Kit vs MailerLite: which free email plan suits a solo business?

Prices checked on the official pricing pages on . Prices are in US dollars and can change at any time.

The short answer

The free plans suit different stages. Kit stays free until you reach 10,000 subscribers but leaves out automations and email sequences. MailerLite's free plan includes 3 automations, enough for a welcome sequence, but stops at 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails a month. Once you pay, MailerLite is much cheaper to start: from $12 a month, against $39 a month (or $390 a year) for Kit Creator with up to 1,000 subscribers.

Choose Kit if

  • Your list will grow past 250 subscribers before you want to pay
  • You mainly send a newsletter and don't need automations yet
  • You want a platform built around creators and newsletters

Choose MailerLite if

  • You want a welcome sequence or other automations for free
  • You expect to pay soon and want the lower starting price
  • You want two people working in the account on the free plan

Kit vs MailerLite, side by side

Kit (formerly ConvertKit)MailerLite
PriceCreator $39 a month for up to 1,000 subscribers, or $390 a year (2 months free); Creator Pro $79 a month. Prices rise with your subscriber count.Comfort from $12 a month and Power from $25 a month at the lowest subscriber tier; about 10% less billed yearly.
Free planFree while you stay under 10,000 subscribers: unlimited forms, landing pages and broadcasts, tagging and A/B tests. Visual automations and email sequences need a paid plan.Up to 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails a month, 2 seats, 3 active automations (up to 5 steps each), 1 website and 1 landing page, and up to 3 active forms. Removing the MailerLite logo needs a paid plan.
Best forWriters and creators building a newsletter who don't need automations yet.Small businesses that want a welcome sequence without paying yet.
Works onWeb browser, iPhone and iPad, AndroidWeb browser
Open sourceNoNo
Pros
  • By far the highest free subscriber limit here
  • Built around newsletters and creators
  • Automations included free
  • Cheapest paid plan among the main tools
Cons
  • No automations or email sequences on the free plan
  • Paid plans cost more than MailerLite at small list sizes
  • Free plan is capped at 250 subscribers
  • MailerLite branding stays on free emails
Key features
  • Free up to 10,000 subscribers
  • Unlimited landing pages and forms
  • Tagging and segmentation
  • Sequences and visual automations (Creator)
  • Automations on the free plan
  • Landing page and sign-up forms
  • Sell a digital product or take a booking
  • 100+ integrations
LinksAlternatives
Kit website		Alternatives
MailerLite website

Prices checked on the official pricing pages on . Prices are in US dollars and can change at any time.

Neither quite right?

Other email marketing and newsletters tools worth a look:

  • beehiiv: A newsletter platform with a website, podcast hosting and a recommendation network built in. From $49/mo, free plan.
  • Mailchimp: The best-known email marketing platform, now owned by Intuit, priced by number of contacts. From $13/mo, free plan.
  • Brevo: An email and SMS platform (formerly Sendinblue) that prices by emails sent rather than contacts. From $9/mo, free plan.

Sources

Official pages we checked for the prices, plans and limits on this page:

How we choose and check these tools

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