Choosing between a free and paid email marketing platform can be difficult when you're just getting started. GetResponse makes this decision easier by offering a Free account alongside its paid Starter, Marketer, and Creator plans.
The Free plan can be useful for beginners who want to build an email list and send newsletters without paying a monthly subscription. However, paid plans unlock more advanced automation, ecommerce, and marketing features.
In this GetResponse Free vs Paid comparison, we'll look at what's included in the Free plan, what you get with paid plans, the main differences, and which option may be right for you.
GetResponse Free vs Paid at a Glance
GetResponse offers a Free plan for beginners, while its paid plans provide higher contact limits and more advanced email marketing, automation, ecommerce, and creator-focused features.
For the latest plan prices and current features, visit the official GetResponse Pricing page.
What Is Included in GetResponse Free?
GetResponse Free is designed for beginners who want to start email marketing without a monthly subscription. It supports up to 500 contacts and includes basic email marketing, landing pages, signup forms, and other essential tools.
You can check the latest Free plan features directly on the official GetResponse Free Plan page.
GetResponse Free Plan Limitations
The Free plan has several limitations that become important as your email list and marketing needs grow.
The account is limited to 500 contacts. If you exceed that limit, additional contacts can be placed into GetResponse's contact queue rather than being added directly to your list.
The Free plan also limits your newsletter sending to 2,500 newsletters per month. More advanced features such as advanced segmentation, full automation capabilities, and other premium tools are restricted after the trial period.
For users with a growing audience, these restrictions can make upgrading worthwhile.
What Do You Get With GetResponse Paid Plans?
Paid plans are designed for users who need more contacts, automation, ecommerce tools, or content-marketing features.
Starter Plan
The Starter plan currently begins at $19/month with monthly billing. Annual billing starts at $15.58/month.
Starter includes:
- Unlimited monthly email sends
- AI-powered content tools
- Welcome email series
- One custom automation workflow
- Landing page builder
- Signup forms and popups
- Basic segmentation
- Contact management
- Analytics and reporting
Starter is a good step up from Free if you need unlimited email sending and more professional email marketing features.
Marketer Plan
The Marketer plan starts at $59/month when billed monthly or $48.38/month with annual billing.
It adds features such as:
- Unlimited automation workflows
- Advanced audience segmentation
- Abandoned cart recovery
- Sales funnels
- Promo codes
- Revenue reports
- Ecommerce marketing tools
- Unlimited web push notifications
Marketer is more suitable for businesses that want to automate marketing and generate revenue through ecommerce campaigns.
Creator Plan
The Creator plan starts at $69/month monthly or $56.58/month when billed annually.
It includes Marketer features plus tools for creators, including:
- Webinars
- Website builder
- Online courses
- Premium newsletters
- Content monetization features
- Up to 500 students for course features
Creator is mainly useful for educators, creators, and businesses that want to monetize digital content.
GetResponse Free vs Paid: Main Differences
The biggest difference between Free and Paid is the level of access to marketing features.
Contact Limits
Free supports up to 500 contacts. Paid plans offer larger contact-list options, including 1,000, 2,500, 5,000, 10,000, 25,000, 50,000, and 100,000 contacts.
If your subscriber list is growing quickly, a paid plan gives you considerably more room.
Email Sending
Free allows up to 2,500 newsletters per month. Paid plans offer unlimited monthly email sends on the standard plans.
This makes paid plans more practical for businesses sending frequent campaigns.
Marketing Automation
Free users can test premium automation features during the first 14 days, but access becomes limited afterward. Starter provides one custom automation workflow, while Marketer and Creator provide unlimited workflows.
If automation is an important part of your marketing strategy, a paid plan provides much more flexibility.
Ecommerce Features
The Free plan isn't designed for advanced ecommerce marketing.
The Marketer plan adds features such as abandoned cart recovery, promo codes, product recommendations, and revenue tracking.
This can make Marketer a better option for online stores.
Advanced Segmentation
Paid plans provide more advanced audience segmentation capabilities than the Free plan.
This allows marketers to create more targeted campaigns based on subscriber characteristics and behavior.
GetResponse Free vs Paid: Is the Free Plan Enough?
For some users, yes.
