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Comparison · Marketing
HeyForm vs phpList
A side-by-side editorial comparison of HeyForm and phpList — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.
Shared themes:open-source
HeyForm vs phpList: at a glance
What is HeyForm?
HeyForm's v3 has been in release candidates for months, now moving mostly on community fixes.
HeyForm has been on v3.0.0 release candidates since at least March 2026, and the recent cuts are small: Italian and Brazilian Portuguese localization, an IPv6 bypass fix in the outbound SSRF guard, and plain-text rendering of group page titles. Most recent changes come from first-time contributors.
What is phpList?
phpList shows renewed 3.7.0 release-candidate activity after a long dormant stretch.
The feed is GitHub release tags, but the entries carry almost no detail — recent ones are just 'Release Candidate N for version 3.7.0.' After a gap stretching back to 2024, two 3.7.0 RCs landed in June 2026, signaling the project is moving toward a 3.7.0 release.
HeyForm vs phpList: editorial side-by-side
HeyForm
0.0MARKETING
HeyForm's v3 has been in release candidates for months, now moving mostly on community fixes.
◆ Current state
HeyForm has been on v3.0.0 release candidates since at least March 2026, and the recent cuts are small: Italian and Brazilian Portuguese localization, an IPv6 bypass fix in the outbound SSRF guard, and plain-text rendering of group page titles. Most recent changes come from first-time contributors.
◆ Where it's heading
The v3 line is in a long stabilization phase with localization and security patches rather than new form features. Releases have slowed to roughly one every three to six weeks, and nothing has shipped since mid-July.
◆ Prediction
The entries do not show what is blocking a v3.0.0 final; the next release is more likely another RC with community fixes than a stable cut.
phpList
5.0MARKETING
phpList shows renewed 3.7.0 release-candidate activity after a long dormant stretch.
◆ Current state
The feed is GitHub release tags, but the entries carry almost no detail — recent ones are just 'Release Candidate N for version 3.7.0.' After a gap stretching back to 2024, two 3.7.0 RCs landed in June 2026, signaling the project is moving toward a 3.7.0 release.
◆ Where it's heading
Development cadence is slow and bursty: a long quiet period followed by RC3 and RC4 within days. The crawl source yields contentless tags, so the substance of 3.7.0 isn't visible here — only that it's progressing through release candidates.
◆ Prediction
Expect a stable 3.7.0 release to follow the RC sequence, though the feed gives no detail on what it contains.
Alternatives to HeyForm and phpList
Other Marketing products tracked by Sparkpulse, ranked by recent ship velocity. Each card links to a full editorial trajectory and lets you pivot into a head-to-head comparison with either HeyForm or phpList.
SocialBee
SocialBee retires category sequencing and Next Posts in its first product change in months.
Swello
Swello's comment and DM inbox is in beta as content marketing fills the feed.
Statusbrew
Statusbrew reworks Compose and approvals around its new Post Groups.
Saleshandy
Saleshandy adds 7.7M people in October's Lead Finder refresh and reports on recent web flaws.
Clay
Clay adds SCIM and signal-triggered workflows as its GTM platform targets enterprise buyers.
See all HeyForm alternatives → · See all phpList alternatives →
Recent activity from HeyForm and phpList
Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.
- 3mo agoHeyFormv3 RC10 renders group page titles as plain text
- 4mo agoHeyFormv3 RC9 blocks IPv6 encoding bypass in SSRF guard
- 4mo agophpListv3.7.0-RC4
- 4mo agophpListv3.7.0-RC3
- 4mo agoHeyFormv3 RC8 adds Brazilian Portuguese app and email localization
- 5mo agoHeyFormv3 RC7 adds Italian language support
- 7mo agoHeyFormv3 RC6 bug fixes and smoother form transitions
- 1y agophpListphpList 3.7.0-RC1
- 2y agophpListphpList version 3.6.15
- 2y agophpListv3.6.15-RC3
- 2y agophpListphpList version 3.6.15 RC1
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between HeyForm and phpList?
Both compete on the same themes — open-source — within Marketing. phpList is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 5.0 vs 0.0), with 0 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. See the at-a-glance table above for a side-by-side breakdown of velocity, recent sparks, and editorial themes.
Is HeyForm better than phpList?
Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. phpList is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 5.0 vs 0.0), with 0 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. For your specific use case, the alternatives sections above list other Marketing products to evaluate alongside.
What are the best alternatives to HeyForm?
Top HeyForm alternatives in Marketing are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "HeyForm alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/heyform for the full list with editorial commentary on each.
What are the best alternatives to phpList?
Top phpList alternatives in Marketing are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "phpList alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/phplist for the full list with editorial commentary on each.