Best Free Newsletters: 15 Must-Read Newsletters That Cost Nothing in 2026

TLDR is the daily tech newsletter trusted by over 1 million software engineers and tech workers. Every morning, you get a concise digest of the most important stories in tech, startups, and programming — all summarized in byte-sized paragraphs you can read in 5 minutes. Completely free, no premium tier to upsell you.

All your news, none of the bias. 1440 scours over 100 sources to provide a fact-based daily digest that covers science, politics, business, culture, and technology without any editorial spin. Named after the number of minutes in a day, it respects yours by delivering everything you need in a 5-minute read.

Morning Brew is the daily email that makes reading business news actually enjoyable. Trusted by 4+ million professionals, it delivers the latest in business, tech, and finance in a witty, conversational tone you can read in 5 minutes. It's the newsletter that proved business news doesn't have to be boring.

Smart business news for the bold and brilliant. The Hustle delivers the day's biggest stories in business, tech, and culture with an edge that keeps you coming back. Now part of HubSpot, it's maintained its voice while expanding its reporting depth.

Curated by Andrew Ng — one of the most influential figures in AI — The Batch provides authoritative weekly summaries of the most significant AI developments. Each issue covers breakthroughs in research, practical applications, and the societal impact of artificial intelligence.

Get smarter on AI in 5 minutes. The Rundown AI has become one of the fastest-growing AI newsletters by delivering daily news, tool reviews, and strategies in a format that respects your time. Rowan Cheung curates the day's most important AI developments and explains why they matter.

The longest-running JavaScript newsletter and still the gold standard. Every Friday, JavaScript Weekly delivers a curated roundup of the most important JS news, tutorials, and tools. From React and Node.js updates to new frameworks and browser APIs — all completely free.

The day's most fascinating news, curated by a human who actually reads everything. Dave Pell calls himself 'Managing Editor of the Internet,' and he earns that title daily by hand-selecting the 10 most important, interesting, and unexpected stories from across the web.

The most powerful newsletter in Washington. Politico Playbook delivers the daily 'inside baseball' of American politics — who's up, who's down, and what deals are being cut. It's read by every major political figure in D.C. before their first meeting.

Harry Dry breaks down real-world marketing into beautiful, snackable case studies. Each issue features visual breakdowns of what makes great copy, landing pages, and campaigns work. It's like getting a masterclass in conversion optimization and copywriting every week.

Demand Curve shares the same growth tactics they use to help thousands of startups scale. Each issue features proven acquisition strategies, conversion optimization tips, and real campaign breakdowns. It's the playbook for growing your startup, delivered weekly.

Nature Briefing is the daily email from the world's most prestigious scientific journal. Each morning, it curates the most important stories in science — from breakthrough research papers to science policy developments. The gold standard for science newsletters.

Every Thursday, James Clear (author of Atomic Habits) sends 3 ideas from him, 2 quotes from others, and 1 question for you. It's a weekly dose of wisdom that takes 3 minutes to read but stays with you for days. With millions of subscribers, it's one of the most popular newsletters in the world.

Five best design links, every day. Sidebar is the minimalist's dream newsletter — a daily dose of the most important design articles, tools, and inspiration curated by two of the industry's most respected voices. No fluff, no sponsored content, just pure signal.

The definitive weekly newsletter for the DevOps movement. Gareth Rushgrove curates the best articles on infrastructure, deployment, monitoring, and everything in between. Running since 2010, it's one of the most established and trusted newsletters in the space.