Best free funnel, newsletter & email tools (2026)
Short version: for sales funnels, a course and email in one place, Systeme.io (2,000 contacts, 3 funnels); for the biggest free list, Kit (up to 10,000 subscribers); for a newsletter plus website, beehiiv (2,500 subscribers); for a send cap stated up front, Sender (15,000 emails a month to 2,500 subscribers).
| Tool | What you get | Limits | Card required | The catch | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Systeme.io | Run sales funnels, unlimited email sends, one online course, one blog and a custom domain for up to 2,000 contacts, with no end date. | 2,000 contacts; 3 sales funnels; 1 blog; 1 course (up to 500 students); 1 custom domain; 1 automation rule; 1 email campaign | No (stated by vendor) | The free plan stops at 2,000 contacts and 3 sales funnels, and allows only 1 automation rule and 1 email campaign (newsletters are unlimited). | systeme.io/pricing checked 2026-10-24 |
| Kit (ConvertKit) | Up to 10,000 subscribers, unlimited landing pages, forms and broadcasts. | Limited automations | No (stated by vendor) | Visual automations, email sequences and removing Kit branding are listed under the paid Creator plan, not Free. | kit.com/pricing checked 2026-10-26 |
| beehiiv | Up to 2,500 subscribers, 1 team seat, newsletter, website and podcast. | 2,500 subscribers | No (stated by vendor) | 2,500 subscriber cap. | beehiiv.com/pricing checked 2026-10-20 |
| Sender | Send up to 15,000 emails a month to 2,500 subscribers with the drag-and-drop builder, templates, popups and forms. | 2,500 subscribers; 15,000 emails a month | No (stated by vendor) | New accounts get a 14-day Professional trial first, then drop to the Free Forever limits. | sender.net/pricing checked 2026-10-20 |
| MailerLite | Up to 250 subscribers, 2,500 monthly emails and 2 user seats, with campaigns, automations, a website, a landing page and signup forms. | 250 subscribers; 2,500 emails/month; 2 user seats; 3 active automations; 1 website and 1 landing page | Vendor doesn't say | The free plan covers only 250 subscribers, 3 active automations, 1 website and 1 landing page, and sending through the API or MCP server needs a paid plan. | mailerlite.com/pricing checked 2026-10-26 |
| Buttondown | Free for the first 100 subscribers, with a rich-text or Markdown editor and sending from a custom domain. | 100 subscribers | Vendor doesn't say | Past 100 subscribers you move to a paid tier. | buttondown.com/pricing checked 2026-10-20 |
Every row is taken from the vendor's official pricing page, checked 2026-10-20 to 2026-10-26. "Vendor doesn't say" means the official page does not mention it. Plans change, so confirm on the vendor's site.
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Pros and cons
Con: 2,000 contacts, 3 funnels and $10,000 total sales cap
Con: Limited automations
Con: 2,500 subscriber cap; 1 team seat
Con: Starts as a 14-day Professional trial, then drops to Free Forever limits
Con: 250 subscribers; no API or MCP sending on Free
Con: Paid past 100 subscribers
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Disclosure: Kit pays us 50% of your first 12 months if you upgrade through our link. It costs you nothing extra.
Some links on this page are affiliate links, marked as such; we may earn a commission at no cost to you. It never changes how a free plan is described. See the affiliate disclosure.
FAQ
Which free email tool allows the most subscribers?
Kit lists up to 10,000 subscribers on its free plan. beehiiv and Sender list 2,500, Systeme.io 2,000 contacts, MailerLite 250 and Buttondown 100.
Which of these include sales funnels?
Systeme.io: 3 sales funnels, 1 course and 1 blog on the free plan, up to $10,000 in total sales.
Which need no credit card?
Systeme.io, Kit, beehiiv and Sender say on their pricing pages that no card is needed. MailerLite and Buttondown do not say either way.
Is Sender free from day one?
New accounts get a 14-day Professional trial first, then drop to the Free Forever limits (2,500 subscribers, 15,000 emails a month).