Our recommendations, the tradeoffs behind them, and when your current setup may be enough. Each article explains its evidence and what remains untested.
Short answer: if you mainly send a newsletter and expect more than 250 subscribers, start with Kit Free, which lists up to 10,000 subscribers and unlimited broadcasts. If your list is under 250 and you need a welcome automation on the free plan, MailerLite Free fits better: 250 subscribers, 2,500 emails a month and 3 active automations. Brevo's free plan caps daily sending, so read its current limit before using it for a single same-day announcement.
Short answer: for a free newsletter, Kit Free goes further on list size (up to 10,000 subscribers vs beehiiv Free's 2,500) and lists selling digital products and subscriptions on its free plan. beehiiv makes sense when you want its paid publishing features, such as a custom domain, an ad network and paid subscriptions, which start on Lite at $59 a month or $588 a year at up to 1,000 subscribers. At that size Kit Creator is $33 a month or $390 a year.
Short answer: compare by counting your own workflow, not the plan cards. Pabbly Connect counts a task only when an action runs on an external app; triggers, filters, routers and formatters are free. Make bills credits, with 1 credit per operation by default, and a scheduled trigger uses credits every time it checks. Make Free gives 1,000 credits a month; Pabbly Free gives 100 tasks. For a small, instant workflow with several steps, Make Free often stretches further; for heavy multi-step logic at volume, Pabbly's counting rule can be cheaper.
Try a practical tool
Preview your email audience
Try groups, segment rules, and exclusions with fictional subscribers.
Free-plan subscriber caps, monthly sends, automation limits and first paid prices, rechecked October 29, 2026, with a 200-to-800 subscriber worked example.
Compare Moosend with your current email tool using one small welcome sequence, a recipient checklist, and the full renewal bill before moving subscribers.
