Best software · Marketing
9 Best Newsletter Platforms of 2026
This list is for writers, creators and companies who publish an email newsletter, free or paid, and want to know which platform fits their audience and revenue plans. We compared documented features and published prices for 9 platforms, from publishing networks such as Substack and Ghost to email tools such as MailerLite and EmailOctopus. Scores weigh features at 40%, ease of use at 30% and value at 30%. Prices are the vendors' own US dollar figures where the page showed them; two vendors are marked as pending because their pricing pages did not show a usable USD figure when we checked.
By the Mojolin research desk · Updated November 9, 2026 · 9 tools compared · Prices checked on vendor pages, latest November 9, 2026
Questions or corrections: editorial@mojolin.com
Mojolin is self-funded How we score
beehiiv is our top pick: the free plan covers 2,500 subscribers, and Lite at $49 a month billed yearly adds paid subscriptions with a 0% take rate, an ad network and automations. Kit is the best choice for creators who sell, with a free plan up to 10,000 subscribers that already handles digital products and subscriptions. Ghost is the pick for publishers who want an owned website and 0% transaction fees from $29 a month, and Substack is the easiest free start if you accept a 10% share of paid revenue. Companies sending a marketing newsletter will get the most value from MailerLite or EmailOctopus.
Top picks
Best overall
beehiiv
9.0 / 10
Writers and media brands who want to grow a newsletter fast and earn from both paid subscriptions and ads.
Read the review →Runner-up
Kit
8.7 / 10
Creators who sell courses, products or paid newsletters and need automated email sequences behind them.
Read the review →Also great
Ghost
8.6 / 10
Independent publishers and small newsrooms who want their own branded site with paid memberships and no transaction fees.
Read the review →Comparison table
| # | Tool | Pricing | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | beehiiv | Writers and media brands who want to grow a newsletter fast and earn from both paid subscriptions and ads. | Free plan up to 2,500 subscribers; Lite from $49 per month and Pro from $95 per month billed yearly, quoted for 1,000 subscribers | 9.0 |
| 2 | Kit | Creators who sell courses, products or paid newsletters and need automated email sequences behind them. | Free plan up to 10,000 subscribers; Creator from $33 per month billed yearly for 1,000 subscribers | 8.7 |
| 3 | Ghost | Independent publishers and small newsrooms who want their own branded site with paid memberships and no transaction fees. | Starter from $18 per month and Publisher from $29 per month billed yearly, for up to 1,000 members | 8.6 |
| 4 |  MailerLite | Companies and solo marketers who send a regular newsletter and want automations at a low monthly price. | Free plan up to 250 subscribers; Comfort from $12 per month and Power from $25 per month, priced by subscriber count | 8.6 |
| 5 |  Substack | Writers who want to start publishing for free and reach readers through Substack's own app and network. | Free to publish; Substack keeps 10% of paid subscription revenue, and writers also pay card fees | 8.5 |
| 6 |  Buttondown | Writers and developers who want a simple, privacy-focused newsletter and only pay for the features they use. | See vendor pricing (USD check pending) | 8.3 |
| 7 |  EmailOctopus | Small teams, nonprofits and hobby newsletters that need a free or very cheap sender for a growing list. | Free plan up to 2,500 subscribers; Pro from $9 per month billed yearly | 8.1 |
| 8 |  Flodesk | Small brands and creators who want polished, on-brand emails and simple selling without technical setup. | Free plan for forms and pages only; Lite from $19 per month billed yearly or $25 monthly, for up to 1,000 subscribers | 8.0 |
| 9 |  Mailchimp | Companies already using Mailchimp for marketing that want to send a newsletter from the same account. | See vendor pricing (USD check pending) | 7.5 |
Scoring weights
Every tool gets three editorial scores out of 10, from vendor documentation, product pages and the published price. The overall score is the weighted average below, the same method on every list. Full method
The full ranking
Rank 1 · Best overall
beehiiv
A newsletter platform with a website, paid subscriptions, an ad network, a recommendation network and podcast hosting in one account.
beehiiv.com9.0
out of 10
Best for: Writers and media brands who want to grow a newsletter fast and earn from both paid subscriptions and ads.
beehiiv is built around growing and monetizing a newsletter, and it shows in the plan sheet. The free plan already includes unlimited sends, landing pages, the recommendation network and API access for up to 2,500 subscribers. Lite, at $49 a month billed yearly for 1,000 subscribers, switches on paid subscriptions with a 0% take rate, the beehiiv ad network, automations, polls and A/B testing, and raises the cap to 100,000 subscribers.
Pro at $95 a month removes beehiiv branding and adds advanced analytics, webhooks, dynamic content and 24/7 priority support, with room for 250,000 subscribers and 10 publications. Enterprise adds SSO, dedicated IPs and a customer success manager. The tradeoff is cost at the low end: a writer who only wants to charge a few hundred readers will pay more here than on Substack or Ghost Publisher. For anyone treating a newsletter as a business with ad and subscription revenue, beehiiv has the deepest toolkit on this list.
Standout feature
Paid subscriptions carry a 0% take rate, so only Stripe's fee comes out of revenue.
