One Email Tool's Free Plan Goes to 10,000 Subscribers
If your default "free email tool" is Mailchimp, check the free-plan limits. Here's how far each free plan goes, and the tradeoff that comes with our pick.
Plan limits checked on each vendor's own pricing page, Sept 24, 2026. Software pricing changes — verify current pricing on the vendor's site before you buy.
| Tool | Price | What you get | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kit (ConvertKit)Pick | $0/mo | Up to 10,000 subscribers. No automated sequences on Free | Winner |
| Mailchimp | $0/mo (free tier) | Free for under 250 contacts; 500 sends/month (250/day) | Runner-up |
| ActiveCampaign | Paid plans only | No free plan; self-serve paid plans after a free trial | No free plan |
Verdict
Our pick: Kit
Kit's free plan goes up to 10,000 subscribers; Mailchimp's free plan is for under 250 contacts. That's 40x more room before you pay. ActiveCampaign has no free plan: paid plans only, after a free trial.
Caveat
The honest caveat
Kit's free plan has no automated sequences, so no welcome sequence. If automated sequences matter more to you than subscriber count, that's when a paid plan makes sense. Check each vendor's current paid pricing before you choose.
No links on this page are affiliate links. SoloVetted has applied to Wave's and HubSpot's affiliate programs (pending). If a link here ever becomes an affiliate link, we'll label it, and the verdict above stays the same.