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TL;DR: MailerLite offers one of the most complete free email marketing plans available — automation, landing pages, a website builder, and all its email editors are included free, where most competitors lock those behind payment. The free tier’s subscriber cap is modest and MailerLite is strict about what you may send, but for content creators starting a newsletter it is my default recommendation. You can start free on MailerLite and upgrade only when your list outgrows it.
What is MailerLite?
MailerLite is an email marketing platform built around a simple idea: keep the interface clean, keep the price low, and include the features small senders actually use. It covers newsletters, automation workflows, signup forms and popups, landing pages, and even simple websites and paid digital products on higher tiers.
One of my own newsletters runs on MailerLite, so this review comes from regular use rather than a quick trial. It is the tool I suggest first to bloggers and solo creators — with a few honest warnings I will get to below.
MailerLite pricing
Here is the lineup at the time of writing. Paid prices scale with subscriber count, so treat these as starting points and check their calculator with your own list size. Annual billing shaves 10% off.
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Up to 250 subscribers, 2,500 emails/month, campaigns, automation, landing page, forms, 2 seats |
| Comfort | From $12/month | More monthly sends, 3 seats, unlimited templates, dynamic emails, AI writing assistant, smart sending |
| Power | From $25/month | Unlimited emails and seats, unlimited automations, landing pages and websites, digital products, bookings |
| Enterprise | Custom | For 200K+ subscribers: dedicated manager, deliverability support |
There is also a 14-day free trial of the premium features, no credit card required, which stacks nicely with the free plan: test everything, then settle into whichever tier fits.
What MailerLite does well
The free plan is genuinely useful. This is the headline. Automation workflows, a landing page, signup forms, and the full drag-and-drop editor all work on $0. Most platforms hand you a crippled version and wait for frustration to convert you; MailerLite’s free tier lets you run a real newsletter operation while your list is small.
It is easy in the way that matters. The editor is uncluttered, campaigns go out without a manual-reading session, and the automation builder is visual and logical. If you have ever opened an enterprise email tool and quietly closed it again, MailerLite will feel like relief.
Fair pricing as you grow. Starting at $12 a month for small lists, it stays on the affordable end as subscriber counts rise, and the Power tier’s unlimited sends suit frequent mailers.
Deliverability has a good reputation. Partly because of the strictness I am about to complain about: MailerLite reviews who sends what, which keeps spammers off its servers and inbox rates healthy for the rest of us.
It quietly grows into a mini business hub. On the Power tier you can sell digital products, take bookings, and run multiple landing pages and websites from the same account. It will not replace a dedicated store, but for a creator selling one ebook or a couple of templates, it removes an entire extra subscription.
Where MailerLite falls short
The approval process surprises people. New accounts go through a review before you can send, and MailerLite is picky about affiliate-heavy email. Sending value-first newsletters that link to your blog (where your affiliate links live) is fine; blasting bare affiliate links is the fast way to a suspended account. If your entire model is affiliate broadcasts, this is not your platform — read their content policy before committing.
The free cap is modest. At the time of writing the free plan covers 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails a month. Perfectly fine for a starting list, but if you are migrating an established one, you are shopping for a paid tier from day one — do that math first.
Advanced marketers will hit walls. Complex branching, deep e-commerce triggers, and granular reporting are lighter here than on expensive platforms. That is the trade for simplicity, and for most bloggers it is the right trade — but it is a real ceiling.
Templates and AI tools sit behind paid plans. The free tier includes the editors but limits the template library; the AI writing assistant starts on Comfort.
Who MailerLite is for — my verdict
Pick MailerLite if you are a blogger, writer, or small business starting or running a modest list and you want real features without a monthly bill. It is the platform I name in my ultimate guide to email marketing for exactly this situation, and the free plan is the best on-ramp I know: you learn email marketing on the actual tools, not a demo.
Skip it if your business is affiliate broadcasts, if you need deep e-commerce automation, or if your list already numbers in the tens of thousands and you want enterprise reporting. And if you are so early that the blog itself barely exists, start with my ultimate guide to blogging — the list comes right after the site.
FAQ
Is MailerLite really free?
Yes, up to the limits: at the time of writing that is 250 subscribers and 2,500 monthly emails, including automation, forms, and a landing page. No card required, and the plan does not expire.
What happens when I outgrow the free plan?
You upgrade to a paid tier priced by subscriber count — Comfort starts around $12 a month for small lists. Nothing breaks or gets deleted; your automations and forms carry straight over.
Is MailerLite good for affiliate marketing?
With care. MailerLite prohibits affiliate marketing as the primary purpose of your emails, but newsletters that link to your own content — where affiliate recommendations live — are standard practice. Keep the value in the email and the selling on your site.
How is MailerLite different from Mailchimp?
MailerLite is simpler and generally cheaper, and its free plan includes automation features Mailchimp reserves for paid tiers. Mailchimp offers more integrations and heavier reporting. For a first newsletter, I would start with MailerLite; compare both with your list size if you are switching.
Does MailerLite have a trial of the paid features?
Yes — a 14-day premium trial with no credit card needed. Run it alongside the free plan to see whether the paid extras (unlimited templates, AI assistant, more sends) matter for your workflow.
If you have been putting off starting your email list because every tool wants money before you have readers, this is the one that does not. Head over to MailerLite and open a free account, set up one signup form and one welcome automation, and let the list start growing while you write.