Answers that mention MailerLite

For a new indie-creator newsletter under 1,000 subscribers, I’d narrow it to Kit and beehiiv.

My recommendation: Kit

kit.com is probably the safest starting point for you. Its current free plan goes up to 10,000 subscribers, includes unlimited broadcast emails, landing pages/forms, and a basic automation, so you can grow substantially without being forced into a paid plan. Kit Help Center Field Tested

That's particularly attractive for indie creators because you can eventually use the same audience for things like digital products, courses, services, or paid subscriptions, rather than having to migrate platforms later.

When I'd choose beehiiv instead

beehiiv.com is worth choosing if your newsletter is really intended to become a media publication. Its free Launch plan supports 2,500 subscribers and unlimited sends, plus a newsletter website, analytics, recommendations, and other publishing features. Beehiiv

So, roughly:

• “I'm a creator and the newsletter supports my business.” → Kit
• “The newsletter itself is the business/publication.” → beehiiv
• “I just want the absolute simplest place to write and email people.” → Substack

One I'd skip for your particular goal is MailerLite: its free plan was reduced in 2026 to 250 active subscribers and 2,500 emails/month, so you'd hit the ceiling very quickly if you're already approaching 1,000. MailerLite MailerLite

If I were setting this up from scratch today, I'd start with Kit and not overthink it. You can get the newsletter running first and worry about sophisticated automation once you actually have an audience.

kit.com

If by “separate audiences or projects” you mean keeping each client’s contacts and campaigns isolated, the key distinction is whether the platform gives you multiple audiences/lists on its free tier—or requires separate accounts.

For a freelance marketer

Brevo is probably the most practical starting point if your goal is one free account containing multiple client lists. Its free plan currently allows up to 100,000 stored contacts, although sending is capped at 300 emails/day, and you get one user seat. Brevo Help

If you mean completely separate client projects/workspaces—each with its own branding, login/access, contacts, reporting, etc.—that's a different requirement. Free tiers generally aren't designed as a true agency/multi-client workspace.

If you tell me “I need 5–10 separate client accounts/lists, each with X contacts and Y emails/month,” I can compare the best free options specifically for that setup.

If you’re a freelance marketer managing multiple client lists, I’d look first at MailerLite.

• MailerLite — best fit for separate client audiences. Its current free plan supports unlimited audiences, plus unlimited groups/segments, although the free tier is capped at 250 active subscribers and 2,500 emails/month. MailerLite MailerLite
• Even better for client work, MailerLite explicitly supports multiple separate client accounts under one login, with each account having its own subscribers, campaigns, automations, and templates. MailerLite
• Brevo is another strong free option if list size is your priority: it allows up to 100,000 stored contacts and 300 email sends/day, but only one user seat on Free. Brevo Help Brevo Help

My pick

Use MailerLite if you want clean separation between clients/brands. You can either create a separate account for each client, or use audiences/groups when the clients belong under the same operation. MailerLite

mailerlite.com

If you tell me roughly how many clients and subscribers you manage, I can compare MailerLite, Brevo, Kit, and HubSpot specifically for a freelancer/agency setup.

MailerLite is probably the best fit. Its free plan currently supports unlimited audiences, so you can keep separate client lists/audiences within one account, with up to 250 active subscribers and 2,500 emails/month. MailerLite MailerLite

For a freelancer managing truly separate client accounts, MailerLite also supports switching between separate client accounts from one login, with each client retaining its own subscribers, campaigns, and templates. MailerLite

Brevo is another strong free option, especially if you have larger lists but lower sending volume: up to 100,000 contacts and 300 emails/day on Free. help.brevo.com

My pick: MailerLite for clean client separation; Brevo if contact volume matters more than sending volume.

Yes. Brevo is probably the closest fit for what you're describing.

brevo.com offers a free-forever plan with:

• 300 email sends/day (about 9,000/month if you send every day)
• Email campaigns and basic automation
• SMS campaigns in the same platform
• Up to 100,000 stored contacts
• No credit card required Brevo Help Brevo Help

The catch is important: SMS isn't free. You purchase prepaid SMS credits, with pricing depending on the recipient's country and message length. Brevo Help

What I'd look at for a digital-product solopreneur

MailerLite's free plan is attractive for email—currently 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails/month—but its current plans separate SMS from the free email offering. MailerLite MailerLite

So if "email + occasional SMS" is the requirement, I'd start with Brevo. You can keep the email side at $0 and only pay when you actually send SMS.

If you tell me roughly how many subscribers you have and how often you'd send SMS (e.g. 500 subscribers + 2 texts/month), I can compare the likely costs of Brevo vs. a couple of alternatives.

Yes — brevo.com is probably the best fit for what you described.

