MailerLite Free Plan 2026: Subscriber & Email Limits
MailerLite's free plan now caps at 500 subscribers and 12,000 emails/month. See exactly what's included, what changed, and how it compares in 2026.
Last Updated: March 2026
TL;DR: MailerLite's free plan allows 500 subscribers and 12,000 emails per month. In September 2025, MailerLite halved its free subscriber limit from 1,000 to 500. The email send limit stayed the same. Automation, A/B testing, and 10 landing pages are included — but templates, branding removal, and support are not.
What are MailerLite's free plan limits in 2026?
MailerLite's free plan allows 500 subscribers and 12,000 emails per month, with automation, A/B testing, landing pages, and e-commerce integrations included at no cost.
According to MailerLite's free plan page, here's everything the free tier covers at a glance:
| Limit | Free plan |
|---|---|
| Subscribers | 500 |
| Monthly emails | 12,000 |
| Users | 1 |
| Websites | 1 |
| Landing pages | 10 |
| Digital products | 1 |
| Email automation | ✅ Single-trigger workflows |
| A/B split testing | ✅ Emails and landing pages |
| Forms and pop-ups | ✅ Unlimited |
| Email templates | ❌ Not included |
| Branding removal | ❌ Not included |
| Ongoing support | ❌ Knowledge base only after 14-day trial |
The free plan comes with a 14-day premium trial when you first sign up — all paid features are unlocked during that window. After 14 days, the account reverts to the free tier limits listed above.
MailerLite's paid plans start at $10/month (Growing Business, for up to 500 subscribers with unlimited emails) and $20/month (Advanced). See mailerlite.com/pricing for current rates.
What changed — the September 2025 subscriber cut
On September 23, 2025, MailerLite halved its free plan subscriber limit from 1,000 to 500. Monthly email sends (12,000) were unchanged.
MailerLite announced the change via email to all free-plan users and published a dedicated FAQ on their help site. The company's stated reason: continuing to invest in platform infrastructure and newer features including an AI Assistant and digital product selling tools.
The timing matters for anyone researching "MailerLite free plan 1000 subscribers" — that limit no longer exists. As of late September 2025, the cap is 500.
What happened to accounts already over 500 subscribers? These accounts were locked immediately on September 23. Campaigns, automations, and manual contact additions all stopped. Signup forms and landing pages kept collecting new subscribers, but those contacts couldn't be emailed until the user either cleaned their list below 500 or upgraded to a paid plan. There was no grace period and no automatic billing.
This pattern isn't unique to MailerLite. Free plan limits across the email industry have been tightening. Mailchimp reduced its free tier from 2,000 subscribers to 500, then again to 250 in 2024 — and removed free automation entirely in June 2025. MailerSend cut its free tier from 3,000 to 500 monthly emails. The industry trend is clear: free plans are shrinking, and what was generous in 2022 is significantly reduced today.
What features are included on the MailerLite free plan?
Free users get the drag-and-drop editor, single-trigger automations with up to 100 steps, unlimited forms and segments, 10 landing pages, A/B testing, click maps, and Stripe e-commerce integrations.
The free plan is surprisingly feature-rich for a $0 tier. Here's what's included by category, verified against MailerLite's features page:
Email creation and design
- Drag-and-drop newsletter editor with 70+ content blocks
- Rich-text editor
- Image library (stock photos included)
- Mobile-responsive previews
- Custom HTML editing is not available on the free plan
Automation and workflows
- Email automation builder with single-trigger workflows
- Up to 100 steps per automation
- Subscriber segmentation and interest groups (unlimited)
- Deliver by timezone
- Multiple triggers (e.g., multiple entry conditions) require Advanced plan
Audience growth tools
- Unlimited embedded signup forms
- Unlimited pop-ups
- 10 landing pages with A/B testing
- Landing page click maps
- Custom variables for subscriber data
Analytics and reporting
- Email open rates, click rates, bounce rates
- Email click maps
- List growth reporting
- Automation real-time reports
- Comparative reporting (compare campaigns side by side)
- Custom date-range analytics
E-commerce
- Stripe integration for selling digital products
- Shopify and WooCommerce integrations
- E-commerce sales tracking and revenue attribution
- 1 digital product on the free plan (3 on Growing Business, unlimited on Advanced)
Account
- No credit card required to sign up
- 14-day premium trial — all features unlocked from day one
- API access included
What does the MailerLite free plan NOT include?
The free plan excludes newsletter templates, branding removal, dynamic content, RSS campaigns, the AI writing assistant, multi-trigger automations, and any form of priority support.
