Almost every email newsletter platform claims to have a free plan in 2026. But “free” means something very different across platforms: 500 contacts with Mailchimp, 100,000 contacts with Brevo, unlimited contacts with CampaignOS, or a 14-day trial dressed up as a free tier. Choosing the wrong free plan means hitting a paywall exactly when your audience starts growing — or discovering that the feature you need is locked behind the first paid tier.
This guide compares the 8 best free email newsletter platforms with exact limits, no vendor spin. We cover what each free plan actually includes, where the walls are, and which platform to choose based on your specific situation.
Free Plan Comparison Table 2026
| Platform | Free Contacts | Free Send Limit | Automation on Free | Branding on Free | Actually Free? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CampaignOS | Unlimited | Unlimited | Full automation | Optional | Yes (open-source) |
| Brevo | 100,000 | 300/day (~9k/mo) | Basic automation | Yes (Brevo logo) | Yes (hosted) |
| MailerLite | 1,000 | 12,000/month | Yes (basic) | Yes (MailerLite badge) | Yes (hosted) |
| Mailchimp | 500 | 1,000/month | Very limited | Yes (Mailchimp badge) | Yes (but very limited) |
| Substack | Unlimited | Unlimited | None | Substack branding | 10% revenue cut |
| Kit (ConvertKit) | 10,000 | Unlimited | Limited | ConvertKit badge | Yes |
| Mautic | Unlimited | Unlimited | Full automation | Optional | Yes (self-hosted) |
| Moosend | 30-day trial only | Trial only | Trial only | No | No (trial, not free) |
Platform-by-Platform Reviews
1. CampaignOS — Best Genuinely Free Email Newsletter Platform
CampaignOS is the only platform on this list where “free” means the complete product with no artificial limits. No contact cap, no send cap, no automation feature gating, and no mandatory branding on outgoing emails. It is open-source software you can self-host on your own server (from $10/month on a VPS), or use via the managed cloud at app.campaignos.site.
Beyond newsletters, CampaignOS supports email, SMS, push notifications, and WhatsApp automation from the same visual workflow builder. For businesses running marketing automation on a small business budget or teams that need a full multichannel marketing platform, there is no comparable free alternative.
The one consideration: self-hosting requires basic server setup. If DevOps is not available in-house, the managed cloud option removes that barrier entirely.
Free plan limits: None.
Best for: Any business that wants full-featured newsletter and marketing automation without ever paying per-contact fees.
2. Brevo — Best Free Hosted Email Newsletter Platform
Brevo offers the most generous free plan among fully hosted SaaS newsletter platforms. You can store up to 100,000 contacts for free. The daily send limit of 300 emails is the main constraint — it translates to roughly 9,000 emails per month, which is adequate for small newsletters but limiting for broadcast campaigns to large lists. Upgrade to the Starter plan ($9/month) to remove the daily cap.
Brevo’s free plan includes basic automation, a drag-and-drop email editor, transactional email, and SMS capabilities. The Brevo logo is added to the footer of free-tier emails but can be removed on paid plans.
The pricing model advantage carries into paid plans: Brevo charges by email volume, not contact count. If you have a large list you email infrequently, Brevo is structurally cheaper than Mailchimp or ActiveCampaign at scale.
Free plan limits: 300 emails/day; Brevo branding in footer.
Best for: Small businesses and nonprofits that need a hosted solution with a large free contact store.
3. MailerLite — Best Free Plan for Email Design
MailerLite’s free plan supports up to 1,000 subscribers and 12,000 emails per month — a meaningful step up from Mailchimp’s 500-contact limit. The template library is clean and the drag-and-drop editor produces professional-looking newsletters without design experience. Basic automation is available on the free tier, including welcome sequences and birthday emails.
MailerLite requires account verification before you can send campaigns, which some users find slower to get started than competitors. The free plan adds a MailerLite badge to outgoing emails. Advanced automation, A/B testing, and custom HTML editing require the paid Growing Business plan ($9/month).