Use cases
Independent writers
Launch a paid tier alongside a free newsletter
Outcome: Subscription revenue without a platform cut
Media brands
Run several publications from one workspace
Outcome: Shared tooling across titles
Growing newsletters
Earn from ad placements through the ad network
Outcome: A second revenue stream beside subscriptions
Key features
- Free plan with unlimited email sends for up to 2,500 subscribers
- Paid subscriptions with a 0% take rate on Lite and above
- Ad network monetization, automations, polls and A/B testing on Lite
- Recommendation network, landing pages and API access on every plan
- Pro adds branding removal, advanced analytics, webhooks and dynamic content
Pros
- beehiiv takes 0% of paid subscription and digital product revenue
- Growth tools such as recommendations and a referral program are built in
- One account covers newsletter, website, podcast and digital products
Cons
- Paid subscriptions and the ad network start on Lite at $49 a month billed yearly
- beehiiv branding stays on until the Pro plan
- The free plan keeps only a 30 day analytics lookback
Rank 2 · Runner-up
Kit
An email platform for creators, formerly ConvertKit, with newsletters, visual automations and digital product sales.
kit.com8.7
out of 10
Best for: Creators who sell courses, products or paid newsletters and need automated email sequences behind them.
Kit is the best fit for creators whose newsletter feeds a business of courses, products or memberships. The free plan is unusually generous: up to 10,000 subscribers, unlimited landing pages, forms and broadcasts, tagging and segmentation, and the ability to sell digital products and subscriptions. That makes it a credible place to start a paid newsletter without a monthly bill.
Creator, at $33 a month billed yearly for 1,000 subscribers, is where Kit earns its reputation, with unlimited visual automations and sequences, SMS marketing, RSS campaigns, polls, branding removal and 24/7 support. Pro adds Subscriber Signals, engagement scoring, deliverability reporting, collaborative editing and a newsletter referral system. Kit lacks beehiiv's ad network and Ghost's full publishing website, so it fits creators who want email to drive sales rather than publishers who want a media site.
Standout feature
The free plan covers 10,000 subscribers and includes digital product and subscription sales.
Use cases
Course creators
Run a launch sequence that ends in a sales page
Outcome: Automated sales from the newsletter
Authors
Sell a paid newsletter tier from the free plan
Outcome: Recurring revenue without a monthly fee
Podcasters
Send new episodes to subscribers through RSS campaigns
Outcome: Regular emails with no manual work
Key features
- Free plan up to 10,000 subscribers with unlimited landing pages, forms and broadcasts
- Sell digital products and subscriptions from the free plan
- Unlimited visual automations and email sequences on Creator
- SMS marketing, RSS campaigns and polls on Creator
- Pro adds deliverability reporting, engagement scoring and a newsletter referral system
Pros
- The most generous free plan here at 10,000 subscribers
- Product and subscription sales work without a paid plan
- Visual automations suit creators with funnels and launches
Cons
- Automations and sequences need the $33 Creator plan
- Deliverability reporting and the referral system are Pro features
- No ad network for newsletter monetization
Rank 3 · Also great
Ghost
An open source publishing platform that combines a website, email newsletter and paid memberships, offered as managed Ghost(Pro) hosting.
ghost.org8.6
out of 10
Best for: Independent publishers and small newsrooms who want their own branded site with paid memberships and no transaction fees.
Ghost suits writers and small teams who want a real publication: their own domain, theme and member database, with newsletters and paid tiers built in. Ghost(Pro) Starter costs $18 a month billed yearly for up to 1,000 members and covers a website, custom domain and email newsletter with simple design settings, but it does not include paid subscriptions.
The plan most paid publishers need is Publisher at $29 a month billed yearly, which adds paid subscriptions, custom themes, 3 staff users, 8,000+ integrations and advanced analytics. Ghost charges no transaction fees on subscription payments, so at scale it can cost far less than a percentage-based platform. Business at $199 a month adds 15 staff users and priority support, and Custom plans add a dedicated IP. The catch is effort: Ghost asks for more decisions about design and integrations than Substack, and its discovery network is smaller than beehiiv's or Substack's.
Standout feature
Ghost takes 0% of paid subscription revenue on Publisher and above.
Use cases
Independent journalists
Publish a site with free and paid member tiers
Outcome: Subscription income with no platform cut
Small newsrooms
Give 3 to 15 staff users publishing access
Outcome: A shared publication under one brand
Bloggers
Move an existing blog and email list to one platform
Outcome: Website and newsletter managed together
Key features
- Website, email newsletter and membership signups in one product
- Paid subscriptions with 0% transaction fees from Ghost on Publisher and above
- Custom themes, 3 staff users and 8,000+ integrations on Publisher
- Whitelabel branding on every plan, with a free custom domain
- Business plan with 15 staff users, priority support and higher limits
Pros
- Ghost takes no cut of subscription revenue, only payment processor fees apply
- Full website and publication branding rather than a profile page
- Open source software that can also be self-hosted
Cons
- Paid subscriptions are not included on the $18 Starter plan
- No permanent free hosted plan, only a 14 day trial
- More setup than Substack for themes, domains and integrations
Rank 4
MailerLite
An affordable email marketing platform with newsletters, automations, landing pages and a website builder.
mailerlite.com8.6
out of 10
Best for: Companies and solo marketers who send a regular newsletter and want automations at a low monthly price.
