Finding a mailing service that actually fit my (very basic) needs turned out to be a nerve-wracking process. After trying out about a dozen platforms over multiple weeks—and fully setting up a few of them—I finally settled on MailerLite.

This isn’t a sponsored recommendation. I just want to document what I’m doing as I try to build an audience for my writing. There may be even better options out there, and if I come across one, I will switch. But for now, MailerLite checked all the boxes I cared about:

• A free entry-level plan
• A built-in (and free) autoresponder
• No overbearing marketing nonsense
• An easy-to-use dashboard

Currently, MailerLite lets you use its service for free with up to 500 subscribers. I’m nowhere near that. At the moment, my mailing list has exactly two subscribers—both from personal connections.

I expect my numbers to stay low for months, maybe even years. That’s why I wasn’t looking for a pricey provider that would charge me $20 monthly just to send an email to two people—something I could easily do manually as well. If I ever grow a real audience and start making money from my work, I’ll happily pay. But until then, I don’t want to fund my writing project with money from other projects. So free was a must.

The biggest dealbreaker with most services was their so-called “free tier.” Many offered it, but without an autoresponder. I specifically needed an autoresponder so that new subscribers would automatically receive a free book I’ve written exclusively for them, called Endless.

For example, Mailchimp doesn’t include an autoresponder unless you’re on a paid plan, even if you only have a handful of subscribers. MailerLite, fortunately, does.

Another point that mattered to me: I didn’t want to be bombarded with marketing and sales pitches the moment I signed up. The worst experience I had was with a service called Kit. On paper, it seemed perfect—free plan, autoresponder included, easy setup. I spent about an hour getting everything ready, only for them to lock my account after the setup until I scheduled a mandatory sales chat with one of their reps. My entire setup was deactivated until I listened to their pitch for a paid plan. Honestly, that was one of the most disgusting business practices I’ve ever seen. My advice: avoid Kit completely.

So far, MailerLite hasn’t annoyed me once. Setup was smooth, everything works, it just does what I need it to do, and it’s all free.

For now, if you’re starting out and looking for a mailing service for your own list, I can recommend: MailerLite