Best Free Autoresponder Plans for Affiliates (2026)

By the pprawat.com team

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Last checked 31 Oct 2026.

Quick answer: MailerLite, Brevo and GetResponse all let you start free, but they limit you in different ways, and MailerLite’s terms restrict one style of affiliate promotion. Read the terms before you build your list, because moving a list later costs time.

MailerLite and GetResponse limits below were read on each company’s own pricing page on 31 Oct 2026. Brevo’s pricing page returned no readable plan text in our latest check, so its cells say “Check in your account”. Plans change, so recheck before you commit.

What an autoresponder does for an affiliate

An autoresponder sends a planned series of emails when someone joins your list. For an affiliate that usually means a welcome email, a few helpful lessons and then a recommendation. You write the series once and every new subscriber gets it.

If you are new to list building, our guide to how to build an email list for affiliate marketing covers the signup side. This page is about picking the tool.

The rule to read first

What MailerLite’s terms of service say. Section 13 opens: “Affiliate Marketing is prohibited in MailerLite, but Affiliate Links are fine in most cases.” It defines affiliate marketing as “the promotion of multiple referral links from various third-party companies purely to generate commission-based income,” and says affiliate links are acceptable when they are “clearly presented as offers from another company.” Section 9.1 says you may only send content “requested by subscribers” and its list of content you cannot send includes “weight loss material” and “get rich quick” content.

Our reading, not MailerLite’s. We read section 13 as being about the whole pattern of what you send, not one email. A list on one topic with a few relevant, clearly labelled affiliate links looks like the allowed case, while a stream of unrelated referral links looks like the prohibited one. Only MailerLite decides how it applies to your account, so if your plan depends on a borderline niche, ask support first and keep their reply.

For Brevo and GetResponse, we did not rely on a rule we could not read in full. Search each company’s current terms for the word affiliate before you commit.

Free plans compared

Sources: MailerLite pricing, Brevo pricing, GetResponse pricing. MailerLite and GetResponse read 31 Oct 2026. “Check in your account” means we could not confirm it on the vendor page, so open the plan view after signup instead of trusting a third party.

A note on conflicting numbers: you may see MailerLite’s free plan quoted online at 1,000 subscribers and 12,000 emails. That was an older plan. On 31 Oct 2026 the live pricing page says 250 subscribers and 2,500 monthly emails.

MailerLite Free in detail

The pricing page lists the Free plan at $0 a month with up to 250 subscribers, 2,500 monthly emails and 2 user seats, including campaigns, automations (3 active, 5 steps), one landing page, signup forms, one website and all 3 email editors.

Two limits to plan around:

• The subscriber lock. On a free account, when active subscribers go over 250, sending is locked for campaigns and automations until you upgrade or remove subscribers.
• The email counter. One email to one subscriber is one send, so a campaign to 200 people uses 200 of your 2,500.

Good for: a new list on one clear topic where you want automations and a landing page for free.

Watch out for: the affiliate rules above and the 250 subscriber ceiling.

Brevo Free in detail

Brevo’s pricing page called its free plan “free forever, no credit card needed,” aimed at individuals and solopreneurs when we first read it. Brevo’s FAQ said a Free plan is created when you open an account and that sending starts once Brevo approves your account. For the current daily sending limit and contact limit, check in your account.

Sending depends on approval, so do not schedule a launch the same hour you sign up.

Good for: people who prefer a daily allowance to a monthly one.

Watch out for: the approval step.

GetResponse Free in detail

GetResponse’s pricing page says new accounts get 14 days of premium features and then keep a free version. It lists these free account limits:

• A GetResponse badge is added to every message you send.
• You can publish as many landing pages as you like, with visits limited to 1,000 unique visitors per month.
• You can publish as many automation workflows as you like, but the dynamic segment filter is not available.

Good for: testing landing pages and automations before paying.

Watch out for: the badge on every email, which can look off if you want a clean personal brand.

Which free plan fits which use case

Steps to pick and set up

1. Decide your list topic. One topic, one audience.
2. Read the terms. Search them for the word affiliate.
3. Match the cap to your plan. If you expect more than 250 subscribers in month one, MailerLite Free will lock sending.
4. Collect permission properly. MailerLite’s anti-spam policy says you need permission to send, for example an opt-in that is not pre-checked, and bought or rented lists are not allowed.
5. Write a 3 to 5 email welcome series. Teach first, recommend second.
6. Add your disclosure near any affiliate link in your emails.
7. Test with your own address before the first subscriber arrives.
8. Watch your numbers. MailerLite may suspend accounts with high spam complaints, bounces or unsubscribes.

Quick sending math

This math rests on three assumptions: the list is full at the plan cap, every subscriber gets every email, and the limits are the ones above. Real lists are rarely full, so treat the results as a ceiling.

• MailerLite Free: 2,500 emails divided by 250 subscribers is 10 emails per subscriber a month on a full list. A weekly email fits, and a daily email does not.
• Brevo Free: Brevo counts sends per day rather than per month. Check the daily limit in your account and multiply by 30 for a monthly ceiling.

A simple welcome series outline

A free plan is only useful if you send something worth reading. Here is a plain five email outline you can adapt to any single topic:

1. Email 1, right after signup: thank them, say what to expect and how often you will write, and deliver whatever you promised on the form.
2. Email 2, a day later: your most useful lesson on the topic, with no offer at all.
3. Email 3, two days later: a common mistake and how to avoid it, again teaching first.
4. Email 4, two days later: a short story or example that shows the idea working, true and specific.
5. Email 5, two days later: one relevant recommendation, with a plain disclosure above the link and a clear note on who it suits and who should skip it.

Five emails over about a week fits well inside the sending caps above. Keep every email tied to the topic people signed up for.

Deliverability basics for a new list

New senders have no reputation, so start gently. Use a real from name and a reply address you actually read. Keep the unsubscribe link visible, because hiding it raises complaints. Opens are an unreliable signal now, so judge engagement by clicks, replies and bounces, and remove addresses that hard bounce or have not clicked or replied in months. Set up SPF, DKIM and DMARC for your sending domain, following your email tool’s own help pages. Do not copy-paste the same email to everyone at once from a brand new account. Send a test to yourself and read it on a phone first.

When your list grows

Free plans are a starting point. When you outgrow one, compare paid pricing and check that you can export your list. Keep your signup form and your content somewhere you can move.

FAQ

Can I use affiliate links on MailerLite’s free plan?

Often yes, if the links are clearly presented as offers from another company and match your brand and subscribers’ expectations. Promoting many unrelated referral links purely for commission is prohibited.

How many subscribers can I have on MailerLite Free?

Up to 250, with 2,500 monthly emails, per the live pricing page on 31 Oct 2026.

How many emails can Brevo’s free plan send?

Brevo sets a daily sending limit on its free plan once your account is approved for sending. Check in your account for the current number.

Does GetResponse’s free plan add branding?

Yes. A GetResponse badge is added to every message from a Free account.

Can I buy an email list to start faster?

No. MailerLite’s terms say purchased or rented lists are not allowed, and the same habit damages sender reputation on any tool.

Which free plan is best?

It depends on your list size and send pace. See the table above, then recheck the live page.

Conclusion

The best free autoresponder for an affiliate is the one whose rules match how you plan to promote. Pick one topic, read the terms, keep your emails relevant to your subscribers and upgrade when you hit a cap. Last checked 31 Oct 2026.

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