You don't need to spend money to start email marketing. Several platforms offer generous free tiers that work well for small lists and beginners. Here are the best free email marketing tools available.
Top Free Email Marketing Platforms
1. MailerLite (Best Overall Free Plan)
MailerLite offers the most generous free plan: 1,000 subscribers with unlimited monthly emails. You get the drag-and-drop editor, automation workflows, landing pages, and even a website builder.
Free tier includes:
- 1,000 subscribers
- Unlimited monthly emails
- Drag-and-drop editor
- Automation workflows
- Landing pages
- Website builder
Why it wins: No other platform offers unlimited emails on a free plan with this feature set.
2. Brevo (Best for Daily Sending)
Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) offers 300 emails per day free—that's 9,000 emails per month. The limit is daily rather than monthly, making it good for consistent senders.
Free tier includes:
- Unlimited contacts
- 300 emails per day
- Email and SMS marketing
- Basic automation
- CRM features
Why it wins: If you send consistently but not heavily, Brevo's daily limit works well.
3. Mailchimp (Most Popular)
Mailchimp's free plan supports 500 contacts with 1,000 emails per month. It's less generous than others but includes access to templates and the beginner-friendly interface.
Free tier includes:
- 500 contacts
- 1,000 emails per month
- Email templates
- Basic reporting
- Marketing CRM
Why it wins: Best templates and easiest interface for beginners.
4. beehiiv (Best for Newsletters)
beehiiv offers free newsletter publishing for up to 2,500 subscribers. The platform is built specifically for newsletters with growth tools and beautiful design.
Free tier includes:
- 2,500 subscribers
- Unlimited sends
- Publication tools
- Basic analytics
- Custom domain
Why it wins: Most generous free tier specifically for newsletters.
5. EmailOctopus (Best Value)
EmailOctopus provides free email marketing for up to 2,500 subscribers through Amazon SES. Simple and no-frills but very generous.
Free tier includes:
- 2,500 subscribers
- Via Amazon SES
- Basic automation
- Landing pages
Why it wins: Largest free subscriber limit, though requires SES setup.
Free Newsletter Platforms
Substack
Substack is completely free to use—they only take 10% when you monetize with paid subscriptions. Perfect for writers who want to start free and monetize later.
Buttondown
Buttondown offers free newsletters for up to 100 subscribers with Markdown support and a clean, minimal interface.
Free Transactional Email
SendGrid
SendGrid offers 100 emails per day free forever. Good for developers testing transactional email.
Resend
Resend also offers 100 emails per day free with modern API and React Email support.
Comparison Table
| Platform | Free Limit | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| MailerLite | 1,000 subs, unlimited emails | Overall best free plan |
| Brevo | 300 emails/day | Daily senders |
| Mailchimp | 500 contacts, 1K emails/mo | Beginners, templates |
| beehiiv | 2,500 subs | Newsletters |
| EmailOctopus | 2,500 subs | Large lists, simple needs |
| Substack | Unlimited | Paid newsletters |
| SendGrid | 100 emails/day | Transactional email |
Tips for Free Email Marketing
- Start with one platform—don't overcomplicate
- Clean your list regularly—remove inactive subscribers
- Upgrade when it makes sense—paid plans unlock features
- Focus on deliverability—follow best practices
- Build your list organically—don't buy email lists
When to Upgrade
Consider moving to a paid plan when:
- You hit subscriber limits
- You need advanced automation
- You want to remove platform branding
- You need better analytics
- You want priority support
Conclusion
For most beginners, MailerLite offers the best free email marketing plan. For newsletters specifically, beehiiv provides the most generous free tier. Start free, build your list, and upgrade when the platform's limitations hold you back.