Kit (formerly ConvertKit) if you sell digital products. Beehiiv for pure newsletters chasing referral growth. MailerLite for cheap, simple broadcasts. The choice depends on whether you're monetizing the audience or just publishing.
Kit wins for creators who plan to monetize the audience — courses, digital products, paid newsletters, sponsorships. The tag-based system, built-in commerce layer, and Creator Network for cross-promotion are genuinely best-in-class. Free up to 10,000 subscribers (with one automation), then $39/month for the full Creator plan at 1,000 subscribers.
The honest caveat: Kit raised prices in September 2025. Some users now pay up to 4x more than before. If you're under 1,000 subscribers and not yet monetizing, beehiiv or MailerLite are cheaper starting points.
Best for: Creators selling digital products, courses, paid newsletters, or coaching. The commerce layer (sell directly), Creator Network (cross-promotion), and tag-based segmentation are why creators stay.
Watch out: September 2025 price increase made Kit significantly more expensive. The free tier lost basic automations in the ConvertKit→Kit rebrand. Under 1,000 subscribers, the math is hard to justify vs cheaper alternatives.
Best for: Pure newsletter creators focused on growth through referrals and monetization through ads. Native referral system, sponsor marketplace, and growing free tier are the differentiators. Cheaper than Kit at every comparable subscriber count.
Watch out: No commerce layer for selling digital products directly. Less flexible automation than Kit. If you plan to sell courses or coaching, Kit's ecosystem is better — beehiiv is for ad-monetized newsletters.
Best for: Authors, bloggers, and creators who want the cheapest tool that just works. Generous free plan (up to 1,000 subscribers, all features), simple drag-and-drop editor, decent automation. The "good enough and cheap" pick.
Watch out: Less powerful than Kit for advanced segmentation and tagging. No native commerce layer. The interface is simpler — which is good for beginners but limiting once you scale.
Best for: Writers who want to start a paid newsletter today with zero setup. Substack handles hosting, payments, and discovery. Free to start, takes 10% of paid subscriptions plus payment fees.
Watch out: You don't fully own the audience — Substack does. Migration off Substack later is painful. The 10% revenue share compounds. If you plan to build a real business, Kit gives you control Substack doesn't.
Substack and Beehiiv both grow your audience inside their platform. Kit and MailerLite let you own the audience independently. If you ever want to migrate, switch monetization, or build a non-newsletter product, the ownership question is the most important decision you'll make. Most creators we've seen switch eventually wish they'd started on a platform-independent tool.
For 5,000 subscribers, here's the actual annual cost:
The real comparison isn't monthly price — it's what you can do with the tool. Kit's commerce layer pays for itself the first time you launch a $200 course to your list. MailerLite never will. Beehiiv's referral system pays for itself if it gets you 1,000+ subscribers organically. Substack's revenue share is fine until you have meaningful revenue — then it stings.
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Kit (formerly ConvertKit) for creators selling digital products, courses, or paid newsletters. Beehiiv for pure newsletter creators focused on referral growth and ads. MailerLite if you want the cheapest option that does most of what creators need.
If you want to own your audience and have full control over branding and monetization, Kit. Substack is faster to start but you don't fully own the relationship — Substack does. For creators planning to build a long-term business, Kit's ownership model is the right call.
MailerLite at $9/month for 1,000 subscribers, or Kit's free Newsletter plan up to 10,000 subscribers (limited to 1 automation). Beehiiv free tier supports up to 2,500 subscribers with referral features built in.
Yes. In September 2025, Kit raised prices across paid plans. The Creator plan now starts at $39/month for 1,000 subscribers. Some users reported paying up to four times more than before. The free Newsletter plan also lost some automation features in the rebrand from ConvertKit.
Built for creators who plan to monetize the audience.