Kit (formerly ConvertKit) is the platform I recommend to newsletter writers who want to own their list and sell their own stuff. Forms, landing pages, automations, paid newsletters — no marketing team required.
Start Free with Kit →Forms, tags and broadcasts all revolve around people, so a growing newsletter stays manageable instead of turning into campaign chaos.
Signup pages and forms without a developer. Kit hosts them for free, so you don't need a separate website to start.
Welcome sequences and tag-based emails, built with a simple visual editor. Set them once and they run on their own.
Sell digital products, subscriptions and paid newsletters directly to the people who already follow you.
Mailchimp is built for campaigns and stores. Kit is built for creators. The pricing and the mental model differ more than people expect.
Beehiiv sells growth mechanics. Kit sells ownership. Which stage of your newsletter matches which tool.
Substack gives you discovery and takes a cut. Kit gives you the whole list and keeps the revenue math simple. The real trade-off.
| Plan | Price | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Free (Newsletters) | $0 | Up to 10,000 subscribers, unlimited sending |
| Creator | $33/mo ($390/yr) | Automations, products, paid newsletters |
| Pro | $66/mo ($790/yr) | Multiple sites, advanced reporting |
These are the prices I saw in August 2026. Kit changes them occasionally, so check the official pricing page before you commit. Annual billing saves roughly 17%.
Pros: flat pricing that doesn't jump when your list grows; a free plan covering up to 10,000 subscribers; built-in selling; your list exports cleanly whenever you want to leave.
Cons: small template library; A/B testing only on paid tiers; a holding period before paid-newsletter payouts; fewer third-party integrations than Mailchimp's marketplace.
I registered a free Kit account and clicked around the dashboard. The sequence editor is plain and fast: subject line, schedule, text editor, done. Visual automations ship with ready-made templates (Typeform follow-ups, course upsells, Shopify abandoned checkout), which saves a lot of setup. The newsletter site builder offers starting templates in a few clicks. Nothing here needs a marketing team.
No. Kit includes free landing pages and forms, so you can collect subscribers with nothing but a Kit account.
Yes — the Newsletters plan is free for up to 10,000 subscribers with unlimited sending.
Yes. Kit handles paid newsletters and digital products, including the payments (fees apply).