Looksend vs Litmus

Looksend vs Litmus: which one do you need?

Litmus is a powerful email testing platform built for teams and email developers. Looksend is a simple preview tool built for the marketer who presses send. Here’s an honest look at the difference.

Try Looksend free
Free on desktop. No sign-up, no card.

At a glance

LooksendLitmus
Built forMarketers checking their email before sendingTeams and email developers
How previews workYour email in a browser at each device’s real size, inside realistic mail appsScreenshots from real email apps and devices
Phones, tablets, desktopiPhone, Android, iPad, Gmail web, Outlook desktopA much wider range of real apps and versions
Dark modeYes, per appYes
Inbox and preview text viewsEight inboxes, including the iPhone lock screen and Gmail PromotionsYes
SpeedInstant, as you typeScreenshots take a little time to generate
PriceFree on desktop; Pro £12 a monthAround $500 a month for the entry plan, per third-party listings (late 2026)

Choose Looksend if…

  • You want to see how your email looks on phones and in dark mode before you send, in seconds.
  • You care about subject lines, preview text and how you look in the inbox and Promotions tab.
  • You’re a small team or freelancer and Litmus is more than you need or want to pay for.

Choose Litmus if…

  • You need pixel-exact screenshots from real email apps, especially Outlook for Windows, for complex code.
  • You want team workflows, analytics and the other tools in Litmus’s platform.
  • You test many older or less common email apps.
Prices and features change. This page reflects what we could check in November 2026; see Litmus’s pricing page for their latest.

Frequently asked questions

What’s the difference between Looksend and Litmus?

Looksend is a fast, low-cost preview tool for marketers: it shows an email on phones, desktops and inboxes, in light and dark mode, as you type. Litmus is a larger testing platform for teams that takes screenshots in real email apps and adds analytics and collaboration tools.

Is Looksend a good Litmus alternative?

For marketers who mainly need to see how an email looks on phones, desktops, inboxes and in dark mode, yes, at a fraction of the price. Teams that need screenshots from real apps such as Outlook for Windows, or Litmus’s analytics and workflow features, are better served by Litmus.

How much does Litmus cost?

Litmus’s pricing has changed over time. In late 2026 third-party listings put its entry plan at around $500 a month, with larger plans by quote. Litmus’s own pricing page has the current figures.

Does Looksend show real Outlook for Windows rendering?

No. Looksend shows your email at Outlook’s real screen size and layout in a browser, but doesn’t run the actual Outlook app, which has its own quirks with complex code. Litmus’s real-app screenshots cover that case.

Look before you send.

Try Looksend free