Best Free Email Marketing Plans Compared Side by Side
By Vincencia Anyango · Founder & Lead Reviewer
Last updated: Oct 2026 · 8 min read
The best free email marketing plans look nothing like they did a year ago. Two of the biggest names cut their free tiers hard in 2026, and most comparison posts still show the old numbers.
This guide puts seven free plans side by side with current limits. You will see who gives the most subscribers, who gives the most sends, and who still includes automation for $0.
Quick answer
- Most subscribers: Kit, with 10,000 free.
- Most sends with automation: Sender, with 15,000 emails a month to 2,500 subscribers.
- Biggest contact storage: Brevo, with 100,000 contacts but only 300 emails a day.
- Best for newsletters: beehiiv, with unlimited sends to 2,500 subscribers.
- Smallest free plan: Mailchimp, with 250 contacts and 500 emails a month.
Why Free Email Marketing Plans Still Matter
Email is still the cheapest channel you own. Litmus research puts the average return at about $36 for every $1 spent.
The audience is huge too. Statista forecasts more than 4.7 billion email users worldwide in 2026.
A free plan lets you start building that list today with zero risk. The catch is that free limits are shrinking fast.
Free Plans Are Shrinking: The 2026 Numbers
Mailchimp cut its free plan again in January 2026. It now allows 250 contacts and 500 emails a month, down from 2,000 contacts and 10,000 emails in 2022.
That is an 88% drop in contacts and a 95% drop in sends in four years. Automation was also removed from the free tier.
MailerLite followed in mid 2026. Its free plan fell from 500 subscribers and 12,000 emails to 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails, a 79% cut in sends.
Kit went the other way and raised its free limit from 1,000 to 10,000 subscribers. That is now 40 times more free contacts than Mailchimp.
Best Free Email Marketing Plans Compared Side by Side
Here is every limit that matters in one table. All seven plans are free forever, not trials.
| Tool | Free subscribers | Free emails | Automation | Branding on emails | Cheapest paid plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kit | 10,000 | Unlimited | 1 basic automation, 1 sequence | Yes | From $39/mo |
| Sender | 2,500 | 15,000 a month | Included | Yes | From $7/mo |
| beehiiv | 2,500 | Unlimited | Paid plans only | Yes | From $43/mo |
| Brevo | 100,000 stored | 300 a day (about 9,000 a month) | Basic, up to 2,000 contacts | Yes | From $9/mo |
| HubSpot | 1,000 | 2,000 a month | Simple form follow up only | Yes | From $20/mo per seat |
| MailerLite | 250 | 2,500 a month | Visual builder, limited workflows | Yes | From $12/mo |
| Mailchimp | 250 | 500 a month (250 a day) | Paid plans only | Yes | From $13/mo |
Limits checked October 2026. Free tiers change often, so confirm on each pricing page before you sign up.
How Far Does Each Free Plan Really Go?
Subscriber caps only tell half the story. What matters is how many people you can email every week without paying.
This table shows the largest list each plan supports if you send one newsletter a week. That is four sends a month.
| Tool | Largest list for a weekly newsletter | What stops you first |
|---|---|---|
| Kit | 10,000 | Subscriber cap |
| Sender | 2,500 | Subscriber cap |
| beehiiv | 2,500 | Subscriber cap |
| HubSpot | 500 | 2,000 email monthly cap |
| Brevo | 300 per send day | 300 email daily cap |
| MailerLite | 250 | Subscriber cap |
| Mailchimp | 125 | 500 email monthly cap |
Notice Mailchimp. It advertises 250 contacts, but a weekly sender runs out of emails at just 125.
Each Free Plan in Detail
1. Kit: Best Free Plan for Subscriber Count
Kit’s free Newsletter plan covers 10,000 subscribers with unlimited sends. You also get unlimited landing pages and forms, and you can sell digital products.
The wall is automation. You get one basic automation and one email sequence, so a full welcome funnel needs the paid Creator plan.
Best for: bloggers and creators who mostly send broadcasts. Read our full Kit review for the paid plan breakdown.
2. Sender: Best All Round Free Plan
Sender gives you 2,500 subscribers and 15,000 emails a month. That is six emails to a full list every month.
Automation, segmentation, forms and popups are all included for free. The trade off is a “Powered by Sender” footer and no A/B testing.
Best for: small businesses that want automation without paying. Paid plans start at around $7 a month, the lowest in this list.
3. beehiiv: Best Free Plan for Newsletters
beehiiv’s Launch plan is free up to 2,500 subscribers with unlimited sends. It includes a hosted newsletter website and a recommendation network to help you grow.
You cannot earn from ads or paid subscriptions on the free plan. Automations also sit behind the Scale plan, which starts at $43 a month.
Best for: writers who want a newsletter and website in one place.
