Email marketing remains a powerful tool for businesses to connect with their audience, but finding the right software without straining your budget can be challenging. We’ve tested and compared numerous free email marketing tools to bring you user-friendly platforms that provide essential functionalities such as customisable templates, audience segmentation, and detailed analytics. Whether you’re a small business owner, a startup entrepreneur, or a marketing professional looking to maximise your resources, our list will help you make an informed decision to elevate your email marketing efforts.
Our Top Tested Picks
Mailchimp | Best for Small Businesses | |
Sendinblue | Best for Daily Email Needs | |
MailerLite | Best for Content Creators |
Mailchimp
Mailchimp is a highly versatile email marketing tool, offering a robust free plan that’s perfect for small businesses and startups. With its user-friendly interface and drag-and-drop email builder, even beginners can create professional-looking campaigns. The free plan allows you to manage up to 500 contacts and send 2,500 emails per month, which is generous for those just starting out.
Key Features
- Customisable email templates
- Basic automation workflows
- Landing page builder
- Sign-up forms
- Basic audience insights and reporting
- Integration with popular e-commerce platforms
While the free plan is feature-rich, users might find some limitations in advanced segmentation and A/B testing. As your business grows, you may need to upgrade to a paid plan, which starts at £8.71 per month for up to 500 contacts with more advanced features.
Sendinblue
Sendinblue offers a compelling free plan that’s particularly attractive for businesses with smaller daily email needs. The platform has an intuitive interface and powerful marketing automation capabilities, even at the free tier. With the ability to send up to 300 emails per day, it’s an excellent choice for those who prioritise consistent communication over large batch sends.
Key Features
- Unlimited contacts
- Customisable email templates
- Basic marketing automation
- SMS marketing (pay-as-you-go)
- Transactional emails
- Email personalisation
- Mobile-friendly email designer
The free plan provides a solid foundation, but users might find the daily email limit restrictive as their needs grow. Upgrading to a paid plan starts at £19 per month, offering increased email volume and additional features like advanced reporting and removing Sendinblue branding from emails.
MailerLite
MailerLite offers a generous free plan that caters well to small businesses and individual content creators. With the ability to manage up to 1,000 subscribers and send 12,000 emails per month, it provides ample room for growth before needing to upgrade. The platform is known for its clean, intuitive interface and fast email editor, making it easy for users to create and send campaigns quickly.
Key Features
- Drag-and-drop email editor
- Landing page builder
- Embedded signup forms
- Basic automation workflows
- Email campaign reports
- File manager for images and files
- RSS to email campaigns
While the free plan is quite comprehensive, it lacks some advanced features like auto-resend and click maps. For growing businesses, paid plans start at $10 per month for up to 1,000 subscribers, offering additional features like custom HTML editor and newsletter templates.
Benchmark Email
Benchmark Email offers a free plan that’s ideal for small businesses or individuals just starting with email marketing. The plan allows users to send up to 500 emails per month, which, while limited, provides a good starting point for testing the platform’s features. Benchmark Email is known for its user-friendly interface and robust design tools, making it easy to create visually appealing emails.
Key Features
- Drag-and-drop email builder
- Basic email automation
- Signup forms
- Basic reporting and analytics
- RSS email campaigns
- Google Analytics integration
- Mobile-responsive templates
While the free plan offers a good range of basic features, users might find the email limit restrictive. For those needing more, paid plans start at $13 per month for up to 500 contacts, offering unlimited email sends and advanced features like A/B testing and targeted emailing.
Moosend
Moosend offers a comprehensive 30-day free trial that gives users full access to its premium features. This approach allows businesses to thoroughly test the platform’s capabilities before committing to a paid plan. Moosend is particularly noted for its powerful automation features and user-friendly interface, making it a strong choice for businesses of all sizes.
Key Features
- Unlimited emails
- Advanced segmentation and personalisation
- Marketing automation workflows
- Real-time analytics and reporting
- Landing page builder
- A/B testing
- Ecommerce AI
- SMTP server
After the trial period, users need to choose a paid plan to continue using the service. Paid plans start at $9 per month for up to 500 subscribers, with pricing scaling based on the number of subscribers. The trial provides an excellent opportunity to evaluate if Moosend’s features align with your business needs before making a financial commitment.
