The daily limit for sending emails from a free Gmail account is 500 messages in a 24-hour period.
Google applies this limit to personal Gmail accounts to reduce spam and abuse. The restriction is generally understood as a rolling 24-hour limit rather than a counter that resets at midnight. Gmail may also block sending when a single message is addressed to more than 500 recipients.
The number is easy to confuse with Google Workspace limits, which vary by account type and subscription. Sending through an email client can also have different restrictions from sending through Gmail’s web interface. Google may impose lower limits temporarily on new accounts or accounts showing unusual sending behavior.
Gmail launched in 2004 with much larger storage than many competing free services. Its generous storage does not mean it is designed for bulk mailing: newsletters and mass campaigns should use a dedicated email service instead of a personal Gmail account.