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SaaSScored
Updated March 2026

Best Free Email Marketing Tools

Every email marketing platform claims to have a free plan. But free plans vary wildly — from Kit's generous 10,000 subscribers to Mailchimp's stripped-down 250 contacts. We compared what you actually get for free: subscriber limits, automation access, template availability, and what gets paywalled. All based on verified pricing pages and real user reports.

Transparency note: We earn affiliate commissions from some tools listed here. This never influences our rankings — our scoring methodology is published and open for scrutiny.

What to look for

  • Subscriber limit — this is the real differentiator between free plans
  • Is automation included? MailerLite includes it free, Mailchimp removed it in June 2025
  • Are templates available, or do you have to design from scratch?
  • Branding — does the free plan force their logo on your emails?
  • Upgrade path — how expensive is the jump when you outgrow the free plan?
MailerLite logo
#1

MailerLite

Clean, affordable, and genuinely easy to use

7.5/10
Best for: Small businesses and creators on a budget who want simplicity
Not for: E-commerce needing deep analytics, or anyone in finance/health/dating niches where deliverability drops significantly
Try MailerLiteFull review
Klaviyo logo
#2

Klaviyo

The ecommerce email powerhouse — at a premium price

7.5/10
Best for: Shopify stores doing $500K+ in revenue that need serious segmentation and revenue attribution
Not for: Bloggers, creators, coaches, SaaS businesses, or anyone without an ecommerce store — zero advantage over tools at half the price
Try KlaviyoFull review
Brevo logo
#3

Brevo

The best-value all-in-one — if support doesn't ghost you

7.3/10
Best for: Small businesses that need email, CRM, SMS, and chat in one affordable platform — especially those with large contact lists but low send volume
Not for: Ecommerce stores needing deep Shopify integration and revenue attribution (Klaviyo and Omnisend are far better), or anyone who needs responsive customer support
Try BrevoFull review
Kit (ConvertKit) logo
#4

Kit (ConvertKit)

Built for creators — but the price just tripled

7.2/10
Best for: Solo creators, bloggers, and podcasters who value simplicity and built-in monetisation
Not for: Ecommerce businesses, anyone needing detailed analytics, or large lists where cost becomes hard to justify vs MailerLite
Try KitFull review
GetResponse logo
#5

GetResponse

The all-in-one platform with a billing problem

7.2/10
Best for: Course creators and small businesses who want email + webinars + funnels in one platform
Not for: Simple newsletter senders (you will overpay), WordPress users (no plugin), or anyone who might need to cancel quickly
Try GetResponseFull review
Omnisend logo
#6

Omnisend

The budget Klaviyo with genuine omnichannel chops

7.1/10
Best for: Small-to-mid Shopify stores that want email + SMS + push in one platform without Klaviyo's price tag or learning curve
Not for: Stores with heavy Outlook/Hotmail customer bases (38.7% Microsoft deliverability), B2B businesses, enterprise operations at 50K+ contacts, or advanced marketers who need Klaviyo-level segmentation depth
Try OmnisendFull review
beehiiv logo
#7

beehiiv

The newsletter platform built for monetisation — not marketing

7/10
Best for: Newsletter creators and media companies who want to monetise their audience through ads, paid subscriptions, and cross-promotion
Not for: Ecommerce businesses (zero ecommerce features), anyone needing complex automation or advanced segmentation, and integration-heavy tech stacks
Try beehiivFull review
Mailchimp logo
#8

Mailchimp

The biggest name in email — coasting on reputation

6.5/10
Best for: Complete beginners who want the easiest interface and maximum third-party integrations
Not for: Anyone with 5,000+ contacts (dramatically overpriced), ecommerce businesses (Klaviyo is far superior), or anyone who needs real customer support
Try MailchimpFull review
AWeber logo
#9

AWeber

The veteran platform coasting on loyalty — after a brutal price hike

6.2/10
Best for: Non-technical beginners who value phone support and simplicity above all else, and digital product sellers who want built-in payment processing on landing pages
Not for: Ecommerce businesses (lacks pre-built flows and deep platform integrations), advanced marketers needing sophisticated automation, or cost-conscious users at scale — MailerLite does the same job for significantly less
Try AWeberFull review

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