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Alternatives

Flodesk alternatives with more automation and a free plan that sends

By Joonas Rotko, ex-agency co-owner, 11+ years spending real marketing budgets

Prices verified · How I choose, and how I earn from this page

If Flodesk's emails look great but your automations have nowhere to go, I'd start with MailerLite. Comfort includes 50 automations for $17.10/month billed annually at the list size I priced, where Flodesk Lite comes with a single workflow and unlimited workflows wait for Pro. Sender is the pick if you want automation and sending without paying at all. Prices checked 30 Sep 2026.

Prices below are for one creator with a small list who sends regularly. Flodesk isn't priced, because its free plan doesn't send:

  • 1,000 subscribers
  • 1 user

Who this is for. Coaches, designers and small creators who picked Flodesk for its templates and then found the limits: the free plan collects sign-ups but doesn't send, Lite gives you one workflow, and a proper welcome series plus a nurture sequence needs Pro at $28/month billed monthly for the smallest list.

My picks for different needs

Find the line that sounds like you. Each pick links to the full reasoning below.

  1. I want more automations for less than Flodesk Lite

    A large automation allowance and landing pages on its cheapest paid plan.

    Why this one
    MailerLite logo

    MailerLite

    My default

    $17.10/moannual

    See MailerLite plansAffiliate link

  2. I want a free plan that sends to a big list

    Free sending to a larger list than any other free plan here.

    Why this one
    Kit logo

    Kit

    $0

    See Kit plansAffiliate link

  3. My emails are really a newsletter with a website

    A free plan with a newsletter site and unlimited sends.

    Why this one
    beehiiv logo

    beehiiv

    $0

    See beehiiv plansAffiliate link

  4. I want automations without paying anything

    Unlimited workflows on the free plan.

    Why this one
    Sender logo

    Sender

    $0

    See Sender plansAffiliate link

  5. I want simple sequences and the plainest tool

    Short sequences free, unlimited ones on a cheap Pro plan.

    Why this one
    EmailOctopus logo

    EmailOctopus

    $0

    See EmailOctopus plansAffiliate link

  6. I want the smallest paid bill and plain text emails

    The lowest paid price here for a list this size.

    Why this one
    Buttondown logo

    Buttondown

    $7.50/moannual

    See Buttondown plansAffiliate link

What changes when you move your list off Flodesk

Flodesk sells design first. Its own pricing page says the free plan covers forms, landing pages and link-in-bio pages but not email sending or workflow automations. Lite, at $25/month billed monthly for the smallest list, adds sending with a single workflow offered as a limited-time bonus, and unlimited workflows start on Pro.

What you gain

  • Sending on a free plan. Sender, Kit, beehiiv and EmailOctopus all mail your list without a paid plan, which Flodesk Free can't do at any list size.
  • More automations for less. MailerLite Comfort allows 50 automations for less than Flodesk Lite costs at this list size, and Sender's free plan doesn't count workflows.
  • More people in the account. MailerLite Comfort includes 3 users, against 1 seat on Flodesk Lite.

What you give up

  • Flodesk's templates and editor, the reason most people chose it. The picks have drag-and-drop editors, but their stock templates look plainer.
  • Flodesk Checkout. Pro and Everything sell products and Flodesk adds no platform fee, only Stripe's rate. Here only Kit sells digital products, while beehiiv and Buttondown take paid subscriptions.
  • A free plan with no subscriber ceiling. Flodesk Free stores unlimited subscribers, even if it can't mail them, and every free plan here has a cap.

When to stay. Stay on Flodesk if the look of your emails earns you clients and your automation is a welcome email plus the odd sequence. Pro removes the workflow limit and adds a checkout, at $25/month billed annually for the smallest list, which is less than Kit Creator or beehiiv Lite cost for the same list. Leave when you need more than Lite's workflow and don't want to pay for Pro's selling tools.

