ChatGPT answers, unedited

For a budget-conscious solopreneur with a growing list, I’d narrow it to MailerLite vs. Brevo, with Kit as a third option if you’re primarily a creator/newsletter business.

Current 2026 comparisons consistently put MailerLite and Brevo among the strongest budget options. www.emailtooltester.com

My pick: MailerLite

If you're sending a regular newsletter + automated sequences, I'd choose MailerLite.

You can build the basics you'd actually need:

• Welcome sequence when someone joins
• Lead-magnet delivery
• Nurture sequences
• Tags/segments
• Regular broadcasts/newsletters
• Signup forms and landing pages
• Basic funnels/automations

Its free tier is particularly useful while you're getting established, and paid plans remain relatively inexpensive compared with many mainstream competitors. hustpilot.com

Choose Brevo instead if your list is already fairly large but you don't email everyone very often. Because Brevo's pricing is based around sending volume rather than simply the number of contacts you store, it can be exceptionally cheap for a big, relatively inactive list. smbcompare.com

I'd skip Kit for now unless your business revolves around being a creator—e.g., newsletter, courses, digital products, paid subscriptions. Its automation functionality is good, but current paid pricing makes it harder to justify when you're watching every dollar. help.kit.com

The simple decision

<500–1,000 subscribers + sending weekly → MailerLite

Several thousand subscribers + sending occasionally → Brevo

Creator/newsletter + selling digital products → Kit

If you tell me roughly how many subscribers you have now, how fast the list is growing, and how often you send broadcasts, I can calculate which one is likely to be cheapest for you over the next 12 months.

If you're a solopreneur on a tight budget with a growing list, I’d pick MailerLite for most people.

My shortlist

🥇 My pick: MailerLite

mailerlite.com

It's probably the sweet spot for what you're describing. Its current free plan includes campaigns, visual automations, forms, landing pages, A/B testing, and 2,500 emails/month for up to 250 active subscribers. Once you outgrow that, the paid Comfort plan starts at $12/month. MailerLite MailerLite

The big caveat: MailerLite tightened its free plan in June 2026, dropping the subscriber limit from 500 to 250 and limiting free accounts to three active automations. MailerLite

For a typical solopreneur, though, three automations is plenty to start:

• Welcome sequence
• Lead magnet → nurture sequence
• Customer/purchase follow-up

🥈 Consider Kit if you're a creator

kit.com

Kit is particularly attractive if your business revolves around content, newsletters, courses, digital products, or a personal brand. Its free Newsletter plan supports up to 1,000 subscribers, unlimited broadcasts, tagging/segmentation, and one basic visual automation. Kit

The catch is that you'll hit the automation ceiling sooner. Its paid Creator plan is currently $33/month at 1,000 subscribers, so it's substantially more expensive than MailerLite. Kit

🥉 Brevo if your list is already big

brevo.com

Brevo has an unusual pricing structure: its free plan lets you store up to 100,000 contacts, but you can only send 300 emails per day. Its free automation allowance covers up to 2,000 contacts entering active automations. Brevo Help Brevo Help

That's useful if you have, say, 10,000 subscribers but don't email them very frequently. It's less attractive if you want to send frequent broadcasts to your whole list.

What I'd do in your shoes

Start with MailerLite. Don't optimize for the cheapest theoretical price; optimize for the cheapest tool you won't need to migrate away from in six months.

If you're under 250 subscribers, start free. Build your welcome/nurture automations now. When you cross 250, the $12-ish paid tier is still inexpensive enough that your email platform shouldn't be a meaningful business expense. MailerLite

One exception: if your business is primarily a creator/newsletter business and you expect to monetize through digital products, paid newsletters, or subscriptions, I'd seriously consider Kit instead.

If you tell me roughly how many subscribers you have now + how many you expect within 12 months + whether you sell products/services/courses, I can tell you which one is likely to be cheapest for your specific growth path.

For a budget-conscious solopreneur with a growing list, I’d pick MailerLite.