• Free email marketing: 300 emails/day, with a large contact allowance. Brevo Help Brevo
• SMS campaigns: SMS marketing is built into the same platform. The catch is that SMS itself isn't free; you purchase SMS credits/pay as you send. Brevo Help
• Good for a solopreneur: You get email campaigns, SMS, transactional messaging, and a drag-and-drop editor without needing a separate SMS platform. Brevo Help
• No credit card required to start on the free plan. Brevo

One important alternative

mailerlite.com is arguably nicer if your priority is selling digital products and building email automations. Its current free plan includes 250 subscribers, 2,500 emails/month, visual automations, landing pages, and digital-product selling. MailerLite MailerLite

However, Brevo wins if SMS is a requirement, because SMS is native to the platform.

My pick for you: Start with Brevo if you want email + occasional SMS in one place. Start with MailerLite if SMS is only a "nice to have" and you care more about email funnels/digital-product selling.

If you tell me roughly how many subscribers you have and how often you'd send SMS, I can tell you which one I'd choose for your specific setup.

For a nonprofit with limited funds, I’d focus on MailerLite and Brevo rather than assuming the biggest-name platform is best.

Recent 2026 comparisons report MailerLite's free tier at roughly 1,000 contacts and 12,000 monthly emails, while Brevo's free tier allows unlimited stored contacts but limits sending to 300 emails/day. Capterra EmailToolScout

My practical choice

If you have fewer than ~1,000 donors/subscribers: I'd start with MailerLite. Its templates and drag-and-drop editor are particularly well suited to impact stories, appeals, event announcements, and newsletters, and the free allowance gives a small organization some breathing room. Capterra

If you have a much larger donor database: look closely at Brevo. Because its free plan doesn't impose the same contact-storage ceiling, it can be economical when you have many supporters but don't email all of them frequently. The 300/day sending limit is the main constraint. Capterra VettedSaaS

One important caveat: deliverability isn't primarily determined by the platform. Maintaining permission-based lists, removing inactive addresses, authenticating your sending domain (SPF/DKIM/DMARC), and avoiding spammy fundraising practices can matter more than small differences between reputable providers.

*Free-plan limits and nonprofit discounts change frequently, so I'd verify the vendor's current terms before migrating your donor list. Some 2026 comparisons conflict on the exact limits, which is another reason to check the provider directly. blog.groupmail.io Capterra

If you tell me roughly how many donor emails you have and how often you send, I can narrow this to the most economical option for your specific situation.

For a cash-strapped nonprofit, I’d put Sender and Brevo at the top of the list, with MailerLite as another strong option.

Sender specifically markets its platform to nonprofits and currently advertises 2,500 subscribers, 15,000 emails/month, responsive templates, automation, segmentation, and a 25% nonprofit discount. Sender

My recommendation

Try Sender first. For a nonprofit with limited funds, its combination of a relatively generous free allowance, donor-oriented positioning, templates, and automation is hard to beat. Sender

Choose Brevo instead if you have a very large donor/contact database but don't email everyone frequently. Its free model is based heavily on sending volume rather than the number of contacts, making it attractive for large lists. Capterra MailToolFinder

One important caveat: deliverability isn't determined by the platform alone. Maintaining permission-based lists, authenticating your domain (SPF/DKIM/DMARC), removing inactive addresses, and avoiding spammy fundraising language will matter enormously.

If you tell me roughly how many donors you have and how often you send, I can narrow this down to the cheapest option that should work well for you.

For a local café, MailerLite is probably the simplest fit.

mailerlite.com currently offers a free plan with:

• Up to 250 subscribers
• 2,500 emails/month
• 3 signup forms/pop-ups
• 3 visual automations
• A landing page and website
• No credit card required MailerLite MailerLite

That’s enough to set up something like:

QR code at the counter → email signup → instant “Thanks + 10% off your next drink” email → occasional café newsletter.

MailerLite also supports double opt-in and consent settings, which are useful for building a legitimate mailing list. MailerLite MailerLite

Another option: Brevo

brevo.com has a free plan with unlimited contacts, 300 email sends/day, and marketing automation for up to 2,000 contacts entering automations. Its forms can trigger welcome-email workflows. help.brevo.com help.brevo.com help.brevo.com

For a small café starting from zero, I'd start with MailerLite because the signup-form → welcome-email workflow is straightforward and the 2,500 monthly sends give you plenty of room for a small list.

If you want, I can also lay out a free café email setup you can implement in ~30 minutes, including the QR-code signup offer and the first 3 automated emails.

For a tiny SaaS list and basic onboarding automations, I’d look at these two first:

• mailerlite.com — Free plan has 250 active subscribers, 2,500 emails/month, and 3 visual automations, with no credit card required. That’s enough for a simple welcome/onboarding sequence. MailerLite MailerLite
• brevo.com — Free forever, no credit card, with automation available for up to 2,000 contacts. Its model is based more on emails sent than list size, which can be useful as your list grows. Brevo Help

For your use case

I'd structure the onboarding as something like:

1. Signup → immediate welcome email
2. Day 1 → getting-started email
3. Day 3 → key feature/use case
4. Day 7 → check-in / activation prompt
5. If they click X → send a relevant follow-up

MailerLite currently looks particularly well matched if you're under 250 subscribers, because its free tier explicitly includes visual automations and signup forms. MailerLite

One important 2026 wrinkle: MailerLite changed its free limits in June 2026, reducing the free subscriber ceiling to 250 and monthly sends to 2,500. MailerLite

If you tell me roughly how many subscribers you have (e.g. 50, 200, 500) and whether you need event-based triggers from your SaaS (e.g. “signed up but hasn't created a project”), I can narrow this down to the most suitable free setup.