These are the most significant gaps, according to the MailerLite pricing page:
Missing from free, available on Growing Business ($10/month):
- Newsletter templates and landing page templates (you design from scratch on free)
- Remove MailerLite branding from emails and forms
- Edit links in already-sent campaigns
- RSS campaigns (auto-send when a blog publishes)
- Dynamic email content (show different content to different segments)
- Auto-resend campaigns to non-openers
- Multivariate testing (test multiple variables simultaneously)
- Paid newsletter subscriptions and recurring revenue
- Unsubscribe page builder
- 24/7 email support
Missing from free, available on Advanced ($20/month) only:
- Custom HTML editor
- AI writing assistant for subject lines and body copy
- Smart sending (AI-powered optimal send time)
- Multiple automation triggers
- Promotion pop-ups
- Facebook custom audiences integration
- Preference center for subscriber self-management
- Form A/B split testing
- Custom user roles and permissions
The most impactful gaps for small organizations are the lack of templates (you build emails from scratch) and no support after the 14-day trial (you're on your own with the knowledge base). For nonprofits and churches on a tight budget, these are real trade-offs worth considering.
| Feature | Free | Growing Business ($10/mo) | Advanced ($20/mo) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subscribers | 500 | 500+ | 500+ |
| Monthly emails | 12,000 | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Templates | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Remove branding | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Multiple auto triggers | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
| AI writing assistant | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Priority support | ❌ | ✅ Live chat + email | |
| Digital products | 1 | 3 | Unlimited |
Pricing last verified March 2026. Visit mailerlite.com/pricing for current rates.
How does MailerLite's free plan compare to alternatives?
MailerLite's 500-subscriber free plan is more generous than Mailchimp (250 subscribers, no automation) but trails Sender (2,500 subscribers) and EmailOctopus (2,500 subscribers) on list size.
Here's how the major free plans compare as of March 2026:
| Tool | Best For | Free Subscribers | Free Emails/mo | Templates? | Human Support? | Nonprofit Discount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Groupmail | Nonprofits, churches, schools, associations | 500 | 2,500 | ✅ | ✅ Real people | 30% |
| MailerLite | Small businesses, bloggers | 500 | 12,000 | ❌ Paid only | ❌ KB only (free) | 30% |
| Mailchimp | Marketers, e-commerce | 250 | 500 | ⚠️ Basic only | ❌ Chat/email (paid) | 15% |
| Brevo | Large contact lists, multi-channel | 100,000 contacts | ~9,000 (300/day cap) | ✅ 40+ | ❌ Ticket only (free) | 15% (enterprise only) |
| EmailOctopus | Budget-conscious senders | 2,500 | 10,000 | ✅ 34+ | ❌ Email only | 20% |
| Sender | High-volume free senders | 2,500 | 15,000 | ✅ | ❌ Chat/email (paid) | No specific program |
| Kit (ConvertKit) | Creators, newsletters | 10,000 | Unlimited | ✅ 30+ | ❌ Email only | No specific program |
Competitor pricing verified March 2026. Check each provider's pricing page for current rates.
MailerLite vs. Mailchimp free plan
Mailchimp's free plan now caps at 250 subscribers and 500 emails per month — and removed automation entirely in June 2025. MailerLite's free plan is considerably more generous: twice the subscribers, 24x more emails per month, and automation included. For small organizations that outgrew the old Mailchimp free tier, MailerLite has historically been a natural step up. With MailerLite's own subscriber limit now halved, that calculus is shifting.
Mailchimp's nonprofit discount is 15% — half of MailerLite's 30% discount. See our Mailchimp nonprofit pricing guide for a full comparison.
MailerLite vs. Brevo free plan
Brevo's free plan stores unlimited contacts but limits sending to 300 emails per day (approximately 9,000 per month). That daily cap matters more than the monthly figure — you can't send a newsletter to a 3,000-person list in one go on the free plan. MailerLite's 12,000-email monthly limit without a daily cap is more practical for bulk newsletters. Brevo includes more templates on its free tier and has stronger automation for small lists (up to 2,000 contacts in workflows), but its nonprofit discount is 15% and only available to enterprise-tier customers.
MailerLite vs. EmailOctopus and Sender
If subscriber count is the deciding factor, both EmailOctopus (2,500 subscribers, 10,000 emails) and Sender (2,500 subscribers, 15,000 emails) offer more generous free tiers than MailerLite's current 500-subscriber cap. Both also include templates on their free plans — something MailerLite reserves for paid tiers. EmailOctopus offers 20% nonprofit discounts; Sender has no dedicated nonprofit program.
How Groupmail's free plan compares
Groupmail offers a free plan with 500 contacts and 2,500 emails per month — similar subscriber limit to MailerLite but a lower monthly send count. Where Groupmail's free plan differs is in its focus: it's built for organizations sending newsletters to members, not marketers running automation sequences. The editor is straightforward — no drag-and-drop complexity — and templates are included on the free plan.
For nonprofits, churches, schools, and associations that want to grow beyond 500 members, Groupmail's paid plans start at $29/month with a 30% nonprofit discount bringing that to $20.30/month. Groupmail has been trusted by over 100,000 organizations since 1996, and all plans include managed email delivery — no technical setup required.