My shortlist

Why MailerLite wins: its free tier already includes broadcasts/newsletters and visual automations, so you don't have to pay just to build a basic welcome sequence. The free plan allows 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails/month, with up to 3 active automations. www.mailerlite.com

Once you pass 250 subscribers, its Comfort plan starts at $12/month and gives you substantially more automation capacity (up to 50 active automations). www.mailerlite.com

When I'd choose Brevo instead

Brevo is particularly attractive if your list is already large but you don't email everyone very frequently. Its free plan can hold up to 100,000 contacts, includes campaigns and automation, but caps sending at 300 emails/day and automation entry at 2,000 contacts. Paid Starter begins at $9/month. help.brevo.com

So, for example:

• 500–10,000 subscribers + regular newsletters: MailerLite
• 50,000 subscribers + occasional broadcasts: Brevo becomes interesting
• You primarily sell courses/newsletters as a creator: I'd investigate Kit

My recommendation: start with MailerLite, especially if you're still watching every dollar. It gives you the core setup you need—signup forms → welcome sequence → nurture automation → regular broadcasts—without forcing you into an expensive plan early. www.mailerlite.com

If you tell me roughly how many subscribers you have now and how many emails you send per month, I can narrow this down to the cheapest option for your specific numbers.

For a budget-conscious solopreneur with a growing list, I’d pick MailerLite.

My ranking

Why MailerLite wins for you: its free tier includes campaigns and visual automations, and the paid Comfort plan starts at $12/month. You get up to 50 active automations on Comfort, plus landing pages, forms, segmentation, and other tools that can eliminate the need for separate software. MailerLite MailerLite

mailerlite.com

When I'd choose Kit instead

If your business is primarily content/newsletter/creator-based, Kit is worth considering. Its free Newsletter plan supports up to 1,000 subscribers with unlimited broadcasts and a basic visual automation; the paid Creator plan adds unlimited visual automations and email sequences. Kit Kit

The catch is cost: once you're past the free tier, Kit's paid plan is considerably more expensive than MailerLite at comparable list sizes.

kit.com

What I'd do in your shoes

Start with MailerLite Free, assuming you're under 250 subscribers. Build:

1. Lead magnet → welcome email
2. 5–7 email nurture sequence
3. Segments based on interests
4. Regular weekly/biweekly broadcasts
5. Simple sales sequence

Then move to Comfort ($12+/month) as your list grows. MailerLite's current pricing is subscriber-based, and Comfort gives you substantially more automation capacity without forcing you into a pricey "advanced automation" tier. MailerLite MailerLite

Bottom line:
👉 MailerLite if keeping costs low is priority #1.
👉 Kit if you're a creator and newsletter/content monetization is the heart of the business.
👉 I wouldn't pay for a heavyweight platform yet—you probably won't use enough of its features to justify the cost.

If you tell me roughly how many subscribers you have now and what you're selling (service, course, digital product, ecommerce, etc.), I can narrow this down to the cheapest option for your specific situation.

If your business is primarily content/newsletter/creator-based, Kit is worth considering. Its free Newsletter plan supports up to 1,000 subscribers with unlimited broadcasts and a basic visual automation; the paid Creator plan adds unlimited visual automations and email sequences. kit.com kit.com

The catch is cost: once you're past the free tier, Kit's paid plan is considerably more expensive than MailerLite at comparable list sizes.

If you’re a budget-conscious solopreneur with a growing list, I’d put MailerLite at the top of your shortlist.

My ranking

1. MailerLite — best overall

It gives you the core things you actually need: broadcast campaigns, automations, forms/landing pages, segmentation and a straightforward email editor. Its current free tier is up to 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails/month, with paid plans starting at $12/month; pricing/features have changed recently, so I'd check the current plan before signing up. www.mailerlite.com

The big advantage is that it doesn't force you into a complicated marketing-automation ecosystem. For a solo operator, that's valuable.

MailerLite pricing

2. Brevo — consider this if your list is growing faster than your sending volume

Brevo uses a send-volume-based model rather than primarily charging by contacts, which can be excellent if you have, say, 10,000 subscribers but only email them a couple of times a month. Its free tier allows unlimited contacts but limits you to 300 emails/day. hustpilot.com

So:

• 2,000 subscribers + weekly newsletter → MailerLite
• 10,000 subscribers + occasional broadcasts → Brevo may be cheaper

Brevo

3. Kit — only if you're really a creator

Kit is particularly good if your business revolves around content, newsletters, courses, or digital products. Its free Newsletter plan currently supports up to 1,000 subscribers, unlimited broadcasts and one basic visual automation. But unlimited automations move you to the $33/month Creator plan at 1,000 subscribers. kit.com

Kit pricing

What I'd do in your shoes

Start with MailerLite.

