MailerLite mailerlite.comFree alternatives to MailerLite
MailerLite costs $12/mo on the Comfort plan, or $144 a year. Here are 5 free options, what each one does, and what you give up compared with paying.
01At a glance
| Alternative | Type | Where it runs | Works on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brevo Free | Free | Hosted for you | Web |
| EmailOctopus Free | Free | Hosted for you | Web |
| Kit Free | Free | Hosted for you | Web |
| MailPoet Starter | Free | You host it | Web, Your server |
| Sender Free | Free | Hosted for you | Web |
02Each alternative, in detail
Campaigns, forms and automation with a 300-email daily throttle.
Versus paying: Brevo Free covers campaigns, forms, and automation, but its 300-email daily throttle and weaker website/landing-page experience are worse than MailerLite.
Setup: Hosted signup
Watch for: Authenticating a custom sending domain requires adding DNS records.
brevo.com →Newsletters, one form and a small welcome automation for 2,500 contacts.
Versus paying: EmailOctopus Free works for newsletters and a welcome flow, but its limited forms, automations, and reporting are less complete than MailerLite's small-site toolkit.
Setup: Hosted signup
Watch for: You must verify a sender address or domain; DNS authentication is the first technical step.
emailoctopus.com →Forms, landing pages and one sequence for up to 10,000 subscribers; one recommendation slot is not yours.
Versus paying: Kit Free provides forms, pages, and one sequence, but its one-automation limit and Kit-managed recommendation slot are less flexible than MailerLite.
Setup: Hosted signup
Watch for: There is no software install, but custom-domain sending requires DNS authentication and the free plan keeps one Kit-managed recommendation slot.
kit.com →WordPress newsletters, forms and a basic welcome automation for 500 subscribers; WordPress is mandatory.
mailpoet.com →A genuinely useful hosted list with forms, landing pages and workflows; branding remains.
Versus paying: Sender Free has a generous hosted allowance, but vendor branding and a weaker website-building surface make it less complete than MailerLite.
Setup: Hosted signup
Watch for: A custom sending domain must be verified with DNS records for reliable delivery.
sender.net →03What you give up by leaving MailerLite
- deliverability, editor polish, landing pages, automations, and integrations
- inbox-placement expertise
- advanced automations
- commerce integrations
- recommendation and ad networks
People still pay for MailerLite because newsletter operators pay for inbox placement, growth mechanics, and operational confidence on publication day. The recurring cost buys DNS authentication, reputation, bounces, complaints, unsubscribe compliance, templates, queues, analytics, backups, and support, not just the visible interface.
04Questions
Is there a free alternative to MailerLite?
Yes. This page compares 5: Brevo Free, EmailOctopus Free, Kit Free, MailPoet Starter and Sender Free.
How much does MailerLite cost?
$12/mo on the Comfort plan (monthly), which is $144 a year. Prices checked Aug 10, 2026.
What do you give up with a free alternative to MailerLite?
Most often: deliverability, editor polish, landing pages, automations, and integrations, inbox-placement expertise, advanced automations and commerce integrations. Each alternative on this page lists its own gap under “Versus paying.”
Can AI build me my own version of MailerLite?
Half-bot. The core loop is buildable, but a dependable replacement becomes a real weekend or multi-day project. For MailerLite, send newsletters, build forms, and run a small welcome sequence. The hard boundary is deliverability, editor polish, landing pages, automations, and integrations, plus deliverability, growth network, and integrations.
Prices change; confirm on the vendor's site before you decide.
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