The tools side by side

Each row is the cheapest plan that mails this list, with how its vendor describes automation on it and how many people can log in.

a small creator list that needs to send: plan priced, monthly and annual cost, Automation on the priced plan, Users, Free start
Tool and planCost per monthAutomation on the priced planUsersFree start
MailerLiteComfort

$17.10annual

$19 monthly

503Free plan and a 14-day trial
KitFreeFreeNo1Free plan and a 14-day trial
beehiivFreeFreeNo1Free plan
SenderFree ForeverFreeEmail automation included: unlimited workflows, triggers and automation steps (no SMS automation, no auto-resend to non-openers)1Free plan and a 14-day trial
EmailOctopusStarterFreeUp to 3 advanced sequences, up to 5 steps per sequence, no multiple triggers1Free account, no trial
ButtondownUp to 1,000 subscribers

$7.50annual

$9 monthly

NoNot publishedFree plan

Six picks, in the order I'd consider them

Each one says who it is for, what it costs for a small creator list, and what you give up.

MailerLite logo

MailerLite

Best overall step up from Flodesk

Desk research

Choose it if

You want a welcome series, a lead magnet delivery and a nurture sequence running at once, without paying for Flodesk Pro.

Consider Sender instead if

You want automations on a free plan and can accept Sender's branding.

Why it fits a small creator list

MailerLite is the move that fixes Flodesk's automation limit without a big jump in price. Comfort is $17.10/month billed annually for this list and allows 50 automations, plus 10 landing pages and 3 users. Flodesk Lite is $19/month billed annually for the same list with one workflow. The editor is drag-and-drop, so the design habits you built in Flodesk carry over.

The plan I priced

Comfort: $19/month billed monthly, or $17.10/month billed annually, for this list. The 14-day trial needs no card.

Closest alternative

EmailOctopus becomes the better choice when short sequences are enough and you'd rather pay nothing.
MailerLite homepageSee MailerLite plans
MailerLite homepage, captured

A small creator list: Comfort

Billed annually

$17.10/mo

Billed monthly

$19/mo

Above 200,000 subscribers: no bigger plan is published.

The trade-off

MailerLite's templates are cleaner than they are distinctive, so expect to rebuild your look. The free plan stops at 250 subscribers, and paid plans move up a band and charge you when the list grows.
What my review says

Best for: A Flodesk Lite user who needs several automations and doesn't want to pay for Pro.

Skip it if Flodesk's design is what wins you clients and one workflow is enough.

Strengths

  • A large automation allowance on Comfort.
  • Cheaper than Flodesk Lite for this list.

Limits

  • Plainer templates than Flodesk's.
  • A small free plan.
See MailerLite plansMy MailerLite reviewMailerLite pricingAffiliate link
Flodesk alternatives with more automation and a free plan that sends
Kit logo

Kit

Biggest free plan that actually sends

Desk research

Choose it if

You want to keep sending for free while the list grows, and can add automations later on Creator.

Consider Sender instead if

You need automations now and still want to pay nothing.

Why it fits a small creator list

Kit answers the half of the Flodesk problem that costs money from day one: sending. The free plan sends unlimited emails to a list of up to 10,000, and Creator adds automations, SMS in workflows and selling with a 0.6% cut, a close match for Flodesk Checkout.

The plan I priced

Free covers this list. Creator, with automations and 2 users, starts at $39/month billed monthly, or $33/month billed annually.

Closest alternative

beehiiv becomes the better choice when you want a newsletter website as part of the free plan.
Kit homepageSee Kit plans
Kit homepage, captured

A small creator list: Free

Free plan

$0

Above 10,000 subscribers: Creator (+$141/mo billed annually).

The trade-off

Kit Free has no automations at all, and Creator starts at $39/month billed monthly for the smallest list, more than Flodesk Pro's $28/mo. Free emails carry Kit branding.
What my review says

Best for: A Flodesk Free user who wants to start sending without paying, to a list that will grow.

Skip it if automation is the reason you are leaving and you won't pay for Creator.