Build just these three things initially:

1. Welcome automation — new subscriber → 4–7 email sequence.
2. Weekly/biweekly broadcast — your regular newsletter.
3. One simple sales/nurture automation — triggered by clicking or signing up for something.

Don't pay for ActiveCampaign-level sophistication until your business actually needs it.

One important caveat: your subscriber count and how frequently you broadcast matter more than the headline monthly price. If you tell me roughly how many subscribers you have now, how quickly you're growing, and how often you email, I can calculate which of MailerLite vs. Brevo vs. Kit will be cheapest for you at 1k, 5k, 10k and 25k subscribers.

For a budget-conscious solopreneur with a growing list, I’d shortlist MailerLite, Kit, and Brevo—but my default pick would be MailerLite.

🥇 My pick: MailerLite

It's particularly well suited to your situation because its pricing is based on active subscribers and sending volume, and the inexpensive paid tiers include the core email marketing features rather than forcing you into an expensive "automation" tier. Its current Comfort plan starts at $12/month, while Power starts at $25/month. www.mailerlite.comwww.mailerlite.com

You get things like:

• Broadcast/newsletter campaigns
• Visual automations
• Segmentation and tags
• Signup forms and landing pages
• A/B testing
• Digital products
• Integrations

The current free tier is also useful for testing: 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails/month, with up to 3 visual automations. www.mailerlite.comwww.mailerlite.com

One caveat: MailerLite changed its free plan in June 2026, reducing the subscriber limit from 500 to 250. So if your list is already bigger than that, you'll need a paid plan. www.mailerlite.com

🥈 Kit if you're primarily a creator

Kit is excellent if your business revolves around content, newsletters, courses, digital products, or a personal brand. Its free Newsletter plan supports up to 1,000 subscribers, unlimited broadcasts, tagging/segmentation, and one basic visual automation. kit.com

The catch is that you'll hit the automation ceiling sooner. The paid Creator plan unlocks unlimited visual automations and email sequences; Kit currently lists it at $33/month for 1,000 subscribers on annual billing. kit.com

So I'd choose Kit over MailerLite if your email newsletter itself is the core product/business.

🥉 Brevo if your list is large but you don't email constantly

Brevo has an unusual pricing advantage: its free plan allows up to 100,000 stored contacts, although you're limited to 300 emails/day. Its free tier also includes marketing automation for up to 2,000 contacts. help.brevo.com

Its paid Starter plan starts at $9/month, while Standard starts at $18/month and adds unlimited-contact marketing automation. help.brevo.com

That makes Brevo particularly interesting if you have, say, 5,000 subscribers but only send a couple of campaigns a month. MailerLite/Kit can be more attractive when you're sending frequently.

My simple decision rule

Choose MailerLite if you want the best balance of price + automation + broadcasts + ease of use.

Choose Kit if you're a creator and want your email list to become a major revenue channel.

Choose Brevo if you expect your contact count to grow substantially and you care more about contacts stored than high-volume broadcasting.

If you tell me roughly how many subscribers you have now (e.g. 500, 2,000, 10,000) and how many emails you send per month, I can tell you which one is likely to be cheapest at your actual size.

For a budget-conscious solopreneur with a growing list, I’d pick MailerLite.

My ranking

Why MailerLite: its free plan includes campaigns, visual automations, signup forms, landing pages and up to 2,500 emails/month for 250 active subscribers. The next plan, Comfort, starts at $12/month and includes up to 50 visual automations. www.mailerlite.com

That makes it particularly good if you need the basics of a real email funnel—e.g. lead magnet → welcome sequence → nurture emails → occasional promotional broadcasts—without paying for features you don't need yet.

