marketing today. With inbox competition rising, marketers can no longer rely on guesswork. Tracking these benchmarks ensures you’re not only reaching subscribers but also engaging them effectively.
This guide dives deep into the latest MailerLite email benchmarks, giving you real data on open rates, click-through rates, and trends for 2025. Use these numbers to measure your performance, identify growth opportunities, and optimize campaigns for better results.
Why MailerLite Benchmarks Matter in 2025
Email marketing remains one of the highest-performing digital channels in 2025, but success no longer depends solely on sending attractive newsletters or automated drip sequences. Marketers today are dealing with a more competitive inbox environment, stricter spam filters, and rapidly shifting consumer expectations. That’s why MailerLite benchmarks have become such an essential tool for businesses. Benchmarks provide a clear reference point, allowing marketers to measure whether their open rates, click rates, and overall engagement truly meet industry standards. Without them, campaign performance is reduced to guesswork.
Benchmarks act like a compass for email strategy. They highlight where a campaign stands in relation to global and industry averages, revealing whether marketers are excelling, underperforming, or simply average. For growing businesses, knowing these figures is especially important: benchmarks ensure that goals are realistic, resources are invested wisely, and marketing strategies are data-driven rather than based on assumptions.
The Role of Benchmarks in Email Marketing Success
Benchmarks are more than just numbers—they serve as performance indicators that directly influence business growth. By comparing results against MailerLite’s 2025 benchmark data, marketers can understand whether their campaigns need small optimizations or a complete strategy overhaul. For example, a brand may see a 28% open rate and feel successful, but if the MailerLite industry average is 36%, that campaign is actually underperforming. With this knowledge, businesses can refine subject lines, experiment with timing, and strengthen segmentation.
How Open and Click Rates Influence ROI
Open rates and click rates are not vanity metrics; they are tightly connected to return on investment (ROI). An email that gets opened but ignored doesn’t drive revenue. Conversely, a high click rate means subscribers are not only engaging but are also moving down the sales funnel. In 2025, with customer acquisition costs rising across paid ads and social media, email continues to deliver some of the best ROI in digital marketing—averaging $36 for every $1 spent. Benchmarks help businesses understand if they are tapping into that potential or leaving money on the table.
Why Year-Over-Year Comparisons Are Critical
It’s not enough to look at benchmarks in isolation. To truly measure growth, businesses must compare year-over-year trends. Email behavior evolves quickly—what worked in 2023 may no longer resonate in 2025. By studying MailerLite’s 2024 and 2025 benchmarks side by side, marketers can detect patterns such as whether global open rates are dropping due to email fatigue, or if certain industries are seeing record-high engagement thanks to personalization. These insights help brands adjust strategies before they fall behind competitors.
In short, benchmarks in 2025 are not optional—they are the foundation for smart, ROI-driven email marketing strategies. MailerLite provides businesses with transparent, regularly updated metrics that transform raw campaign data into actionable insights.
"Numbers don’t lie—understanding MailerLite benchmarks helps you measure success, spot gaps, and fine-tune campaigns for maximum ROI."
Average MailerLite Open Rates in 2025
Open rates are the first signal of success in any email campaign. They reflect how many subscribers actually open and view your message, making them a crucial benchmark for measuring attention and engagement. In 2025, MailerLite open rate benchmarks reveal a clear picture of how different industries and strategies are performing, giving marketers a reliable point of comparison for their own campaigns.
Global Averages Across Industries
According to MailerLite’s latest 2025 benchmark data, the global average open rate stands at 34.8%, up slightly from the 33.9% reported in 2024. This improvement may seem modest, but it reflects the impact of better email personalization and improved deliverability features across platforms.
Industries with the highest open rates in 2025 include:
- Education & Nonprofits: 40–45% average open rate
- Health & Wellness: 38–42% average open rate
- Professional Services: 35–39% average open rate
Meanwhile, more competitive spaces such as E-commerce average around 27–31%, where promotional saturation often leads to lower engagement. SaaS and Tech brands perform slightly better at 32–35%, benefiting from strong audience targeting and product-driven updates.
Factors Influencing Open Rates
Several key factors explain why some campaigns outperform others:
- Subject Lines: Short, curiosity-driven subject lines with emojis continue to boost open rates in 2025. For instance, brands using personalization tokens (like names or location references) report a 12–15% higher open rate compared to generic titles.