Best fit: MailerLite. For an early-stage SaaS with a tiny list, it gives you onboarding sequences without requiring a credit card: its free plan includes up to 250 subscribers, 2,500 monthly emails, and 3 automations. MailerLite

Other solid options:

• Brevo — better if you expect the list to grow quickly; free plan has no credit card requirement, unlimited contacts, and automation features (with sending limits). Brevo Help
• Kit (ConvertKit) — good for creator-style onboarding, but less SaaS-focused.
• HubSpot Free — useful if you want CRM + email basics, though automation depth is limited.

For SaaS onboarding, I’d set up:

1. Signup trigger → welcome email immediately
2. Day 1 → “quick start” guide
3. Day 3 → feature tip
4. Day 7 → activation check-in
5. Inactive users → re-engagement email

For a tiny SaaS list, I’d start with MailerLite and switch only when you need advanced behavioral events (e.g., “created project but didn’t invite teammate”). MailerLite

If you need multiple newsletters with tag-based segmentation and custom fields on a $0 plan, these are the strongest options to look at:

For your use case (managing multiple newsletters), I’d narrow it down like this:

• Most flexible tagging + custom data: mailrelay.com — good if you want subscriber records like interest=AI, newsletter=weekly, customer=yes, etc. Mailrelay
• Creator/newsletter workflow: kit.com — good if each newsletter has different audiences and you want tags to drive broadcasts. Zapier
• Higher free subscriber allowance: sender.net — useful if your lists are already growing. Sender

One thing to watch: many tools advertise “segmentation” for free but reserve advanced rules, automation triggers, or dynamic segments for paid tiers. For a true tag/custom-field workflow at no cost, verify that the free plan lets you create fields, apply tags, and send campaigns to filtered groups before migrating. GetResponse Mailrelay

If you tell me roughly how many subscribers you have (e.g., under 1k, 10k, 50k+) and whether the newsletters are separate brands or one audience with categories, I can narrow it further.

Yes. For multiple newsletters + tag/custom-field segmentation at $0, the strongest options right now are:

• kit.com — best overall for multiple newsletters. Its free plan supports up to 10,000 subscribers, unlimited broadcasts, and audience tagging + segmentation. Kit Help Center
• beehiiv.com — best if newsletters are your primary focus. Its free Launch plan supports up to 2,500 subscribers, with subscriber tagging, custom fields, and segmentation included. It also supports up to 3 publications. Beehiiv Beehiiv
• mailerlite.com — good traditional email-marketing option. It has tags/interest groups, custom fields, and dynamic segments on the free tier, but the current free plan is limited to 250 active subscribers and 2,500 emails/month. MailerLite MailerLite MailerLite

My pick

If your key requirement is “I run several newsletters and need to tag people/custom-field them without paying”, I'd start with beehiiv if you want a newsletter-native platform, or Kit if you expect your subscriber base to grow beyond 2,500.

One important distinction: Kit's free plan allows 10,000 subscribers, but its free plan doesn't include automated sequences/visual automations. Kit Help Center

If you tell me roughly how many subscribers you have and how many separate newsletters/publications you run, I can narrow it down to the best free option.

Yes. If tag-based segmentation and custom fields need to be genuinely free, I’d shortlist these:

• mailerlite.com — best overall for traditional email marketing. Its free plan currently supports interest groups (tags), dynamic segments, and custom fields, with up to 250 active subscribers and 2,500 emails/month. MailerLite MailerLite
• beehiiv.com — best if you manage multiple newsletters/publications. Its free Launch plan supports up to 3 publications, subscriber tagging, custom fields, and segmentation. Beehiiv Beehiiv
• buttondown.com — excellent lightweight newsletter option. It supports tags and subscriber metadata for segmentation, and lets you create multiple newsletters. However, its tags are listed as available on the Basic plan, so I wouldn't choose it if "free forever" is the strict requirement. Buttondown Docs Buttondown
• brevo.com — good for large lists with low sending volume. The free plan allows unlimited contacts and 300 emails/day, while segmentation can use contact attributes/custom data. Brevo Brevo Help

My pick for your use case

If you have multiple newsletters and want to tag the same subscriber according to interests, I'd pick beehiiv if the newsletters are publications, or MailerLite if they're more like marketing/email campaigns.

For example, you could have:

Subscriber → Tech + AI + Weekly Digest

and send Newsletter A only to Tech, Newsletter B to AI, etc.

If you tell me roughly how many subscribers you have and whether you need 2–3 newsletters under one account, I can narrow this down to the best free option.

If you’re a creator selling merch, MailerLite is probably the strongest free starting point right now.