MailerLite pricing

One important alternative: Brevo

If your list is already several thousand people, I'd seriously consider Brevo. Its free plan allows up to 100,000 stored contacts and includes automation for up to 2,000 contacts, but you're limited to 300 email sends per day. Its paid Starter plan begins at $9/month. help.brevo.com

So Brevo can be cheaper for a big list where you don't email everyone frequently.

Brevo pricing

What about Kit?

Kit is particularly attractive if you're a creator, coach, consultant, author, or newsletter business and want sophisticated subscriber tagging and automation. But its paid Creator plan starts at $39/month for up to 1,000 subscribers, so I wouldn't choose it primarily for saving money. help.kit.com

Kit pricing

Bottom line: Start with MailerLite unless you already have several thousand subscribers. It's the best balance of cheap + easy + proper automations + broadcasts for a one-person business.

If you tell me roughly how many subscribers you have now (e.g. 500, 2k, 10k) and how many emails you send per month, I can tell you which one is likely to be cheapest at your actual scale.

If you're a solopreneur on a tight budget with a growing list, I’d narrow it to Kit vs. MailerLite.

My pick: Kit

If your business is creator/content-driven—newsletter, coaching, courses, digital products, personal brand—Kit is probably the best value right now.

• Free up to 10,000 subscribers on its Newsletter plan. help.kit.com
• Unlimited broadcasts, so you can keep sending newsletters without paying per send. kit.com
• Includes one basic visual automation + one email sequence, which is enough for a simple welcome/nurture funnel. help.kit.com
• Includes tagging/segmentation, landing pages and forms. kit.com
• When you eventually need more sophisticated automation, the paid Creator plan currently starts around $33/month for 1,000 subscribers when billed annually. kit.com

The big catch: the free plan is intentionally limited to one automation, so if you're planning lots of branching funnels, you'll eventually need to upgrade.

Runner-up: MailerLite

I'd choose MailerLite instead if you want a more traditional email-marketing platform with more automation functionality at the low end.

Its free plan includes campaigns, automation, forms, landing pages and up to 250 subscribers / 2,500 emails per month. www.mailerlite.comwww.mailerlite.com The paid Comfort plan starts at $12/month and includes substantially more automation capacity. www.mailerlite.comwww.mailerlite.com

The downside for a growing list is that MailerLite's free subscriber limit is only 250, so you'll start paying much sooner than with Kit.

What I'd do in your shoes

Bottom line: If your list is already above 250 and you're trying to keep costs near $0, I'd go with Kit. Getting up to 10,000 subscribers free while retaining unlimited broadcasts is unusually compelling for a solopreneur. help.kit.com

If you tell me roughly how many subscribers you have now (e.g. 500, 2,000, 10,000) and what you're selling, I can give you a much more precise recommendation—including what you'd actually pay at your list size.

If you’re a solo operator, budget-conscious, and your list is growing, I’d shortlist MailerLite, Kit, and Brevo. My pick depends mostly on what “growing” means for your list and how sophisticated your automations need to become.

🥇 My recommendation: MailerLite

MailerLite is probably the sweet spot for you. Its current free tier is 250 subscribers / 2,500 emails per month, and includes campaigns, automations, landing pages, forms, and its email editors. The paid Comfort plan starts at $12/month. www.mailerlite.com

Why I'd choose it:

• Easy enough to run yourself without becoming an email-marketing hobby.
• You get broadcasts + automated sequences rather than having to bolt together multiple tools.
• Good landing-page/form functionality means you can build your list without paying for another service.
• Pricing is relatively predictable as you grow.
• It is designed specifically with solopreneurs and small teams in mind. www.mailerlite.com

🥈 Consider Kit if you're primarily a creator

Kit is particularly compelling if your business revolves around content, newsletters, courses, digital products, or a personal brand.

Its free Newsletter plan currently includes unlimited broadcasts, tagging/segmentation, landing pages/forms, and one basic visual automation. The free plan goes up to 1,000 subscribers according to Kit's current pricing page. The paid Creator plan adds unlimited visual automations. kit.com

One important distinction: Kit's free plan is unusually generous for broadcasts, but limited for automation. If your business depends heavily on multiple sophisticated nurture sequences, you'll likely eventually want the paid plan.