Strengths

  • Free sending to a large list.
  • Creator sells products with a small cut, like Flodesk Checkout.

Limits

  • No automations on the free plan.
  • Creator costs more than Flodesk Pro for this list.
See Kit plansMy Kit reviewKit pricingAffiliate link
Flodesk alternatives with more automation and a free plan that sends
beehiiv logo

beehiiv

For a newsletter that needs its own website

Desk research

Choose it if

Your Flodesk emails are really a newsletter and you want readers to find past issues on the web.

Consider Kit instead if

You want a bigger free list and product sales more than a website.

Why it fits a small creator list

beehiiv gives a newsletter writer what Flodesk Free holds back: the free plan sends to 2,500 subscribers with unlimited sends, and every issue becomes a web page. Lite adds automations, paid subscriptions and a custom domain once the list earns its keep.

The plan I priced

Free covers this list with 1 publication. Lite, with automations, starts at $59/month billed monthly, or $49/month billed annually.

Closest alternative

Buttondown becomes the better choice when you want a plain archive for a far smaller paid bill.
beehiiv homepageSee beehiiv plans
beehiiv homepage, captured

A small creator list: Free

Free plan

$0

Above 2,500 subscribers: Lite (+$95/mo billed annually).

The trade-off

The free plan has no automations, so it fixes sending but not the workflow limit. Lite starts at $59/month billed monthly for the smallest list, the highest price on this page, and keeps beehiiv branding until Pro.
What my review says

Best for: A Flodesk user whose list is newsletter readers and who wants a web archive.

Skip it if you want automations without paying, which Sender gives you.

Strengths

  • Free sending with a newsletter website.
  • Paid subscriptions with no platform cut on Lite.

Limits

  • No automations on the free plan.
  • Lite is the priciest upgrade here.
See beehiiv plansMy beehiiv reviewbeehiiv pricingAffiliate link
Flodesk alternatives with more automation and a free plan that sends
Sender logo

Sender

Most automation for no money

Desk research

Choose it if

You want welcome, nurture and re-engagement emails running on their own, and your budget for email is zero.

Consider MailerLite instead if

You'd pay a little for no vendor branding and more landing pages.

Why it fits a small creator list

Sender is the cleanest fix for both Flodesk limits at once. Free Forever holds 2,500 subscribers, sends 15,000 emails a month and runs email automation with no cap on workflows, triggers or steps. Its editor is drag-and-drop too, with simpler templates than Flodesk's.

The plan I priced

Free Forever covers this list. Standard removes the branding from $9/month billed monthly for the smallest list.

Closest alternative

EmailOctopus becomes the better choice when you want fewer settings and only a short sequence or two.
Sender homepageSee Sender plans
Sender homepage, captured

A small creator list: Free Forever

Free plan

$0

Above 2,500 subscribers: Standard (+$39/mo billed annually).

The trade-off

Free emails show Sender's branding and the plan has 1 user. Once the list passes the free limit, Standard starts at $9/month billed monthly for the smallest band.
What my review says

Best for: A Flodesk user who wants automation and sending and refuses to pay for either.

Skip it if the design of each email matters more to you than automation.

Strengths

  • Unlimited email workflows on the free plan.
  • A free monthly allowance that covers several sends to this list.

Limits

  • Sender branding on free emails.
  • Less striking templates than Flodesk.
See Sender plansMy Sender reviewAffiliate link
Flodesk alternatives with more automation and a free plan that sends
EmailOctopus logo

EmailOctopus

Simplest tool with sequences

Desk research

Choose it if

You want a welcome sequence and a regular email, nothing fancier, in a tool with very few settings.

Consider Sender instead if

You want longer workflows without paying.

Why it fits a small creator list

EmailOctopus Starter is free for 2,500 subscribers and includes short automated sequences (Up to 3 advanced sequences, up to 5 steps per sequence, no multiple triggers), already more automation than Flodesk Free and more than Lite's single workflow. Pro, from $10/month billed monthly at its smallest list, makes sequences unlimited.

