Waitlist tools compared, feature by feature
Eight tools you can run a pre-launch waitlist on, compared on what they cost, what the free plan includes, and which plan unlocks referrals, email and the developer features. Six are built for waitlists and referral campaigns. Kit and Mailchimp are the email platforms people use instead. Every competitor fact comes from that vendor's own pages, checked on November 3, 2026.
The short version
- Everything on the first paid plan: Waitlister Launch ($19/mo) includes the hosted page, referrals, welcome emails, broadcasts and no branding, with unlimited subscribers. Most other tools split these across plans or charge more as the list grows.
- Cheapest at 10,000 signups: among waitlist tools, GetWaitlist Basic at $15/mo, then Waitlister Launch and LaunchList Collect at $19/mo. Kit's free plan holds 10,000 subscribers for $0, without automations or a referral program.
- Free plan with referrals: LaunchList (100 contacts) and KickoffLabs (50 new leads a month). Waitlister's free plan includes the page builder and 100 subscribers, and referrals start on Launch at $19/mo.
- Priced by list size or activity: LaunchList and Kit charge by contacts held, KickoffLabs by new leads each month, Viral Loops by participants, Prefinery by users over an included number. Waitlister and GetWaitlist charge a flat price per plan, so the price doesn't grow with your list; Waitlister plans include a monthly email allowance (2,500 on Launch).
- No landing page builder: Prefinery gives you a form to embed, and GetWaitlist's hosted page holds only its signup widget.
- Most languages: Mailchimp translates signup forms into 51 languages, KickoffLabs 46, Waitlister 30+ (on Growth), LaunchList 17.
Every tool, feature by feature
| Waitlister | LaunchList | GetWaitlist | KickoffLabs | Prefinery | Viral Loops | Kit | Mailchimp | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing | ||||||||
| Free plan | Yes: 100 subscribers, 1 waitlist, no time limit | Yes: 100 contacts, 1 project, no time limit | Not for new accounts (closed June 12, 2025) | Yes: 50 new leads a month | No | No | Yes: up to 10,000 subscribers | Yes: 250 contacts, 500 sends a month |
| Cheapest paid plan | Launch, $19/mo | Collect, $9/mo (500 contacts) | Basic, $15/mo | Hobby, $19/mo (500 new leads a month) | Lite, $49/mo (1,000 users) | Start-up, $49/mo (1,000 participants) | Creator, $39/mo (up to 1,000 subscribers) | Essentials, $13/mo (500 contacts) |
| Cheapest plan, billed yearly | $15.83/mo | 12 months for the price of 10 | $10/mo | $13/mo | No yearly; $39/mo billed every 6 months | $35/mo | $33/mo | Not listed |
| At 10,000 signups | $19/mo (Launch; 2,500 emails a month) | $19/mo (Collect) | $15/mo (Basic) | $145/mo (Business, 10,000 new leads a month) | $249/mo (Essentials, 10,000 users included); about $94/mo on Lite plus overage | $229/mo (Growing, 10,000 participants) | $0 on Free (no automations); $139/mo on Creator | $110/mo (Essentials) |
| What you pay for | Flat price per plan; unlimited subscribers from Launch; email sends capped per plan | Contacts you hold, across all projects | Flat price per plan; unlimited signups | New leads each month | Users, then $0.005 per extra user a month | Participants, across all campaigns | Subscribers | Contacts, including unsubscribed ones, plus a send limit |
| Free trial | No; free plan instead | No; free plan instead | 7 days of Basic | None listed | 14 days | 14 days of Growing, 10 participants | 14 days of Creator or Pro | Premium only, through sales |
| Pages and forms | ||||||||
| Hosted landing page | Yes, every plan | Yes, every plan | A basic page holding the signup widget | Yes | No; a basic hosted signup form | Yes, every plan | Yes, every plan | Yes, every plan |
| Page builder | Drag-and-drop with templates | Block editor with starting pages | Widget builder only | Templates and sections | Form builder only | No-code landing page builder | Templates, custom CSS | Templates and content blocks |
| AI page builder | Yes: 2 one-time credits on Free, 15 a month from Launch | Yes, every plan (beta) | Not listed | Yes (AI campaign builder) | Not listed | AI applies your brand to a template | Not listed | Not listed |
| Embeddable form | Yes, every plan | Yes, every plan | Yes, three widget styles | Yes, every plan | Yes | Yes, every plan | Yes | Yes |
| Custom domain for your page | From Pro ($29) | From Collect | Not listed | From Hobby ($19) | Not offered | From Plus ($139), subdomains only | Every plan, Free included | Needs a paid Websites plan |
| Referrals | ||||||||
| Referral links and leaderboard | From Launch ($19) | Every plan, Free included | From Basic ($15) | Every plan | Referral links from Lite; leaderboard exists, plan not stated | Every plan | Referrals through SparkLoop, included with Pro ($79); leaderboard not listed | None built in |
| Rewards at referral goals | Points; an automated email can go out at a points or referral goal; you deliver the reward | From Collect | Moves people up the list; no other rewards listed | Reward levels; reward emails from Premium ($69), though their pages disagree | From Lite; automatic delivery from Essentials | From Plus ($139) | Through SparkLoop on Pro | Not listed |
