Best Free Email Marketing Software in 2026
Kit holds 10,000 subscribers for a broadcast list, Sender automates free up to 2,500 people, and Brevo's 300 emails a day is a trickle, not a launch.
Kit is the best free email marketing software in 2026 at $0 up to 10,000 subscribers, which suits a content or social team that broadcasts and can wait on visual automations. Sender automates free up to 2,500 subscribers and 15,000 emails a month, so the welcome series exists before anyone pays. Brevo stops at 300 emails a day, and that daily cap is the whole product until a real blast forces the paid step.
Key facts10 tools compared: Kit, Sender, EmailOctopus, Zoho Campaigns, Brevo, MailerLite, Mailchimp…
- 10 tools compared: Kit, Sender, EmailOctopus, Zoho Campaigns, Brevo, MailerLite, Mailchimp, Omnisend, HubSpot, Klaviyo
- Sender (best for: Marketers who need a welcome series before they pay): Free: 2,500 subscribers, 15,000 emails/mo. Standard $6.30/mo at 500, first year.
- EmailOctopus (best for: A simple newsletter that can live with branding and short reports): Free: 2,500 subscribers, 10,000 emails/mo. Pro $9/mo billed yearly.
- Zoho Campaigns (best for: A small team that needs five logins and can live with a short month): Free: 2,000 contacts, 6,000 emails/mo, 5 users. Standard $3/mo billed annually.
The best free email marketing software in 2026 is the plan whose cap matches the send you actually run, because a login that cannot mail the list is a paid plan you have not admitted yet.
Kit wins for a content or social team that broadcasts and can wait on visual automations.
Sender wins when the welcome series has to exist before anyone pays, and Brevo wins only when a short daily cap is the cadence you already run.
Toolradar data: Toolradar, the software directory we run, evaluated 106 email marketing tools in its September 2026 ranking, also published on the email marketing statistics page as of 24 September 2026.
This page is the free-plan cut for marketers, and the wider paid ranking is the email marketing software guide, and the Toolradar free-tools guide is the directory version of the same question.
Top Picks
Based on features, real-world fit, and value for money.
The largest free list here, with unlimited broadcasts, and automations held until you pay.
Free to 10,000 subscribers. Creator $33/mo billed yearly ($390/yr) at 1,000.
Content and social teams that broadcast and can wait on automations
Free: 2,500 subscribers, 15,000 emails/mo. Standard $6.30/mo at 500, first year.
Marketers who need a welcome series before they pay
A straightforward free sender for a modest list, with reports that expire and a logo that stays.
Free: 2,500 subscribers, 10,000 emails/mo. Pro $9/mo billed yearly.
A simple newsletter that can live with branding and short reports
| Tool | Pricing | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Kit | Free to 10,000 subscribers. Creator $33/mo billed yearly ($390/yr) at 1,000. | Content and social teams that broadcast and can wait on automations |
| Sender | Free: 2,500 subscribers, 15,000 emails/mo. Standard $6.30/mo at 500, first year. | Marketers who need a welcome series before they pay |
| EmailOctopus | Free: 2,500 subscribers, 10,000 emails/mo. Pro $9/mo billed yearly. | A simple newsletter that can live with branding and short reports |
| Zoho Campaigns | Free: 2,000 contacts, 6,000 emails/mo, 5 users. Standard $3/mo billed annually. | A small team that needs five logins and can live with a short month |
| Brevo | Free: 300 emails/day after approval. Starter from $9/mo (5,000 emails). | Senders whose real cadence is a daily trickle, not a blast |
| MailerLite | Free: 250 subscribers, 2,500 emails/mo. Comfort $12/mo, or $10.80/mo yearly. | A two-person team whose list is still under 250 |
| Mailchimp | Free under 250 contacts (500 sends/mo). Essentials from $13/mo after trial. | Teams checking the familiar name before the cap stops them |
| Omnisend | Free: 250 contacts, 500 emails/mo. Standard shows $11.20/mo for 3 months. | Stores that want ecommerce flows on a tiny free list |
| HubSpot | Free tools: 2,000 sends/mo with branding. Starter from $7/mo per seat as a new-customer offer below its list rate. | A CRM that should also send a small branded newsletter |
| Klaviyo | Free: 250 profiles, 500 emails/mo, plus $5 of mobile messages. | Shopify teams that will outgrow 250 profiles quickly |
Pricing read from each vendor's own pricing page, checked Sep 2026. Every vendor here publishes a price.
