Business & Side Income · Topic page
Best Newsletter Platforms
Every company here was researched from its own pricing pages and terms. No paid rankings.
We check it out so you don’t have to.
How we researched this page: we read each company’s own pricing pages and terms, independent tests, and customer reviews. We did not use these products ourselves. Prices change often, so each one shows the date we checked it.
The short version
To start free and grow a creator business, Kit has the biggest free plan. To earn mainly from ads and paid subscriptions, look at beehiiv. For the cheapest paid tool, look at MailerLite. For design-heavy emails, look at Flodesk.
Quick comparison
| Company | Best for | Free plan | Paid from (about 1,000 subscribers) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kit | Creators selling products and courses | Up to 10,000 subscribers | $33/mo billed yearly (Creator) |
| beehiiv | Newsletters earning from ads and paid subs | Yes, up to 2,500 subscribers | $49/mo billed yearly (Lite, $59 monthly); $95 for Pro, checked October 26, 2026 |
| MailerLite | Lowest-cost paid plan, small businesses | Up to 250 subscribers, 2,500 emails/mo | Comfort from $12/mo; Power from $25/mo |
| Flodesk | Design-led brands, creatives | Free tools (forms and pages); sending needs a paid plan | $19/mo yearly or $25 monthly (Lite) |
| AWeber | Small businesses wanting lots of templates | Check its pricing page | $12.49/mo billed yearly (Lite) |
Kit (formerly ConvertKit)
Who it fits: Newsletter writers, YouTubers, podcasters and course creators who want to sell digital products from the same tool.
What it costs (checked October 24, 2026): Free up to 10,000 subscribers. Creator $33/mo billed yearly ($390/yr) for 1,000 subscribers. Pro is normally $66/mo yearly, with a first-year deal at $50/mo ($593 the first year).
Honest downsides: Costs climb with list size. Kit takes 3.5% + 30¢ on each product or paid-newsletter sale, card processing included. Email designs are simple.
Compare: Read our full Kit (formerly ConvertKit) review · Kit vs beehiiv
beehiiv
Who it fits: Newsletters that plan to earn from ads (it has its own ad network) or from paid subscriptions.
What it costs (checked October 26, 2026): Free up to 2,500 subscribers. Lite $49/mo billed yearly ($59 monthly). Pro $95/mo billed yearly ($109 monthly). beehiiv takes 0% of paid subscriptions; Stripe still charges 2.9% + 30¢.
Honest downsides: The paid plans cost more than Kit or MailerLite at small list sizes, and selling digital products isn’t its focus.
Compare: Read our full beehiiv review · Kit vs beehiiv
MailerLite
Who it fits: Small businesses and new newsletters that want a full toolset at the lowest paid price.
What it costs (checked October 24, 2026): Free up to 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails a month. Comfort from $12/mo. Power from $25/mo, with unlimited emails. 14-day trial of premium features with no card.
Honest downsides: The free plan dropped to 250 subscribers (it was 1,000), so most growing lists will pay sooner. New accounts go through an approval check before sending, which can slow down day one.
Vetteroo uses MailerLite for its own newsletter.
Visit MailerLite’s official site
Affiliate links. If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. How we get paid
Compare: Read our full MailerLite review
Flodesk
Who it fits: Creatives and brands who care most about beautiful email design.
What it costs (checked October 24, 2026): at 1,000 subscribers, Lite $19/mo yearly or $25 monthly. Pro $25/$28. Everything $49/$54, which adds checkout and selling.
Honest downsides: Pricing now rises with subscriber count (it used to be flat). Automation and reporting are lighter than Kit’s.
Compare: Read our full Flodesk review
AWeber
Who it fits: Small businesses that want a long-established tool with lots of templates.
What it costs (checked October 24, 2026): Lite $12.49/mo billed yearly. Plus $19.99/mo billed yearly. Prices rise by list size (Plus is $45/mo at 1,000 subscribers paid monthly). AWeber also sells a done-for-you setup for $79.
Honest downsides: The interface feels older than newer rivals. Prices climb steeply with list size.
Compare: Read our full AWeber review
Also worth knowing
- Substack: free to start; Substack takes a 10% cut of paid subscriptions.
- Ghost(Pro): from $18/mo billed yearly (Starter), with 0% taken from paid subscriptions.
Side-by-side pages
The match-ups people search for most in this topic:
Sources
Disclosure: Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend things we believe are useful. Read our full disclosure.