| Spam and fraud protection | Catches same-device signups, duplicate and throwaway emails, and suspicious bursts; CAPTCHA from Launch | Per-IP and per-fingerprint limits, device clustering, disposable addresses, captcha; every plan | CAPTCHA, email verification; domain rules from Advanced | Per-IP limits, disposable emails, captcha, email verification; every plan | Per-IP limits, IP blocklist, bot blocking; from Lite | Burner-email and data-centre IP checks on every plan; reCAPTCHA from Plus; auto-blocking from Growing | reCAPTCHA, honeypot; SparkLoop anti-fraud for referrals | reCAPTCHA, honeypot, throttling |
| Welcome email | From Launch | Every plan | Yes; custom templates on Pro | From Hobby | From Lite | Yes, in every template | Confirmation email on every plan; welcome sequences from Creator | Optional, off by default |
| Broadcasts to your list | From Launch (2,500 emails a month) | From Collect | Unclear: their FAQ says every paid plan, their table says Pro | Unclear: listed on their feature page, plan not stated; a support doc disagrees | No (transactional email only) | Not listed | Unlimited, every plan | Yes, within the send limit |
| Automated email sequences | Launch 1 at a time, Pro 3, Growth 10 | From Launch | Not listed | Autoresponder from Hobby; reward-level emails from Premium | Triggered emails from Lite | Reminder emails only | From Creator | From Essentials (4 steps); Standard up to 200 flows |
| Send from your own domain | From Growth ($49) | From Launch | Pro ($250) | Business ($145) | From Lite | Yes; plan not stated | Yes; plan not stated | Yes; plan not stated |
| Double opt-in | From Launch | Every plan | From Basic ($15) | Yes; plan not stated | From Lite | From Growing ($229) | Yes | Yes |
| Developers | ||||||||
| API | Every plan; subscriber data from Growth | Every plan | From Basic ($15) | From Hobby | From Essentials ($249) | From Plus ($139) | From Creator (their docs conflict on Free) | Every plan |
| Webhooks | From Growth ($49) | Every plan (1 endpoint on Free) | From Basic ($15) | From Premium ($69) | From Essentials ($249) | From Plus ($139) | Paid plans | From Standard |
| Zapier | Through webhooks, from Growth ($49) | From Launch | From Advanced ($50) | From Premium ($69) | From Essentials ($249) | From Plus ($139) | Paid plans | Every plan |
| MCP server for AI agents | Official, every plan | Every plan | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Yes, on higher plans (their page lists both Plus and Growing) | From Creator | Docs search only |
| Other | ||||||||
| Languages | 30+ with one-click translation, from Growth | 17, every plan | Not listed | 46, every plan | None built in; write your copy in any language | One language at a time, editable text | Not listed | 51 for signup forms |
| Remove branding | From Launch ($19) | From Launch | Advanced ($50), on the widget | Pages from Premium ($69); emails from Business | From Essentials ($249) | From Growing ($229) | From Creator ($39) | From Essentials ($13) |
| CSV export | Every plan | Every plan | From Basic (CSV or JSON) | Every plan | Yes | Every plan | Yes | Yes |
| Last checked | ||||||||
Which tool fits which launch
Waitlister fits if
You want the page, referrals and email in one place at a flat price. Launch is $19/mo with unlimited subscribers, the drag-and-drop and AI page builders, a referral leaderboard, welcome emails and broadcasts (2,500 emails a month; Pro 5,000, Growth 10,000). The API and the official MCP server come with every plan, Free included.
LaunchList fits if
You want referrals on a free plan, which also includes the API, a webhook and an MCP server. Prices rise with the contacts you hold, in steps: Collect is $9/mo at 500 contacts and $19/mo from 2,000 to 10,000; Launch, which adds automations and own-domain email, is $59/mo at 10,000.
GetWaitlist fits if
You want the lowest flat price with referrals and an API: Basic is $15/mo with unlimited signups, a leaderboard, the API and webhooks. New accounts get no free plan, and there's no page builder; its hosted page holds only the signup widget.
KickoffLabs fits if
You run giveaways and contests as well as waitlists, need 46 languages, or want referrals on a free plan (50 new leads a month). It charges by new leads each month, so a busy month costs more: Business is $145/mo for 10,000 a month.
Prefinery fits if
You want a signup form on a site you already have, with automatic reward delivery and role-based team access (both from Essentials), or you need a custom DPA or an SLA on its Enterprise plan. It has no landing pages and no broadcasts, and starts at $49/mo ($39/mo billed every 6 months).
Viral Loops fits if
You'll run referral campaigns beyond the waitlist, such as giveaways or milestone rewards, from its template library. It hosts campaign pages on every plan, but there's no free plan and it charges by participants: $229/mo at 10,000.