- Timing: Sending emails at optimal times matters more than ever. Across MailerLite campaigns, midweek mornings (Tuesday–Thursday, 9–11 AM) deliver the best results globally, while weekends remain unpredictable depending on the audience.
- Personalization: Segmentation and behavioral triggers increase relevance, leading to significantly higher open rates. Automated workflows (such as abandoned cart or birthday emails) often see 45–50% opens, far exceeding standard newsletters.
Comparison with 2024 Performance
When comparing 2024 vs. 2025 MailerLite benchmarks, open rates are generally improving despite growing inbox competition. The rise is partly due to privacy-conscious design changes (like Apple’s Mail Privacy Protection) becoming normalized, forcing marketers to adapt with stronger content strategies. Businesses that embraced A/B testing, hyper-segmentation, and subscriber preference centers in 2024 are now reaping the benefits in 2025.
Average MailerLite Click Rates in 2025
While open rates measure attention, click rates reveal true engagement. A subscriber may open your email out of curiosity, but when they click a link, button, or call-to-action, it signals interest and intent. That’s why MailerLite benchmarks for click-through rates (CTR) in 2025 are so important: they reflect how effectively your emails drive action and move audiences closer to conversion.
Updated CTR Data and Industry Variations
MailerLite’s 2025 benchmark report shows that the average global click-through rate is 3.6%, holding steady compared to 3.5% in 2024. While the global average appears stable, performance varies significantly across industries:
- Education & Nonprofits: 4.8–5.5% CTR (high engagement due to mission-driven storytelling)
- SaaS & Tech: 4.0–4.6% CTR (value-driven updates and product feature announcements)
- Professional Services: 3.5–4.2% CTR (trust-based interactions with clients)
- Health & Wellness: 3.2–3.8% CTR (wellness tips and actionable lifestyle advice)
- E-commerce: 2.2–2.9% CTR (heavily saturated promotional campaigns compete for clicks)
These figures underline a critical point: industries that focus on content value and education tend to drive more clicks, while sectors heavily focused on discounts and sales must fight harder to capture attention.
Impact of Design, CTAs, and Segmentation
The design of an email plays a major role in influencing CTR. MailerLite data shows that campaigns with clear, mobile-responsive layouts perform up to 22% better than emails cluttered with too much text or imagery.
Other proven factors include:
- CTA Placement: Buttons placed above the fold typically drive 17–20% higher clicks than those buried at the bottom.
- CTA Copywriting: Action-oriented language (“Get My Guide,” “Claim Your Discount”) outperforms generic text like “Click Here.”
- Segmentation: Campaigns sent to segmented lists see CTRs 40–50% higher than campaigns sent to entire subscriber bases.
For example, an e-commerce brand sending tailored product recommendations based on past purchases often doubles its CTR compared to sending a generic product catalog.
Trends Shaping Engagement This Year
In 2025, three major trends are shaping how subscribers engage with email links:
- Interactive Email Design: Polls, carousels, and GIF-based CTAs are gaining traction, encouraging clicks within the email itself.
- AI-Powered Personalization: Tools within MailerLite and integrations with CRM systems allow hyper-targeted offers, resulting in higher CTRs.
- Trust & Authenticity: Subscribers are more cautious about clicking links due to phishing awareness. Brands that build trust with transparent, brand-consistent messaging see stronger performance.
Ultimately, MailerLite click rate benchmarks for 2025 reinforce a timeless truth: clicks come from clarity and relevance. Brands that design with the user in mind and deliver personalized value will continue to outperform generic mass campaigns.
Industry-Specific MailerLite Benchmarks
While global averages provide useful context, every industry has unique challenges and audience behaviors. MailerLite’s 2025 benchmarks reveal how open rates and click-through rates differ across sectors, highlighting where marketers are thriving and where extra optimization is needed. Understanding these industry-specific benchmarks allows businesses to set realistic goals and avoid misleading comparisons.
E-commerce
E-commerce continues to be one of the most competitive email marketing spaces. With inboxes crowded by discounts, seasonal sales, and flash promotions, subscriber fatigue often keeps numbers lower than other industries.
| URL | Average Open Rate | Average Click Rate |
|---|---|---|
| N/A | 27–31% | 2.2–2.9% |
E-commerce brands see better results when they shift from constant promotion to value-added emails like product recommendations, styling tips, or post-purchase care guides. In 2025, those adopting personalized AI-driven product suggestions are seeing CTR improvements of up to 40% compared to standard promotional blasts.
