Mailchimp and Brevo lead this category on free value, yet the best free email marketing software for your list depends on one number most guides skip, which is how the price changes when your list doubles. A free plan that fits 500 contacts can cost $50 a month at 2,000, and this guide prices every tool at three list sizes.
The trap in this category is the contact cap. Builders count subscribers, not emails sent, so a list with old unengaged contacts pushes you into a paid tier for people who never open anything. This guide shows which free plans cap contacts, which cap sends, and which give you room to grow.
Fifteen tools made the list, from creator platforms to enterprise automation. The winner is the one that keeps a small list free, sends reliably, and stays affordable when the list grows past a thousand subscribers.
Quick jump
- Best free email marketing software Compared Side by Side
- What Free Email Marketing Software Costs as Your List Grows
- The 15 Free Email Marketing Tools, One by One
- Best Pick by Job
- How to Choose the Right Email Marketing Software for Your List
- Email Marketing Mistakes That Send Your Emails to Spam
- Your First Week With New Email Marketing Software
- How to Keep Email Marketing Costs Down Without Losing Subscribers
- How We Verified Every Email Marketing Price
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Habits That Keep Your Email Marketing Working for You
- The Email Marketing Software Most Small Businesses Should Pick
Best free email marketing software Compared Side by Side
The table below puts all 15 email tools on one page, with the free tier and the paid starting point beside each name. Read it as a shortlist, not a ranking, because the right email marketing software for small businesses depends on the job, not the position in the table.
Two patterns stand out at once. First, Mailchimp leads for small businesses who want small lists starting out, while Brevo suits small businesses who value high-volume free sending. Second, the gap between the cheapest and the dearest paid plan in this roundup is wide, so the price column deserves a second look before small businesses commit to a email marketing software.
| Tool | Best for | Free tier | Paid from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mailchimp | small lists starting out | Free for up to 500 contacts | Essentials from $13 a month |
| Brevo | high-volume free sending | Free for 300 emails a day | Starter from $9 a month |
| MailerLite | clean newsletters on a budget | Free for up to 1,000 subscribers | Growing Business from $10 a month |
| Kit | creators selling digital products | Free for up to 1,000 subscribers | Paid plans start at a monthly rate, confirm the price before you pay |
| Constant Contact | event and nonprofit emails | Free trial, then paid plans | Lite from $12 a month |
| HubSpot | teams that want a free CRM too | Free CRM and basic email tools | Marketing Hub Starter from $20 a month |
| GetResponse | automation on a small budget | Free for up to 500 contacts | Paid plans start at a monthly rate, confirm the price before you pay |
| AWeber | simple autoresponders | Free for up to 500 subscribers | Lite from $12.50 a month |
| Moosend | cheap automation for shops | Free trial, then paid plans | Pro from $9 a month |
| Sender | tiny lists that send rarely | Free for up to 2,500 subscribers | Paid plans start at a monthly rate, confirm the price before you pay |
| Omnisend | ecommerce email and SMS | Free for up to 250 contacts | Standard from $16 a month |
| ActiveCampaign | advanced automation | Free trial, then paid plans | Paid plans start at a monthly rate, confirm the price before you pay |
| Mailjet | transactional email too | Free for 6,000 emails a month | Paid plans start at a monthly rate, confirm the price before you pay |
| Zoho Campaigns | Zoho users | Free for up to 2,000 contacts | Paid plans start at a monthly rate, confirm the price before you pay |
| Campaign Monitor | design-led campaigns | Free trial, then paid plans | Paid plans start at a monthly rate, confirm the price before you pay |
What Free Email Marketing Software Costs as Your List Grows
The headline price of a email marketing software hides the real cost, because the free tier, the paid tier and the renewal terms pull in different directions. Mailchimp charges essentials from $13 a month, while Brevo lists starter from $9 a month, and the difference between those two numbers is the first thing small businesses should compare.
A second cost is the time small businesses spend learning the email marketing software. MailerLite keeps setup short, while a heavier email marketing software can take an afternoon before the first result appears. Count that afternoon as part of the price, because a email marketing software that sits unused after setup costs the same as one that is used daily.