Kit fits if
The waitlist is the start of a newsletter. The free plan holds up to 10,000 subscribers with unlimited sends, but it has no automations, and its referral program (SparkLoop) needs Pro.
Mailchimp fits if
Your email already runs on Mailchimp, or you need signup forms in many languages (it translates them into 51). It has no referral program built in, and unsubscribed contacts count toward your plan.
How to choose a waitlist tool
Do you need a page, or a form on a site you already have?
If you don't have a site yet, pick a tool with hosted pages and a builder: Waitlister, LaunchList, KickoffLabs, Viral Loops, Kit and Mailchimp all have one. GetWaitlist's hosted page holds only its signup widget, and Prefinery gives you a form to embed.
Will you run a referral program?
Check which plan they start on. LaunchList and KickoffLabs include referrals on their free plans, GetWaitlist on Basic ($15/mo), Waitlister on Launch ($19/mo), Prefinery on Lite ($49/mo) and Viral Loops on every plan, from $49/mo. Kit needs Pro, and Mailchimp has none built in.
What happens to the price when the list grows?
Flat-priced tools stay the same. At 10,000 signups Waitlister Launch is still $19/mo and GetWaitlist Basic $15/mo, though Waitlister caps emails by plan (2,500 a month on Launch). LaunchList Collect also stays at $19/mo up to 10,000 contacts, and Kit's free plan holds 10,000 subscribers. Tools that count leads, participants or users cost more at that size: KickoffLabs $145/mo, Viral Loops $229/mo, and Prefinery $249/mo on Essentials or about $94/mo on Lite plus overage.
How many emails will you send before launch?
If you'll email the whole list more than once, check the send limit. Waitlister includes 2,500 emails a month on Launch, 5,000 on Pro and 10,000 on Growth. Mailchimp's free plan sends 500 a month. Kit has no send limit on any plan.
Do you need to send from your own domain?
Every tool here supports it; the plan differs. Prefinery has it from Lite, LaunchList from Launch, Waitlister from Growth ($49/mo), KickoffLabs on Business ($145/mo) and GetWaitlist on Pro ($250/mo). Viral Loops, Kit and Mailchimp don't say which plan.
Do you need an API, webhooks or an MCP server?
LaunchList has all three on every plan (one webhook on Free). Waitlister has an API and an MCP server on every plan, with subscriber data and webhooks from Growth ($49/mo). GetWaitlist has the API and webhooks from Basic ($15/mo). Mailchimp has an API on every plan and webhooks from Standard; Kit has an API and an MCP server from Creator.
How we checked
We make Waitlister. Every competitor fact on this page comes from that company's own pricing, feature and help pages, checked on November 3, 2026. Prices are in USD on monthly billing unless a row says otherwise. If something has changed, tell us and we'll fix it.
For one tool at a time: LaunchList, GetWaitlist, KickoffLabs, Prefinery, Viral Loops, Kit, Mailchimp. For our pick by situation, see the best waitlist software guide.
For referrals, LaunchList: its free plan includes referral links and a leaderboard for up to 100 contacts, and KickoffLabs' free plan has referrals for 50 new leads a month. For list size, Kit: up to 10,000 subscribers, without automations. Waitlister's free plan includes the drag-and-drop page builder, 2 AI builder credits, the API and 100 subscribers; referrals, emails and the place in line start on Launch at $19/mo.
GetWaitlist Basic, at $15/mo with unlimited signups, though it has no page builder. Waitlister Launch is $19/mo with unlimited subscribers, the page builder and 2,500 emails a month, and LaunchList Collect is $19/mo up to 10,000 contacts. Kit's free plan holds 10,000 subscribers for $0 without automations. Tools that count leads, participants or users cost more at that size: KickoffLabs Business is $145/mo for 10,000 new leads a month, Viral Loops Growing $229/mo, and Prefinery $249/mo on Essentials or about $94/mo on Lite plus overage.
LaunchList, KickoffLabs and Viral Loops on every plan (Viral Loops has no free plan), GetWaitlist from Basic ($15/mo) and Waitlister from Launch ($19/mo). Prefinery has one but doesn't say which plan. Kit's referral program runs through SparkLoop on Pro, with no leaderboard listed. Mailchimp has none built in.
Yes, for collecting signups: both have forms and landing pages on every plan. For referrals, Kit needs Pro (from $79/mo), which includes SparkLoop, and Mailchimp has no referral program, so you'd add a separate tool.
All eight. Prefinery has it from Lite, LaunchList from Launch, Waitlister from Growth ($49/mo), KickoffLabs on Business ($145/mo) and GetWaitlist on Pro ($250/mo). Viral Loops, Kit and Mailchimp support it without stating the plan.
Waitlister and LaunchList on every plan, Kit from Creator, and Viral Loops on its higher plans. Mailchimp's MCP server searches its developer docs only.
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