Twelve email platforms let you build a list and send campaigns without paying — eleven hosted free-forever plans and one open-source application. The two numbers that decide everything are subscribers and sends per month, and they have moved: Mailchimp and MailerLite both cut their free caps to 250 contacts this year, while Sender, EmailOctopus and beehiiv still allow 2,500. The table leads with those numbers. Prices are USD and were checked on 21 October 2026. How we score · All Kurums Free lists
TL;DR — the free email plan that fits
- Biggest free quota: Sender — 2,500 subscribers and 15,000 emails a month free; EmailOctopus close behind at 2,500 and 10,000.
- Large list, low daily volume: Brevo — unlimited contacts stored, 300 emails a day, no card.
- Newsletter publisher: beehiiv — 2,500 subscribers with unlimited sends and a recommendation network; Kit if you sell digital products.
- SaaS startup needing transactional email too: Loops — 1,000 contacts and 4,000 marketing plus transactional emails per 30 days.
Which email marketing software tools have a free plan in 2026?
Every platform on this page stores a list, offers a hosted editor and sends campaigns indefinitely without a subscription. Eleven are hosted free-forever plans; listmonk is open source and self-hosted. We excluded Moosend, which offers only a 30-day trial.
Free email plans are rationed two ways: subscribers stored and emails sent per month, with branding in the footer as the third, softer cost. The spread is wide — from 250 contacts (Mailchimp, MailerLite, Omnisend) to 2,500 (Sender, EmailOctopus, beehiiv) and Brevo’s unlimited storage behind a daily send cap. Two caps that older guides still quote are wrong: Mailchimp’s free plan is now 250 contacts and 500 sends, and MailerLite’s is 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails.
The table shows the one limit most likely to push you to a paid plan, whether a card is needed to start, and the Free Score. The rows below open into the full Scorecard with every limit, the upgrade trigger, the cheapest paid step and the page we checked.
| Company | Free as | Key limit | Card | Free Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S |
Free forever | 2,500 subs · 15,000 emails/mo | No | 92 | Scorecard ↓ |
| E |
Free forever | 2,500 subs · 10,000 emails/mo | No | 90 | Scorecard ↓ |
| B |
Free forever | 2,500 subs · unlimited sends | No | 86 | Scorecard ↓ |
| B |
Free forever | 300 emails/day · unlimited contacts | No | 85 | Scorecard ↓ |
| Z |
Free forever | 2,000 contacts · 6,000 emails/mo · 5 users | No | 83 | Scorecard ↓ |
| L |
Free forever | 1,000 contacts · 4,000 emails/30d | No | 82 | Scorecard ↓ |
| K |
Free forever | Up to 10,000 subs (page conflicts) · no automations | No | 80 | Scorecard ↓ |
| L |
Open source | Self-hosted · bring your own SMTP | No | 80 | Scorecard ↓ |
| B |
Free forever | 500 contacts · 2,500 sends/mo | No | 74 | Scorecard ↓ |
| M |
Free forever | 250 subs · 2,500 emails/mo | No | 72 | Scorecard ↓ |
| O |
Free forever | 250 contacts · 500 emails/mo | No | 70 | Scorecard ↓ |
| M |
Free forever | 250 contacts · 500 sends/mo · 1 seat | No | 62 | Scorecard ↓ |
Free tiers verified 21 October 2026 on each vendor’s pricing page (third-party sources named in the Scorecard where the vendor page was silent). Order is by Free Score only; sponsorship never changes it.
What do the free email plan plans actually include?
Open any row for the eight-field Scorecard. The “Why it ranks here” note under each row explains the score in plain terms.
1S
SenderLithuania · the largest free quota on this list: 2,500 subscribers and 15,000 emails a month, with Sender brandingFree forever2,500 subs · 15,000 emails/moNo card92⌄
- What’s free
- Free Forever: up to 2,500 subscribers and 15,000 emails per month, forms, popups and newsletters with Sender branding, automation
- Hard limits
- 2,500 subscribers · 15,000 emails/month · Sender branding on forms, popups and newsletters
- Time limit
- Unlimited (free forever)
- Card required
- Not stated for Free; the 14-day Pro trial needs no card.
- Upgrade trigger
- Subscriber 2,501 or removing the branding
- Cheapest paid step
- Standard from about $7/month on a per-contact tier (third-party; the vendor page did not render paid prices)
- Best free for
- A small business with a real list that wants the most room before paying
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · sender.net/pricing · hackceleration.com (Standard price)
2E
EmailOctopusUK · 2,500 subscribers and 10,000 emails a month free, no card, with the cheapest paid step afterFree forever2,500 subs · 10,000 emails/moNo card90⌄
- What’s free
- Starter (free): up to 2,500 subscribers, 10,000 emails per month, landing pages and forms, automation, EmailOctopus branding
- Hard limits
- 2,500 subscribers · 10,000 emails/month · branding
- Time limit
- Unlimited
- Card required
- No. The page states no credit card is required.
