ConvertKit Alternatives — convertkit free alternative
Email marketing platform for creators
ConvertKit Pricing
Free: 1,000 subscribers, unlimited emails; Creator: $15/month; Pro: $79/month; Enterprise: custom
ConvertKit is an email marketing platform designed for creators (bloggers, podcasters, YouTubers). The free tier supports up to 1,000 subscribers with unlimited emails. Paid plans start at $15/month (billed annually) for Creator, and go up to $79/month for Pro. While free tier is generous, paid plans add advanced automations and integrations.
5
Free Alternatives
1
Open Source
1
Self-Hostable
$180
Est. Yearly Cost
Why Consider ConvertKit Alternatives?
Use free tier (it's generous with 1,000 subscribers and unlimited emails)
Use free alternatives like EmailOctopus (free tier: 2,500 subscribers) or Sender (free tier: 2,500 subscribers)
Use Substack (free) for newsletter-focused email marketing
Use open-source self-hosted options like Mautic (completely free, self-hosted)
Common ConvertKit Pain Points
These are the top reasons users look for alternatives
Free tier has no advanced automations or integrations
Impact: Creators need paid plan for advanced features
Paid plans are expensive ($15-79/month)
Impact: Creators pay significant ongoing cost for email marketing
Limited template library (less beautiful than Mailchimp or Squarespace Email Campaigns)
Impact: Users struggle to create beautiful emails
No built-in landing page templates (unlike Mailchimp)
Impact: Users must create landing pages elsewhere
Top-Rated Alternatives
Our highest-recommended free alternatives to ConvertKit
EmailOctopus is an email marketing platform with a generous free tier: 2,500 subscribers and 10,000 emails/month. More generous than ConvertKit's free tier (1,000 subscribers, unlimited emails).
Why it's a good alternative: Free tier includes 2,500 subscribers (more than ConvertKit's 1,000) and 10,000 emails/month
BEST FOR
Creators who want a free email marketing platform with more generous limits than ConvertKit
KEY FEATURES
PROS
- More generous free tier than ConvertKit
- Simple and easy to use
- Good deliverability
- Cheaper paid plans
CONS
- Less feature-rich than ConvertKit Pro
- Smaller template library
- Less advanced automations than ConvertKit Pro
Substack is completely free for newsletter-focused email marketing. You can build a subscriber base, send newsletters, and even charge for paid subscriptions (Substack takes 10% + Stripe fees). No subscriber or email limits.
Why it's a good alternative: Completely free for newsletter-focused email marketing — no subscriber or email limits (unlike ConvertKit's free tier)
BEST FOR
Creators who want free newsletter-focused email marketing with no subscriber limits and monetization options
KEY FEATURES
PROS
- Completely free to start
- No subscriber or email limits
- Can monetize with paid subscriptions
- Built-in audience discovery
CONS
- Less feature-rich than ConvertKit (focused on newsletters)
- Substack takes 10% + Stripe fees if you charge for paid subscriptions
- Less advanced automations and integrations
All ConvertKit Alternatives (5)
Compare features, pricing, and migration difficulty
Sender is an email marketing platform with a very generous free tier: 2,500 subscribers and 15,000 emails/month. More generous than both ConvertKit and EmailOctopus free tiers.
Why it's a good alternative: Free tier includes 2,500 subscribers and 15,000 emails/month — very generous
BEST FOR
Creators who want a very generous free tier for email marketing
KEY FEATURES
PROS
- Very generous free tier
- Drag-and-drop editor
- SMS and push notifications (unique)
- Cheap paid plans
CONS
- Less famous than ConvertKit
- Smaller template library
- Less advanced automations than ConvertKit Pro
MailerLite is an email marketing platform with a free tier that includes 1,000 subscribers and 12,000 emails/month. Similar to ConvertKit free tier, but with a drag-and-drop editor and landing pages.
Why it's a good alternative: Free tier includes 1,000 subscribers and 12,000 emails/month — similar to ConvertKit free tier
BEST FOR
Creators who want a free email marketing platform with drag-and-drop editor and landing pages
KEY FEATURES
PROS
- Similar free tier to ConvertKit
- Drag-and-drop editor
- Landing pages and pop-ups (free tier)
- Cheaper paid plans
CONS
- Less feature-rich than ConvertKit Pro
- Smaller template library
- Less advanced automations than ConvertKit Pro
Mautic is a free, open-source marketing automation platform. You can self-host it for free and have unlimited subscribers, unlimited emails, and full control over your data. Requires technical setup.
Why it's a good alternative: Free, open-source marketing automation — self-host for unlimited subscribers and emails at no cost
BEST FOR
Creators and businesses that want free, unlimited email marketing with marketing automation (ok with self-hosting)
KEY FEATURES
PROS
- Completely free and open-source
- Unlimited subscribers and emails (self-hosted)
- Marketing automation (not just email)
- Full control over your data
CONS
- Requires self-hosting setup
- Learning curve for setup and maintenance
- Less polished UI than ConvertKit
ConvertKit vs Free Alternatives — Detailed Comparison
| Tool | Price | Open Source | Self-Hosted | Rating | Migrate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ConvertKit | Paid | — | — | ||
| EmailOctopus (Free Tier) | Free | — | (4.7) | Easy to migrate | |
| Substack (Free for Newsletters) | Free | — | (4.7) | Easy to migrate | |
| Sender (Free Tier) | Free | — | (4.5) | Easy to migrate | |
| MailerLite (Free Tier) | Free | — | (4.6) | Easy to migrate | |
| Mautic (Free, Open-Source, Self-hosted) | Free | (4.4) | Hard to migrate |
How to Migrate from ConvertKit — Step by Step
- 1
For EmailOctopus: sign up for free tier (2,500 subscribers), import your ConvertKit audience (CSV export/import)
- 2
For Substack: sign up (free), import your ConvertKit audience (CSV), and start sending newsletters
- 3
For Sender: sign up for free tier (2,500 subscribers), import your ConvertKit audience
- 4
For MailerLite: sign up for free tier (1,000 subscribers), import your ConvertKit audience
- 5
For Mautic: set up self-hosted server, install Mautic, and import your ConvertKit audience
Pro Tips
- 💡ConvertKit's free tier (1,000 subscribers, unlimited emails) is generous — try it before paying
- 💡EmailOctopus (2,500 subscribers) and Sender (2,500 subscribers) have more generous free tiers
- 💡If you're focused on newsletters, Substack is completely free and has built-in audience discovery
Frequently Asked Questions
Is ConvertKit free tier good enough, or do I need to pay?
ConvertKit's free tier is generous (1,000 subscribers, unlimited emails). You only need to pay for advanced automations and integrations. Many creators stay on the free tier for a long time.
Is there a completely free alternative to ConvertKit?
Yes. Substack is completely free for newsletters. Mautic is free and open-source (self-hosted). EmailOctopus, MailerLite, and Sender have generous free tiers.
Which ConvertKit alternative is best for creators?
For newsletters: Substack (completely free, built-in audience). For generous free tier: EmailOctopus (2,500 subscribers) or Sender (2,500 subscribers). For unlimited self-hosted: Mautic (free, open-source).