5 Free Alternatives to Mailchimp That Give You More (2026)
Mailchimp now limits you to 250 contacts on the free plan. These 5 email marketing tools give you more subscribers, more sends, and more features for free.
Mailchimp's free plan now gives you 250 contacts and 1,000 emails per month. No automation. Mailchimp branding on every email. A few years ago, the free plan had 2,000 contacts. Then 500. Now 250.
If you are hitting those limits or just starting out and want more room to grow, here are 5 tools with significantly better free plans. All data verified from official pricing pages in April 2026.
The Quick Comparison
| Tool | Free Contacts | Monthly Sends | Automation | Their Branding? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mailchimp | 250 | 1,000 | No | Yes |
| Kit | 10,000 | Unlimited | 1 workflow | No |
| Brevo | 100,000 | ~9,000 (300/day) | Yes (2K contacts) | Yes |
| Sender | 2,500 | 15,000 | Full | Yes |
| MailerLite | 500 | 12,000 | Yes | No |
| EmailOctopus | 2,500 | 10,000 | Basic | Yes |
Every tool on this list gives you more contacts, more sends, or more features than Mailchimp's current free plan.
1. Kit - Best for Creators (10,000 Free Subscribers)
Free plan: 10,000 subscribers, unlimited sends
Kit (formerly ConvertKit) offers the largest free subscriber limit of any email marketing tool. 10,000 subscribers with no send cap.
Why pick Kit over Mailchimp:
- 40x the subscriber limit (10,000 vs 250)
- Unlimited sends (vs 1,000/month)
- No branding on emails
- Sell digital products and subscriptions directly
- Built for creators, writers, and podcasters
The trade-off: Kit's free plan includes one Recommendation slot that Kit controls (they earn the referral revenue from it). You also only get 1 automation workflow. For most creators starting out, this is a fair deal for 10,000 free subscribers.
Best for: Content creators, writers, podcasters, course creators.
2. Brevo - Best for Large Lists (100,000 Free Contacts)
Free plan: 100,000 contacts, 300 emails/day (~9,000/month)
Brevo charges by email volume, not contact count. You can store up to 100,000 contacts for free. The limit is 300 emails per day, which resets daily.
Why pick Brevo over Mailchimp:
- 400x the contact storage (100,000 vs 250)
- 9x the monthly sends
- Automation included (up to 2,000 contacts entering workflows)
- Transactional emails and SMS included
- Built-in CRM
The trade-off: The 300/day cap means you cannot blast a large list at once. A newsletter to 5,000 people takes multiple days. Brevo branding appears on all free plan emails. New accounts require approval before sending.
Best for: Businesses with large contact lists and moderate send frequency (monthly or bi-weekly newsletters).
Read the full comparison: Brevo vs Mailchimp
3. Sender - Best Free Features Overall (2,500 Subscribers)
Free plan: 2,500 subscribers, 15,000 emails/month
Sender quietly offers one of the most complete free plans in email marketing. Full automation, generous limits, and no feature restrictions. The free plan includes everything paid plans have.
Why pick Sender over Mailchimp:
- 10x the subscribers (2,500 vs 250)
- 15x the monthly sends (15,000 vs 1,000)
- Full automation with premade workflows (Mailchimp has none on free)
- Transactional email support
- Landing pages and popups
- 24/7 email and live chat support
The trade-off: Sender branding on forms, popups, and emails. No SMS on the free plan. Smaller template library than Mailchimp.
Best for: Small businesses that want full automation capabilities without paying.
4. MailerLite - Best Email Editor (500 Subscribers)
Free plan: 500 subscribers, 12,000 emails/month
MailerLite has the cleanest email editor I have tested. If the design quality of your emails matters, this is the tool to use.
Why pick MailerLite over Mailchimp:
- 2x the subscribers (500 vs 250)
- 12x the monthly sends (12,000 vs 1,000)
- Automation included
- A/B testing included
- No branding on emails
- Website builder and digital product sales included
The trade-off: 500 subscriber cap was reduced from 1,000 in September 2025. Single user seat. Email support only for the first 14 days, then self-service only.
Best for: Solopreneurs and small businesses who care about email design and want a clean, modern editor.
Read the full comparison: MailerLite vs Mailchimp
5. EmailOctopus - Best for Simplicity (2,500 Subscribers)
Free plan: 2,500 subscribers, 10,000 emails/month
EmailOctopus does not try to be an all-in-one platform. It sends emails, has basic automation, and stays out of your way.
Why pick EmailOctopus over Mailchimp:
- 10x the subscribers (2,500 vs 250)
- 10x the monthly sends (10,000 vs 1,000)
- Basic automation included (3 workflows, 5 steps each)
- Landing pages and forms
- Paid plans start at just $9/month (cheaper than Mailchimp's $13)
The trade-off: EmailOctopus branding on emails. Live chat support only for the first 30 days. Reports retained for 30 days. Smaller feature set than MailerLite or Sender.
Best for: People who want a straightforward email tool without complexity.
Which One Should You Pick?
- Building a creator audience? Kit. 10,000 free subscribers is in a different league.
- Large list, infrequent sends? Brevo. 100,000 contacts stored for free.
- Want the most features for free? Sender. Full automation, 2,500 subscribers, 15,000 sends.
- Care about email design? MailerLite. The best editor on this list.
- Just want something simple? EmailOctopus. Does the job, nothing more.
Every tool here has a permanent free plan. Not a trial. Pick one, start building your list, and upgrade when your business is ready for it.
Related:
- Best Free Email Marketing Software - Full breakdown of 12 free tools
- MailerLite vs Mailchimp - Detailed head-to-head comparison
- Brevo vs Mailchimp - Detailed head-to-head comparison
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