List size:
See email marketing priced beside 641 tools and services, in one list →
| $/mo ▲ | Tool | Free at this size | Per year | Automation | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MailerLite Best value all-rounder · free tier 250, automation yes, $19 a month at 1,000 subscribers Visit → | ||||||
| Brevo Free contacts, pay per send · free tier 100000, automation yes, $9 a month at 1,000 subscribers Visit → | ||||||
| Kit (ConvertKit) Creators & newsletters · free tier 10000, automation yes, $0 a month at 1,000 subscribers Visit → | ||||||
| Beehiiv Newsletters + growth · free tier 2500, automation yes, $0 a month at 1,000 subscribers Visit → | ||||||
| Mailchimp Most popular / brand · free tier 250, automation yes, $13 a month at 1,000 subscribers Visit → | ||||||
| GetResponse Funnels & webinars · free tier 500, automation yes, $19 a month at 1,000 subscribers Visit → | ||||||
| ActiveCampaign Powerful automation · free tier 0, automation yes, $29 a month at 1,000 subscribers Visit → | ||||||
| Constant Contact Small business support · free tier 0, $35 a month at 1,000 subscribers Visit → | ||||||
| AWeber Simple, reliable · free tier 500, automation yes, $20 a month at 1,000 subscribers Visit → | ||||||
| Klaviyo Ecommerce & Shopify · free tier 250, automation yes, $45 a month at 1,000 subscribers Visit → | ||||||
| Omnisend Ecommerce automation · free tier 250, automation yes, $35 a month at 1,000 subscribers Visit → | ||||||
| Drip Ecommerce revenue · free tier 0, automation yes, $39 a month at 1,000 subscribers Visit → | ||||||
| Moosend Cheap automation · free tier 0, automation yes, $9 a month at 1,000 subscribers Visit → | ||||||
| Sender Generous free tier · free tier 2500, automation yes, $0 a month at 1,000 subscribers Visit → | ||||||
| EmailOctopus Simple & low cost · free tier 2500, automation yes, $0 a month at 1,000 subscribers Visit → | ||||||
| SendPulse Multi-channel + free · free tier 500, automation yes, $7 a month at 1,000 subscribers Visit → | ||||||
| Zoho Campaigns Cheapest paid tiers · free tier 2000, automation yes, $0 a month at 1,000 subscribers Visit → | ||||||
| Campaign Monitor Design-focused · free tier 0, automation yes, $29 a month at 1,000 subscribers Visit → | ||||||
| Mailjet Free 6k contacts · free tier 6000, automation yes, $0 a month at 1,000 subscribers Visit → | ||||||
| Flodesk Flat $38, unlimited subs · free tier 0, automation yes, $38 a month at 1,000 subscribers Visit → | ||||||
| Substack Free, takes 10% of paid subs · free tier 100000000, $0 a month at 1,000 subscribers Visit → | ||||||
| Ghost Publishing + memberships · free tier 0, automation yes, $25 a month at 1,000 subscribers Visit → | ||||||
| Systeme.io Funnels + email, free to 2k · free tier 2000, automation yes, $0 a month at 1,000 subscribers Visit → | ||||||
| HubSpot Free CRM + email · free tier 1000, automation yes, $0 a month at 1,000 subscribers Visit → | ||||||
| Benchmark Simple + free tier · free tier 500, automation yes, $13 a month at 1,000 subscribers Visit → | ||||||
| Buttondown Minimal newsletters · free tier 100, $9 a month at 1,000 subscribers Visit → | ||||||
| Keap All-in-one CRM (premium) · free tier 0, automation yes, $299 a month at 1,000 subscribers Visit → | ||||||
How we rank. Every tool is priced at the list size you pick, because the cheapest one changes as you grow. Watch the free-tier cliff: Kit is free to 10,000 subscribers, Substack is free forever (it takes 10% of your paid subs), Brevo is free on contacts and bills by sends, and MailerLite is free to 250. For big lists, flat-rate Flodesk ($38 unlimited) and per-send Brevo pull ahead while Mailchimp and ActiveCampaign climb fast. Filter by Creators, Ecommerce or Automation to narrow it down, and since this is a recurring bill the "per year" column is what really adds up. Pricing is indicative USD; this page covers subscriber-based email marketing, not transactional/API email (Postmark, Resend, SES), which bills per send. Confirm on the tool's site.
Common questions
What's the best free email marketing tool?
Depends on list size. Kit is free to 10k, Brevo is free on contacts (bills by sends), MailerLite free to 250. For a growing newsletter, the longest-lasting free tier usually wins.
How much does email marketing cost?
It scales with your list. Small lists are often free; 1-2.5k is ~$15-30/mo; 5k is ~$40-80. Automation-heavy platforms cost more at every size.
Cheapest for a large list?
Brevo (bills by emails sent) and Kit are usually most cost-effective at scale, while Mailchimp and ActiveCampaign climb fast. Set the calculator to your size.
Do I pay per subscriber or per email?
Most charge by subscribers, so the bill rises as the list grows even if you send rarely. Brevo is the exception, billing by emails sent, good for a big list you email infrequently.