When is a free email plan enough for a creator newsletter? Kit, MailerLite and GetResponse free tiers
Disclosure: Independent article; no affiliate links or sponsorship.
Draft text was prepared with AI assistance and checked against the cited official pages.
Draft text was prepared with AI assistance and checked against the cited official pages.
The buying question this page answers: My newsletter is small and I would rather not pay yet: which free plan covers my list and my sending, and which cap will force me to upgrade first?
Free tiers rarely differ on price; they differ on what they cap. This page lines up the stated ceilings on list size, sending, automations and landing pages so you can see which one you would hit first.
Comparison
| Criterion | Kit (formerly ConvertKit) | MailerLite | GetResponse |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free plan subscriber limit | Up to 10,000 email subscribers[1] | Up to 250 subscribers[2] | Up to 500 contacts (unconfirmed and removed contacts count)[3] |
| Free plan monthly emails | Unlimited email broadcasts[1] | 2,500 monthly emails emails/month[2] | Up to 2,500 newsletters per month emails/month[3] |
| Automations (free / entry) | Free: not included (visual automations, sequences, rules need a paid plan); Creator: Visual Automations and Automation Rules included[1] | Free: 3 active automations (5 steps each); Comfort: 50 active automations (100 steps)[2] | Free (after 14-day trial): workflows cannot be published; Starter: 1 custom automation workflow[4] |
| Landing pages (free / entry) | Unlimited forms and landing pages (Free and Creator)[1] | Free: limited to 1; Comfort: limited to 10[2] | Free: 1 published landing page (1,000 unique visits/month); Starter: Unlimited[4] |
| Reference price | 39 USD [5] | 12 USD [6] | 19 USD [7] |
| Price history | Price history not collected | Price history not collected | Price history not collected |
Who it fits
Kit (formerly ConvertKit)
- Writers whose list will keep growing for a while before they pay anything: the Kit Free plan covers up to 10,000 email subscribers with unlimited email broadcasts.[1]
MailerLite
- A very small list that still wants a few simple automated flows from day one: MailerLite Free allows 3 active automations of 5 steps each, for up to 250 subscribers.[6]
GetResponse
- A sender who mainly publishes a regular newsletter to a modest audience: a GetResponse Free account allows up to 500 contacts and up to 2,500 newsletters per month.[3]
When not to buy
Kit (formerly ConvertKit)
- Not the free option if you want a welcome sequence or tagging rules to run for you: on Kit Free, visual automations, sequences and rules need a paid plan.[1]
MailerLite
- A poor fit once the list passes 250 subscribers, because MailerLite states that sending locks above 250 active subscribers on Free.[6]
Key differences
General
- Sending volume is where the free tiers split: Kit lists unlimited broadcasts, while MailerLite caps Free at 2,500 monthly emails and GetResponse at up to 2,500 newsletters per month.[1][6][3]
- Free landing pages also differ: Kit says forms and landing pages are unlimited, MailerLite limits Free to 1, and GetResponse Free keeps 1 published landing page.[1][6][7]
Limitations
Kit (formerly ConvertKit)
- Kit's main pricing page could not be read by our automated check, so these free-plan details come from Kit's help center articles; confirm them on the pricing page before relying on them.
MailerLite
- Beyond the list cap, MailerLite Free is limited to 2,500 monthly emails and a single landing page, so a growing sending schedule can force the upgrade before list size does.[6]
GetResponse
- Unconfirmed and removed contacts count toward the GetResponse free limit of up to 500 contacts, and the pricing page itself does not state that free contact limit.[3]
- The two official GetResponse pages describe the free landing page differently: the help article says one landing page can stay published, while the 1,000 unique visits per month cap appears only in the pricing FAQ. We report both rather than pick one.[3][7]
Sources
- Kit (formerly ConvertKit) — Kit Free plan ($0/month while under 10,000 subscribers) · Kit (formerly ConvertKit) · accessed 2026-10-22 · scope: Kit Free plan ($0/month while under 10,000 subscribers)
- MailerLite — MailerLite Free plan (sending locks above 250 active subscribers) · MailerLite · accessed 2026-10-22 · scope: MailerLite Free plan (sending locks above 250 active subscribers)
- GetResponse — GetResponse Free account (help center); the pricing page does not state the free contact limit · GetResponse · accessed 2026-10-22 · scope: GetResponse Free account (help center); the pricing page does not state the free contact limit
- GetResponse — Cheapest GetResponse paid plan (Starter, Marketer, Creator, Enterprise) · GetResponse · accessed 2026-10-22 · scope: Cheapest GetResponse paid plan (Starter, Marketer, Creator, Enterprise)
- Kit (formerly ConvertKit) — giá gói trả phí rẻ nhất (USD) · Kit (formerly ConvertKit) · accessed 2026-10-22 · scope: giá gói trả phí rẻ nhất (USD)
- MailerLite — giá gói trả phí rẻ nhất (USD) · MailerLite · accessed 2026-10-22 · scope: giá gói trả phí rẻ nhất (USD)
- GetResponse — giá gói trả phí rẻ nhất (USD) · GetResponse · accessed 2026-10-22 · scope: giá gói trả phí rẻ nhất (USD)