When you're building a SaaS product and every dollar matters, paying for an email tool before you have meaningful traction feels wrong. Fortunately, several solid email platforms offer free tiers that let you build your email program from day one without a monthly bill.

But free tiers aren't all equal. Some give you 250 contacts and call it generous. Others give you 10,000 subscribers with full automation. The differences in what's included (and what's restricted) matter a lot when you're choosing a platform you'll potentially use for years.

Here are the best free tiers in email marketing, ranked by how much they actually give you.

The 9 Best Free Tiers

1. Sequenzy

Best for: SaaS startups that want to start free and scale affordably

Sequenzy offers a generous free tier for early-stage SaaS companies: up to 1,000 subscribers with 5,000 emails per month, including full automation and Stripe integration. Unlike most free tiers that strip out automation, Sequenzy's free plan includes behavioral triggers, email sequences, and event-based automation.

The standout feature on free: native Stripe integration. Connect your Stripe account and get automatic dunning, trial conversion, and lifecycle sequences without paying a cent. For SaaS startups using Stripe, this means your most revenue-impacting automations work from day one.

Free tier: 1,000 subscribers, 5,000 emails/month, full automation, Stripe integration First paid tier: From $29/month (higher limits, priority support) Limitations: Sequenzy branding on emails, limited to 1 sending domain

2. ConvertKit (Kit)

Best for: The most generous free tier for subscriber count

ConvertKit's free plan includes up to 10,000 subscribers with unlimited landing pages, email broadcasts, and basic automations. That's an extraordinary amount for a free plan. Most competitors cap at 250-1,000 subscribers.

The catch: the free plan doesn't include visual automations or email sequences (only broadcasts). You can send individual campaigns to your list but can't build automated drip sequences. Still, for creators and SaaS founders building an audience, 10,000 subscribers for free is hard to beat.

Free tier: Up to 10,000 subscribers, unlimited broadcasts, landing pages First paid tier: From $29/month (unlocks sequences and visual automations) Limitations: No automated sequences, no visual automations, ConvertKit branding

3. Mailchimp

Best for: Small businesses wanting a full email marketing experience for free

Mailchimp's free plan includes 500 contacts, 1,000 email sends per month, email templates, basic reporting, and simple automations. The 500-contact limit is lower than ConvertKit, but you get more features including basic automation workflows.

Mailchimp's free tier also includes the landing page builder, forms, and the creative assistant (AI-powered design). For a small business sending occasional campaigns to a small list, the free tier covers the basics.

Free tier: 500 contacts, 1,000 sends/month, basic automations, forms, landing pages First paid tier: From $13/month (removes limits and adds features) Limitations: Mailchimp branding, limited automations, email support only for 30 days

4. Brevo (formerly Sendinblue)

Best for: The most generous send volume on a free tier

Brevo's free plan allows 300 emails per day (about 9,000/month) with unlimited contacts. Read that again: unlimited contacts. Most free tiers limit contacts, not sends. Brevo limits sends, not contacts. This is ideal if you have a large list but send infrequently.

The free plan includes transactional email, the drag-and-drop editor, and basic automation workflows. SMS and WhatsApp are available as add-ons even on the free tier.

Free tier: Unlimited contacts, 300 emails/day, transactional email, basic automations First paid tier: From $9/month (more sends, no daily limit) Limitations: 300 emails/day cap, Brevo branding, limited reporting

5. Loops

Best for: SaaS startups wanting event-driven email for free

Loops' free plan includes 1,000 contacts with email sending, event tracking, and basic automations. For SaaS startups with fewer than 1,000 users, this means you can set up event-triggered email sequences (onboarding, trial conversion) from day one without paying.

The developer-friendly approach means you can integrate Loops via API during development and not worry about email costs until you scale past 1,000 contacts.

Free tier: 1,000 contacts, email sending, events, basic automations First paid tier: From $49/month Limitations: 1,000 contact cap, basic features, limited sequences

6. Resend

Best for: Developers wanting free transactional email

Resend's free plan includes 100 emails per day and 3,000 emails per month. For a development-stage product, this is enough for all transactional emails (verification, password reset, notifications). The full API and React Email support are available on the free tier.

Resend doesn't do marketing email (campaigns, newsletters, automations). But for transactional email specifically, the free tier is generous and includes the complete developer experience.

