Two kinds of free tool sit behind this search: hosted email platforms whose own pages describe a free plan, and open source mailers you install and run yourself. Hosted plans get you sending fastest, while self hosted software trades setup work for control. Whichever route you take, check which ways of sending the free option covers before you import a list.
Sending to a list for free is easier than it's ever been, but free means different things on different pages. Some tools give you a hosted plan you can start on today. Others give you open source software and leave the hosting to you. Here's what to check first, then ten tools in no particular order, grouped by how they work.
Seven checks before you send from a free plan
- Which ways of sending are included: campaigns from the editor, automations, an API, an SMTP relay.
- Whether automations come with the free option or only one off campaigns.
- Whether the free plan has a time limit or is described as free with no end date.
- Whether sign up forms are included, so your list can grow on its own.
- How you get your contacts out again if you move, and in what format.
- What happens when you reach the free plan's limits: a pause, a prompt or an upgrade.
- For open source tools, whether you're ready to run a server and keep it updated.
None of these needs a spreadsheet. Open each vendor's plans page, find the free option, and read the small print beside it with this list in hand. Ten minutes per tool saves you rebuilding a list somewhere else in six months.
Hosted free plans and self hosted mailers
The hosted group is the quickest start. You sign up, import contacts, write in an editor and press send, and the vendor runs the servers. Brevo's plans page lists a free plan for contacts and sending campaigns. Mailchimp keeps a basic free plan alongside its larger tiers. Sender pairs email with SMS on a plan it calls free forever. EmailOctopus says plainly that it doesn't offer a free trial and recommends starting on its free plan instead. Kit aims its free plan at creators building an audience.
MailPoet sits in between. It's a WordPress plugin, so your newsletter lives in the same dashboard as your site, with forms and basic automation on a plan that starts free. If your site already runs on WordPress, that's one less login to manage.
The self hosted group is for people comfortable with servers. Mautic describes itself as open source marketing automation, covering email campaigns and contact segmentation, which you host yourself. listmonk is a free and open source self hosted newsletter and mailing list manager, shipped as a single binary, and it also handles transactional mail. Open source means the software is free to use, but you supply the server, the updates and the sending setup.
Ten free routes at a glance
| Tool | Kind of tool | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|
| Brevo | Email marketing platform | Small senders wanting a hosted free plan for campaigns |
| EmailOctopus | Newsletter platform | Newsletter owners wanting a free plan with no time limit |
| Kit | Creator newsletter platform | Creators building an audience from scratch |
| listmonk | Open source mailing list manager | Technical owners happy to self host |
| Mailchimp | Email marketing platform | Teams wanting a basic free tier beside larger plans |
| MailerLite | Newsletter and email marketing | Newsletters that need campaigns and automations free |
| Mailjet | Email campaigns and email API | Senders wanting an editor plus SMTP relay and APIs |
| MailPoet | WordPress newsletter plugin | WordPress sites sending newsletters from the dashboard |
| Mautic | Open source marketing automation | Teams wanting self hosted campaigns and segments |
| Sender | Email marketing platform | Small businesses wanting email and SMS together |
The ten tools, in no particular order
Listed alphabetically. Each line describes the tool from its own pages.
Brevo
Best for: Small businesses sending campaigns from a hosted platform whose plans page lists a free plan for contacts and sending.
EmailOctopus
Best for: Newsletter owners who want to start free and stay there; the vendor recommends its free plan rather than a trial.
Kit
Best for: Creators growing an audience, with a free plan the vendor says gives essential tools to build and engage readers.
listmonk
Best for: Technical owners who'd rather self host a newsletter and mailing list manager shipped as a single binary.
Mailchimp
Best for: Anyone wanting a basic free plan inside a wider marketing platform, with room to move to larger plans later.
MailerLite
Best for: Newsletter senders wanting campaigns and automations on a free plan. Vendor claim: a generous way to get started.
Mailjet
Best for: Developers and marketers wanting an email editor, SMTP relay and APIs on one free plan, under the Sinch name.
MailPoet
Best for: Bloggers and small businesses on WordPress wanting forms and basic automation from a plugin that starts free.
Mautic
Best for: Teams who want open source marketing automation they can self host, covering email campaigns and contact segmentation.
Sender
Best for: Businesses starting out with email and SMS, using a drag and drop builder on a plan the vendor calls free forever.
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A new name and an API rule to read first
Two details from the vendors' own pages show why a free plan needs reading closely. The first is a name change: one of the hosted tools here now titles its plans page Sinch Mailjet, and lists an advanced email editor alongside APIs, SMTP relay and webhooks on its free plan. If you go looking for the old name and land on the new one, you're in the right place.
The second matters more. MailerLite's own FAQ says email sending through its API and its MCP server is on upgraded plans only, even though its free plan includes campaigns and automations. So a free plan can cover sending from the editor and still leave out the way you planned to send, such as from your own app or an AI assistant. If you send from code, confirm the free option covers that route before you build anything around it.
The general lesson holds for every tool on this page. Free plans describe what you can do from the main editor. Check APIs, relays, automations and integrations one by one, on the vendor's own page.
Trial two in one afternoon
- Choose two tools from the group that matches how you'll send: hosted, WordPress or self hosted.
- Export a small test list of your own addresses and friendly colleagues, never a real customer list.
- Build the same short newsletter in both, with one image, one button and a sign off.
- Send it, then open it on a phone and a laptop and check how it looks in each inbox.
- Set up one sign up form and one simple automation, and note which steps the free option allows.
Write down where you got stuck and what you'd need to upgrade for. The tool that sent cleanly with the fewest surprises is the one to move your real list into.
Where a small sender goes next
If you want to send this week with no server to manage, start with a hosted free plan and check it covers automations and forms. If your site runs on WordPress, a plugin keeps everything in one dashboard. If you're technical and want control over your data and sending, open source software is free to use but needs your own server and upkeep. Whatever you choose, limits on free plans change, so read the vendor's page on the day you sign up.
For fuller options and a wider view, see my guide to the best email marketing software for small business, my list of email platform alternatives, and my explainer on whether you need newsletter software.
Do you make free email or newsletter software? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
Want your tool on this list? Featured spots and reviews here are paid partnerships. Here's how to partner with me.
Frequently asked questions
Is free bulk email software really free?
The tools here either describe a free plan on their own pages or are open source. Free plans come with limits that vendors change, so check each vendor's page before you rely on one.
What's the difference between a free plan and open source?
A free plan is hosted by the vendor, who runs the servers. Open source software is free to use, but you install it, host it and keep it updated yourself.
Can I send through an API on a free plan?
Sometimes. One vendor here says API sending is on upgraded plans only, while another lists APIs and SMTP relay on its free plan. Check the exact route you'll use on the vendor's own page.
Do free plans include automations?
Some do. Several vendors here mention automations or basic automation on their free option, but the details differ, so check before you build a welcome sequence.
Which free option suits a WordPress site?
A WordPress newsletter plugin keeps forms, lists and sending inside the same dashboard as your site. Check that its free plan covers the automation you need.
Will my emails look the same in every inbox?
Not always. Send a test to your own addresses on a phone and a laptop before you send to your list, whichever tool you pick.