The plan I priced

Starter covers this list for free. Pro starts at $10/month billed monthly, or $9/month billed annually, for the smallest list.

Closest alternative

MailerLite becomes the better choice when you want landing pages and a larger automation allowance.
EmailOctopus homepageSee EmailOctopus plans
EmailOctopus homepage, captured

A small creator list: Starter

Free plan

$0

Above 2,500 subscribers: Pro (+$28/mo billed annually).

The trade-off

Its templates are basic next to Flodesk's, the free plan carries EmailOctopus branding, and there is no checkout or way to sell to readers.
What my review says

Best for: A Flodesk user who wants simple sequences and free sending, with little to learn.

Skip it if your emails need to look as polished as Flodesk's.

Strengths

  • Sequences on the free plan.
  • A low Pro price for unlimited sequences.

Limits

  • Basic templates.
  • No checkout for selling.
See EmailOctopus plansMy EmailOctopus reviewEmailOctopus pricingAffiliate link
Flodesk alternatives with more automation and a free plan that sends
Buttondown logo

Buttondown

Smallest paid bill for plain writing

Hands-on

Choose it if

You've decided the design was never the point and you want to write and send for very little.

Consider EmailOctopus instead if

You want sequences now; Buttondown adds automations only from its next band.

Why it fits a small creator list

Buttondown is the opposite of Flodesk: a writing-first editor rather than a design tool. For this list it is $7.50/month billed annually, well under Flodesk Lite, and that plan can take paid subscriptions with a platform cut of 0%.

The plan I priced

Up to 1,000 subscribers: $9/month billed monthly, or $7.50/month billed annually.

Closest alternative

beehiiv becomes the better choice when you want a free plan that sends to a bigger list.
Buttondown homepageSee Buttondown plans
Buttondown homepage, captured

A small creator list: Up to 1,000 subscribers

Billed annually

$7.50/mo

Billed monthly

$9/mo

Above 1,000 subscribers: 1,001 to 5,000 subscribers (+$16.67/mo billed annually).

The trade-off

This band has no automations, so it only solves the price, not the workflow limit; automations arrive on the plan for up to 5,000 subscribers. The free plan holds 100 subscribers.
What my review says

Best for: A Flodesk user ready to trade design for the lowest paid price and plain writing.

Skip it if automation or design is why you are looking.

Strengths

  • The smallest paid bill here for this list.
  • Paid subscriptions with no platform cut.

Limits

  • No automations at this list size.
  • A tiny free plan.
See Buttondown plansMy Buttondown reviewButtondown pricingAffiliate link
Flodesk alternatives with more automation and a free plan that sends

What a small creator list really costs

Bars show the cheapest plan that mails this list, on yearly billing where it is sold. Most picks send for free at this size.

Dollar prices, per month (billed annually where sold)

Pay monthly or yearly?

What yearly billing saves on the same plan.

  • MailerLite$19 monthly, $17.10 yearly: 10% less
  • Buttondown$9 monthly, $7.50 yearly: 17% less

When you'll outgrow the plan

The first limit you hit, and the next plan up.

  • MailerLite: above 200,000 subscribers, no bigger plan is published
  • Kit: above 10,000 subscribers, Creator (+$141/mo)
  • beehiiv: above 2,500 subscribers, Lite (+$95/mo)
  • Sender: above 2,500 subscribers, Standard (+$39/mo)
  • EmailOctopus: above 2,500 subscribers, Pro (+$28/mo)
  • Buttondown: above 1,000 subscribers, 1,001 to 5,000 subscribers (+$16.67/mo)
How I calculated this

Workload: 1,000 subscribers, 1 user.

A plan counts only if it can mail the list. Every pick has one; Flodesk's free plan doesn't send, which is why Flodesk isn't priced here.

    Other options, and why they missed the list

    I kept to tools that publish prices for a small creator list and either send on a free plan or give more automation than Flodesk Lite for a similar price. Sales funnel builders and full CRMs are left out.