The Free plan can be enough if you:
- Are just starting email marketing
- Have fewer than 500 contacts
- Send relatively small campaigns
- Need a basic landing page
- Want to test GetResponse before paying
- Don't need advanced automation
For beginners, it provides a practical way to learn the platform without immediately committing to a paid subscription.
However, the Free plan becomes less suitable as your audience grows.
When Should You Upgrade to a Paid Plan?
You should consider upgrading when the Free plan starts limiting your marketing activities.
A paid plan may be worthwhile if:
- Your list approaches 500 contacts
- You need more than 2,500 newsletters per month
- You want more advanced automation
- You need advanced segmentation
- You sell products online
- You need ecommerce automation
- You want sales funnels
- You need additional marketing tools
The right upgrade depends on which features you actually need.
Is GetResponse Free Good for Beginners?
Yes. The Free plan is particularly useful for beginners because there is no upfront subscription cost.
You can create a free account, build a small subscriber list, create landing pages, and send newsletters while learning how email marketing works.
GetResponse also provides access to premium features during the first 14 days, allowing new users to test more advanced capabilities before deciding whether to upgrade.
GetResponse Free vs Paid: Which Should You Choose?
Choose GetResponse Free If:
- You're new to email marketing
- You have a small audience
- You want to experiment without paying
- You only need basic email campaigns
- You don't currently need advanced automation
Choose Starter If:
- You need unlimited email sends
- You want more professional email marketing tools
- Your list is growing beyond the Free plan's limits
- You need basic automation
Choose Marketer If:
- You need advanced automation
- You run an ecommerce business
- You want sales funnels
- You need advanced segmentation
- You want abandoned cart recovery
Choose Creator If:
- You sell courses
- You host webinars
- You publish premium newsletters
- You want content monetization tools
- You're building a creator-focused business
GetResponse Free Trial
One useful advantage is that new Free accounts receive access to premium features for the first 14 days. GetResponse says the trial doesn't require a credit card.
After the 14-day period, you can remain on the Free plan or upgrade to a paid plan. If you don't upgrade, premium features become unavailable or limited according to the Free plan restrictions.
For the latest details, you can check the official GetResponse Free plan page or the official GetResponse pricing page.
GetResponse Free vs Paid: Pros and Cons
Free Plan Pros
- No monthly subscription
- No credit card required
- Up to 500 contacts
- 2,500 newsletters per month
- Landing page and signup tools
- Good for beginners
- 14-day access to premium features
Free Plan Cons
- Limited to 500 contacts
- Limited monthly newsletter sending
- Advanced features are restricted
- Not ideal for growing businesses
- Limited ecommerce functionality
Paid Plan Pros
- Larger contact limits
- Unlimited email sends on standard plans
- More advanced automation
- Ecommerce marketing features
- Better segmentation
- More marketing tools
Paid Plan Cons
- Monthly cost
- Pricing increases with contact-list size
- Some advanced features require higher-tier plans
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GetResponse Free Really Free?
Yes. GetResponse offers a Free account that can remain free without requiring a credit card.
How Many Contacts Can I Have on GetResponse Free?
The Free plan supports up to 500 contacts.
How Many Emails Can I Send With GetResponse Free?
The current Free plan allows up to 2,500 newsletters per month.
Does GetResponse Free Have Automation?
You can test premium automation features during the first 14 days. After that, Free accounts have more limited access to automation features.
Is GetResponse Free Better Than Paid?
Not necessarily. Free is better for beginners with small lists and basic requirements, while paid plans are more suitable for businesses that need larger lists, unlimited sending, advanced automation, ecommerce tools, or other premium features.
Final Verdict
GetResponse Free is a good starting point, but it isn't designed to replace the full capabilities of the paid plans.
If you're building your first email list and have fewer than 500 contacts, the Free plan can provide enough tools to get started. Once you need more contacts, unlimited sending, advanced automation, ecommerce features, or more sophisticated marketing tools, upgrading to a paid plan makes more sense.
For most growing businesses, Starter is the natural first upgrade. Businesses focused on automation and ecommerce may get more value from Marketer, while creators who need courses, webinars, and monetization tools may prefer Creator.
Pricing and features can change, so always verify the latest plan details before purchasing.