- Upgrade trigger
- Subscriber 2,501 or removing the branding
- Cheapest paid step
- Pro from $9/month billed yearly
- Best free for
- A list that will grow past free and wants a cheap next step
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · emailoctopus.com/pricing
Why it ranks here. Nearly Sender’s quota with an explicit no-card promise and a $9 paid step that is the cheapest scaling path here. The editor is simpler than Mailchimp’s, which the core-job score reflects.
3B
beehiivUS · 2,500 subscribers with unlimited sends, templates, landing pages and a recommendation network, built for newslettersFree forever2,500 subs · unlimited sendsNo card86⌄
- What’s free
- Free: up to 2,500 subscribers, unlimited email sends, templates, landing pages, recommendation network, API
- Hard limits
- 2,500 subscribers
- Time limit
- Unlimited (free forever)
- Card required
- No. The FAQ states no credit card is required.
- Upgrade trigger
- Subscriber 2,501, a custom domain, or monetisation features
- Cheapest paid step
- Lite $49/month on yearly billing
- Best free for
- A newsletter publisher growing an audience who does not need a custom domain yet
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · beehiiv.com/pricing
Why it ranks here. Unlimited sends on 2,500 subscribers is the most generous send policy here, and the recommendation network is a growth channel others lack. Friction loses points because the step after free is $49, the steepest on the list.
4B
BrevoFrance · store unlimited contacts and send 300 emails a day, free forever, no cardFree forever300 emails/day · unlimited contactsNo card85⌄
- What’s free
- Free forever: up to 300 emails per day, unlimited contacts stored (a third party puts the practical cap at 100,000), editor, automation, Brevo branding
- Hard limits
- 300 emails/day · branding
- Time limit
- Unlimited (free forever)
- Card required
- No. The page states free forever, no credit card needed.
- Upgrade trigger
- Email 301 in a day, or removing the branding
- Cheapest paid step
- Starter from about $9/month for 5,000 emails (third-party; the vendor page’s price did not render)
- Best free for
- A business with a large list that sends occasionally — a monthly update to 8,000 contacts fits
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · brevo.com/pricing · emailtooltester.com (Starter price)
Why it ranks here. The only free plan with no contact cap, which suits large, quiet lists; the daily send cap suits them badly on the day the newsletter goes out. Paid prices did not render on the vendor page and come from a third party, flagged.
5Z
Zoho CampaignsIndia · 2,000 contacts, 6,000 emails a month and five users free, tied to Zoho CRMFree forever2,000 contacts · 6,000 emails/mo · 5 usersNo card83⌄
- What’s free
- Free plan: up to 2,000 contacts, 6,000 emails per month, 5 users, templates, basic reports, Zoho CRM sync
- Hard limits
- 2,000 contacts · 6,000 emails/month · 5 users
- Time limit
- Unlimited
- Card required
- No. The page header states no credit card is required.
- Upgrade trigger
- Contact 2,001, or automation and segmentation features
- Cheapest paid step
- Standard about $3.50/month for 500 contacts billed annually ($4.70 monthly) — third-party; the vendor page shows no USD
- Best free for
- A Zoho CRM user who wants the list to live beside the pipeline
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · zoho.com/campaigns/pricing · emailsoftwareinsights.com (Standard price)
Why it ranks here. Five free seats is unusual and the quota is solid. The CRM sync is the reason to choose it; automation is paid, and the vendor page hides USD prices, which costs friction points.
6L
LoopsUS · all features free for 1,000 contacts, with marketing and transactional email in one tool for SaaSFree forever1,000 contacts · 4,000 emails/30dNo card82⌄
- What’s free
- Free: every feature; up to 1,000 subscribed contacts; 4,000 marketing plus transactional emails per rolling 30 days; ‘Powered by Loops’ footer
- Hard limits
- 1,000 contacts · 4,000 emails per 30 days · 10 emails per second
- Time limit
- Unlimited
- Card required
- No. The page states no credit card is required.
- Upgrade trigger
- Contact 1,001, or removing the footer
- Cheapest paid step
- Growth $49/month billed monthly, 5,000 contacts
- Best free for
- A SaaS startup that wants onboarding sequences and transactional email from one place
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · loops.so/pricing
Why it ranks here. Nothing is withheld on the free plan — every feature, including transactional sends, which no other tool here offers free. The quota is mid-sized and the paid step is $49, which keeps the score below the big-quota tools.
