Sender

Sender offers the most generous free plan of any email marketing platform in this category: 2,500 subscribers and 15,000 emails per month with full automation workflows included at no cost. Most platforms restrict automation to paid tiers — Sender includes it on every plan, from free through Enterprise.

What You Get#

• Full automation on free plan: Multi-step welcome sequences, re-engagement campaigns, and drip sequences available on the free tier — no upgrade required for core automation functionality
• Nine pre-built automation templates: Ready-to-deploy sequences covering welcome series, abandoned cart, post-purchase follow-up, re-engagement, and birthday workflows; authors can start from a template rather than building from scratch
• Email + SMS marketing: Standard and Professional plans include SMS messaging alongside email campaigns — single platform for cross-channel reader communication without a separate SMS tool
• Landing page builder: Available on all plans for lead magnet delivery and subscriber acquisition
• Drag-and-drop editor: Template-based builder with mobile-responsive output; suitable for authors without design experience
• GDPR compliance tools: Built-in consent management and data handling workflows for authors with European readers

Who It's For#

• Authors on a zero budget: 2,500 subscribers with working automation sequences is the most runway any free tier in this category provides — authors can run welcome sequences and launch campaigns before spending anything
• Early-stage list builders: The free plan buys significant time before an upgrade is needed; at 2,500 subscribers, Sender is free where MailerLite charges $30+/month and Kit charges $39+/month
• eCommerce authors selling direct: SMS + email in a single platform combined with pre-built abandoned cart workflows suits authors running direct sales from a WooCommerce or Shopify store

Pricing: Free forever plan: 2,500 subscribers, 15,000 emails/month, unlimited automation, Sender branding on emails, 1 user seat. Standard plan: $10/month monthly billing (or ~$7/month equivalent on annual billing) at 1,000 subscribers — removes branding, adds SMS messaging, A/B testing, 3 user seats; sends scale at ~12× subscriber count. Professional plan: $20/month monthly billing (or ~$14/month equivalent on annual billing) at 1,000 subscribers — advanced automation, up to 10 seats, free SMS credits, dedicated IP options at 20,000+ subscribers; sends scale at ~24× subscriber count. Higher tiers run $60, $120, $250, $460/month for larger lists; Enterprise is custom-quoted at 100K+ contacts. Annual billing saves ~15%. Use the pricing slider on the official page to confirm exact amounts at your subscriber count.

Strengths#

• Most generous free tier by subscriber count: 2,500 subscribers with full automation beats MailerLite (500), EmailOctopus (2,500 but only 3 automations), and Kit (free plan has 1 basic automation)
• No-contract billing: Month-to-month with no setup fees; downgrade or cancel without penalty
• Strong customer support ratings: Multiple independent reviews cite fast response times from support across all plans including free; 24/7 live chat and email available

Limitations#

• No native BookFunnel or StoryOrigin integration: Connecting reader magnet delivery or newsletter swap platforms requires Zapier; EmailOctopus includes both integrations natively at no cost, making it a stronger choice for authors heavily using these tools
• Minimal indie author community presence: Sender does not appear in major author email marketing guides from Kindlepreneur, ALLi, Author Nation, or The Creative Penn; the platform has little word-of-mouth traction specifically in the self-publishing space
• Paid plan pricing opaque at scale: Exact pricing for Standard and Professional at larger subscriber counts (5K, 10K+) isn't displayed cleanly on the pricing page — budget planning beyond the free tier requires using the pricing calculator or contacting sales
• SMS credits not included on free plan: SMS marketing, often listed as a differentiator, requires a paid Standard or Professional plan — the free tier is email-only

Alternatives#

EmailOctopus is the closest equivalent — matching 2,500 subscriber free plan with native BookFunnel and StoryOrigin integrations that Sender lacks, though EmailOctopus limits free plan automations to 3 versus Sender's unlimited. MailerLite has stronger brand recognition in the author community and a more developed integration ecosystem.