Top 10 Free Email Marketing Platforms in 2025: Features, Pros & Limitations
Email marketing tools have matured fast — and in 2025 you can do real marketing without spending a dime. The free tiers from today’s top providers now include automation, landing pages, templates, and integrations that were once premium features. But “free” means different things: contact caps, monthly send limits, daily quotas, or feature restrictions vary widely.
This article helps you pick the best free tool for your needs. I tested dozens of tools, compared competitor write-ups, and focused on real, practical tradeoffs you’ll meet when you start or scale email marketing on a budget.
Quick TL;DR (which free tool is best for whom)
- Best overall free starter (feature-rich, unlimited contacts but daily send cap): Brevo (Sendinblue) — great CRM & automation starter, daily send limit with very usable features.
- Best for creators & simple newsletters: MailerLite — simple editor, landing pages, generous sending (but free subscriber limits recently changed).
- Best known brand / easy onboarding: Mailchimp — quick setup and templates, but tight contact/send limits on the free plan.
- Best for ecommerce trial or advanced automation on free tier: Moosend / Omnisend (trial/free options) — good for testing automation features.
- Also notable free tools: HubSpot (free CRM + marketing), Sender, SendPulse, Benchmark, Mailjet, EmailOctopus — each has specific strengths depending on your priorities.
(Keep reading for a detailed comparison, recommended use-cases, and a step-by-step start plan.)
Why free plans matter in 2025
Free plans are no longer “toy” accounts. Many providers let you:
- build landing pages and forms,
- create automation (welcome flows),
- use a drag-and-drop editor, and
- integrate with ecommerce or CMS platforms.
However, free plans usually limit volume (contacts or sends), branding, or advanced analytics. Before you commit to a platform, match its free limitations to your growth plan and essential needs (automation, deliverability, CRM). Industry roundups and tests confirm a wide ecosystem of quality free tools — so pick the best fit for your audience, not the fanciest feature list.
Top 10 free platforms (short list)
Below is a compact comparison — I followed with detailed notes and recommended use cases for each.
- Brevo (Sendinblue) — Free daily send cap with many features.
- MailerLite — Simple, generous sends; free subscriber cap (recent updates changed limits).
- Mailchimp — Famous brand, easy templates; stricter free limits.
- HubSpot (Free Marketing Tools) — Strong CRM-first free tier, limited bulk sends.
- Omnisend (free option) — Good ecommerce features on free tier (limits apply).
- Moosend — Full feature set in trial / freemium model for small tests.
- Sender — Very generous free sending allowance and simple automation.
- SendPulse — Email + SMS bundling; free tier has basics that suit small businesses.
- Benchmark Email / Mailjet — Solid editors and segmentation on free plans.
- EmailOctopus / MailerSend — Good small-business options (EmailOctopus specializes in low-cost scaling).
Comparison table — quick feature snapshot
| Platform | Free tier highlights | Limits & gotchas | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brevo (Sendinblue) | Automation, CRM, templates, transactional emails. | 300 sends/day cap; unlimited contacts. | SMBs who need CRM + automation without contact caps. |
| MailerLite | Landing pages, automation, 12k monthly sends historically; simple editor. | Subscriber cap (recently reduced on free plan—check current limits). | Creators & solopreneurs who use landing pages and content upgrades. |
| Mailchimp | Easy onboarding, templates, basic analytics. | Tight contact/send limits on free plan (low contact cap). | Beginners testing templates and list-building. |
| HubSpot Free | CRM, contact management, limited marketing emails. | Marketing sends limited; premium needed for scale. | Businesses wanting CRM-first approach. |
| Moosend | Templates, automation, AI copy features in trial. | Freemium/trial model; check long-term pricing. | Small ecommerce stores testing automation. |
| Omnisend / Sender / SendPulse | Good ecommerce features, popups, SMS options. | Varied limits per platform — check daily/monthly caps. | Ecommerce brands experimenting with SMS + email. |
| Benchmark / Mailjet / EmailOctopus | Easy editors, developer-friendly APIs. | Some features reserved for paid plans. | Dev teams or those needing reliable APIs. |
(Table simplified — read the full notes below for nuance and the latest free-plan changes.)
Detailed notes & practical advice (each platform)
1) Brevo (Sendinblue) — the pragmatic free starter
Why I recommend it: Brevo’s free tier offers automation, CRM features, and transactional email options with unlimited contacts — that’s rare. The tradeoff is a daily send limit (300/day) which throttles campaigns but still lets you run forms, automations and drip sequences for a small audience. For many small businesses this is perfect: keep all contacts in one place and upgrade only when sending volume grows.
Pro tip: Use automations (welcome, nurture) first — automations don’t need large single-shot send volumes and can be highly profitable.
2) MailerLite — simple and creator-friendly (watch subscriber caps)
MailerLite historically offered very generous monthly sends and a straightforward UI; it’s great for landing pages and content creators. Important: MailerLite changed its free-subscriber cap in 2025 (reduced limits announced Sept 23, 2025) — check current caps before committing, since plans can shift.
Pro tip: If you’re a content-first creator, start here for landing pages + content upgrades; upgrade only when your subscriber count exceeds the free limit.