Kit
The largest free list here, with unlimited broadcasts, and automations held until you pay.
- Pricing
- Free to 10,000 subscribers. Creator $33/mo billed yearly ($390/yr) at 1,000.
Best for: Content and social teams that broadcast and can wait on automations
Pros
- Unlimited broadcasts, landing pages, forms, and tagging are free, so a content team publishes without metering each send.
- You can sell a digital product or a paid newsletter before you upgrade, so a launch does not force the paid card.
- One user is included, and subject-line tests stop at 2 variants until Pro, so a second editor is the upgrade.
Cons
- Visual automations and sequences are Creator features, so a welcome series is the upgrade and a sequence-first team should start elsewhere.
- Creator is $33/mo ($390/year) at 1,000 subscribers, smaller than the free cap, and the $78 yearly saving does not put those people back.
Sender
Email automation on the free plan, so the welcome series does not wait on a card.
- Pricing
- Free: 2,500 subscribers, 15,000 emails/mo. Standard $6.30/mo at 500, first year.
Best for: Marketers who need a welcome series before they pay
Pros
- Free includes 1 seat and email automation, so the welcome series exists before you pay.
- There is no daily email limit on the free plan, so one campaign can spend the month's allowance at once.
- Landing pages, forms, and transactional email are free too, and the Sender logo stays until a client reads the footer.
Cons
- Removing the logo, SMS, and A/B tests start on Standard, so a client-facing send is when this plan stops fitting.
- At 500 subscribers the annual Standard card shows $6.30/mo for a first-time user against a crossed-out $108, and that crossed-out year is the renewal.
EmailOctopus
A straightforward free sender for a modest list, with reports that expire and a logo that stays.
- Pricing
- Free: 2,500 subscribers, 10,000 emails/mo. Pro $9/mo billed yearly.
Best for: A simple newsletter that can live with branding and short reports
Pros
- The free Starter plan covers 2,500 subscribers and 10,000 emails a month, so four sends to a full list fit and a weekly habit does not.
- You get one user, one landing page, and one form, with no time limit and no card, so it never becomes a trial.
- Nonprofits get a 20% lifetime discount on a line separate from Pro, so the card may not include it yet.
Cons
- Branding stays on free emails and reports last 30 days, so the logo remains and older clicks disappear.
- Pro removes branding and keeps reports at the yearly price above, the bill when the logo or the missing history is the problem.
Zoho Campaigns
Five users at no charge, with a monthly email cap a weekly full-list send will break.
- Pricing
- Free: 2,000 contacts, 6,000 emails/mo, 5 users. Standard $3/mo billed annually.
Best for: A small team that needs five logins and can live with a short month
Pros
- Forever Free is US$0 for up to 2,000 contacts, 6,000 emails a month, and 5 users, the only free plan here that seats a team.
- Templates, a drag-and-drop editor, HTML import, and basic reporting are included, so the free plan is not a plain-text box.
- Standard is US$3/mo billed annually, with unlimited emails from a 500-contact tier, which is a smaller list than the free plan.
Cons
- 6,000 emails a month is three sends to 2,000 people, so a weekly full-list newsletter does not fit.
- Professional is US$4.50/mo billed annually, and local tax is extra, so the card is not the invoice.
Brevo
A free account built around a daily send cap, so a normal blast is the paid step.
- Pricing
- Free: 300 emails/day after approval. Starter from $9/mo (5,000 emails).
Best for: Senders whose real cadence is a daily trickle, not a blast
Pros
- After sending approval, the free daily cap needs no card, so a daily note works and a launch blast does not.
- Starter begins at 5,000 emails a month and removes the logo, which is what you buy when one send must reach the whole list.