SaaS & Tech
SaaS and technology brands rely on email to onboard, educate, and retain users. Their audiences often expect timely updates and practical insights.
| URL | Average Open Rate | Average Click Rate |
|---|---|---|
| N/A | 32–35% | 4.0–4.6% |
Performance is driven by product release notes, feature announcements, and tutorials. In 2025, companies using behavior-triggered sequences (such as “welcome flows” or “inactive user nudges”) report CTRs nearly double the industry average, proving that context-driven emails outperform mass sends.
Education & Nonprofits
Nonprofits and educational organizations consistently achieve some of the strongest engagement metrics across MailerLite. Their audiences are motivated by mission-driven content, updates on progress, and opportunities to support causes.
| URL | Average Open Rate | Average Click Rate |
|---|---|---|
| N/A | 40–45% | 4.8–5.5% |
Storytelling remains the key driver of performance. Emails with emotional appeals, impact updates, and donor recognition continue to outperform transactional requests. In 2025, nonprofits experimenting with interactive storytelling (videos, carousels, and infographics) see even higher engagement.
Health & Wellness
The health and wellness sector has seen steady engagement growth as people seek trusted guidance on personal well-being.
| URL | Average Open Rate | Average Click Rate |
|---|---|---|
| N/A | 38–42% | 3.2–3.8% |
Campaigns that deliver practical tips, wellness routines, and lifestyle guides tend to perform best. In 2025, personalized content such as nutrition plans or workout recommendations linked to user profiles is driving stronger CTRs, with some campaigns reporting click-through increases of 25–30%.
Professional Services
Consultants, legal firms, financial advisors, and other professional services rely heavily on trust and credibility. Their audience is selective and values expertise.
| URL | Average Open Rate | Average Click Rate |
|---|---|---|
| N/A | 35–39% | 3.5–4.2% |
Emails that provide industry insights, case studies, and client success stories see the highest engagement. In 2025, firms using thought-leadership newsletters not only drive stronger CTRs but also build long-term client loyalty, making email a central part of their reputation-building strategy.
How to Improve Open and Click Rates with MailerLite
MailerLite provides powerful tools for designing campaigns, segmenting audiences, and tracking performance, but success ultimately depends on how marketers use these features. To maximize results in 2025, businesses need to focus on subject lines, personalization, segmentation, and CTA strategies, supported by continuous testing. Here are the most effective ways to boost your open and click rates with MailerLite.
Subject Line Best Practices for Higher Opens
The subject line remains the first point of contact with subscribers. A weak subject line means the email may never be opened, no matter how great the content inside.
Best practices for 2025 include:
- Keep it under 45 characters for mobile-friendly previews.
- Use personalization tokens (first names, location) to grab attention.
- Leverage curiosity and urgency without being clickbait (e.g., “Your free guide is ready” performs better than “Open this now!”).
- Add emojis strategically—MailerLite reports show emails with relevant emojis achieve 11% higher open rates than plain-text subject lines.
Personalization and Segmentation Strategies
MailerLite’s segmentation tools let marketers go beyond basic demographics. In 2025, the focus has shifted toward behavioral segmentation—targeting based on how subscribers interact with past campaigns, website activity, or purchase history.
Proven strategies include:
- Dynamic content blocks → show different content to different subscriber groups in one campaign.
- Behavior-based automation → trigger emails after actions like abandoned carts, downloads, or inactivity.
- Subscriber preference centers → let users select content frequency and topics, boosting relevance and reducing unsubscribes.
Campaigns that implement behavioral segmentation report 40–60% higher CTRs compared to one-size-fits-all emails.
CTA Placement and Copywriting Techniques
Click-through rates rise dramatically when calls-to-action (CTAs) are designed with clarity and intent.
MailerLite benchmarks highlight these trends:
- Above-the-fold placement → ensures subscribers see CTAs without scrolling.
- Multiple CTAs → works best when phrased differently but aligned with one goal (e.g., “Download the Guide” + “Start Learning Now”).
- Strong, benefit-driven copy → CTAs like “Get My Free Template” outperform vague options like “Learn More.”
- Visual contrast → Buttons with standout colors increase clicks by up to 21%.