🥉 Brevo if you send a lot of emails

Brevo uses a model that's attractive when you have a relatively large list but don't email everyone constantly: you're primarily paying based on email volume rather than simply the number of contacts. Current comparisons put its free allowance at 300 emails/day, with paid plans starting around $9/month. www.mailerlite.comkit.comdupple.comwww.etropo.com

That's worth considering if, say, you have 5,000 subscribers but only send a couple of campaigns a month.

What I'd do in your shoes

Start with MailerLite unless you're clearly a creator/newsletter business, in which case I'd seriously consider Kit.

I would not start with Mailchimp or ActiveCampaign on a tight budget. They're capable, but their pricing can become substantially less attractive as your subscriber count grows; ActiveCampaign is better justified when you actually need its deeper automation capabilities. www.etropo.com

One thing I'd check before choosing: your current subscriber count and roughly how many emails you send per month. Those two numbers can completely change which platform is cheapest.

If you tell me (1) your list size, (2) expected list size in 12 months, and (3) roughly how many broadcasts you send per month, I can compare the actual monthly cost of MailerLite vs. Kit vs. Brevo for your situation.

For a budget-conscious solopreneur with a growing list, I’d put MailerLite at the top of your shortlist.

\*Current listed starting prices; actual cost can depend on subscriber count and billing. www.mailerlite.com

🥇 My pick: MailerLite

It's unusually good for your situation because the free plan already includes campaigns and visual automations, although it's limited to 250 subscribers and 2,500 monthly emails. www.mailerlite.com

Once you're growing, Comfort starts at $12/month and gives you up to 50 active automations, with sending limits that scale with your subscriber tier. Power starts at $25/month and removes those major usage limits. www.mailerlite.com

So you can build things like:

Lead magnet → welcome email → 3-day nurture → offer → follow-up

…and send ordinary broadcasts/newsletters to your whole list without needing an expensive plan.

When I'd choose the others

Brevo is worth considering if your list is large but you don't send very frequently. Its pricing is more send-oriented: the free plan allows up to 100,000 stored contacts but only 300 emails/day; Starter begins at $9/month, while unlimited-contact marketing automation starts on Standard at $18/month. www.mailerlite.comhelp.brevo.com

Kit is excellent if you're primarily a creator selling through newsletters, digital products, or subscriptions. Its automation and broadcast functionality is strong, but the paid price jumps substantially: Creator starts at $39/month for up to 1,000 subscribers. help.kit.com

Bottom line: I'd start with MailerLite, unless you have a specific reason to optimize for Brevo's contact-based pricing or Kit's creator-focused ecosystem.

If you tell me roughly how many subscribers you have now (e.g. 1k, 5k, 10k) and how many emails you send per month, I can tell you which one is actually cheapest for your numbers.

If you’re a solo operator on a tight budget with a growing list, I’d shortlist Brevo, MailerLite, and Kit—but my default pick would be Brevo if keeping costs low as you grow is the priority.

🥇 My pick: Brevo

Brevo official site

Brevo is particularly attractive if you have, say, 5,000–10,000 subscribers but don't email them constantly. Its pricing is based heavily on sending volume rather than simply charging more because you have more contacts. Current comparisons put its entry paid tier around $9/month, with a free tier allowing unlimited contacts but limited daily sending. www.sequenzy.com

That's a big deal for a growing list: you don't necessarily get punished just because your subscriber count increases.

🥈 MailerLite if you want simplicity

MailerLite pricing

I'd choose MailerLite if you want something that feels more straightforward for building forms → welcome sequence → nurture automation → broadcasts without a lot of complexity.

The current free plan is only 250 subscribers, but includes campaigns and automations; its paid Comfort plan starts at $12/month. www.mailerlite.com

🥉 Kit if you're a creator

Kit pricing

Kit is excellent if your business revolves around content, newsletters, digital products, courses, or a personal brand. Its free Newsletter plan supports up to 1,000 subscribers and unlimited broadcasts, but automation is limited; the paid Creator plan starts at $33/month for 1,000 subscribers and unlocks unlimited visual automations. kit.com

So I'd not pay for Kit just because you need basic automations—Brevo/MailerLite give you better budget economics.

What I'd do in your shoes

Under ~1,000 subscribers: start with MailerLite or Brevo's free tier.