Free tier: 3,000 emails/month, 100/day, full API access, React Email First paid tier: From $20/month (more volume) Limitations: 100 emails/day, transactional only, no marketing features

7. SendGrid

Best for: Free email infrastructure for developers

SendGrid's free plan includes 100 emails per day forever. It also includes the email API, SMTP relay, dynamic templates, and basic analytics. For developers who need email sending infrastructure during development and early launch, the free tier covers the basics.

The 100/day limit means about 3,000/month. Combined with SendGrid's reliable delivery and broad SDK support, it's a solid free option for transactional email and basic marketing campaigns.

Free tier: 100 emails/day (forever), full API, templates, analytics First paid tier: From $20/month (more volume) Limitations: 100 emails/day, limited marketing features, basic automation

8. Klaviyo

Best for: E-commerce businesses wanting free email with revenue tracking

Klaviyo's free plan includes 250 contacts, 500 email sends/month, email templates, basic automations (flows), and revenue tracking. For a small e-commerce business just starting out, having revenue attribution on the free tier is unique.

The contact limit is low (250), but if you're pre-launch or just starting, it's enough to set up your email flows and test with early customers before paying.

Free tier: 250 contacts, 500 sends/month, flows, revenue tracking First paid tier: From $20/month Limitations: 250 contact cap, 500 sends/month, limited features

9. MailerLite

Best for: The best balance of features and limits on a free tier

MailerLite's free plan includes 1,000 subscribers, 12,000 emails/month, a drag-and-drop editor, landing pages, forms, and basic automations. The feature set on the free tier is one of the most complete available.

For small businesses and early-stage startups, MailerLite's free tier lets you build a real email program with automations, landing pages, and decent send limits before upgrading.

Free tier: 1,000 subscribers, 12,000 sends/month, automations, landing pages First paid tier: From $10/month Limitations: MailerLite branding, limited templates, basic features

Free Tier Comparison

Platform	Contacts	Sends/Month	Automations	Best For
ConvertKit	10,000	Unlimited broadcasts	No (paid)	Audience building
Mailchimp	500	1,000	Basic	Small business basics
Brevo	Unlimited	~9,000 (300/day)	Basic	Large lists, low volume
Loops	1,000	Included	Basic	SaaS event-driven
Resend	N/A	3,000 (100/day)	No	Transactional email
SendGrid	N/A	~3,000 (100/day)	Basic	Email infrastructure
Klaviyo	250	500	Flows	E-commerce
MailerLite	1,000	12,000	Yes	Feature-rich free

What to Watch Out For

Branding Requirements

Most free tiers include the platform's branding in your emails (a badge or link in the footer). This looks unprofessional for business email. Removing branding usually requires the first paid tier.

Feature Restrictions

Free tiers often restrict the most valuable features: advanced automations, A/B testing, custom domains, and dedicated IPs. Check what's actually included, not just the contact and send limits.

Upgrade Pricing

The cheapest free tier doesn't matter if the first paid tier is expensive. Compare: what does each platform cost at 5,000 contacts? At 10,000? The free-to-paid transition cost varies dramatically.

Data Portability

If you start on a free tier and later want to switch, can you export your contacts, automations, and templates? Most platforms let you export contacts. Few make it easy to export automation logic.

How to Choose

You want the most contacts for free: ConvertKit (10,000 subscribers) You want unlimited contacts: Brevo (unlimited contacts, 300 emails/day) You want the most features for free: MailerLite (1,000 contacts, automations, landing pages) You're building SaaS: Loops (1,000 contacts with event-driven automations) You need transactional email: Resend (3,000/month with full API) You need email infrastructure: SendGrid (100/day with API and SMTP) You're in e-commerce: Klaviyo (250 contacts with revenue tracking) You want a full platform: Mailchimp (500 contacts with templates and automations)

FAQ

Can I run a real email program on a free tier? For the first 500-1,000 subscribers, yes. Free tiers are designed for early-stage use. Once you're past the contact or send limits, upgrading is expected. The free tier's value is letting you build and test without risk.

Will I lose my data when I upgrade from free to paid? No. All platforms preserve your contacts, templates, and automations when you upgrade. The transition is adding payment information and unlocking restricted features.

Are free tiers worse for deliverability? Sometimes. Free tiers often use shared IPs and include platform branding, which can slightly affect deliverability. The difference is usually minimal for small volumes but becomes more noticeable at scale.

Should I start with a free tier or go paid immediately? Start free. There's no reason to pay for email before you have subscribers to email. Use the free tier to set up your infrastructure, build templates, and configure automations. Upgrade when you hit limits or need restricted features.