- Yearly billing is 10% off, Standard and Professional are separate USD rows, and Enterprise is custom, so the top tier has no public price.
Cons
- A send larger than the daily cap cannot leave in one day, which rules out a normal newsletter blast.
- Automation, A/B tests, and richer reports sit above Starter, so the first paid plan is volume, not a journey.
MailerLite
A tight free cap with two seats and three automations, then a published step at the next tier.
- Pricing
- Free: 250 subscribers, 2,500 emails/mo. Comfort $12/mo, or $10.80/mo yearly.
Best for: A two-person team whose list is still under 250
Pros
- Free includes 250 subscribers, 2,500 emails a month, 2 seats, and 3 automations, so two people can run a tiny list.
- You also get 1 website, 1 landing page, and 3 signup forms, and the no-card 14-day trial will not mail a real list.
- Comfort at 500 subscribers is $12/mo, or $10.80/mo yearly ($129.60/year), with 5,000 emails, the first tier a growing list lives on.
Cons
- That free cap is smaller than Sender, EmailOctopus, Zoho, or Kit, so most growth teams outgrow it in a quarter.
- Power is $25/mo or $22.50/mo yearly ($270/year) at the 500-subscriber tier when Comfort's send cap is the wall.
Mailchimp
The free plan people already have an account for, and the one that pauses when the list outgrows it.
- Pricing
- Free under 250 contacts (500 sends/mo). Essentials from $13/mo after trial.
Best for: Teams checking the familiar name before the cap stops them
Pros
- Under 250 contacts it is free, with 500 sends a month or 250 a day, one seat and one audience, and sending pauses, which can strand a scheduled campaign.
- Essentials starts at $13/mo and Standard at $20/mo after a 14-day trial, the path once free sending has already paused.
- Premium shows $297.50/mo for 12 months, then $350/mo, a 15% cut on the list rate, which is a different budget from the free question.
Cons
- Scheduling, automations, and logo removal are off the free column, so the familiar Mailchimp is the paid account.
- The no-card trial of Essentials or Standard sends up to 100 emails, so it ends before a normal newsletter would.
Omnisend
Paid features on a free plan that lasts only until the contact cap and two full-list sends.
- Pricing
- Free: 250 contacts, 500 emails/mo. Standard shows $11.20/mo for 3 months.
Best for: Stores that want ecommerce flows on a tiny free list
Pros
- No card is required: 250 contacts, 500 emails a month, and 500 web push notifications, with paid features only inside those caps.
- Automations stay on while you remain inside those caps, which is unusual on a free login.
- SMS starts at $0.007, with a US example at $0.0085, a second meter beside the email cap.
Cons
- 500 emails a month is two sends to a full 250-person list, so a weekly store email is already paid.
- Standard shows $11.20/mo under a 30% offer for 3 months ($33.60 today, against a crossed-out $48) for 500 contacts and 6,000 emails, and the offer ends while the list stays.
HubSpot
Free marketing tools inside the CRM, with a low Starter line and a steep Professional line.
- Pricing
- Free tools: 2,000 sends/mo with branding. Starter from $7/mo per seat as a new-customer offer below its list rate.
Best for: A CRM that should also send a small branded newsletter
Pros
- Free tools include 2,000 sends a calendar month, branding, and 1 automated action, enough for a small list and not for a welcome series.
- Starter starts at $7/mo per seat as a limited new-customer offer against a crossed-out $20, Professional at $800/mo billed annually, and Enterprise at $3,600/mo, and the gap between those rows is the decision.
- Starter raises sends to 5 times the marketing-contact tier and removes branding, which is why you leave free.
Cons
- One automated action is a single step, so a welcome series is not a free HubSpot build.
- Omni-channel workflows sit on the Professional row, a different budget from Starter, not the next click up from free.
Klaviyo
A real ecommerce free plan with a hard profile cap, and a printed paid Email tier above it.
- Pricing
- Free: 250 profiles, 500 emails/mo, plus $5 of mobile messages.
Best for: Shopify teams that will outgrow 250 profiles quickly
Pros
- The free plan covers 250 active profiles and 500 sends a month, enough to test a store and not a customer file you already have.
