Most people delay email marketing for one reason: budget. Free plans usually give you a few hundred contacts, block automation, and push you to pay within weeks. There is a bigger option. The free email marketing plan from Mailrelay lets you send up to 80,000 emails per month to as many as 20,000 contacts, and it includes automation. That is enough room to build a real list before you spend anything.
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Why a free plan is enough to start (and when it is not)
A free plan is enough when your list is still growing and your sending needs are predictable. Most new businesses send one newsletter a week to a few thousand people. That fits inside a generous free tier with space left over.
A free plan stops being enough when you need extra services on top of newsletters. Transactional email through SMTP or an API, for example, is a separate paid module at Mailrelay. High-volume senders pushing millions of emails also move to paid infrastructure.
The point is simple: you should not pay to learn email marketing. You should pay when your list starts paying you back.
What you get with the Mailrelay free account
The free account is not a stripped-down demo. It includes the sending limits, the editor, the statistics and the automation tools you need to run a proper newsletter programme.
80,000 emails per month, 20,000 contacts
This is the headline number. You can send up to 80,000 emails per month to a maximum of 20,000 contacts, at no cost.
To put that in context: a list of 10,000 subscribers can receive two campaigns per week and still stay inside the limit. Most free tiers cap you long before that, which forces an upgrade decision while you are still testing what works.
Automation included in the free plan
Automation is available in the free version, not locked behind a paid tier. You can build flows that run without you touching them.
That covers the workflows most small businesses actually need:
- Drip campaigns — a welcome series that runs when someone subscribes
- Event triggers — an email that fires after a specific action
- Birthday emails — a dated message sent automatically each year
You can combine multiple actions, conditions and tags inside a flow, and extend it across channels.
Drag-and-drop editor with AI help
You do not need HTML skills. The visual editor works by dragging blocks into place, and it has built-in AI to help you design newsletters faster.
Two details save real time here. Reusable blocks let you save a header, footer or product module once and drop it into every campaign. Conditional blocks let one email show different content to different segments, so you send one campaign instead of four.
Real-time statistics and heat maps
Statistics update in real time, so you can watch a campaign land instead of waiting until the next day.
You get:
- Open rate and click rate
- A heat map showing where people clicked inside the email
- A ranked list of your most effective links
The heat map matters more than most beginners expect. It tells you whether people click your main call to action or drift to a link in the footer and that changes how you lay out the next campaign.
Contact management: groups, segments and tags
Contact management is built around three simple tools: groups, segments and tags. Together they let you send the right message to the right part of your list.
The interface has also been rebuilt to be simpler, with a global search that lets you jump straight to a contact, a campaign or a setting instead of hunting through menus.
Free plan comparison table
The table below compares what you can expect from a typical free tier against Mailrelay’s free plan. Competitor limits change often, so they are described in general terms rather than exact figures — always check the provider’s own pricing page before you decide.
| Feature | Typical free tier (check provider’s site) | Mailrelay free plan |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly emails | Limited monthly sends | Up to 80,000 |
| Contacts stored | Contact cap on free tier | Up to 20,000 |
| Automation | Often restricted or paid-only | Included |
| Drag-and-drop editor | Usually included | Included, with built-in AI |
| Statistics | Basic opens and clicks | Real time, plus heat map and top links |
| Segmentation | Varies by provider | Groups, segments and tags |
| SMS and WhatsApp | Rarely available | Available (SMS with tracking) |
| Support language | Usually English only | Spanish panel and Spanish support |
The gap that matters most is the third row. Sending limits are easy to compare, but a free plan without automation means you rebuild your welcome series the day you upgrade.
Multichannel: email, SMS and WhatsApp
Email does not have to be your only channel. Mailrelay supports SMS with tracking and WhatsApp, so an automation flow can reach someone by email and follow up by message.
One thing to be clear about: transactional email order confirmations, password resets and similar messages sent through SMTP or an API is a paid extra module, not part of the free plan. If your project needs transactional sending from day one, plan for that cost.
You can also connect Mailrelay to other tools through Make.com, which covers most CRM, form and e-commerce integrations without custom development.
Deliverability and support: the part beginners forget
Deliverability decides whether your emails reach the inbox at all, and it is the thing new senders think about last. Mailrelay runs its own IP ranges and applies algorithms designed to improve delivery, which is why it also handles large senders pushing millions of emails.
Support is the second overlooked factor. Mailrelay is a Spanish company with a control panel in Spanish and customer support in Spanish by phone, chat and ticket. Phone support on a free-tier product is unusual, and it matters on the day a campaign behaves strangely an hour before launch.
How to start with the free plan in 5 steps
You can be sending your first campaign in under an hour. Work through these steps in order.
- Create your free account. Sign up at Mailrelay’s free plan and confirm your sender details.
- Import your contacts. Upload your existing subscribers and organise them into groups from the start — it is far harder to tidy later.
- Add tags and build one segment. Tag people by interest or source, then create a single segment you will actually use.
- Design your first newsletter. Use the drag-and-drop editor, save your header and footer as reusable blocks, and send a test to yourself.
- Set up one automation. A three-email welcome drip is the highest-value flow for a new list. Build it once and leave it running.
Then check your statistics after 48 hours and read the heat map before you plan campaign two.
Who should choose Mailrelay (and who should not)
Mailrelay fits you if you are a small business, freelancer, blogger or startup with a growing list and a small budget, and you want automation without paying for it up front. It also fits larger senders who need volume and deliverability infrastructure.
It is a weaker fit if your main need is transactional email only, since that sits in a paid module. If your team works entirely in English and expects English-language phone support, check that the support channels match how you like to work before you commit.
Frequently asked questions
How many emails can I send for free with Mailrelay?
You can send up to 80,000 emails per month on the free plan. That allowance applies to a maximum of 20,000 stored contacts.
Does the free plan include automation?
Yes. Automation flows are available in the free version, including drip campaigns, event triggers and birthday emails. You can use multiple actions, conditions and tags inside a flow.
Is transactional email included in the free account?
No. Transactional email sent through SMTP or an API is a separate paid module you add to your account. The free plan covers newsletters and marketing campaigns.
Can I send SMS and WhatsApp messages too?
Yes. Mailrelay supports SMS with tracking and WhatsApp alongside email, so a single automation can use more than one channel.
Do I need design or coding skills to build a newsletter?
No. The visual drag-and-drop editor includes built-in AI to help with design, plus reusable and conditional blocks so you can assemble campaigns without writing HTML.
Final thoughts
You do not need an initial investment to run professional email marketing. A free plan with 80,000 monthly emails, 20,000 contacts, working automation and real-time statistics covers everything a growing list needs and it scales when you outgrow it. Create your free account, import your contacts and send your first campaign this week.