The 15 Free Email Marketing Tools, One by One
The 15 email tools below are reviewed in the same order as the table, with what each email marketing software does best, what the free tier covers, and where the paid plan starts. This best free email marketing software guide puts Mailchimp first, and the reason is the best-known free tier in email, with landing pages and basic automation included.
1. Mailchimp. Best for small lists starting out
Mailchimp stands out for small businesses because the best-known free tier in email, with landing pages and basic automation included. Mailchimp keeps the first steps short for small businesses who want small lists starting out, so a new user reaches a finished result in one sitting.
Mailchimp offers free for up to 500 contacts. On the paid side, Mailchimp lists essentials from $13 a month for small businesses who need small lists starting out.
Mailchimp is not perfect, and the free plan caps monthly sends, so a growing list outgrows it within a year. Mailchimp still earns its place when the priority is small lists starting out.
2. Brevo. Best for high-volume free sending
For small businesses, Brevo works because a daily send allowance that suits small shops better than a contact cap. Brevo focuses on high-volume free sending instead of piling on features a beginner never touches.
The free tier of Brevo covers free for 300 emails a day. Brevo moves to paid plans at starter from $9 a month, which suits small businesses who value high-volume free sending.
The limit to know with Brevo is that the free plan keeps the Brevo logo in your emails, which some brands dislike. Brevo fits small businesses who value high-volume free sending above everything else.
3. MailerLite. Best for clean newsletters on a budget
MailerLite earns a place here through a simple editor and landing pages that beginners learn in an afternoon. MailerLite suits small businesses who want clean newsletters on a budget now rather than a tool to master first.
MailerLite offers free for up to 1,000 subscribers. On the paid side, MailerLite lists growing Business from $10 a month for small businesses who need clean newsletters on a budget.
Before you commit, note that automation on the free plan is basic, so complex journeys need a paid tier with MailerLite. MailerLite remains a strong pick for clean newsletters on a budget.
4. Kit. Best for creators selling digital products
Kit stands out for small businesses because landing pages and commerce tools built for creators rather than shops. Kit keeps the first steps short for small businesses who want creators selling digital products, so a new user reaches a finished result in one sitting.
The free tier of Kit covers free for up to 1,000 subscribers. Kit moves to paid plans at paid plans start at a monthly rate, confirm the price before you pay, which suits small businesses who value creators selling digital products.
Kit is not perfect, and the paid tiers climb fast once the list passes a few thousand subscribers. Kit still earns its place when the priority is creators selling digital products.
5. Constant Contact. Best for event and nonprofit emails
For small businesses, Constant Contact works because event registration and RSVP tools that few rivals include at this price. Constant Contact focuses on event and nonprofit emails instead of piling on features a beginner never touches.
Constant Contact offers free trial, then paid plans. On the paid side, Constant Contact lists lite from $12 a month for small businesses who need event and nonprofit emails.
The limit to know with Constant Contact is that there is no free plan, only a trial, so the first bill arrives within a month. Constant Contact fits small businesses who value event and nonprofit emails above everything else.
6. HubSpot. Best for teams that want a free CRM too
HubSpot earns a place here through a free CRM that keeps contacts, deals and emails in one place. HubSpot suits small businesses who want teams that want a free CRM too now rather than a tool to master first.
The free tier of HubSpot covers free CRM and basic email tools. HubSpot moves to paid plans at marketing Hub Starter from $20 a month, which suits small businesses who value teams that want a free CRM too.
Before you commit, note that the email limits on the free tier are tight, so volume senders pay early with HubSpot. HubSpot remains a strong pick for teams that want a free CRM too.
7. GetResponse. Best for automation on a small budget
GetResponse stands out for small businesses because automation workflows and webinars in one account, which is rare at this price. GetResponse keeps the first steps short for small businesses who want automation on a small budget, so a new user reaches a finished result in one sitting.
GetResponse offers free for up to 500 contacts. On the paid side, GetResponse lists paid plans start at a monthly rate, confirm the price before you pay for small businesses who need automation on a small budget.
GetResponse is not perfect, and the free plan limits automation depth, so serious journeys need an upgrade. GetResponse still earns its place when the priority is automation on a small budget.
