Kit vs MailerLite for a brand-new newsletter: which free plan gets you further
Kit documents a free audience ceiling of 10,000; MailerLite documents 250 subscribers, 2,500 monthly emails and limited free automations. Compare the workflow, not just the list cap.
If you'll send a regular newsletter plus one freebie and want to grow for free as long as possible, start on Kit. Its free plan goes up to 10,000 subscribers with forms, landing pages, and opt-in incentive delivery, but verify the sequence and automation allowance for the exact plan. If you need a welcome sequence or automation from day one and your list is small, start on MailerLite. Its free plan includes automations but caps you at 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails a month.
Free and entry plans side by side
| Kit | MailerLite | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan subscriber cap | 10,000 | 250 |
| Free plan sending | Unlimited broadcasts | 2,500 emails/month |
| Automations on free | Check the current exact-plan allowance; do not infer it from the subscriber cap | Yes |
| Forms and landing pages on free | Forms and landing pages; confirm active limits | Signup forms and a landing page |
| Freebie delivery on free | Yes (opt-in incentives) | Via automation |
| Integrations and API are separate | Kit lists App Store integrations on paid plans and API access separately. Do not call all Free integrations unavailable. | MailerLite lists 100+ integrations on Free. |
| Entry paid plan | Creator: check the live subscriber slider | Comfort: advertised from $12/mo; monthly sends are 10× the chosen tier ceiling |
From each vendor's pricing page as shown on Nov 7, 2026. Prices change with list size and promotions. Neither company's page gave us a like-for-like price at the same list size, so the page does not claim a same-size price winner. Promotional prices can apply only to an initial term.
Who should pick which
Kit, if you're building an audience first and monetizing later, publish a regular newsletter, and have checked that its exact plan supports the workflow you need. The 10,000-subscriber free ceiling is the long runway.
MailerLite, if you want automations now (welcome series, tag-based follow-ups), your list is under 250, or you're a small business that will pay early anyway and wants the lower starting price.
Moving later needs a field map, suppression records and an automation plan. For a specific example, read the guided Mailchimp importer. Do not assume a list export recreates templates, automations or subscription settings.
Both have free plans, so start the one that matches your verdict.
Sources
- Kit pricing and plan comparison (read Nov 7, 2026)
- MailerLite pricing (read Nov 7, 2026)
Common checks
Can I deliver a freebie on Kit's free plan?
Kit lists opt-in incentives as a feature. See our linked delivery guide, then verify the exact plan and automation allowance for a multi-email sequence.
Which is cheaper once I pay?
There is no like-for-like winner from the default page view. MailerLite advertises Comfort from $12/month; both vendors scale by usage or list size. Match subscriber count, sending volume, billing interval and any first-term promotion before comparing checkout quotes.
Published November 7, 2026. Sources last read November 7, 2026. Send a correction.