Free Mailchimp alternatives with bigger free plans
Mailchimp's free plan includes up to 250 contacts and 500 sends a month (Mailchimp help). These 18 platforms have free plans too. Here's each limit, from each vendor's own pricing page, checked 22 Oct 2026.
| Platform | Free plan limit | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kit (formerly ConvertKit) | Up to 10,000 subscribers | kit.com |
| beehiiv | Up to 2,500 subscribers | beehiiv.com |
| Sender | 2,500 subscribers, 15,000 emails a month | sender.net |
| EmailOctopus | 2,500 subscribers, 10,000 emails a month | emailoctopus.com |
| systeme.io | Up to 2,000 contacts | systeme.io |
| SendFox | Up to 1,000 contacts | sendfox.com |
| Mailercloud | 1,000 contacts, 12,000 emails a month | mailercloud.com |
| Loops | 1,000 contacts, 4,000 sends | loops.so |
| Elastic Email | 1,000 contacts, 3,000 emails | elasticemail.com |
| Mailjet | 6,000 emails a month (200 a day) | mailjet.com |
| Benchmark Email | Up to 500 contacts | benchmarkemail.com |
| Omnisend | 500 emails a month, 250 contacts | omnisend.com |
| Klaviyo | 500 email sends a month | klaviyo.com |
| MailerLite | 250 subscribers, 2,500 emails a month | mailerlite.com |
| Acumbamail | 2,000 emails a month, 250 subscribers | acumbamail.com |
| Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) | 300 emails a day | brevo.com |
| Buttondown | First 100 subscribers | buttondown.com |
| Substack | Free to publish (10% of paid revenue) | substack.com |
Which free plan fits my list?
- 500 subscribers: Kit (formerly ConvertKit), beehiiv, Sender, EmailOctopus, systeme.io, SendFox, Mailercloud, Loops, Elastic Email, Benchmark Email.
- 1,000 subscribers: Kit (formerly ConvertKit), beehiiv, Sender, EmailOctopus, systeme.io, SendFox, Mailercloud, Loops, Elastic Email.
- 2,500 subscribers: Kit (formerly ConvertKit), beehiiv, Sender, EmailOctopus.
- 5,000 subscribers: Kit (formerly ConvertKit).
- 10,000 subscribers: Kit (formerly ConvertKit).
Free plans usually add the vendor's branding to your emails and leave out automations or support. Plans priced by emails (Brevo, Mailjet, Klaviyo) depend on how often you send, not just list size.
Free and open source
If you can run a server, Listmonk, Mautic, Keila and phpList are free, open-source software. You still pay for hosting and a sending service. See open-source email software or our sister site SelfHostAlts.
When you outgrow free
Use the cost calculator to see the cheapest paid plan at your list size, in pounds.