• MailerLite — best fit for creator + merch. Its free plan includes up to 250 subscribers, 2,500 emails/month, and automations. MailerLite MailerLite
• It has native integrations with Shopify, WooCommerce, Wix, Squarespace, BigCommerce, and PrestaShop. MailerLite MailerLite
• You can trigger follow-ups based on a purchase, a specific product, product category, purchase frequency, abandoned cart, or abandoned checkout. MailerLite MailerLite
• For example, you could automatically send: “Thanks for grabbing the hoodie!” → 7 days later “Here’s how to style it” → 30 days later “New merch drop.”

One important distinction: these are marketing follow-ups, not necessarily the transactional receipt/order-confirmation emails your store needs. MailerLite points those transactional messages toward its separate MailerSend product. MailerLite

Other free options

Brevo is another good choice, particularly if you want stronger transactional-email capabilities. It integrates with Shopify and WooCommerce and can trigger automations from completed purchases. help.brevo.com help.brevo.com

For your use case, I'd start with MailerLite if your goal is building a creator audience + turning merch buyers into repeat customers.

mailerlite.com

If you tell me which store you use (Shopify, Fourthwall, WooCommerce, Etsy, etc.) and roughly how many subscribers you have, I can narrow it down to the best free setup for you.

If order follow-ups are the priority, I’d pick Omnisend.

• Omnisend — Best fit for a creator + merch store. Its free plan includes ecommerce automation, and you can connect Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Wix, and others. You can trigger follow-ups after a paid order, such as a thank-you email, review request, or discount for the next purchase. The catch: free is limited to 250 contacts and 500 emails/month. Omnisend Help Center Omnisend Help Center Omnisend Help Center

omnisend.com

• Brevo — Better if you expect a larger audience but don't send constantly. Its free plan is based primarily on sending volume rather than a tiny contact cap, and it supports ecommerce integrations and automation. Omnisend
• MailerLite — Good creator-friendly option if newsletters/content are as important as merch. It integrates with Shopify and WooCommerce, but its ecommerce automation isn't as purpose-built as Omnisend's. Omnisend

My pick for you

Start with Omnisend if you want flows like:

Order placed → Thank you → 5 days later: review request → 14 days later: "here's 15% off your next merch order"

That specific post-purchase workflow is available on all Omnisend plans, including Free. Omnisend Help Center

If you tell me whether you're using Shopify, WooCommerce, Etsy, Fourthwall, or another merch platform, I can tell you which free option fits best.

If your priority is learning email marketing as a beginner, rather than simply getting the most generous free plan, I’d put MailerLite at the top.

My comparison

Why MailerLite stands out: its free MailerLite Academy has dedicated beginner courses such as Getting Started with MailerLite, Send Emails, and Collect Leads, plus automation training. The courses are free, self-paced, and offer certificates. MailerLite Academy MailerLite Academy MailerLite Academy

It also has a substantial knowledge base, video tutorials, community, and live training—not just product documentation. MailerLite MailerLite

Brevo is a very close alternative if you want to learn the marketing concepts as well as the software. Its free Academy includes a beginner email-marketing certification with 8 modules, 63 videos, 4 eBooks, quizzes, and a final certification. Brevo Academy Brevo Academy

Kit is particularly interesting if your goal is building a newsletter/creator business. Its current free plan allows up to 10,000 subscribers, unlimited broadcasts, forms and landing pages, segmentation, and digital products. However, important automation features such as sequences and visual automations require a paid plan. Kit Help Center Kit

My practical recommendation

For someone saying “I'm completely new—teach me email marketing while I build my first campaigns”, I'd start with MailerLite.

One caveat: MailerLite changed its free plan in June 2026. The current free tier is 250 active subscribers and 2,500 monthly emails, so it's excellent for learning but relatively restrictive once your list starts growing. MailerLite MailerLite

If you expect to grow past 250 subscribers quickly, Kit's 10,000-subscriber free tier is a very different proposition, although its free-plan automation limitations matter. Kit Help Center

Bottom line:

• 🎓 Best learning/onboarding: MailerLite
• 📚 Best structured marketing education: Brevo
• 📈 Most generous free subscriber allowance: Kit

If you tell me whether you're building a business, newsletter, nonprofit, or freelance service, I can narrow this down based on the actual features you'll need.

Why MailerLite stands out: its free MailerLite Academy has dedicated beginner courses such as Getting Started with MailerLite, Send Emails, and Collect Leads, plus automation training. The courses are free, self-paced, and offer certificates. MailerLite Academy MailerLite Academy MailerLite Academy

It also has a substantial knowledge base, video tutorials, community, and live training—not just product documentation. MailerLite MailerLite

Brevo is a very close alternative if you want to learn the marketing concepts as well as the software. Its free Academy includes a beginner email-marketing certification with 8 modules, 63 videos, 4 eBooks, quizzes, and a final certification. Brevo Academy Brevo Academy

Kit is particularly interesting if your goal is building a newsletter/creator business. Its current free plan allows up to 10,000 subscribers, unlimited broadcasts, forms and landing pages, segmentation, and digital products. However, important automation features such as sequences and visual automations require a paid plan. Kit Help Center Kit

My practical recommendation

For someone saying “I'm completely new—teach me email marketing while I build my first campaigns”, I'd start with MailerLite.