- A mobile-message credit and a matching Composer credit, plus forms and basic reporting, are included before any separate bill.
- Email support lasts the first 60 days, and this free plan is where Shopify, Wix, and WooCommerce start.
Cons
- Those caps are the whole free month, so a real customer file is not on this plan for long.
- Paid Email is priced by active profiles, and SMS and Composer are add-ons on top.
What it is
Free email marketing software lets a marketer collect subscribers, send campaigns, and keep a list without a subscription, inside a cap the vendor writes down.
A 14-day trial is not this product, because the account has to still send next month after you decline a card.
How we compared: ten products with a free path a growth, content, or social team would actually open. Prices below were verified in September 2026 on each vendor's pricing page. Some names link out through partner programs.
How it works
Count the people, then the sends in a real month, then the feature that has to exist before you pay. A broadcast to 8,000 people fits Kit and nothing else here.
A welcome series for 2,000 people fits Sender, because automation is already included, a daily note under 300 emails fits Brevo, and a second editor under 250 people fits MailerLite.
Five logins and too few sends for a weekly newsletter fit Zoho Campaigns, a team account rather than a growth account.
Omnisend and Klaviyo both stop at the same small contact cap, so a store with a real customer file is already on the way to a paid plan.
HubSpot's free tools send a modest monthly batch with branding and one automated action, a newsletter inside a CRM rather than a journey.
The lifecycle guide is the next read when that one action is the whole problem, and the small-business email guide is the paid shortlist once the free cap is already wrong.
Why it matters
The free plan fails at the blast, the second login, or the sequence, and that failure is the invoice missing from the campaign budget. Kit holds the largest list here and still withholds visual automations, so the welcome series is when you start paying.
Sender automates for free and still prints its logo, a client problem once someone forwards the email.
Brevo will not release a full newsletter on the morning you need it, and Zoho's five logins still run out of sends before a weekly newsletter finishes the month.
MarketingShot data: this newsletter had 35,000+ active subscribers on October 14, 2026, with a 32% average open rate and a 1.4% average click rate.
That count is past every free cap here, which is why the MarketingShot brief is a useful size check before you promise a client the tool will stay free.
Cold outbound is a different buy, covered in the cold email guide.
Inbox placement after a dirty import is the deliverability guide.
Key features to look for
Pricing
Klaviyo's paid Email starts at $20/mo for 500 active profiles and 5,000 emails a month, with a limited-time $19 off the first month.
Kit's referral system sits on Pro, and the included SparkLoop plan is listed at $99/mo, so referrals are not free.
Sender's 500-subscriber cards are annual, with a first-year cut: Professional shows $10.50/mo against a crossed-out $180, shown as $126, and the renewal is the crossed-out figure.
Pay-as-you-go is $29 for 5,000 emails, also stated as $5.80 per 1,000, for one heavy month and then a stop.
Brevo's yearly USD offers are the annual rows in the table, and Enterprise is custom. Omnisend's Standard and Pro figures are a 3-month upfront offer, so the monthly number on the card expires.
Dividing the crossed-out Standard total of $48 by 3 is $16/mo before the discount, and the same arithmetic on Pro's crossed-out $177 is $59/mo after the offer.
A US SMS example is $50 for 5,882 messages, billed apart from email. HubSpot's $800 and $3,600 rows are why a CRM free plan is not a cheap marketing suite. Zoho adds local tax on the annual rates, so the card is not the invoice.