A/B Testing Examples That Work
MailerLite makes A/B split testing simple, and in 2025, smart marketers are using it regularly to fine-tune campaigns. Effective test ideas include:
- Subject lines → Test emojis vs. none, urgency vs. curiosity.
- Send times → Morning vs. evening, weekday vs. weekend.
- CTA buttons → Different colors, copy, and placement.
- Content length → Short, punchy emails vs. long, story-driven emails.
For example, an e-commerce brand tested two CTAs: “Shop the Sale” vs. “Claim Your 20% Discount.” The latter generated a 32% higher CTR because it highlighted immediate value.
Common Mistakes Marketers Make with Benchmarks
Benchmarks are valuable tools, but many marketers misuse them. When interpreted incorrectly, they can create false confidence, unrealistic expectations, or poor strategy decisions. MailerLite benchmarks in 2025 provide clarity, yet it’s important to recognize the most common mistakes businesses make when applying them.
Focusing Only on Open Rates
Open rates are the easiest metric to check, but they don’t tell the whole story. A campaign with a 40% open rate but a 1% click rate might look successful on the surface, yet it fails to drive meaningful action. In 2025, open rate reporting has also been influenced by privacy changes (like Apple’s Mail Privacy Protection), which can artificially inflate numbers. The mistake: treating open rates as the ultimate sign of success instead of balancing them with CTR and conversions.
Ignoring Mobile Optimization
Over 70% of emails are now opened on mobile devices in 2025, according to MailerLite usage data. Marketers who fail to design responsive templates risk losing clicks from frustrated readers. Common oversights include:
- Buttons too small to tap
- Images that don’t resize correctly
- Long paragraphs without proper spacing
The result? Emails may get opened but are quickly abandoned before engagement happens.
Not Adjusting for Audience Behavior
Benchmarks are averages, not rules. A B2B consultancy sending monthly newsletters should not expect the same benchmarks as an e-commerce store sending daily promotions. One of the biggest mistakes is blindly chasing global averages instead of considering unique audience habits, time zones, and preferences. The best practice: compare results to both industry benchmarks and your own historical performance.
Misinterpreting Click-to-Open Rate (CTOR)
CTOR measures how many people who opened your email actually clicked a link. Many marketers confuse CTR (click-through rate) with CTOR, or treat them interchangeably. In reality, a high CTOR but low open rate means your content resonates but your subject lines need work. Conversely, a high open rate but low CTOR suggests subject lines attract attention but content doesn’t deliver. Misinterpreting this relationship leads to fixing the wrong part of a campaign.
The Hidden Gap Between “Good Numbers” and Real Email Success — What Benchmarks Reveal in 2025
Many marketers celebrate when their campaigns hit what they think are “good numbers,” but benchmarks often tell a different story. In 2025, MailerLite benchmark data exposes the gap between perceived success and actual performance. Let’s break it down with a real-world case study, industry data, and the perspective shift marketers need.
Case Study: From Average to Above Average
Situation: A mid-sized e-commerce brand with 20,000 subscribers was sending weekly promotional emails. Their average open rate hovered around 29%, and their CTR was 2.5%.
Problem: The marketing team considered these numbers “solid” because they were above the company’s internal goals. But when compared against MailerLite’s 2025 e-commerce benchmarks (27–31% open rate, 2.2–2.9% CTR), their performance was just average — not exceptional.
Steps Taken:
- They ran A/B tests on subject lines, focusing on curiosity-driven wording.
- They segmented lists by purchase history and sent personalized product recommendations.
- They redesigned templates with larger CTA buttons and reduced text-heavy sections.
Results: Within three months, their open rate climbed to 34% and CTR reached 3.6%. While this may not sound dramatic, the increase translated into a 21% revenue lift from email campaigns — proof that aligning with (and surpassing) benchmarks leads to measurable business growth.
Data: Numbers That Put Performance in Context
- Global open rate (MailerLite, 2025): 34.8%
- Global CTR (MailerLite, 2025): 3.6%
- E-commerce open rate benchmark: 27–31%
- E-commerce CTR benchmark: 2.2–2.9%
Without this context, many brands underestimate what “success” really looks like. A 30% open rate might feel impressive until compared to industries like education or nonprofits, which average 40–45% opens.
Perspective: Perception vs. Reality
What people think: “As long as our numbers are slightly up, we’re doing fine.”
Reality: Benchmarks show whether “fine” actually means average, below average, or top tier.
