Budget-first shortlist from verified list prices: Kit free to 10k, Brevo/Sender/MailerLite on cheap paid rungs. Many vendors offer nonprofit discounts on request — we show public list prices only unless a discount is verified in our data.
| # | Tool | Free contacts | At 1k | At 10k | Note | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Kit | 10k | $0 | $0 | Creator email OS (formerly ConvertKit) — generous free broadcasts | Visit |
| 2 |  Brevo | unlimited | $0 | $0 | Multi-channel (email/SMS); free plan is send-capped not contact-capped | Visit |
| 3 |  MailerLite | 250 | $19 | $89 | Full-featured email + sites; Comfort is the value paid plan | Visit |
| 4 |  Sender | 2.5k | $0 | $69 | Budget ESP with generous free forever plan | Visit |
| 5 |  EmailOctopus | 2.5k | $0 | $44.50 | Budget ESP; free to 2,500 | Visit |
| 6 |  GetResponse | — | $19 | $79 | Email + funnels + webinars | Visit |
| 7 |  Mailchimp | 250 | $26.50 | $110 | Well-known ESP; free plan now very limited | Visit |
Free up to 10,000 subscribers with unlimited broadcasts; no visual automations or sequences; branding stays.
Free: upload contacts free; send up to 300 emails/day after approval. Starter adds volume from ~5,000 emails/mo. Pricing is primarily email-volume based.
Free: 250 subscribers, 2,500 emails/mo, 3 automations (5 steps), branding stays. Sending locks if you exceed 250.
Free Forever: up to 2,500 subscribers and 15,000 emails/month.
Free: 2,500 subscribers, 10,000 emails/mo, branding on emails, 1 user/1 form/1 LP.
Full EmailOctopus pricing → · Alternatives · Pricing history
No free forever; 14-day trial. Starter from ~$13–$19/mo depending on billing (page shows $13/$19).
Free: 250 contacts, 500 sends/mo, 250/day. Sending paused if contact limit exceeded. Essentials from ~$13/mo (500 contacts); Standard from ~$20/mo.
ListCost’s research shortlist leads with Kit, Brevo, MailerLite. Order reflects free headroom and verified price ladders — not lab tests or star ratings.
Commission never fills an unknown cell or changes order. beehiiv CTAs are plain official links (affiliate dropped). Other outbound CTAs use /go redirects when applicable.