One caveat: MailerLite changed its free plan in June 2026. The current free tier is 250 active subscribers and 2,500 monthly emails, so it's excellent for learning but relatively restrictive once your list starts growing. MailerLite MailerLite

If you expect to grow past 250 subscribers quickly, Kit's 10,000-subscriber free tier is a very different proposition, although its free-plan automation limitations matter.

Bottom line:

If you’re brand-new to email marketing and your priority is learning as you go, I’d put MailerLite at the top of the list.

My comparison

Why I’d choose MailerLite: its Academy isn't just software documentation. It has free, self-paced courses covering email marketing fundamentals, automation, content marketing, landing-page optimization and more, with certificates available. It also has a dedicated "Getting Started" course that walks beginners through account setup, importing subscribers, creating campaigns, and domain authentication. MailerLite Academy MailerLite Academy MailerLite Academy

The important catch in 2026 is that MailerLite's free tier is now fairly small: 250 active subscribers and 2,500 monthly emails, following a June 2026 change. MailerLite MailerLite

Brevo is the alternative I'd seriously consider if you expect your contact list to grow quickly. Its free plan is genuinely free forever, supports up to 100,000 contacts, and allows 300 email sends per day. More importantly for a beginner, Brevo Academy offers free courses, practical tutorials, quizzes and certifications, including material starting from basic marketing concepts. Brevo Help Brevo Help Brevo Academy

Kit is particularly attractive if you're building a personal newsletter or creator business: its free plan goes up to 10,000 subscribers with unlimited broadcasts, forms and landing pages. However, email sequences and visual automations aren't included on the free tier, so it's less useful if your goal is to learn automation without paying. Kit Help Center Kit

Bottom line

For a complete beginner: MailerLite.
For the strongest free plan + structured marketing education: Brevo.
For a newsletter/creator: Kit.

If you tell me whether you're doing a newsletter, small business marketing, ecommerce, or client/agency work, I can narrow this down to the best fit for your particular situation.

If your priority is being genuinely taught how email marketing works—not just given software tutorials—MailerLite is my top pick for a beginner in 2026.

My ranking

1. MailerLite — best overall for beginners

• Its MailerLite Academy is completely free and includes structured courses such as Getting Started, Send Emails, Collect Leads, and Email Automation. MailerLite Academy MailerLite Academy
• Courses are self-paced, hands-on, and offer certificates. MailerLite Academy
• The onboarding itself is geared toward getting a first campaign running, with step-by-step guides and a drag-and-drop editor. MailerLite
• Catch: its current free plan is only 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails/month, so you'll likely outgrow it sooner. MailerLite MailerLite
• Brevo — best for learning marketing fundamentals

• Brevo Academy is unusually strong educationally: it has beginner courses, tutorials, certifications, and material covering strategy, deliverability, segmentation, A/B testing, etc. Brevo Academy Brevo Academy
• Its free plan is free forever, with up to 100,000 stored contacts and 300 email sends/day. Brevo Help
• I'd choose Brevo if you want to learn broader digital/email marketing, rather than primarily learning newsletter creation.
• Kit — best for creators/newsletters

• The free plan supports up to 10,000 subscribers, unlimited broadcasts, forms and landing pages. Kit Help Center Kit
• Its free Kit Start course is excellent if you're a creator building an audience, covering list growth, broadcasts, content strategy and monetization. Kit Creator University
• The downside for learning traditional email marketing is that its education is more creator-focused.

My recommendation

Start with MailerLite if you're completely new. Its combination of beginner-friendly software + structured Academy courses + practical tutorials is the strongest "learn while doing" experience.

If your definition of "best" is instead "which free platform lets me keep the largest list for the longest?", I'd pick Brevo or Kit over MailerLite.

If you tell me whether you're doing e-commerce, a small business/service, or a newsletter/creator business, I can narrow it down to the best one for your specific situation.

For a shoestring-budget setup, I’d shortlist Brevo, MailerLite, and Buttondown. The important distinction is that a tool having “GDPR features” doesn’t by itself make your email program GDPR-compliant—you still need an appropriate lawful basis, privacy notice, records of consent, unsubscribe handling, retention practices, and a suitable DPA where applicable.

*Free-plan limits can change; MailerLite's current official documentation says its June 2026 free-plan update reduced the allowance to 250 active subscribers and 2,500 monthly emails. MailerLite

1. Brevo — my first choice

Brevo has unusually good built-in consent tooling for a free plan. Its signup forms have a dedicated GDPR field where subscribers actively consent, plus a GDPR declaration explaining that their information is processed by Brevo. It also supports double opt-in. Brevo Help Brevo Help

It also lets you export campaign data as CSV, including data by contact, which is useful for retaining evidence of consent and other compliance records. Brevo Help

Best if: you want a conventional email-marketing platform and want the compliance mechanics reasonably integrated into the product.