8. AWeber. Best for simple autoresponders
For small businesses, AWeber works because a straightforward autoresponder that small businesses have used for years. AWeber focuses on simple autoresponders instead of piling on features a beginner never touches.
The free tier of AWeber covers free for up to 500 subscribers. AWeber moves to paid plans at lite from $12.50 a month, which suits small businesses who value simple autoresponders.
The limit to know with AWeber is that the templates look dated next to MailerLite, though the delivery is reliable. AWeber fits small businesses who value simple autoresponders above everything else.
9. Moosend. Best for cheap automation for shops
Moosend earns a place here through automation and landing pages at a lower starting price than most rivals. Moosend suits small businesses who want cheap automation for shops now rather than a tool to master first.
Moosend offers free trial, then paid plans. On the paid side, Moosend lists pro from $9 a month for small businesses who need cheap automation for shops.
Before you commit, note that the free trial is short, so the paid decision comes within weeks with Moosend. Moosend remains a strong pick for cheap automation for shops.
10. Sender. Best for tiny lists that send rarely
Sender stands out for small businesses because one of the largest free subscriber allowances in this roundup. Sender keeps the first steps short for small businesses who want tiny lists that send rarely, so a new user reaches a finished result in one sitting.
The free tier of Sender covers free for up to 2,500 subscribers. Sender moves to paid plans at paid plans start at a monthly rate, confirm the price before you pay, which suits small businesses who value tiny lists that send rarely.
Sender is not perfect, and the template library is smaller than Mailchimp, so design choices are fewer. Sender still earns its place when the priority is tiny lists that send rarely.
11. Omnisend. Best for ecommerce email and SMS
For small businesses, Omnisend works because email and SMS in one flow, which suits shops that text customers too. Omnisend focuses on ecommerce email and SMS instead of piling on features a beginner never touches.
Omnisend offers free for up to 250 contacts. On the paid side, Omnisend lists standard from $16 a month for small businesses who need ecommerce email and SMS.
The limit to know with Omnisend is that the free contact limit is low, so even a small shop may pay within months. Omnisend fits small businesses who value ecommerce email and SMS above everything else.
12. ActiveCampaign. Best for advanced automation
ActiveCampaign earns a place here through the strongest automation builder in this roundup, with conditional logic throughout. ActiveCampaign suits small businesses who want advanced automation now rather than a tool to master first.
The free tier of ActiveCampaign covers free trial, then paid plans. ActiveCampaign moves to paid plans at paid plans start at a monthly rate, confirm the price before you pay, which suits small businesses who value advanced automation.
Before you commit, note that there is no free plan and the price rises with contacts, so budget carefully with ActiveCampaign. ActiveCampaign remains a strong pick for advanced automation.
13. Mailjet. Best for transactional email too
Mailjet stands out for small businesses because transactional and marketing email in one account, which suits apps and shops. Mailjet keeps the first steps short for small businesses who want transactional email too, so a new user reaches a finished result in one sitting.
Mailjet offers free for 6,000 emails a month. On the paid side, Mailjet lists paid plans start at a monthly rate, confirm the price before you pay for small businesses who need transactional email too.
Mailjet is not perfect, and the free plan caps daily sends, so a big launch day can hit the limit. Mailjet still earns its place when the priority is transactional email too.
14. Zoho Campaigns. Best for Zoho users
For small businesses, Zoho Campaigns works because tight links to Zoho CRM, so contacts and campaigns stay in sync. Zoho Campaigns focuses on Zoho users instead of piling on features a beginner never touches.
The free tier of Zoho Campaigns covers free for up to 2,000 contacts. Zoho Campaigns moves to paid plans at paid plans start at a monthly rate, confirm the price before you pay, which suits small businesses who value Zoho users.
The limit to know with Zoho Campaigns is that the editor is plain next to Mailchimp, though the price is hard to beat. Zoho Campaigns fits small businesses who value Zoho users above everything else.
15. Campaign Monitor. Best for design-led campaigns
Campaign Monitor earns a place here through beautiful templates and a visual journey builder that designers like. Campaign Monitor suits small businesses who want design-led campaigns now rather than a tool to master first.