Free plan limits: 1,000 subscribers; 12,000 emails/month; MailerLite branding.
Best for: Creators and small businesses who prioritize clean email design and basic automation.
4. Mailchimp — Most Recognized, Most Restricted Free Plan
Mailchimp’s free plan is the most widely used starting point for new email marketers — largely because of brand recognition, not because the free plan is competitive. The 500-contact limit and 1,000 emails/month cap make it suitable only for the earliest stages of list building. Once you outgrow 500 contacts, the Essentials plan starts at $13/month and the contact-based pricing model kicks in with all its associated scaling costs.
Automation on the free plan is extremely limited: you get a basic welcome email but not a multi-step sequence. A/B testing, advanced segmentation, and the Customer Journey builder are all gated behind paid plans. For teams that started on Mailchimp and are now evaluating alternatives, the open-source Mailchimp alternatives guide covers your migration options.
Free plan limits: 500 contacts; 1,000 emails/month; Mailchimp branding; minimal automation.
Best for: Absolute beginners building their first list with no immediate need for automation.
5. Substack — Best Free Platform for Creator Monetization
Substack is not a traditional marketing automation platform — it is a publishing and newsletter platform designed for writers and creators who want to monetize their audience through paid subscriptions. There is no email send limit and no contact cap. Substack is free to publish on, but takes 10% of any paid subscription revenue. For free newsletters, there is no cost.
The trade-off is feature depth: Substack has no automation, no segmentation, no A/B testing, and limited design customization. You publish on Substack’s domain unless you pay for a custom domain. It is built for writing and distribution, not marketing operations.
Free plan limits: 10% revenue share on paid subscriptions; Substack branding; no automation.
Best for: Writers, journalists, and creators publishing written newsletters who want to monetize without building their own infrastructure.
6. Kit (ConvertKit) — Best Free Plan for Individual Creators
Kit (formerly ConvertKit) offers a free plan supporting up to 10,000 subscribers with unlimited email sends — a strong offering for solo creators. The platform is designed around a creator workflow: landing pages, subscriber forms, and broadcast emails are all first-class features. The free tier includes basic automation sequences and tagging.
What is missing on the free plan: advanced automation (visual builder is paid), integrations beyond basic tools, and newsletter referral features. The platform does add a ConvertKit badge to free emails. For creators building an audience who need more automation depth, the Creator plan starts at $25/month.
Free plan limits: 10,000 subscribers; ConvertKit branding; limited automation depth.
Best for: Solo creators, bloggers, and course builders who want a free plan with a high subscriber limit.
7. Moosend — Trial, Not a Free Plan
Moosend is frequently listed in “free email marketing” roundups, but it does not have a permanent free tier in 2026 — it offers a 30-day free trial. After 30 days, paid plans start at $9/month for 500 subscribers. The platform itself is well-designed with good automation capabilities and a clean drag-and-drop builder, but it does not belong in a “permanently free” comparison. Any team choosing Moosend should plan for a paid subscription from month two.
Free plan limits: 30-day trial only.
Best for: Teams that want to evaluate a polished automation tool before committing to $9/month.
8. Mautic — Best Free Self-Hosted Open-Source Alternative
Mautic is the long-standing open-source marketing automation platform. Like CampaignOS, it has no contact limits or send caps on a self-hosted installation. Unlike CampaignOS, it requires more technical setup and configuration to get multichannel features working. The campaign canvas is functional but dated compared to modern builders.
For teams already comfortable with self-hosted software and looking for a free Mailchimp replacement with full automation capabilities, Mautic remains a valid option. Read our in-depth comparison of self-hosted marketing automation options to understand the setup trade-offs.
Free plan limits: None (self-hosted open-source).
Best for: Technical teams with DevOps resources wanting maximum customizability at zero cost.
How to Choose the Right Free Email Newsletter Platform
Use these decision rules to narrow your choice:
- If you want zero limits and don’t mind self-hosting: CampaignOS or Mautic.