2. MailerLite — easiest small-business choice

MailerLite provides GDPR-friendly signup settings, permission checkboxes and double opt-in. Its documentation also explicitly says subscriber data can be exported. MailerLite MailerLite

The catch is the current free-plan ceiling: 250 active subscribers and 2,500 emails/month after its June 2026 changes. MailerLite

Best if: you're starting with a genuinely small list and value ease of use over maximum free capacity.

3. Buttondown — appealing for a privacy-first newsletter

Buttondown explicitly describes itself as GDPR-compliant and says it doesn't collect subscriber data beyond what's needed by default. Its GDPR documentation covers deletion rights, while its data-import documentation demonstrates CSV-based subscriber portability. Buttondown Buttondown Buttondown Docs

I'd choose it particularly for a simple newsletter, rather than a marketing-heavy business with sophisticated segmentation and automation.

Bottom line

If your priority is specifically “free + documented consent + easy evidence/export”, I'd rank them:

1. Brevo — strongest combination of consent tooling and export/compliance functionality.
2. MailerLite — easiest for a small list.
3. Buttondown — strongest minimalist/privacy-oriented choice.

One important caveat: don't treat a consent checkbox as proof of GDPR compliance by itself. For EU/EEA marketing, I'd configure explicit opt-in + double opt-in, link your privacy notice directly from the signup form, avoid pre-ticked boxes, keep the consent wording/version and timestamp, and periodically export your records.

If you tell me roughly how many subscribers you have and whether you're sending newsletters, sales emails, or both, I can narrow this to the cheapest setup and show exactly which GDPR fields/settings to use.

It also lets you export campaign data as CSV, including data by contact, which is useful for retaining evidence of consent and other compliance records. Brevo Help

Best if: you want a conventional email-marketing platform and want the compliance mechanics reasonably integrated into the product.

2. MailerLite — easiest small-business choice

MailerLite provides GDPR-friendly signup settings, permission checkboxes and double opt-in. Its documentation also explicitly says subscriber data can be exported. MailerLite MailerLite

The catch is the current free-plan ceiling: 250 active subscribers and 2,500 emails/month after its June 2026 changes. MailerLite

Best if: you're starting with a genuinely small list and value ease of use over maximum free capacity.

3. Buttondown — appealing for a privacy-first newsletter

Buttondown explicitly describes itself as GDPR-compliant and says it doesn't collect subscriber data beyond what's needed by default. Its GDPR documentation covers deletion rights, while its data-import documentation demonstrates CSV-based subscriber portability.

I'd choose it particularly for a simple newsletter, rather than a marketing-heavy business with sophisticated segmentation and automation.

Bottom line

If your priority is specifically “free + documented consent + easy evidence/export”, I'd rank them:

If your main requirement is free A/B testing of email subject lines, I’d start with MailerLite.

• MailerLite — best fit for your requirement. Its free plan includes A/B testing, including subject lines, and lets you test up to 5 versions of a single element. It can automatically send the winning version to the remainder of your audience. MailerLite MailerLite
• Sender — another option, and its free tier is quite generous on sending volume, but there’s an important catch: Sender's current pricing page says A/B testing is not included on the free plan; it starts with Standard. Sender
• Brevo — skip it if free A/B testing is essential. Brevo supports subject-line/content A/B tests, but its own documentation says A/B testing isn't included in the Free plan. Brevo Help Brevo Help

What I'd try

mailerlite.com

It's particularly suitable if you're sending newsletters or marketing emails and want to experiment with things like:

• Subject A vs. Subject B
• Different sender names
• Different email content
• Open rate vs. click performance
• Automatically selecting the better-performing version

One caveat: MailerLite's multivariate testing is paid, but straightforward A/B testing is free. MailerLite MailerLite

If you tell me roughly how many subscribers you have (e.g. 200, 2,000, 20,000), I can narrow this down to the best free option for your list size.

If your main requirement is free A/B testing for email subject lines, I’d start with MailerLite.

• MailerLite — best fit for your use case. Its free plan includes A/B testing, and you can test subject lines, sender names, and other campaign elements. It also reports opens and clicks and can automatically send the winning version to the rest of the audience. MailerLite MailerLite
• Brevo — another good option. It supports A/B testing of subject lines or email content, with the ability to select a winner based on open or click rate. Brevo Help
• Mailchimp — less attractive if free testing is the priority. Its current documentation says email A/B testing is on paid plans, although Mailchimp's pages currently show some conflicting free-plan information, so I wouldn't choose it specifically for free A/B testing. Mailchimp Mailchimp

My pick

Try MailerLite first. It gives you the simplest path to:

Subject A vs Subject B → send to sample → measure opens/clicks → automatically send winner

One important caveat: if your list is small, don't put too much weight on tiny differences. A/B testing becomes much more informative as the number of recipients per variation increases.

mailerlite.com

If you tell me roughly how many subscribers you have (e.g. 200, 2,000, 20,000), I can narrow this down based on the free-plan limits and how useful the A/B testing will actually be.