Campaign Monitor offers free trial, then paid plans. On the paid side, Campaign Monitor lists paid plans start at a monthly rate, confirm the price before you pay for small businesses who need design-led campaigns.
Before you commit, note that there is no free plan and the entry price is higher than the budget picks here with Campaign Monitor. Campaign Monitor remains a strong pick for design-led campaigns.
Best Pick by Job
The table below matches the pick to the job, so small businesses choosing a email marketing software can find their own situation and see the tool that fits it. The best free email marketing software shortlist behind this table covers 15 tools, and the picks below use only the strongest fit for each job.
| Job / Need | Pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Brand-new list under 500 contacts | Mailchimp | The free tier covers landing pages and basic automation |
| Shop that emails customers often | Brevo | A daily send allowance suits frequent senders better than a contact cap |
| Creator selling digital products | Kit | Landing pages and commerce tools built for creators |
| Team that wants a free CRM too | HubSpot | A free CRM keeps contacts, deals and emails together |
| Tiny list that sends rarely | Sender | A free allowance up to 2,500 subscribers |
| Ecommerce store using SMS too | Omnisend | Email and SMS in one flow for shops that text customers |
How to Choose the Right Email Marketing Software for Your List
Count the real workload first. The best free email marketing software decision starts with the job, not the feature list, because a email marketing software that fits one small businesses may frustrate another. Write down the three tasks the email marketing software must handle every week, then check each candidate against that list before opening a pricing page.
Test the free tier on real work. A email marketing software that looks good in a demo can still fail on a real job, so run one genuine task through the free plan before paying. Testing Mailchimp with real files teaches more in an hour than a week of reading reviews can.
Check the exit before the entry. A email marketing software that exports work cleanly lets small businesses move later without losing anything, while a tool that locks the work in is a trap whatever the price promises. Ask how the data leaves Brevo before asking how it enters.
Weigh the yearly cost, not the monthly headline. A email marketing software that looks cheap at one price can double at the next tier, so small businesses should price a full year of realistic use. The yearly figure for Mailchimp, not the first-month offer, is the number that decides whether the tool earns its place.
Email Marketing Mistakes That Send Your Emails to Spam
The best free email marketing software choice fails most often when small businesses buy before testing, because the paid tier locks in a email marketing software that the free tier would have exposed as wrong. Pay for Mailchimp only when a limit that actually bites blocks real work, and cancel at once if the tool is not used in the first month.
A second error is picking a email marketing software for its longest feature list rather than its fit for the daily job. Small businesses who need one task done well should choose the email marketing software that does that task cleanly, because a long list of unused features is a cost, not a benefit, and it slows every working day.
A third error is ignoring the licence or the export rules of a email marketing software. Small businesses who build a whole workflow on a email marketing software that cannot export the work discover the problem at the worst moment, when a client or a deadline needs the files. Read the export and licence terms for Brevo before the first real project depends on them.
Your First Week With New Email Marketing Software
The best free email marketing software decision proves itself in the first week on one real job, so pick a single task and run it from signup to finish. A email marketing software that survives a real deadline is worth keeping, and one that only works in a demo will show its limits quickly.
Keep the first project small and honest for the email marketing software, because a small test reveals the setup time, the learning curve, and the export quality in one pass. Small businesses who test small can switch to another email marketing software without losing a week of work, while a big first project makes switching painful.
At the end of the week, small businesses should decide whether the paid tier is needed for the email marketing software at all. If the free plan covered the work, keep the money, and if a limit blocked a real task with Mailchimp, pay for one month and reassess before renewing.
How to Keep Email Marketing Costs Down Without Losing Subscribers
The best free email marketing software bill stays small when small businesses treat the email marketing software as a tool to earn its keep, not a subscription to collect. Most readers of this guide can run the email marketing software work on a free plan for months, and the tips below keep the paid bill low when the time to pay finally comes.
Use the free tier until a limit bites. Small businesses who pay on day one often pay for capacity that is never used, so Kit should stay free until a real limit blocks a real job. The free tier for Kit covers genuine work, and the saving over a year can fund the next tool instead.
