GUIDE
The cheapest email platform for a real list
On a budget, three platforms lead. Moosend has one of the lowest paid entries with unlimited sends, so cadence never adds cost. Sender stays free to 2,500 subscribers and cheap after that, with transactional email included. MailerLite is the value default when you want polished tooling for a little more. The winner depends on whether free covers you or a low paid tier does.
Cheapest entry versus free
Budget splits into two questions. Can a free plan cover your whole list, or do you need the lowest possible paid bill? If a durable free tier fits, you pay nothing, and Sender's ceiling is the one to beat. If your list has outgrown free, the goal is the cheapest paid entry that still sends as often as you like without metering each campaign. Those are different winners, so decide which case you are in before comparing prices, because the cheapest free plan and the cheapest paid plan are rarely the same platform.
Moosend: low paid entry, unlimited sends
Moosend (from $9/mo) is the budget specialist: a low paid starting point priced by contacts, with unlimited sends and the automation basics covered. Because sending is unlimited, high cadence never inflates the bill, which makes it a strong pick for a small-to-mid list you mail often. There is no free plan, only a trial, so it suits people ready to pay a little rather than nothing. See how far the entry price stretches on the Moosend dossier.
Sender free, MailerLite on value
Sender (free plan, paid from $9/mo) is the zero-cost option that scales: free to 2,500 subscribers and 15,000 emails a month, then cheap paid tiers with transactional email included. If your list fits under that ceiling, it is hard to beat on price. MailerLite (free plan, paid from $12/mo) costs a little more but buys faster editors and cleaner automation, the value pick when budget matters but tooling still has to feel modern. Compare the two low-cost routes head to head in the MailerLite versus Moosend comparison.
Decide at your real size
Budget rankings flip with list size and cadence, so the abstract cheapest is meaningless until you enter your numbers. Put your subscriber count and sending frequency into the cost calculator to see Moosend, Sender and MailerLite side by side, and if a permanent free plan could cover you entirely, read the free plan guide first, since free beats cheap.
Questions people also ask
What is the cheapest way to run a real list?
If it fits under 2,500 subscribers, Sender's free plan costs nothing. Above that, Moosend's low paid entry with unlimited sends is usually the cheapest, though MailerLite can win on value once tooling matters.
Does Moosend limit how often I can send?
No, sends are unlimited, so cadence does not add to the bill. You pay by contacts, which makes it well suited to a small or mid-size list you mail frequently on a tight budget.
Is the cheapest platform the right one?
Only if it does the job. A rock-bottom price is no saving if you need store flows, deep automation or multi-brand lists it lacks. Match the budget pick to the work before choosing on price alone.