If your main goal is free email sending + A/B subject line testing + basic performance analytics, I’d start with one of these:

My pick:

1. Try MailerLite first if you want a straightforward newsletter tool.

• Test subject lines.
• Track opens/clicks.
• See which campaigns perform better.
• Easy enough that you’ll actually run experiments regularly. MailerLite
• Try Kit if you’re building a creator newsletter, personal brand, or paid newsletter.
• Try Mailchimp if you expect to move into more advanced marketing automation later, but I wouldn’t choose it purely for free A/B testing today. Mailchimp

A simple testing workflow:

• Send subject line A to ~10–20% of your list.
• Send subject line B to another ~10–20%.
• Pick the winner based on open rate (for subject lines) or click rate (for content).
• Use the winner for the rest of the list.

If you tell me your approximate list size (e.g., 200, 5k, 50k subscribers) and whether this is for a newsletter, SaaS, ecommerce, or cold outreach, I can narrow it down.

If your key requirement is real automation on a genuinely free plan, the field narrows considerably. As of September 2026:

What I'd look at for your use case

MailerLite is the straightforward option if you're still small. Its current free plan explicitly includes 3 visual automations, so you can build things like:

• New subscriber → welcome email
• Lead magnet → 3–5 email nurture sequence
• Link click → segment/tag → follow-up

The problem is that MailerLite's free limit was cut to 250 active subscribers in June 2026. Once you exceed that, automations and sending are paused until you reduce the list or upgrade. MailerLite

Brevo is more interesting if you're trying to scale the list while staying free. Its free tier allows a much larger contact database and supports workflow automation, although you're constrained by 300 emails/day and some advanced automation functionality. Mr. Review Ai

Kit looks attractive because the free limit is 10,000 subscribers, but that's misleading for your particular requirement: its current free plan does not include Visual Automations or the automation template library. Kit Help Center

beehiiv is similarly strong for free newsletter publishing, but its Launch plan doesn't let you actually activate automations without upgrading. Fayed - Fayedtion

Bottom line: if "automation without immediately paying" is non-negotiable, I'd investigate Brevo and MailerLite first. If your list is likely to grow beyond a few hundred subscribers quickly, Brevo's free contact capacity makes it particularly relevant; if you're under 250 and want a conventional newsletter automation builder, MailerLite gives you that directly.

If you tell me roughly how many subscribers you have now and what automations you want (welcome sequence, lead magnet, weekly newsletter, paid-product funnel, etc.), I can narrow this down to the plans that won't force an upgrade at your next growth milestone.

Yes. If automation must actually work on the permanent free tier, rather than being a trial that pushes you to upgrade, the shortlist is pretty small.

Best options for a personal newsletter

My pick: MailerLite. Its current free plan explicitly includes 3 visual automations, and there's no time limit on the free tier. You get up to 250 active subscribers and 2,500 emails/month before you need to upgrade. MailerLite MailerLite

That is enough to build something like:

• Welcome workflow: signup → welcome email → wait → best-of newsletter → wait → regular newsletter
• Lead-magnet workflow: signup → deliver download → wait → follow-up → recommendation
• Engagement workflow: click/read behavior → tag subscriber → send relevant follow-up

The catch is the 250-subscriber ceiling, which is pretty restrictive if you're genuinely scaling. Once you hit it, MailerLite pauses sending/automation until you reduce the list or upgrade. MailerLite

Brevo is the interesting alternative if your list could grow quickly. Its free tier supports up to 100,000 contacts, although you're limited to 300 emails per day, so it's much better for a large, relatively low-frequency newsletter than for a high-volume publication. Brevo Help

I would not choose Kit or beehiiv specifically for automation on free: their free tiers are attractive for newsletter publishing/list size, but automation is a paid-plan feature or substantially restricted. Sasanova Fayed - Fayedtion

Bottom line:

• Want real automated sequences for $0 → MailerLite
• Expect lots of subscribers but modest daily sending → Brevo
• Want newsletter publishing/growth first, automation later → beehiiv
• Want large free list but mostly broadcasts → Kit

If you tell me roughly how many subscribers you have now and what automations you want (welcome sequence, lead magnet, paid upsell, re-engagement, etc.), I can narrow it down to the best free setup.

If free is the priority, I’d look at these two:

• kit.com — particularly strong for paid subscriptions and product launches. Its free plan supports up to 10,000 subscribers, unlimited landing pages and forms, unlimited broadcasts, tagging/segmentation, and selling digital products/subscriptions. Its forms can be used as pop-ups, sticky bars, slide-ins, or inline forms. Kit Help Center Kit
• mailerlite.com — more traditional email-marketing functionality. Its current free plan has 250 subscribers, 2,500 monthly emails, 3 signup forms/pop-ups, and 1 landing page. MailerLite MailerLite

For your use case

I'd choose Kit if you're primarily building a subscriber audience, selling subscriptions, and doing occasional launches. The 10,000-subscriber free allowance is substantially more generous, and unlimited landing pages/forms are useful for creating separate launch waitlists and lead magnets. Kit Help Center

I'd choose MailerLite if you expect a smaller list and want a more conventional marketing-email platform with built-in popups, landing pages, and visual automations. MailerLite MailerLite

One important distinction: Kit's free plan doesn't include email sequences/automations; those require a paid plan. Kit Help Center

If you tell me roughly how many subscribers you have now and whether the paid subscription is a newsletter/membership/course/etc., I can narrow it down between Kit, MailerLite, and a couple of other free options.