4. Brevo: Best Free Plan for Large Contact Lists
Brevo charges by emails sent, not contacts stored. The free plan stores up to 100,000 contacts and sends 300 emails a day.
That daily cap is a hard wall. A campaign to 1,000 people takes four days to send.
Best for: shops and service businesses that send small, steady batches like receipts and follow ups. Basic automation works for up to 2,000 contacts.
5. HubSpot: Best Free Plan With a CRM
MailerLite: Best Free Plan for Beginners With Tiny Lists
MailerLite now offers 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails a month. The editor is still the easiest to learn in this list. include 2,000 marketing emails a month. New accounts are capped at 1,000 contacts and two users.
You get a real CRM with deals, forms and contact history. You do not get multi step automation, and HubSpot branding appears on everything.
Best for: sales led teams that need a CRM first and email second.
6. MailerLite: Best Free Plan for Beginners With Tiny Lists
MailerLite now offers 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails a month. The editor is still the easiest to learn in this list.
The visual automation builder is included on the free plan, with a small cap on active workflows. You also get landing pages and one website.
Best for: beginners who want to learn automation before paying. See our MailerLite review and the MailerLite vs Kit comparison.
7. Mailchimp: The Smallest Free Plan
Mailchimp’s free plan allows 250 contacts and 500 emails a month, with a 250 a day cap. There is no automation and no A/B testing.
Email support ends after your first 30 days. Unsubscribed contacts can also count toward your limit.
Best for: testing the Mailchimp interface before you buy. Our Mailchimp review covers whether the paid plans are worth it.
Already on Mailchimp free and over the new limit? Follow our step by step guide on how to migrate from Mailchimp without losing subscribers.
Which Free Email Marketing Plan Should You Pick?
- You are a blogger or creator: pick Kit. Ten thousand free subscribers gives you years of room.
- You need automation for $0: pick Sender. It is the only plan here with full automation and 15,000 sends.
- You run a newsletter: pick beehiiv. Unlimited sends suit a daily or weekly schedule.
- You have a big list but email rarely: pick Brevo. Storage is free and you pay only when volume grows.
- You need a CRM: pick HubSpot.
- You are brand new with under 250 contacts: pick MailerLite for the easy editor.
Still deciding between two tools? Our head to head posts go deeper: Kit vs Mailchimp and MailerLite vs Mailchimp.
The Hidden Costs of “Free”
Every plan in this list adds its logo to your emails. Removing it always costs money.
Check how contacts are counted too. Some tools count unsubscribed and inactive contacts, which fills your free limit faster.
Watch the upgrade price, not just the free limit. Kit jumps from $0 to $39 a month, while Sender starts at about $7. Pick the tool you can afford once you outgrow free.
Switching later is also real work. You have to rebuild forms, automations and templates, so choose with the paid plan in mind.
How to Get More From a Free Plan
- Clean your list every month. Remove bounced and inactive contacts so they do not eat your cap.
- Send less, send better. One strong weekly email beats three weak ones and saves your send limit.
- Use your one automation wisely. A welcome email is usually the highest value choice.
- Track your numbers. Compare your results with our 2026 email marketing benchmarks.
New to list building? Start with our guide on how to build an email list from zero to 1,000 subscribers.
When you are ready to automate, these email automation workflows show what to build first.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which free email marketing plan has the most subscribers?
Kit has the highest cap at 10,000 subscribers with unlimited sends. Brevo stores up to 100,000 contacts, but you can only email 300 a day.
Is Mailchimp still free in 2026?
Yes, but the free plan is small. It allows 250 contacts and 500 emails a month with no automation.
Which free plan includes email automation?
Sender includes full automation on its free plan. MailerLite, Brevo and Kit include limited automation, while Mailchimp and beehiiv keep it for paid plans.
Can I remove the provider’s logo on a free plan?
No. All seven tools in this comparison show their branding on free emails, and removing it needs a paid plan or add on.
When should I upgrade from a free plan?
Upgrade when you hit the subscriber or send cap, or when you need more than one automation. Our guide to the best email marketing software for small business compares the paid options.
Final Verdict
For most beginners in 2026, Kit and Sender are the two best free email marketing plans. Kit wins on list size, and Sender wins on automation and send volume.
Mailchimp and MailerLite are still good tools, but their free plans are now best used as test drives. For hands on notes on each one, see Best Free Email Marketing Tools: Every Limit, Tested.
About Vincencia Anyango
IT graduate and freelance web specialist who has built WordPress sites and run email campaigns for clients since 2020. Every review on SoftwareStackPro is based on hands on testing. More about how I review →
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>>>Email Automation Workflows That Actually Convert (With Screenshots From My Own Account)
>>>Kit vs Mailchimp: Which One Should Bloggers Choose?
>>>How to Build an Email List From Zero to 1,000 Subscribers