Mailjet
Mailjet’s free plan provides a generous email allowance, permitting users to send up to 6,000 emails per month. This makes it an excellent choice for small to medium-sized businesses that require a higher volume of emails than most free plans offer. Mailjet is known for its straightforward, no-frills approach to email marketing, with a focus on deliverability and transactional emails.
Key Features
- Unlimited contacts
- Email API
- SMTP relay
- Advanced email editor
- Basic email personalisation
- Stats and reports
- Multi-user collaboration (up to 5 users)
While the free plan is generous with email volume, it lacks some advanced features like A/B testing and segmentation. For businesses needing more functionality, paid plans start at £15 per month, offering features like marketing automation and advanced personalisation.
Sender
Sender offers one of the most generous free plans in terms of subscriber limit, allowing users to manage up to 2,500 subscribers. This makes it an attractive option for growing businesses or content creators with a substantial mailing list. The platform is known for its simplicity and ease of use, making it accessible even to those new to email marketing.
Key Features
- Up to 15,000 emails per month
- Drag-and-drop email editor
- Basic automation
- Pop-up forms
- Basic segmentation
- Mobile-responsive templates
- Basic analytics and reporting
While the free plan is quite comprehensive, it does include Sender’s branding in emails. For those needing more advanced features or to remove branding, paid plans start at $11 per month for up to 5,000 subscribers, offering additional features like advanced automation and priority support.
Omnisend
Omnisend’s free plan is tailored for small e-commerce businesses, offering a solid set of features to get started with email marketing. The plan allows users to send up to 500 emails per month and manage up to 250 contacts, which is suitable for very small businesses or those just starting out. Omnisend is best known for its e-commerce-specific features and integration with popular platforms like Shopify and WooCommerce.
Key Features
- Email campaigns
- Signup forms and pop-ups
- Basic automation workflows
- Customer segmentation
- Product picker for easy product inclusion in emails
- Basic reporting
- Integration with major e-commerce platforms
While the free plan offers a good starting point, the email and contact limits may be restrictive for growing businesses. Paid plans start at $16 per month for up to 500 contacts, offering unlimited emails and more advanced features like SMS marketing and advanced reporting.
SendPulse
SendPulse offers a versatile free plan that goes beyond just email marketing, making it an attractive option for businesses looking for a multi-channel approach. The free plan allows users to send up to 15,000 emails per month to a maximum of 500 subscribers, which is quite generous compared to many other free offerings. SendPulse is known for its user-friendly interface and variety of communication tools.
Key Features
- Email campaigns with drag-and-drop editor
- Basic automation
- Subscription forms
- Basic email templates
- Web push notifications (up to 10,000 subscribers)
- Chatbot builder for Facebook Messenger
- Basic analytics and reporting
While the free plan offers a good range of features, users might find some limitations in advanced segmentation and A/B testing. Paid plans start at $8 per month for up to 500 subscribers, offering additional features like send time optimisation and more advanced automation capabilities.
HubSpot Email Marketing
HubSpot’s free email marketing tool is part of its broader CRM platform, offering a comprehensive solution for businesses looking to integrate their email marketing with customer relationship management. The free plan allows users to send up to 2,000 emails per month, which is suitable for small businesses or those just starting with email marketing. HubSpot is renowned for its all-in-one approach to marketing, sales, and customer service.
Key Features
- Email campaign creation and sending
- Drag-and-drop email builder
- Contact management (up to 1 million contacts)
- Forms and pop-ups
- Basic automation workflows
- List segmentation
- Integration with HubSpot CRM
- Basic analytics and reporting
While the free plan offers a solid foundation, it has limitations in terms of email volume and some advanced features. For businesses needing more, paid plans start at £41 per month, offering increased email send limits, advanced automation, and more sophisticated marketing tools.
How to choose the best free email marketing tool for you
Defining Your Email Marketing Needs and List Size
Navigating the sea of free email marketing tools can be a bit overwhelming, but don’t fret! Selecting the right one for your needs doesn’t have to be a headache. Start by assessing your specific requirements. Are you a small business owner looking to send monthly newsletters, or a solo entrepreneur wanting to automate your email campaigns? Understanding your goals will help narrow down your options. Next, consider the size of your email list. Many free tools have limits on the number of subscribers or emails you can send each month. Make sure the tool you choose can accommodate your current list size and potential growth.
