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List size:
| $/mo ▲ | Tool | Free at this size | Per year | Automation | Best for |
|---|
How we rank. Every tool is priced at the list size you pick, because the cheapest one changes as you grow. Watch the free-tier cliff: Kit is free to 10,000 subscribers, Substack is free forever (it takes 10% of your paid subs), Brevo is free on contacts and bills by sends, and MailerLite is free to 1,000. For big lists, flat-rate Flodesk ($38 unlimited) and per-send Brevo pull ahead while Mailchimp and ActiveCampaign climb fast. Filter by Creators, Ecommerce or Automation to narrow it down, and since this is a recurring bill the "per year" column is what really adds up. Pricing is indicative USD; this page covers subscriber-based email marketing, not transactional/API email (Postmark, Resend, SES), which bills per send. Confirm on the tool's site.
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Common questions
What's the best free email marketing tool?
Depends on list size. Kit is free to 10k, Brevo is free on contacts (bills by sends), MailerLite free to 1k. For a growing newsletter, the longest-lasting free tier usually wins.
How much does email marketing cost?
It scales with your list. Small lists are often free; 1-2.5k is ~$15-30/mo; 5k is ~$40-80. Automation-heavy platforms cost more at every size.
Cheapest for a large list?
Brevo (bills by emails sent) and Kit are usually most cost-effective at scale, while Mailchimp and ActiveCampaign climb fast. Set the calculator to your size.
Do I pay per subscriber or per email?
Most charge by subscribers, so the bill rises as the list grows even if you send rarely. Brevo is the exception, billing by emails sent, good for a big list you email infrequently.