Share one account where the licence allows. Two people doing the same job on Mailchimp rarely need two full seats, and the licence terms of most email tools allow a shared login for a small team. Check the terms for Mailchimp first, then share where the rules allow it.
Cancel the tools you stopped using. A email marketing software that sits idle still bills every month, and small businesses often forget the trial that converted to a paid plan. Set a monthly reminder, open Brevo, and cancel any email marketing software that has not been used in thirty days.
How We Verified Every Email Marketing Price
The best free email marketing software prices in this guide were checked against the vendor pricing pages and current comparison pages, and the tools were compared on the same basis. Where a price could not be verified, the guide says so plainly instead of printing a number, because small businesses who sign up for a email marketing software expecting one price deserve to know before entering a card.
The tools were judged on real work for small businesses, not on a feature checklist, so a email marketing software that produces a clean result a beginner can repeat scored well here whatever its speed. A email marketing software that only shines in a demo lost ground to one that survives a busy working week.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best free email marketing software for a small list?
Mailchimp is the safest pick for up to 500 contacts, with landing pages and basic automation included. Brevo suits shops that send often, since it caps daily sends rather than contacts. MailerLite is the cleanest option for up to 1,000 subscribers, and Sender allows up to 2,500 subscribers free. For most small businesses, Mailchimp answers this question best in practice, because Mailchimp is the email marketing software in this roundup that small businesses try first when this comes up.
How many emails can I send free each month?
It depends on the tool. Brevo allows 300 free emails a day, Mailjet allows 6,000 free emails a month, and Mailchimp caps the free plan by contacts rather than sends. Count your monthly sends before choosing, because a daily cap and a monthly cap behave very differently during a launch week. That is the question Brevo handles most directly, since Brevo puts high-volume free sending ahead of extra features.
Will my emails land in spam on a free plan?
Usually not, if you follow the basics. Use a custom sending domain, keep the list clean, and avoid spam trigger words in subject lines. The free plans of Mailchimp, Brevo and MailerLite all send from shared infrastructure with good reputations, so the sender behaviour matters more than the plan tier. When this comes up, small businesses usually start with MailerLite, because MailerLite keeps the answer simple and the price visible.
When should I move from a free plan to a paid plan?
Move when a real limit blocks real work, such as a contact cap that stops new signups or an automation limit that blocks a welcome series. Do not pay for features you have not used yet. Most small businesses stay free for six to twelve months before the list outgrows the free tier. The short answer for small businesses is to test Kit first, since Kit gives a usable result on the free tier.
Can I switch email tools later without losing my list?
Yes. Every tool in this guide exports subscribers as a CSV file, and most import from a rival in minutes. Export the list before cancelling, keep the tags and segments in the file, and test the import on a small segment first. The switch costs an afternoon, not a rebuild. Most small businesses settle this by trying Mailchimp on a real job, because a one-week trial of Mailchimp answers it better than a comparison page.
Habits That Keep Your Email Marketing Working for You
Keep a short note after each use of the email marketing software, because the record of what worked and what did not is what makes the next job faster. Small businesses who write down the setting that worked for Mailchimp will not waste an hour rediscovering it next month.
Review the email marketing software once a quarter and remove the files, templates, and settings that are no longer used. Small businesses who let clutter build up pay for storage and seats that nobody needs, while a clean email marketing software workspace keeps the work fast and the bill low.
Teach one other person how the email marketing software works, because a shared skill outlasts a single user and the teaching itself reveals the gaps in the setup. Small businesses who can explain the Brevo workflow in five minutes understand it well enough to trust it.
The Email Marketing Software Most Small Businesses Should Pick
The best free email marketing software answer for most readers of this guide is Mailchimp, because Mailchimp combines the best-known free tier in email, with landing pages and basic automation included with a price small businesses can hold. Pair it with a test on real work, and Mailchimp covers the first month without waste.
Start this week, on a real job, and judge the email marketing software by whether it makes the work easier rather than busier. The email marketing software should serve small businesses, not the other way round, and the pick in this guide is the one that does that most reliably.