Free email marketing plans are limited in different ways.
A large subscriber allowance does not necessarily mean a large campaign allowance. Compare contacts, sends, automation, branding, and monetization conditions separately.
| Platform | Contacts | Sending | Automation | Main catch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MailerLite | 250 active subscribers | 2,500 emails per 30 days | Visual automations are available, subject to free-plan limits | The free list cap is the smallest in this comparison. |
| Brevo | Up to 100,000 stored contacts | 300 email sends per day; unused sends do not roll over | Up to 2,000 unique contacts can enter active automations | The 300-per-day free limit can make a single large campaign take multiple days. |
| GetResponse | Up to 500 contacts | Up to 2,500 newsletters per month | Premium automation access is included during the first 14 days, then free-plan restrictions apply | Some premium capabilities disappear after the 14-day period on a free account. |
| Kit | Up to 10,000 active, unique subscribers | Unlimited email sends | 1 basic visual automation and 1 email sequence | The free plan includes a required Kit-managed recommendation slot. |
Best fit by constraint
Kit
Kit documents up to 10,000 active, unique subscribers and unlimited sends. The tradeoff is a required Kit-managed recommendation slot, with Kit keeping earnings generated by that slot.
Brevo
Brevo documents storage for up to 100,000 contacts, but only 300 sends per day. It fits selective or transactional-style sending better than a same-day broadcast to the entire database.
GetResponse
GetResponse allows 500 contacts and 2,500 newsletters per month, plus a landing page. Some premium capabilities are available only during the first 14 days.
MailerLite
MailerLite allows 250 active subscribers and 2,500 emails per 30 days. It can suit a very small list, but the contact cap is materially lower than the others.
Important timing note for MailerLite
MailerLite announced additional free-plan feature limits scheduled for August 13, 2026. Because that date is still in the future at the time of this review, the exact post-rollout behavior should be rechecked before relying on it.
What the table does not prove
Free-plan generosity does not establish deliverability, support quality, editor preference, or long-term cost. Those require separate testing and a paid-tier comparison at the reader's actual list size and sending frequency.
Official sources
Facts on this page were checked against the following provider documentation on 2026-07-14.