Explanation: Benchmarks expose blind spots. Without them, marketers may settle for numbers that aren’t competitive in their industry, leaving significant ROI on the table.
Summary & Implications
This case study shows how MailerLite benchmarks in 2025 are more than just statistics — they are performance mirrors that reveal the truth behind email metrics. The implication is clear: don’t just chase higher numbers, chase better benchmarks.
FAQs
Marketers often have practical questions about MailerLite benchmarks and how they apply to real-world campaigns. Below are answers to the most common queries, based on the 2025 MailerLite benchmark data and industry insights.
The global average open rate for MailerLite in 2025 is 34.8%. However, performance varies by industry. Education and nonprofit sectors lead with 40–45%, while e-commerce averages 27–31% due to inbox competition. Comparing your own numbers against these benchmarks helps determine whether your campaign is underperforming, average, or top-tier.
MailerLite’s global CTR benchmark in 2025 is 3.6%, which is comparable to other leading email marketing platforms. What sets MailerLite apart is its ease of segmentation, automation workflows, and design features, which give marketers the tools to consistently meet or surpass industry CTR averages.
For e-commerce, a 27–31% open rate and a 2.2–2.9% CTR are considered average benchmarks in 2025. However, campaigns that use personalized recommendations, abandoned cart triggers, and customer segmentation regularly achieve 34%+ open rates and 3.5%+ CTRs, putting them in the top-performing tier.
To improve open and click rates in 2025:
- Write personalized, curiosity-driven subject lines: under 45 characters.
- Use behavioral segmentation: to deliver more relevant content.
- Place CTA buttons above the fold: with strong, benefit-focused copy.
- Run A/B tests: for subject lines, send times, and CTA variations.
- Optimize all templates: for mobile-first design.
Following these steps aligns with MailerLite’s benchmark insights and ensures consistent improvement.
Yes. Smaller lists often see higher open and click rates because audiences are more targeted and engaged. Large lists can dilute performance if they include inactive subscribers. To maintain healthy benchmarks, marketers with bigger lists should regularly clean subscribers, remove unengaged contacts, and rely on segmentation to keep content relevant.
Author’s Review
After analyzing MailerLite benchmarks in 2025, it’s clear that the platform continues to stand out as one of the most transparent and reliable tools for marketers. The benchmark data isn’t just numbers on a page — it provides context, trends, and actionable insights that businesses can directly apply to improve campaign performance. Below is my detailed review across the most important criteria.
Data Accuracy: ★★★★★
MailerLite offers transparent, trustworthy, and regularly updated data. The benchmarks align closely with what marketers see in real-world campaigns, making them a reliable foundation for decision-making.
Insights for Marketers: ★★★★★
The platform goes beyond averages by showing industry-specific variations and trends. These insights help marketers understand not just where they stand, but also why performance differs across sectors. It turns benchmarks into practical tools rather than static statistics.
Ease of Application: ★★★★★
MailerLite benchmarks are easy to interpret and apply. Marketers can quickly compare their own results against industry data without needing complex analytics. This accessibility makes benchmarks useful for businesses of all sizes, from startups to established enterprises.
Practical Value: ★★★★★
The benchmarks provide real-world value by helping marketers set achievable goals, identify weak spots, and optimize campaigns. For instance, knowing that e-commerce CTRs average 2.2–2.9% gives businesses a realistic target while still encouraging growth beyond the average.
Overall Reliability: ★★★★★
With consistent updates, industry breakdowns, and clear comparisons year-over-year, MailerLite’s benchmarks remain one of the most valuable resources for email marketers in 2025. The platform continues to empower businesses with data-driven clarity and confidence.
Conclusion
MailerLite benchmarks in 2025 prove that email marketing success depends on more than just sending campaigns — it’s about measuring, comparing, and optimizing. Three main points stand out:
- Benchmarks matter: because they reveal whether your performance is average, underperforming, or exceptional.
- Open and click rates: drive ROI, making them the most reliable indicators of engagement and revenue impact.
- Industry-specific insights: help businesses set realistic targets and refine strategies that align with subscriber behavior.
The answer to the big question is clear: MailerLite benchmarks in 2025 provide the most practical and actionable way for marketers to evaluate their email campaigns. Whether you’re in e-commerce, SaaS, nonprofits, or professional services, using these benchmarks ensures you stay competitive and data-driven.