Newsletters and promotional emails to a list. 4 tools in this list, 4 with a free plan.
How this list is ranked. Tools are ordered by how strongly they are built for this job (as tagged in VERILO’s catalogue), then by editorial score and editor rating. Affiliate relationships and featured status are never inputs.
Pricing models differ more than features do. Mailchimp and Kit price by contacts or subscribers, Brevo by the number of emails you send, and beehiiv by subscriber count with a free plan for smaller lists. A large list mailed occasionally costs very different amounts on each.
Then match the tool to what you send. Kit and beehiiv are built for creators and newsletters, with paid subscriptions and audience growth features; Mailchimp and Brevo suit businesses sending promotional campaigns, and Brevo adds SMS, WhatsApp and transactional email in the same account.
Check the free plan's real limits before building on it: sending caps, contact caps and branding differ, and the free tier that fits today may not fit a list that doubles.
Common questions
Which email marketing tools have a free plan?
Mailchimp, Kit and Brevo have a free plan, with limits on usage, users or features. Pricing for beehiiv has not been checked against the vendor in the last 90 days, so it is not included.
How much does email marketing software cost?
The entry paid plans as each vendor lists them, checked against its pricing page: Brevo Starter at $9 a month, Mailchimp Essentials at $13 a month and Kit Creator at $33 a month. Some vendors quote the annual-billing rate, and seat minimums, higher tiers and add-ons all change the real cost, so price the plan you actually need. Pricing for beehiiv has not been checked against the vendor in the last 90 days, so it is not included.
Is a newsletter platform different from an email marketing tool?
Largely, yes. Newsletter platforms such as beehiiv and Kit are built around growing and monetising an audience — referrals, recommendations and paid subscriptions. Email marketing tools such as Mailchimp and Brevo are built around campaigns, segmentation and automation for a business's customers.
Do I need marketing automation?
If you send more than newsletters — welcome sequences or messages triggered by what subscribers do — yes. Brevo unlocks its automation builder on the Standard plan, and Kit has a visual automation builder, with its free plan limited to one automation.
Choosing between the top two?
See Mailchimp and Kit side by side on pricing, free plans, ease of use and features.