| Plan | Price | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Kit Free | Free, up to 10,000 subscribers | Unlimited broadcasts, 1 user, automations not included |
| Kit Creator, 1,000 subscribers | $33/mo billed yearly ($390/yr) | Page says this saves $78 a year. 14-day trial |
| Kit Pro, 1,000 subscribers | $66/mo billed yearly ($790/yr) | Saves $158 a year. Includes the referral system |
| Kit product fees | 3.5% + $0.30 | Kit says its own share of that fee is 0.6% |
| Kit Paid Recommendations | 23.5% of earnings | Fee on earnings that run through that program |
| Kit SparkLoop on Pro | Included, listed at $99/mo | Newsletter referral system. Not on Free or Creator |
| Sender Free | Free, 2,500 subscribers | 15,000 emails/mo, 1 seat, logo on, automations included |
| Sender Standard, 500 subscribers | $6.30/mo first year | Annual card. Crossed-out year is $108. 30% for first-time users |
| Sender Professional, 500 subscribers | $10.50/mo first year | Crossed-out year $180, shown as $126. Includes $10 of SMS |
| Sender pay as you go | $29 for 5,000 emails | Also stated as $5.80 per 1,000 emails |
| EmailOctopus Free | Free, 2,500 subscribers | 10,000 emails/mo, branding on, reports for 30 days |
| EmailOctopus Pro | $9/mo billed yearly at 500 subscribers | Page says save $12. 10,000 emails/mo on that card |
| Zoho Campaigns Free | US$0, 2,000 contacts | 6,000 emails/mo, 5 users |
| Zoho Campaigns Standard | US$3/mo billed annually | Starts at 500 contacts, unlimited emails. Tax extra |
| Zoho Campaigns Professional | US$4.50/mo billed annually | Starts at 500 contacts. Tax extra |
| Brevo Free | Free, 300 emails/day | Stores up to 100,000 contacts. After sending approval, no card |
| Brevo Starter | $9/mo, or $96.96/yr | From 5,000 emails/mo and up to 500 contacts, logo removed |
| Brevo Standard | $18/mo, or $194.04/yr | USD offer. Heatmaps and 1 page on the feature list |
| Brevo Professional | $499/mo, or $5,388.96/yr | From 150,000 emails/mo, 10 seats |
| MailerLite Free | Free, 250 subscribers | 2,500 emails/mo, 2 seats, 3 automations |
| MailerLite Comfort, 500 subscribers | $12/mo, or $10.80/mo yearly | $129.60/year. 5,000 emails/mo |
| MailerLite Power, 500 subscribers | $25/mo, or $22.50/mo yearly | $270/year. Unlimited monthly emails |
| Mailchimp Free | Free under 250 contacts | 500 sends/mo or 250/day. Sending pauses at the cap |
| Mailchimp Essentials | From $13/mo | After a 14-day trial. 100 sends before a card |
| Mailchimp Standard | From $20/mo | Entry display sends up to 6,000 emails a month |
| Mailchimp Premium | $297.50/mo for 12 months, then $350/mo | The later figure is the list rate on that card |
| Omnisend Free | Free, 250 contacts | 500 emails/mo and 500 web push notifications |
| Omnisend Standard, offer | $11.20/mo for 3 months | $33.60 upfront. Crossed-out 3-month total $48. 500 contacts, 6,000 emails |
| Omnisend Pro, offer | $41.30/mo for 3 months | $123.90 upfront. Crossed-out total $177. 2,500 contacts |
| Omnisend SMS, US example | $50 for 5,882 SMS | Volume rate $0.0085. Banner also says from $0.007 |
| HubSpot Marketing free tools | Free, 2,000 sends/mo | Branding on, 1 automated action |
| HubSpot Marketing Starter | $7/mo per seat (offer; $20 list) | New-customer Starter offer. Branding off |
| HubSpot Marketing Professional | $800/mo | Omni-channel workflows on this row |
| HubSpot Marketing Enterprise | $3,600/mo | Listed on the same marketing table |
| Klaviyo Free | Free, 250 profiles | 500 emails/mo, plus a $5 credit for mobile and the same for Composer |
| Klaviyo Email (paid) | $20/mo at 500 profiles | 5,000 emails/mo. $19 off the first month, limited time |
The bottom line
Open Kit when the job is broadcasts, forms, and a product page and the list still fits the free cap. The Kit profile and the Kit review go further.
Move to Creator only when the sequence is the work, because the yearly Creator price is a smaller list than the free cap.
Open Sender when automations have to be free and the list still fits.
Open EmailOctopus for a similar list if reports that expire are acceptable. Open Zoho Campaigns when five people need a login.