7K
KitUS · the former ConvertKit: unlimited broadcasts, landing pages, forms, tagging and digital-product sales for creatorsFree foreverUp to 10,000 subs (page conflicts) · no automationsNo card80⌄
- What’s free
- Newsletter (free): unlimited broadcasts, landing pages, forms, tagging and segmentation, sell digital products
- Hard limits
- Subscriber cap shown as 10,000 in the comparison table and 1,000 on the plan card · no automations
- Time limit
- Unlimited
- Card required
- Not stated for Free; ‘no credit card’ applies to the 14-day trial.
- Upgrade trigger
- Automations, or the subscriber cap
- Cheapest paid step
- Creator from $33/month ($390 billed yearly)
- Best free for
- A creator selling digital products who does not need automated sequences yet
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · kit.com/pricing
Why it ranks here. Potentially the largest free list on the page — if the 10,000 figure is the right one. Kit’s own pricing page shows 10,000 in one place and 1,000 in another, so we score the conservative reading and flag it; no automations on free is the real wall for creators.
8L
listmonkIndia · open-source (AGPL v3) newsletter and mailing-list manager; a single binary plus Postgres, unlimited everythingOpen sourceSelf-hosted · bring your own SMTPNo card80⌄
- What’s free
- Self-hosted campaigns and transactional email, lists, segmentation, templates, analytics; single binary with PostgreSQL
- Hard limits
- None stated; you supply the server and an email delivery provider
- Time limit
- Unlimited (open-source license)
- Card required
- No. Self-hosted software, no vendor account.
- Upgrade trigger
- None; the cost is hosting and an SMTP or API delivery provider
- Cheapest paid step
- None official; third-party hosted instances exist
- Best free for
- A technical team that wants unlimited sends at infrastructure cost and full data ownership
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · listmonk.app · github.com/knadh/listmonk
Why it ranks here. No caps, no branding, no vendor — and no deliverability either, until you pair it with a sending service. Scored high on capacity and low on friction for exactly those reasons.
9B
Benchmark EmailUS · 500 contacts and 2,500 sends a month free with a drag-and-drop editorFree forever500 contacts · 2,500 sends/moNo card74⌄
- What’s free
- Free: 500 contacts, up to 2,500 sends per month, editor and templates, basic reports
- Hard limits
- 500 contacts · 2,500 sends/month
- Time limit
- Unlimited
- Card required
- Not stated.
- Upgrade trigger
- Contact 501
- Cheapest paid step
- Pro from $16/month (likely annual) or $19 (monthly); the page does not label which
- Best free for
- A small list of up to 500 that sends a few campaigns a month
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · benchmarkemail.com/pricing
Why it ranks here. A fair mid-sized quota with nothing distinctive around it. The paid plan’s billing basis is not labelled on the page.
10M
MailerLiteLithuania · the modern editor, now free for 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails a month with two seatsFree forever250 subs · 2,500 emails/moNo card72⌄
- What’s free
- Free: up to 250 subscribers, 2,500 emails per month, 2 user seats, editor, forms and landing pages; 14 days of premium features for new accounts
- Hard limits
- 250 subscribers · 2,500 emails/month · 2 seats
- Time limit
- Unlimited
- Card required
- No. The page states no credit card is required.
- Upgrade trigger
- Subscriber 251
- Cheapest paid step
- Comfort from $12/month (yearly saves 10%)
- Best free for
- A beginner who values the editor and will pay once the list passes 250
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · mailerlite.com/pricing
Why it ranks here. MailerLite’s free plan used to be 500 subscribers and 12,000 emails; it is now 250 and 2,500, which drops it to the bottom third on capacity. The product remains one of the nicest to use, and the paid step is reasonable.
11O
OmnisendLithuania · email, SMS and push for e-commerce, free for 250 contacts and 500 emails a month, no cardFree forever250 contacts · 500 emails/moNo card70⌄
- What’s free
- Free: reach up to 250 contacts, 500 emails per month, email, SMS and push channels, e-commerce automations
- Hard limits
- 250 contacts · 500 emails/month
- Time limit
- Unlimited
- Card required
- No. The page states no cost and no credit card required.
- Upgrade trigger
- Contact 251
- Cheapest paid step
- Standard from $16/month (a $11.20 promotional rate for three months paid upfront is shown)
- Best free for
- A small online store that wants cart-abandonment flows on email and SMS
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · omnisend.com/pricing
Why it ranks here. The e-commerce automations are the point and they are free; the quota is tiny. Right for a new store, wrong for any list with history.
12M
MailchimpUS · the best-known name, now free only under 250 contacts and 500 sends a monthFree forever250 contacts · 500 sends/mo · 1 seatNo card62⌄
- What’s free
- Free: email builder, basic templates, 1 seat, basic reporting
- Hard limits
- 250 contacts · 500 sends/month (250/day) · 1 seat · sending pauses when a limit is exceeded
- Time limit
- Unlimited
- Card required
- Not stated for Free; a card applies to the Essentials and Standard trials.