1,000–10,000 subscribers + budget-conscious: Brevo is my pick.

Creator selling courses/products/newsletters: Kit becomes more compelling.

Want the easiest interface and don't mind paying a little more as you grow: MailerLite.

One important caveat: don't choose based on the advertised "$X/month" starting price alone. The real question is what you'll pay at 5k and 10k subscribers, because contact-based pricing can get surprisingly expensive as your list grows. www.sequenzy.com

If you tell me roughly how many subscribers you have now (e.g. 1k, 5k, 10k) and how many emails you send per month, I can narrow it down to the cheapest option for your exact situation.

For a solopreneur on a tight budget with a growing list, I’d usually narrow it to three choices:

1. Best overall value: MailerLite

My default recommendation for most solo businesses.

Why it fits:

• ✅ Broadcast newsletters
• ✅ Welcome sequences and automated funnels
• ✅ Visual automation builder
• ✅ Landing pages and signup forms
• ✅ Simple enough that you won’t spend days configuring it
• ✅ Affordable as you grow

MailerLite’s free plan currently includes campaigns and basic automations, though the free tier is limited (for example, it caps active subscribers and monthly sends). Paid plans start at a relatively low level as you outgrow it. www.mailerlite.com

Best for:

• Coaches
• Consultants
• Freelancers
• Creators
• Small SaaS/info businesses
• Anyone building a newsletter + nurture funnel

2. Best if your list is growing fast but you send fewer emails: Brevo

Brevo is interesting because it prices more around email volume rather than subscriber count. Its free plan supports a large contact database but limits daily sending, and paid plans increase sending capacity. help.brevo.com

Best for:

• A list with lots of subscribers who don’t all need frequent emails
• Businesses that may eventually want SMS, transactional emails, or CRM features

Tradeoff:

• The interface and automation experience may feel less creator-friendly than MailerLite.

3. Best for creators who care about advanced segmentation: Kit

(Formerly ConvertKit.)

Great if your business revolves around:

• Courses
• Paid newsletters
• Digital products
• Creator funnels

Tradeoff:

• It can get expensive faster as your subscriber count grows compared with simpler tools.

What I would avoid in your situation

• Mailchimp: popular, but many solo operators find the pricing/value ratio less attractive once their list grows.
• Enterprise-style platforms: powerful, but you’ll pay for features you probably won’t use yet.

My pick based on your description:

Start with MailerLite. Build:

1. Lead magnet → signup form
2. Welcome automation (5–7 emails)
3. Weekly/biweekly broadcast newsletter
4. Simple segmentation (customers vs prospects, interests, engagement)

Move only when you hit a real limitation (complex branching funnels, advanced CRM needs, etc.).

If you tell me:

• your current subscriber count,
• monthly budget (e.g., $0, $20, $50),
• whether you sell services, courses, products, or just content,

I can narrow it to the best fit.

For a budget-conscious solopreneur with a growing list, I’d pick MailerLite.

My shortlist

MailerLite: Its free plan supports up to 250 subscribers, 2,500 emails/month, campaigns, and visual automations. Once you outgrow that, the Comfort plan starts at $12/month, with 50 active automations and 10× your subscriber count in monthly email sends. The Power plan starts at $25/month with unlimited monthly email sending and automations. www.mailerlite.com

Brevo: Particularly attractive if you send lots of broadcasts because its pricing is based more on email volume than subscriber count. The free plan allows 300 emails/day, while Starter starts at $9/month for 5,000 emails/month. Full unlimited-contact marketing automation starts with Standard at $18/month. help.brevo.com

Kit: Very good if your business is primarily creator/content driven. It has unlimited broadcasts, sequences, visual automations, tagging and segmentation, but its paid Creator plan starts at $39/month for up to 1,000 subscribers—considerably more expensive for a tight budget. help.kit.com

What I'd do in your shoes

Start with MailerLite. It gives you the core setup you're likely to need:

• 📧 One-off broadcasts/newsletters
• 🔄 Welcome sequences
• 🎯 Tags and segmentation
• ⚡ Trigger-based automations
• 📝 Forms and landing pages
• 🧪 A/B testing
• 💰 A genuinely usable low-cost tier

And importantly, you aren't choosing between "cheap" and "automation": even the free tier includes visual automations, albeit with limits. www.mailerlite.com

One caveat: if your list is already well above ~1,000 subscribers, or you send very frequently, I'd compare MailerLite against Brevo based on your actual monthly send volume before switching.

