Building an email list is one of the most profitable steps you can take for your business or personal brand, but the software to do it shouldn’t eat into your budget before you’ve even made a dime. While almost every email marketing platform offers a “free” tier, finding out what is actually included (and what is hidden behind a paywall) can be frustrating.
1. Brevo (Formerly Sendinblue)
Brevo is a comprehensive multi-channel marketing platform. Instead of limiting how many subscribers you can have, Brevo’s free plan allows for unlimited contacts, making it incredibly scalable for businesses with large lists but lower sending frequencies. It also includes SMS and WhatsApp campaign capabilities.
- Pros: Unlimited contacts; multi-channel capabilities (SMS/WhatsApp); built-in CRM; advanced automation workflows.
- Cons: Daily sending limit of 300 emails can be restrictive for rapid, mass-blasts; free templates are somewhat basic.
| Included (Free Plan) | Excluded (Requires Paid Plan) |
| Unlimited contacts | A/B testing |
| 300 emails/day | Removal of Brevo logo |
| Drag-and-drop editor & basic automations | Advanced send-time optimization |
| SMS campaign capabilities | Dedicated IP address |
2. MailerLite
Description: Known for its clean, intuitive, and highly user-friendly interface, MailerLite is perfect for creators and small businesses who want modern designs without the clutter. It includes a great drag-and-drop editor and website builder features.
- Pros: Generous 12,000 emails/month limit; excellent, modern landing page builder; highly intuitive interface.
- Cons: Subscriber limit is capped at 500 on the free tier; the approval process for new accounts can be strict to prevent spam.
| Included (Free Plan) | Excluded (Requires Paid Plan) |
| 500 subscribers & 12,000 emails/month | Custom HTML editor |
| Automation workflows | Premium template library |
| Up to 10 landing pages & websites | Removal of MailerLite branding |
| Drag-and-drop newsletter editor | Auto-resend to unopens |
3. Mailchimp
Mailchimp is arguably the most famous name in email marketing. While its free tier has become much more restrictive in recent years, it remains a powerhouse for beginners due to its massive template library, native integrations, and easy-to-learn campaign builder.
- Pros: Incredibly beginner-friendly; integrates with almost every third-party app and e-commerce platform; robust analytics.
- Cons: Very low limits (500 contacts and 1,000 monthly sends); email scheduling is locked behind paid plans.
| Included (Free Plan) | Excluded (Requires Paid Plan) |
| 500 contacts & 1,000 emails/month | Email scheduling |
| Pre-built templates | Multi-step automations |
| Basic analytics and reporting | A/B testing |
| Basic CRM tools & forms | Unbranded emails |
4. Kit (Formerly ConvertKit)
Kit was built specifically by creators, for creators. If you are a blogger, podcaster, or artist, this platform focuses heavily on text-based, highly deliverable emails and audience monetization rather than heavily designed HTML layouts.
- Pros: Massive 10,000 subscriber allowance on the free tier; unlimited email sends; built-in monetization tools to sell digital products.
- Cons: Very limited visual templates; advanced visual automation funnels are excluded from the free plan.
| Included (Free Plan) | Excluded (Requires Paid Plan) |
| 10,000 subscribers & unlimited emails | Visual automation funnels |
| Unlimited landing pages & forms | Subscriber scoring |
| Digital product sales & tip jars | Advanced third-party integrations |
| Audience tagging and segmentation | Automated email sequences |
5. Sender
Sender offers one of the most generous free plans on the market regarding volume. It is built for small businesses that need to send a high volume of newsletters or promotional campaigns without sacrificing essential automation features.
- Pros: High limits (2,500 subscribers and 15,000 emails/month); full access to automation features on the free plan; push notification capabilities.
- Cons: Basic analytics compared to competitors; fewer native third-party integrations.
| Included (Free Plan) | Excluded (Requires Paid Plan) |
| 2,500 subscribers & 15,000 emails/month | Advanced subscriber segmentation |
| Full automation workflows | SMS messaging capabilities |
| Web push notifications | Removal of Sender branding |
| Drag-and-drop builder | Dedicated IP |
6. Omnisend
If you run an online store, Omnisend is tailor-made for e-commerce. It connects directly to platforms like Shopify and WooCommerce, allowing you to pull products directly into your emails and set up store-specific automations like abandoned cart recoveries.