Open Brevo when a daily cap is the cadence you already run.
MailerLite, Mailchimp, Omnisend, and Klaviyo are launch accounts, not a newsletter you mean to keep.
HubSpot is the free plan inside a CRM, and the HubSpot profile is where that $7-per-seat Starter offer meets the $800 one. A newsletter business is the newsletter growth guide and the beehiiv review.
Disclosure: Dupple, which publishes MarketingShot, sends its own newsletters on beehiiv. Selling the list is the creator monetization guide.
We re-read these pricing pages for a free-plan shortlist, separate from the 106-tool ranking.
Cite this: MarketingShot, "Best Free Email Marketing Software in 2026", September 2026.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free email marketing software in 2026?
Kit, if you broadcast and you can postpone visual automations. The free plan includes unlimited email broadcasts, forms, and landing pages, it is $0, and it has the largest subscriber cap on this page. Sender is the better free pick when the welcome series has to run now, because email automation is included up to 2,500 subscribers and 15,000 emails a month. Prices were verified on vendor pages in September 2026.
Is Mailchimp still free?
Yes, under 250 contacts: 500 sends a month or 250 a day, one seat, and one audience, and sending pauses when you pass the cap, which can strand a campaign already scheduled, because scheduling and automations are not on that column. Essentials starts at $13/mo after a 14-day trial that sends 100 emails before a card, so the trial will not mail the list, and the Mailchimp profile tracks the same product.
What is the largest free email list in 2026?
Kit, at 10,000 subscribers, is the largest free list you can mail in full, verified on 24 September 2026. Sender and EmailOctopus stop at 2,500, and Zoho Campaigns stops at 2,000 contacts, while Brevo stores up to 100,000 contacts but sends only 300 emails a day, so the limit is the day, not the file. Mailchimp, MailerLite, Omnisend, and Klaviyo stop at 250 people, a launch file rather than a newsletter.
Can I automate emails on a free plan?
Sender includes email automation on the free plan, up to 2,500 subscribers, so a welcome series can run before you pay. MailerLite includes 3 automations and stops at 250 subscribers. Kit's free plan leaves out the visual automation builder and sequences, which start on Creator, so skip Kit if the sequence is the work. HubSpot's free tools include 1 automated action, and Omnisend keeps automations inside 250 contacts and 500 emails a month until either cap is crossed.
How much does Brevo cost after the free plan?
Starter's yearly total is $96.96, from 5,000 emails a month, and that plan removes the logo. The monthly Starter figure is on the card and in the table. Standard is $18/mo or $194.04 a year, and Professional is $499/mo or $5,388.96 a year, from 150,000 emails a month with 10 seats, and Enterprise has no list price. The free plan stays a daily cap after approval, which is why a full list does not leave in one day. The ActiveCampaign review is the next read when Starter is too thin for automation.
Is Klaviyo's free plan enough for a store?
For 250 active profiles and 500 emails a month, yes. The plan includes a $5 mobile-message credit plus the same amount for Composer, which covers a test and not a customer file. Emailing that full file more than twice a month already breaks the cap. The Marketing tab prices the first paid Email step at 500 active profiles and 5,000 emails a month, double the free profile cap. The Klaviyo profile and the Omnisend profile are the ecommerce pair.
When should I stop using free email marketing software?
Stop when you are working around the cap: Kit's subscriber ceiling, Sender's list or monthly allowance, Zoho's monthly emails, Brevo's daily limit, or any small-list plan. MarketingShot's own list was 35,000+ subscribers on October 14, 2026, already past every free cap here. The paid email software guide is the shortlist after that.
Sources
Prices and plan details come from each vendor's own pricing page, re-checked by the Toolradar pricing tracker.
- Kit pricingchecked Sep 2026
- Sender pricingchecked Sep 2026
- Brevo pricingchecked Sep 2026
- MailerLite pricingchecked Sep 2026
- Mailchimp pricingchecked Sep 2026
- HubSpot pricingchecked Sep 2026
- Klaviyo pricingchecked Sep 2026
Some offers on this page may be paid placements or contain affiliate links.
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