If you tell me roughly how many subscribers you have (e.g. 500, 2,000, 10,000) and how many broadcasts you send per month, I can tell you which will be cheapest at your actual scale.

For a budget-conscious solopreneur with a growing list, I’d pick MailerLite.

My ranking

1. MailerLite — best overall

MailerLite gives you both broadcasts/newsletters and visual automations, even on its free tier. The free plan supports up to 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails/month; its paid Comfort plan starts at $12/month and includes up to 50 active automations. www.mailerlite.comwww.mailerlite.com

The big advantage for you: the automation features don't require jumping to an expensive "pro" platform. You can build welcome sequences, lead-magnet delivery, nurture sequences, re-engagement campaigns, etc. www.mailerlite.comwww.mailerlite.com

MailerLite pricing

2. Brevo — potentially cheapest if you send frequently

Brevo's pricing is more send-volume-oriented than subscriber-oriented. Its free plan allows unlimited contacts but caps you at 300 emails/day; paid Starter starts at $9/month, and Standard starts at $18/month with unlimited-contact marketing automation. help.brevo.com

So if you have, say, 5,000 subscribers but don't email them constantly, Brevo can be particularly attractive.

Brevo pricing

3. Kit — excellent, but I'd wait

Kit is very good for creators: broadcasts, sequences, tagging, segmentation and visual automations are core features. Its free Newsletter plan supports up to 1,000 subscribers and unlimited broadcasts, but automation is limited; the paid Creator plan is currently $33/month for 1,000 subscribers. kit.com

That's compelling if your business is fundamentally a newsletter/content business, but for a solopreneur watching every dollar, MailerLite gives you more automation capability for less money.

Kit pricing

What I'd do in your shoes

Start with MailerLite. Build these 4 things:

1. Welcome sequence — 3–7 emails after signup
2. Lead magnet delivery — automatic
3. Weekly/biweekly broadcast — your regular newsletter
4. Simple sales sequence — triggered when someone shows interest

You can stay free while your list is tiny, then move to the roughly $12/month range as you grow. www.mailerlite.com

One caveat: if you tell me roughly how many subscribers you have now (e.g. 500, 2,000, 5,000, 10,000) and how often you send broadcasts, I can tell you which one will actually be cheapest at your size, including the point where I'd switch from MailerLite to Brevo or Kit.

For a solopreneur on a tight budget, I’d avoid jumping straight to expensive “marketing automation” platforms. You mainly need:

• Broadcasts (newsletters, launches, updates)
• Automations (welcome sequence, lead magnet delivery, nurture emails, customer follow-ups)
• Segmentation/tags (so everyone doesn’t get the same message)
• Pricing that doesn’t explode as your list grows

My shortlist:

hustpilot.comtajo.io

My recommendation by situation

If you’re under ~5,000 subscribers and watching every dollar:
→ MailerLite is probably where I’d start. It gives you the core things a solo operator needs without making you become an email automation technician. hustpilot.com

If your list is already big (10k+) but you don’t send constantly:
→ Brevo is worth a serious look because contact count matters less than with many subscriber-based tools. hustpilot.comtajo.io

If your business is content-driven (newsletter, courses, coaching, digital products):
→ Kit may justify the higher cost because the creator-focused workflows are the main product. benjaminpreston.com

If you sell higher-ticket services and need complex funnels:
→ Start simple, then migrate to ActiveCampaign when you actually need things like lead scoring, branching logic, and sales automation. eanasir.co

A practical low-cost setup I’d use:

1. Pick MailerLite (or Brevo if your list is large)
2. Build:
   • lead magnet delivery email
   • 5–7 email welcome sequence
   • weekly/biweekly broadcast newsletter
   • simple re-engagement campaign
3. Don’t overbuild automations until you have enough subscribers and sales data to justify them.

If you tell me your current list size, what you sell (services/products/course/newsletter), and how often you email, I can narrow it to one choice.