Evaluating Features and Ease of Use
Also, take a close look at the features offered. Do you need advanced segmentation, A/B testing, or integration with your e-commerce platform? Some free tools offer surprisingly robust features, while others keep it simple. Don’t overlook the importance of user-friendliness. A tool with a steep learning curve might save you money, but cost you time. Look for intuitive interfaces and drag-and-drop email builders that make creating campaigns a breeze. It’s also worth checking out the template library – a good selection of professional-looking templates can save you hours of design work.
Planning for Growth and Future Upgrades
Finally, consider the upgrade path. While you might be starting with a free plan, it’s wise to choose a tool that offers paid tiers with more advanced features. This way, you won’t have to switch providers as your business grows. Remember, the best free email marketing tool is the one that fits your needs now and can scale with you in the future. Take advantage of free trials and demos to test-drive your top choices before making a decision.
Which Email Marketing Tool Is Best?
For ease of use, Mailchimp is a great option, offering a user-friendly interface perfect for beginners. It’s ideal for those just getting started with email marketing and looking for a platform that simplifies the process.
If you need a higher email-sending limit, Sendinblue provides a generous daily email allowance, making it a strong choice for businesses that need to send frequent campaigns without hitting limits too quickly.
For marketers who prioritise managing a larger subscriber base, MailerLite offers an impressive free plan with higher subscriber limits, making it a good fit for growing businesses focused on list-building and scalability.
Frequently Asked Questions about Free Email Marketing Tools
What are the key features to look for in a free email marketing tool?
When choosing a free email marketing tool, look for features such as customisable templates, list management capabilities, automation options, basic analytics, and responsive design for mobile devices. While free plans often have limitations, these core features should be available to help you get started with your email campaigns.
How many contacts or subscribers can I have with these free plans?
The number of contacts varies among providers. For instance, Mailchimp’s free plan allows up to 500 contacts, MailerLite offers up to 1,000 subscribers, and Sender provides for up to 2,500 subscribers. It’s important to check each provider’s specific limits as they can change over time.
Are there any limitations on the number of emails I can send with free plans?
Yes, most free plans have sending limits. For example, Sendinblue allows up to 300 emails per day, Mailjet offers up to 6,000 emails per month, and Benchmark Email limits you to 500 emails. These limits help prevent spam and encourage users to upgrade to paid plans as their needs grow.
Can I use my own domain name with these free email marketing tools?
Generally, free plans do not allow you to use your own domain for sending emails. Most will require you to send from their domain or include their branding in your emails. Using your own domain is typically a feature reserved for paid plans.
Do these free tools offer email automation features?
Many free plans offer basic automation features, such as welcome emails or birthday messages. However, more advanced automation workflows are usually limited to paid plans. For instance, Omnisend and Moosend provide some automation capabilities in their free offerings.
Are the email templates provided by these free tools customisable?
Yes, most free email marketing tools offer customisable templates. However, the level of customisation may be limited compared to paid versions. You’ll typically be able to adjust colours, add your logo, and modify text and images to suit your brand.
How do the analytics features compare in free versus paid plans?
Free plans usually offer basic analytics such as open rates, click-through rates, and unsubscribe rates. More advanced features like heat maps, geographical data, or detailed subscriber activity might be reserved for paid plans. HubSpot’s free plan, for example, provides good basic analytics to get you started.
Can I integrate these free email marketing tools with my website or e-commerce platform?
Many of these tools offer some level of integration with popular platforms, even on free plans. However, the extent of integration may be limited. For example, you might be able to add sign-up forms to your website, but more advanced e-commerce integrations often require a paid subscription.
Is customer support available for users on free plans?
Customer support for free plans is often limited. Many providers offer email support or access to knowledge bases and community forums. However, phone support, live chat, or priority support are typically reserved for paid users. SendPulse, for instance, offers 24/7 support even for free users, which is somewhat unusual.
How easy is it to upgrade from a free plan to a paid plan if my needs grow?
Most of these email marketing tools make it very easy to upgrade from a free to a paid plan. You can usually do this directly from your account dashboard with just a few clicks. Your existing data, campaigns, and subscribers will typically carry over seamlessly when you upgrade.
