Email platforms for a new business, compared on the facts.
What you get free, whether a welcome email sequence is included, and what it costs once your list grows, taken from each provider's own pages on 30 October 2026. Listed alphabetically. There are no affiliate links on this page.
| Platform | Free plan | Welcome emails on the free plan | Their branding on free emails | First paid step | Sell products or paid newsletters | The catch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| beehiiv | Up to 2,500 subscribers; unlimited sends | No | Yes (removed on Pro) | Lite: US$49 a month, billed yearly (monthly price not stated) | Paid subscriptions from Lite; 0% beehiiv fee, Stripe fees apply | New pricing since 1 October 2026, so older reviews are out of date |
| Brevo | 300 emails a day; contact limit not stated on the pages we checked | Not stated | Not stated (logo removal listed on paid plans) | Starter from US$9 a month (5,000 sends, 500 contacts); logo removal +US$9 or Standard US$18 | Not stated | Priced by emails sent; unused credits expire each month |
| Flodesk | No subscriber cap, but its FAQ says the free plan can't send emails | No | Not stated | Lite: US$25 a month (US$19 billed yearly); automations need Pro, US$28 (US$25 yearly) | On the Everything plan (US$54, or US$49 yearly); no Flodesk fee | The free plan is for building a list only |
| Kit | Up to 10,000 subscribers; unlimited broadcasts | No | Yes | Creator: US$39 a month, or US$390 a year | Yes, on the free plan; the page gives two different fee figures, so check | No welcome sequence without paying |
| Mailchimp | 250 contacts; 500 emails a month | No | Yes | Essentials "starting at US$13 a month" for up to 500 contacts; price at 1,000 not shown | Not stated | Unsubscribed contacts count toward your bill; free-plan support lasts 30 days |
| MailerLite | 250 subscribers; 2,500 emails a month | Yes: 3 automations, 5 steps each | Not stated (logo removal listed on paid plans) | Comfort "starting" US$12 a month; price at 1,000 not shown | Yes: 1 product free, 0% MailerLite fee | Sending pauses above 250 subscribers on the free plan |
Prices in US dollars as shown to us; you may see your local currency. "Not stated" means the provider's page we checked didn't say. Prices change: check before you sign up. On a phone, scroll the table sideways.
What matters in month one.
A welcome email is the one feature to check
The first emails someone gets after signing up are the ones most likely to be read. Of the six, MailerLite's pricing page is the only one that clearly includes an automated welcome sequence on its free plan.
Free plans have different ceilings
Some cap subscribers (250 at MailerLite and Mailchimp, 2,500 at beehiiv, 10,000 at Kit), one caps daily sends (Brevo), and one doesn't send at all on free (Flodesk). Work out which limit you'll hit first.
Moving later is possible, but annoying
You can export your subscribers from all of these, but forms, automations and templates usually have to be rebuilt. Picking one you can grow into saves a weekend later.
We read each provider's own pricing and plan pages on 30 October 2026 and copied the facts. Where a page contradicted itself, we say so. There are no affiliate links on this page today. If we ever add one, we'll say so at the top, and it won't change the order or the facts.
General information only. Her Little Empire · ABN 38 813 430 864 · Australia