Yes. For your use case, Kit is probably the strongest free option.

• kit.com — best for list growth + launches: its free plan supports up to 10,000 subscribers, unlimited landing pages, unlimited opt-in forms, and unlimited broadcasts. Its forms can be embedded as modals/popups, sticky bars, slide-ins, or inline forms. Kit Help Center Kit
• mailerlite.com — best all-in-one alternative: free plan includes 250 subscribers, 2,500 emails/month, 1 landing page, and 3 signup forms/popups. It also has automations and digital-product functionality. MailerLite MailerLite

My pick for you

Choose Kit if your priority is building a large email list and doing occasional launches. The 10,000-subscriber free ceiling and unlimited landing pages/forms are unusually generous. Kit Help Center

Choose MailerLite if you want more of a traditional small-business email-marketing suite and don't expect to exceed 250 subscribers quickly.

One important distinction: if by “paid subscriptions” you mean you charge people for access to a paid newsletter/membership, Kit's free plan includes digital products and subscriptions, while MailerLite's recurring paid-newsletter subscription functionality is on its paid tier. Kit Help Center MailerLite

For a small list + automated welcome sequences, you’ll want a tool where the free plan includes actual multi-step workflows (not just “send a newsletter”). These are some good free-forever options:

For a typical welcome sequence like:

1. Subscriber joins list
2. Immediately: “Welcome + free resource”
3. Day 2: “How to get started”
4. Day 5: “Case study or helpful tips”
5. Day 10: “Offer / next step”

…I’d shortlist:

• Sender → probably the strongest fit if you mainly care about free multi-step automation and a small audience. Sender
• MailerLite → good if you want a polished newsletter + simple automations. SaaS Scored
• Mailaway → worth considering if you want a lightweight tool without lots of marketing-suite complexity. Mailaway

A few things to check before choosing:

• Does the free tier allow multiple automation steps (not just a single autoresponder)?
• Can you add delays (“wait 3 days”)?
• Can you trigger from forms/tags/groups?
• Can you export your subscribers if you outgrow it?
• Does it support your sending domain (SPF/DKIM setup)?

If you tell me your approximate list size (e.g., <100, 500, 2,000) and whether this is for a newsletter, SaaS onboarding, course, or ecommerce, I can narrow it down.

For a small list + multi-step welcome sequence + genuinely free forever, I’d look at these first:

Sender is particularly interesting for your use case. Its free plan explicitly includes unlimited automation workflows, so you could build something like:

• Day 0: Welcome + lead magnet
• Day 2: Helpful tip
• Day 4: Educational email
• Day 7: Case study
• Day 10: Offer / CTA
• Branch based on whether they clicked

It supports triggers, delays, conditions, segmentation, and prebuilt workflows on the free tier. Sender Sender

sender.net

Brevo is another strong option if your list may grow substantially. The free tier stores up to 100,000 contacts and includes marketing automation, but automation is limited to 2,000 contacts and sending is capped at 300 emails/day. Brevo Help

brevo.com

One important update: MailerLite's free plan changed in June 2026. It's now only 250 active subscribers and 2,500 emails/month, although multi-step visual automation remains available (3 active automations, 5 steps). MailerLite MailerLite

mailerlite.com

For a small list specifically, I'd compare Sender vs. Brevo first—especially if "free forever" means you don't want the automation to suddenly become paid when you actually start using it.

Yes. If “free forever” + multi-step welcome sequences is the key requirement, I’d shortlist these:

1. 🥇 Sender — my pick

sender.net

Sender is unusually generous: its Free Forever plan supports 2,500 subscribers, 15,000 emails/month, and unlimited automation workflows. Its automation builder supports triggers, delays, conditions and multiple emails, so you can build something like:

Signup → immediately: Welcome email
→ Day 2: Your best resource
→ Day 4: Your story / positioning
→ Day 7: Case study
→ Day 10: Offer / CTA

Sender explicitly says welcome series are available on the free plan. Sender Sender

2. Brevo — best if your list may grow

brevo.com

Brevo's free plan is genuinely free forever and stores up to 100,000 contacts, although its marketing automation is limited to 2,000 contacts. The bigger catch is sending: you're limited to 300 emails/day. Brevo Help

So it's attractive if you have a small, low-volume list and want room for contacts without immediately hitting a subscriber ceiling.

3. MailerLite — nicest simple experience

mailerlite.com

MailerLite still offers automation on its free plan, including welcome sequences, but its June 2026 changes made the free tier much smaller: 250 active subscribers, 2,500 emails/month, 3 active automations, and 5 steps per automation. MailerLite MailerLite

My recommendation

If you're starting with a few hundred to ~2,500 subscribers, I'd choose Sender. It gives you the most useful combination of free forever + genuinely multi-step automation + generous subscriber limit.

If you tell me roughly how many subscribers you have now and how many emails you expect to send per month, I can narrow this down to the best 1–2 options.