- Pros: Pre-built e-commerce workflows; A/B testing included for free; great interactive elements like pop-ups and wheels of fortune.
- Cons: Very low sending limits (250 contacts and 500 emails/month); geared strictly toward e-commerce, making it overkill for standard bloggers.
| Included (Free Plan) | Excluded (Requires Paid Plan) |
| 250 contacts & 500 emails/month | Advanced reporting |
| E-commerce automations (abandoned cart) | 24/7 priority customer support |
| A/B testing | SMS credits |
| Pop-ups and sign-up forms | Advanced audience segmentation |
7. EmailOctopus
EmailOctopus relies on the Amazon SES infrastructure to keep costs low, passing those savings onto users. It strips away complicated, unnecessary features to focus strictly on reliable email delivery and simple list management.
- Pros: Great subscriber allowance (2,500 contacts and 10,000 emails/month); straightforward and lightweight interface; excellent deliverability.
- Cons: Limited automation capabilities; landing page builder is very basic (max 3 pages on free plan).
| Included (Free Plan) | Excluded (Requires Paid Plan) |
| 2,500 subscribers & 10,000 emails/month | Advanced automations |
| Drag-and-drop editor | Detailed custom reporting |
| Up to 3 landing pages | Removal of “Powered by” branding |
| Basic segmentation | Priority customer support |
8. HubSpot Email Marketing
HubSpot’s free email tool is tied directly to its powerful, forever-free CRM. This platform is ideal for B2B companies or service-based businesses that want to keep track of every customer interaction, deal pipeline, and email open in one centralized hub.
- Pros: Seamless integration with HubSpot CRM (store up to 1 million contacts); highly detailed contact tracking; excellent for B2B sales.
- Cons: Only 2,000 email sends per month; advanced marketing automation workflows require a very expensive paid upgrade.
| Included (Free Plan) | Excluded (Requires Paid Plan) |
| Up to 1M CRM contacts & 2,000 emails/month | Complex marketing automation |
| Basic drag-and-drop email builder | A/B testing |
| Landing pages & forms | Custom reporting dashboards |
| Live chat integration | Removal of HubSpot branding |
9. Systeme.io
Systeme.io is an all-in-one marketing platform for online entrepreneurs. Beyond just email, it allows you to build complete sales funnels, host blogs, and even run affiliate programs—all from its free tier.
- Pros: Unlimited email sends; hosts sales funnels and online courses; 2,000 contact limit.
- Cons: Interface can feel cluttered due to the sheer volume of features; email design capabilities are less sophisticated than dedicated email tools.
| Included (Free Plan) | Excluded (Requires Paid Plan) |
| 2,000 contacts & unlimited emails | Evergreen webinars |
| 3 sales funnels & 1 blog | Massive automation limits |
| 1 online course hosting | Free advanced migration |
| Basic email automation rules | 1-on-1 kickstart coaching session |
10. AWeber
A legacy player in the email marketing space, AWeber remains a reliable choice with top-tier customer support. Its free plan includes access to hundreds of templates and a direct integration with Canva, allowing you to design graphics without leaving the email editor.
- Pros: Direct Canva integration; huge library of pre-built templates; 24/7 customer support even on the free plan.
- Cons: Limited to 500 subscribers; split testing and behavioral automations are not included for free.
| Included (Free Plan) | Excluded (Requires Paid Plan) |
| 500 subscribers & 3,000 emails/month | Email split testing |
| 700+ email templates | Advanced behavioral automation |
| Native Canva integration | Removal of AWeber logo |
| 1 landing page | Custom subscriber segmenting |
In this guide, we are breaking down the top 10 best free email marketing sites available right now. To help you choose the perfect fit without the guesswork, we have laid out the exact pros, cons, and a clear “Include vs. Exclude” feature table for every single platform. Whether you are an e-commerce store owner, a blogger, or a small business, here is everything you need to know to send your first campaign for free.