    • Moosend logo

      Moosend

      Pro doesn't cap automation workflows and costs little, but there is no free plan after the trial, so it can't replace Flodesk Free for someone not paying yet.

    • Substack logo

      Substack

      Free sending at any list size, but no automations at all and a share of paid subscriptions, so it fixes the free plan and not the workflow limit.

    How I chose, and how I earn from this page

    Joonas Rotko

    Who is behind this guide

    Joonas Rotko

    I co-ran a marketing agency in Finland and spent more than ten years buying SEO and marketing software with real client budgets. I write these guides for the person who has to pay for the tool and use it.

    More about me and how I review

    Affiliate disclosure

    Some links here are affiliate links, and I earn a commission if you buy through them, at no cost to you. All six picks have affiliate programs with me; Flodesk does not. The order follows fit for someone leaving Flodesk over automation and free sending, not commission.

    How this guide was prepared

    What I did

    • I priced one creator with a list under the first paid band, sending regularly but not charging readers yet, from each vendor's pricing page on the date beside its source link.
    • Each tool is priced on the cheapest plan that can mail that list, on monthly and yearly billing separately, which is the free plan for Kit, beehiiv, Sender and EmailOctopus.
    • Flodesk itself isn't in the table: its free plan can't send, so I compare against Lite and Pro in the text.
    • Cards marked Hands-on are tools I use myself. The rest is desk research from published plans and help pages.

    What to keep in mind

    • Subscriber-priced ladders change often, so check the price at your own list size before you buy.
    • Template quality is a matter of taste, so I describe it rather than score it.
    • Flodesk's workflow on Lite is a limited-time bonus, so what Lite includes may change.
    Sources and verification dates

    Prices and limits checked on 10 vendor pages. Oldest check: 30 Sep 2026.

    • : Rebuilt for creators leaving Flodesk over its automation limits and a free plan that doesn't send, with MailerLite as the default pick.
    Spot something out of date?Vendors and readers, send me the correct fact.

    Software sites change almost every week, and I want every claim on this page to be factually correct. If you are a vendor or a reader, send me the correct fact and a link to the official page. I will check it and update the page. The opinions and rankings stay mine.

    I only change a fact when the official page shows it.

    Free. I use your details only to follow up. Privacy

    Questions people ask

    What is the best Flodesk alternative?

    MailerLite, for most creators leaving over automation. Comfort includes 50 automations for $17.10/month billed annually at this list size, less than Flodesk Lite. Sender is the pick if you want automations for free.

    Is there a cheaper alternative to Flodesk?

    Yes. Sender, Kit, beehiiv and EmailOctopus all send to this list on a free plan, which Flodesk can't. If you'd rather pay, Buttondown is $7.50/month billed annually and MailerLite Comfort $17.10/month billed annually, both below Flodesk Lite's $19/mo.

    Can you send emails on Flodesk's free plan?

    No. Flodesk's pricing page says the free plan includes forms, landing pages and link-in-bio pages but not email sending or workflow automations. Sending starts on Lite, at $25/month billed monthly for the smallest list, and the trial of paid features needs no card.

    Which platform has better automation than Flodesk?

    Sender, on its free plan, with unlimited email workflows. MailerLite Comfort allows 50 automations, and EmailOctopus Pro offers unlimited sequences. Flodesk keeps unlimited workflows for Pro, which starts at $28/month billed monthly.

    Which Flodesk alternative has the best free plan?

    Sender, if you want automation: its free plan holds 2,500 subscribers with unlimited workflows. Kit, if you want room: its free plan sends to 10,000 subscribers but has no automations.

    Should I switch from Flodesk if I'm happy with it?

    Not if your emails win you work and Lite's workflow covers what you run. Moving costs you Flodesk's templates and checkout. Switch when you need several automations and Pro, at $25/month billed annually for the smallest list, feels like paying for selling tools you won't use.

    Compare two of them head to head

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