Free plan limits at a glance
| Resource | Allowance | Operational consequence |
|---|---|---|
| Active subscribers | 250 | Campaigns and automation are at risk once the account exceeds the ceiling |
| Email sends | 2,500 every 30 days | Broadcasts and automated messages share the allowance |
| Users | 2 | Enough for an owner and one collaborator |
| Automations | 3 | Prioritise welcome, delivery and one follow-up journey |
| Forms | 3 | Enough for a main newsletter and two focused offers |
| Website and landing page | 1 of each | Suitable for one launch path |
| Digital product or booking | 1 | Useful for validating a simple offer |
What can be built without paying
A new project can authenticate its domain, create a newsletter group, publish a signup form, deliver a lead magnet, run a short welcome automation and send regular campaigns. It can also test a landing page and a simple product or booking.
That is a genuine operating system, not a demonstration with no useful output. The limitation is scale. A few successful partnerships or a modest paid campaign can move a list from 100 to 250 subscribers quickly.
The 250-subscriber ceiling is the critical risk
MailerLite counts active subscribers for the Free allowance. When usage is above the limit, the account can lose the ability to send, import and manage active assets until it upgrades or reduces usage according to the documented rules.
The worst moment to discover this is during a promotion. A form can collect a subscriber while the expected automation cannot deliver the promised email. Monitor active contacts and create an internal warning well below 250.
How quickly 2,500 sends disappear
| Activity | Example volume |
|---|---|
| Four broadcasts to 200 subscribers | 800 sends |
| Three-email welcome for 200 new subscribers | 600 sends |
| One reminder to 100 engaged readers | 100 sends |
| Remaining allowance | 1,000 sends for tests, growth and other flows |
The trial is not the same as the Free plan
The first 14 days expose selected premium functions. The contact and send limits remain, but advanced capabilities can appear in the interface. When the trial ends, workflows that depend on unavailable features can stop.
Create a feature inventory while testing. Mark each asset as Free, Comfort or Power before relying on it. A smooth trial is not evidence that the final Free configuration will behave identically.
The best three-automation portfolio
Do not split a simple journey into several automations merely to imitate a larger architecture. Use clear groups, delays and conditions, then document the purpose and owner of each workflow.
- Main welcome and lead-magnet delivery.
- Interest or enquiry follow-up tied to a clear action.
- Customer onboarding, event reminder or re-engagement, depending on the business model.
A 30-day validation plan
The goal is not to use every free feature. It is to prove that the audience promise and operating routine work before paying for more capacity.
- Week 1: authenticate the domain, define consent text and build the form.
- Week 2: create the welcome automation and test every branch.
- Week 3: send the first useful broadcast and inspect clicks, replies and unsubscribes.
- Week 4: improve the weakest step and forecast the next 90 days of growth.
When to upgrade
- Active subscribers approach the internal warning level.
- MailerLite branding damages the intended presentation.
- A required preference centre or paid feature improves consent management.
- The team needs more users or support.
- A real workflow exceeds the available automation or form capacity.
- The expected cost of a failed launch exceeds the price of Comfort.
When to choose another platform
Do not upgrade automatically if the problem is structural. A business with a large stored database and infrequent sends may prefer send-based pricing. A sales team may need a CRM. A creator may value a specialist recommendation network more than integrated websites.
Export the list, groups and required fields before switching. Preserve consent evidence and suppression data, then test the replacement before closing the original account.
Free plan FAQ
Is a credit card required? MailerLite states that the trial and Free plan can start without one.
Can Free send automations? Yes, within the current automation and sending limits.
Can Free use a custom domain? Domain-based sending can be configured and should be authenticated. Trial sending rules can differ temporarily.
Can Free sell a product? The current plan includes one digital product or booking, with payment processing and configuration requirements.
Can a serious newsletter start on Free? Yes, if the owner has an upgrade plan and monitors both contacts and sends.