3) Mailchimp — familiar, good for absolute beginners
Mailchimp’s free tier is useful for very small lists and offers templates and basic automation, but it often has a lower contact/send allowance than competitors. It’s a fine place to learn email basics before migrating to a platform with better free scaling.
Pro tip: Use Mailchimp if you want the fastest onboarding and lots of tutorials — move later if you need more automation depth.
4) HubSpot (Free CRM + Marketing Tools) — CRM-first approach
HubSpot’s free tier includes CRM, contact management, and basic marketing emails. It’s powerful if your priority is tracking leads and tying email to sales, but bulk marketing limits are smaller than dedicated ESPs.
Pro tip: Use HubSpot free if you want CRM-driven email workflows and contact lifecycle visibility.
5) Moosend / Omnisend — ecommerce-friendly trials/free tiers
Moosend offers robust automation, templates, and landing pages during trial/freemium periods. Omnisend’s free tier is also tailored to ecommerce with automation and product feeds, but all free plans have volume limitations. These platforms are ideal for stores testing automation before scaling to paid tiers.
Pro tip: Run your abandoned-cart flows during the trial to see real revenue impact before upgrading.
6) Sender, SendPulse, Benchmark, Mailjet, EmailOctopus — niche strengths
- Sender: generous sends and easy segmentation on free tier.
- SendPulse: multi-channel (email + SMS) options for small businesses.
- Benchmark / Mailjet / EmailOctopus: good editors, API reliability, and straightforward pricing when scaling.
Pro tip: Pick one of these if you need a specific capability (e.g., SMS bundling, developer API) on a limited budget.
How to choose the right free tool (practical checklist)
- Volume needs: Do you have many contacts or need to send frequently? If yes, watch contact & send limits.
- Automation priority: If workflows (welcome, cart recovery) matter, choose a free plan that includes automations (Brevo, MailerLite historically).
- Ecommerce integrations: For stores, test Omnisend or Moosend automation and product feed features.
- CRM & lead scoring: Use HubSpot free if lead-to-sales tracking matters.
- Deliverability & reputation: Platforms with strong deliverability practices and domain authentication guidance matter as you scale.
Real-world example: Which free plan I’d pick (based on scenarios)
- New blog / creator: MailerLite for landing pages & simple automations.
- Local service business: HubSpot free — CRM + email to manage appointments and follow-ups.
- Small ecommerce with <2k monthly sends: Brevo or Omnisend for automation and product messaging.
- Developer / API-first: Mailjet or EmailOctopus for API reliability.
Cost to scale — what to expect after free
Most platforms remove daily/monthly caps for paid plans and unlock advanced analytics, deliverability support, and priority sending. Expect to pay anywhere from $10–$50/month for early-tier growth (few thousands of contacts), and more as your list and feature needs grow. Always test automation ROI before upgrading — the revenue lift from a welcome series or abandoned cart flow often pays for your first paid tier.
Actionable section — 3-email welcome series & abandoned-cart flow (ready to paste inside the article)
Best place to add this: insert a subheading “Actionable templates — Welcome series & abandoned cart flow” after the platform comparison table and before “How to choose” — it gives readers immediate value and shows how a free tool can be used.
3-Email Welcome Series (short, friendly, conversion-focused)
Email 1 — Subject: “Welcome — here’s your [lead magnet/name]”
- Deliver the promised item. Brief intro (1–2 lines). Set expectations (frequency + value). CTA: Visit top resource or shop.
Email 2 (Day 2) — Subject: “How to get the most from [topic/product]” - Helpful tutorial or top 3 resources. Social proof (testimonial or case). CTA: Read best post / try product.
Email 3 (Day 5–7) — Subject: “Our favorite tools + a small gift” - Soft pitch/offer (discount or exclusive tip). Clear CTA to buy/consult. Add social links and preference link.
Abandoned Cart Flow (ecommerce)
Email 1 (1 hour after abandon) — Subject: “You left something behind — your cart is waiting”
- Include product image, brief benefit bullet, CTA to return to cart.
Email 2 (24 hours) — Subject: “Still thinking it over? Here’s 10% off” - Add social proof + small discount (time-limited). CTA to checkout.
Email 3 (72 hours) — Subject: “Last chance — item low in stock” - Urgency + scarcity, final CTA. Optionally suppress for low-value carts.
(These templates are short enough to implement on any free plan with automation capabilities — e.g., Brevo, MailerLite, Omnisend.)
Final pro tips (expert shortcuts)
- Start on a free plan — but plan your migration: exportability matters. Test the export/import process before you rely on a platform full-time.
- Use automations early: they drive revenue faster than bulk campaigns.
- Watch deliverability: authenticate your domain (SPF/DKIM) even on free plans — many providers provide support docs.
- Monitor limits: daily send caps (Brevo), subscriber caps (MailerLite), or monthly send caps (Mailchimp) can surprise you — set alerts in your account.
Closing — what I recommend you do right now
- Pick one free tool that matches your primary need (Brevo for CRM + unlimited contacts; MailerLite for creators; Mailchimp for quick start).
- Implement a 3-email welcome series and at least one automation (abandoned cart for ecommerce).
- Track Revenue Per Recipient and upgrade only when the ROI of a paid plan exceeds its cost.