- If you want a hosted free plan for a large list: Brevo (100k contacts free).
- If you are a creator monetizing with paid subscriptions: Substack (free but 10% revenue share).
- If you are a solo creator with up to 10,000 subscribers: Kit (ConvertKit).
- If you are an absolute beginner building your first list: MailerLite (better free limits than Mailchimp).
- If you have outgrown any of the above: CampaignOS removes all limits at zero cost.
For teams that also need automation beyond simple newsletters — drip sequences, behavioral triggers, multichannel campaigns — review our complete guide to choosing a marketing automation platform for a full feature comparison. The hidden cost realities covered in our marketing automation pricing hidden costs analysis apply equally once you move from free to paid tiers.
If you’re also thinking about content marketing strategy alongside email, Authenova’s SEO content calendar guide shows how to integrate content planning with your email automation cadence.
Try CampaignOS free at app.campaignos.site — no credit card, no contact limits, no send caps.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which email newsletter platform has the best free plan in 2026?
CampaignOS has the best free plan in 2026 — it offers the complete platform with no contact limits, no send limits, and full automation features at zero cost. For a fully hosted free option, Brevo’s free plan supports 100,000 contacts with 300 emails per day and is the most generous among SaaS platforms. Kit (ConvertKit) supports 10,000 subscribers for free with unlimited sends, making it the best free option for individual creators.
Is Mailchimp really free?
Mailchimp has a permanently free plan, but it is significantly restricted. The free tier allows only 500 contacts and 1,000 email sends per month. Automation is minimal — limited to a basic welcome email. The plan includes Mailchimp branding in outgoing emails. Most growing businesses outgrow Mailchimp’s free plan within months of starting, at which point they must upgrade to a paid tier or migrate to a more generous platform.
What is the difference between Substack and a traditional email newsletter platform?
Substack is a publishing platform built for creators who want to write and monetize newsletters through paid subscriptions. Traditional email newsletter platforms like Brevo, MailerLite, or CampaignOS are marketing tools with automation, segmentation, A/B testing, and CRM features. Substack has none of those marketing capabilities — it is designed for one-to-many publishing, not marketing funnel automation. Choose Substack if you are a writer building an audience; choose a marketing platform if you are running a business with campaign and automation requirements.
Can I send unlimited emails for free?
Yes, with self-hosted platforms. CampaignOS and Mautic both allow unlimited email sends on a self-hosted installation — the only limit is your sending infrastructure and email deliverability setup. Among hosted SaaS platforms, Kit (ConvertKit) offers unlimited email sends on its free plan for up to 10,000 subscribers. Brevo’s free plan limits sends to 300 per day. Mailchimp’s free plan limits sends to 1,000 per month.
Does Brevo’s free plan include automation?
Yes. Brevo’s free plan includes basic marketing automation — you can create simple workflows like welcome sequences triggered by contact sign-up. Advanced automation features such as complex multi-step conditional workflows and predictive content are available on the Business plan ($65/month). For most simple newsletter use cases, Brevo’s free automation is sufficient.
What free email platform should I use for a nonprofit?
For nonprofits, CampaignOS is the best free option — no contact limits and no ongoing cost means the platform grows with your donor database without triggering price increases. Brevo is the best hosted free alternative (100,000 contacts free). Many nonprofits also benefit from MailerLite, which offers a 30% discount on paid plans for registered nonprofits, making it a strong option once the free tier’s limits are reached. For more guidance, see our nonprofit marketing automation guide on this site.
Is MailerLite free forever?
Yes. MailerLite has a permanently free plan (not a trial) supporting up to 1,000 subscribers and 12,000 email sends per month. The free plan includes basic automation, landing pages, and the drag-and-drop email editor. It adds a MailerLite badge to outgoing emails. Once your subscriber count exceeds 1,000, the Growing Business plan starts at $9/month and removes all badges and send limits.