- Upgrade trigger
- Contact 251 or send 501; sending pauses rather than charging
- Cheapest paid step
- Essentials from $13/month for 500 contacts
- Best free for
- A list under 250 that wants the Mailchimp templates and integrations
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · mailchimp.com/pricing/marketing
Why it ranks here. Mailchimp’s free plan is a tenth of what it was and the smallest on this list by sends. It stays here because it is the first search result in the category and the comparison needs to say so.
Which free email plan has no credit-card requirement?
EmailOctopus, beehiiv, Brevo, Zoho Campaigns, Loops, MailerLite and Omnisend state that no card is needed; listmonk is a download. Sender and Kit say it only for their trials; Benchmark and Mailchimp do not state it, which we record as “not stated”. No free plan here converts to a paid one automatically — Mailchimp pauses sending instead.
Sort the twelve by the number you will hit. Subscribers: Brevo unlimited (300 sends a day), Kit up to 10,000 by one reading of its page, Sender, EmailOctopus and beehiiv 2,500, Zoho 2,000, Loops 1,000, Benchmark 500, MailerLite, Omnisend and Mailchimp 250. Sends per month: beehiiv unlimited, Sender 15,000, EmailOctopus 10,000, Brevo 9,000 (300 a day), Zoho 6,000, Loops 4,000, MailerLite and Benchmark 2,500, Omnisend and Mailchimp 500. Branding-free on the free plan: none of the hosted tools; listmonk only.
When does the free plan stop being enough?
Kurums Match: which free email plan fits your situation?
Small business with a 2,000-contact list
Sender or EmailOctopus. Both free to 2,500; EmailOctopus if you want the no-card promise and the $9 step.
Big list, one email a month
Brevo. Unlimited contacts, 300 sends a day; schedule the campaign over a few days.
Newsletter writer building an audience
beehiiv. Unlimited sends and the recommendation network; Kit if you sell digital products.
SaaS founder
Loops. Marketing and transactional email in one free tool.
Online store
Omnisend. Cart-abandonment flows free for your first 250 customers.
Developer, want to own the data
listmonk plus a delivery provider.
How we score free tiers
Duration (30): free forever scores 30, a 30-day-plus trial 15, a trial of 14 days or less 8, credit-based tiers 12. Capacity (30): whether the limits carry a team of three for twelve months. Core job (25): whether the free tier does the category’s main work — here, storing a subscriber list and sending campaigns to it with a hosted editor and reporting. Friction (15): no card 15; card but no auto-charge 8; auto-charge 0; self-hosting deducts for setup and maintenance.
Each free tier was checked on the vendor’s pricing page on 21 October 2026; where the vendor page was silent, the Scorecard names the third-party source used. Free tiers change, so this list is re-verified every quarter and a discontinued free plan stays listed for one month with a notice. Order is by Free Score only. Kurums Free sells no placement; sponsorship, affiliate links and vendor requests never change a score, a rank or a label. Vendors can submit corrections through the Update your free tier form.
How did we verify these free tiers?
For each product we opened the pricing page and recorded the free tier’s stated limits, the cheapest paid plan and its billing basis, and the card requirement if stated. Four vendor pages did not render their paid prices to our fetch (Sender, Brevo, Zoho Campaigns, and Mailchimp’s Essentials base tier was cross-checked), so those figures come from named third-party guides and are flagged. Kit’s page states two different subscriber caps; we score the conservative reading and say so.
Prices are USD. The free caps for Mailchimp and MailerLite are as their pages state on the verification date and are lower than most published guides still report. We did not send campaigns through these tools for this list; the score measures the published free tier, not deliverability. Moosend was checked and excluded.
Frequently asked questions
Which free email marketing tool allows the most subscribers?
Brevo stores unlimited contacts behind a 300-a-day send cap. Among tools with a contact cap, Sender, EmailOctopus and beehiiv allow 2,500; Kit’s page shows 10,000 in one table and 1,000 in another.
Is Mailchimp still free for 500 contacts?
No. Mailchimp’s free plan is now 250 contacts and 500 sends a month with one seat. MailerLite’s free plan has likewise dropped to 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails.
Which free plans include automation?
Sender, EmailOctopus, Loops, Omnisend, beehiiv and Brevo include automation on the free plan. Kit and Zoho Campaigns sell it in their first paid tier.
Can I remove the vendor branding on a free plan?
Not on any hosted plan here; removing it is the first paid tier. Self-hosted listmonk has no branding.
Which free tool sends transactional email as well?
Loops includes transactional sends in its 4,000-a-month quota; Brevo offers transactional email on a separate free allowance; listmonk does both self-hosted.
How is this different from the Best Email Marketing Software comparison?
This list answers ‘where can I email my list without paying’. The Best comparison answers ‘which one should I buy’. Both use the same no-sponsorship rule.
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