Pricing last verified March 2026. Visit groupmail.io/pricing for current rates.
Does MailerLite offer a nonprofit discount?
MailerLite offers 30% off all paid plans for registered nonprofits with proof of status. The discount applies to Growing Business and Advanced plans — the free plan has no cost to discount.
To qualify, organizations must submit official proof of nonprofit status within 14 days of account creation. According to MailerLite's nonprofit terms, accepted documentation includes IRS tax-exemption letters, government registration documents, or equivalent nonprofit registration in other countries. The discount is applied manually by MailerLite's support team.
Two important notes: the 30% nonprofit discount and the 10% annual billing discount cannot be combined — you choose one or the other. And MailerLite also runs a sponsored account program (they call it "pay-it-forward"), selecting approximately 60 nonprofits annually to receive a free 2-year Advanced plan. Details and applications are at mailerlite.com/non-profits-we-support.
For nonprofits comparing options, Groupmail also offers a 30% nonprofit discount on all paid plans — including for churches and schools — with no application deadline or documentation window restrictions.
Frequently asked questions
How many subscribers can I have on MailerLite's free plan? As of September 23, 2025, the limit is 500 active subscribers. This was reduced from 1,000. The change was permanent and applies to all free accounts, including those created before the announcement.
How many emails can I send per month on the free plan? 12,000 emails per month with no daily sending cap. That's enough to send one newsletter to your full 500-subscriber list approximately 24 times per month, or a weekly newsletter with room to spare.
What happens when I exceed 500 subscribers? Campaigns, automations, and manual contact additions all stop immediately. Signup forms and landing pages continue collecting new subscribers, but those contacts can't be emailed until you either clean your list below 500 or upgrade to a paid plan. MailerLite does not automatically charge your card.
Does MailerLite count unsubscribed contacts toward the 500 limit? No. Only active subscribers count toward the 500 limit. Unsubscribed, bounced, and cleaned contacts don't count — a meaningful advantage over Mailchimp, which historically counted all contacts including unsubscribed ones.
Does the free plan include email automation? Yes — single-trigger workflows with up to 100 steps are included. That covers welcome sequences, birthday emails, and basic subscriber journeys. Multiple automation triggers (e.g., separate entry conditions for different segments simultaneously) require the Advanced plan at $20/month.
Are newsletter templates available on the free plan? No. Templates are locked behind the Growing Business plan ($10/month). On the free plan, you build emails using the drag-and-drop block editor or rich-text editor from scratch. Stock images are available, but pre-designed templates are not.
Can I remove the MailerLite logo from my emails on the free plan? No. MailerLite branding appears in the footer of all emails sent on the free plan. Removing it requires Growing Business ($10/month) or higher.
Is MailerLite free forever? Yes — there's no trial period on the free plan itself. You can use it indefinitely at 500 subscribers and 12,000 emails per month. The 14-day premium trial is a separate feature that unlocks all paid features when you first create an account, then expires after 14 days regardless of whether you upgrade.
What happens after the 14-day premium trial ends? Your account reverts to free plan limits. If you added more than 500 subscribers during the trial, campaigns and automations pause until you clean your list or upgrade. Any content created using paid-only features (templates, dynamic content, etc.) is preserved but won't be editable until you upgrade.
Does MailerLite offer a nonprofit discount? Yes — 30% off all paid plans for registered nonprofits. Proof of nonprofit status is required and must be submitted within 14 days of account creation. The discount applies to Growing Business ($10/month becomes $7/month) and Advanced ($20/month becomes $14/month). It cannot be combined with the 10% annual billing discount.
Which email tool is right for your organization?
Choose MailerLite's free plan if you have fewer than 500 subscribers, want to send up to 12,000 emails per month, and need automation and A/B testing at no cost. It's a solid free tier for small organizations just getting started.
Upgrade to MailerLite Growing Business ($10/month) if you've outgrown 500 subscribers, want access to templates and branding removal, or need unlimited sends. At $7/month after the nonprofit discount, it's competitively priced.
Consider Sender or EmailOctopus if your priority is maximizing the free subscriber limit (both offer 2,500 subscribers free) and you don't need MailerLite's ecosystem integrations or brand trust.
Consider Groupmail if you're a nonprofit, church, school, or association that needs a simple, reliable tool focused on sending member updates rather than running marketing automation. Groupmail's free plan covers 500 contacts and 2,500 emails per month, with templates included and human support available from a team that's worked with organizations since 1996. For more options, see our guide to Mailchimp alternatives for nonprofits and simple email newsletter tools for organizations.
Pricing last verified March 2026. Visit groupmail.io/pricing for current Groupmail rates. Visit mailerlite.com/pricing for current MailerLite rates.