MailerLite is the value pick for companies whose newsletter supports a product or service rather than being the product. The free plan includes campaigns, automations, a website, a landing page, signup forms and all three email editors, capped at 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails a month. Comfort, from $12 a month, adds unlimited templates, dynamic emails, campaign auto-resend, multivariate testing, a preference center, an AI writing assistant and smart sending.
Power, from $25 a month, removes limits on seats and automations and adds 24/7 live chat support. Compared with beehiiv, Ghost or Substack, MailerLite has no publisher network, ad marketplace or membership website focus, so independent writers who want to charge readers will find better homes above. For a business sending a weekly update, product news or a content digest to thousands of contacts, it delivers solid tooling for the lowest bill among full email platforms here.
Standout feature
Automations, a website and a landing page are included on the free plan.
Use cases
Small businesses
Send a weekly product and content newsletter
Outcome: Regular contact with customers at low cost
Marketing teams
Test subject lines with multivariate testing
Outcome: Better open rates over time
Consultants
Pair a newsletter with a landing page and signup form
Outcome: List growth from one account
Key features
- Free plan with 250 subscribers and 2,500 monthly emails
- Drag and drop, custom HTML and simple email editors on every plan
- Automations, a website, a landing page and signup forms on the free plan
- Dynamic emails, campaign auto-resend and multivariate testing on Comfort
- Preference center and AI writing assistant on Comfort
Pros
- Low entry price with automations included
- Three editors suit both designers and plain-text writers
- Website and landing pages live in the same account
Cons
- The free plan stops at 250 subscribers
- Built for marketing newsletters rather than paid publications
- 24/7 live chat support starts on the Power plan
Rank 5
Substack
A free publishing network for newsletters, podcasts and video that earns a share of paid subscription revenue.
substack.com8.5
out of 10
Best for: Writers who want to start publishing for free and reach readers through Substack's own app and network.
Substack is the easiest way to start a newsletter and turn on paid subscriptions. Publishing is free, and the platform includes free and paid posts, trials, gifting, group plans, podcast hosting with private feeds, video, chat and comments. Its app and discovery features also put publications in front of existing Substack readers, which the email tools on this list cannot match.
The cost is a revenue share: Substack's own page states that writers keep 90% of their revenue minus credit card fees. For a small paid list that is cheaper than any monthly plan, but at a few thousand paying readers a flat-fee platform such as Ghost or beehiiv will usually cost less. Substack also offers little in the way of automations, segmentation or custom design, and your publication lives inside Substack's brand. You can export your content and subscriber list, so moving later is possible.
Standout feature
It costs nothing to publish, and Substack earns only when writers earn.
Use cases
First-time writers
Start a free newsletter without setup costs
Outcome: Publishing in minutes
Writers going paid
Add a paid tier with trials and gifting
Outcome: Subscription income with no monthly bill
Podcasters
Offer paid subscribers a private podcast feed
Outcome: Bonus episodes as a paid perk
Key features
- Free and paid posts, subscriptions, trials, gifting and group plans
- Podcast hosting with private feeds for paid subscribers
- Substack app and discovery features that surface publications to readers
- Chat, comments and direct messages for reader community
- Subscriber list and content export at any time
Pros
- No monthly fee, so a newsletter costs nothing until it earns
- Fastest setup on this list with no design or tech work
- Built-in reader network and app help new writers find an audience
Cons
- Substack keeps 10% of paid revenue, which grows with your income
- Less control over site design and branding than Ghost
- No automations or segmentation comparable to Kit or beehiiv
Rank 6
Buttondown
A lightweight, privacy-first newsletter tool with a Markdown editor and add-ons for paid subscriptions, analytics and automations.
buttondown.com8.3
out of 10
Best for: Writers and developers who want a simple, privacy-focused newsletter and only pay for the features they use.
Buttondown is a small, independent newsletter tool that appeals to writers who value simplicity and privacy. Every account gets a rich text or Markdown editor, sending from a custom domain and hosted archives, and the first 100 subscribers cost nothing. Features are sold as add-ons: paid subscriptions, tagging and segmentation, analytics, comments and surveys, RSS-to-email and email attachments at $9 a month each, and sponsorships, automations, multiple newsletters and archives on a custom domain at $29 a month each.
Paid subscriptions support name-your-price and free tiers, and Buttondown says it does not charge extra for paid subscribers. Pricing covers active subscribers only, and assumes no more than one email a day to the full list. The modular model can be cheap for a plain newsletter but adds up once you need several add-ons, and there is no discovery network to help with growth. The base subscriber price did not show in USD in the page we fetched, so it is marked pending.
Standout feature
Features are priced as add-ons, so a plain newsletter stays inexpensive.
Use cases
Developers
Write issues in Markdown and send from a custom domain
Outcome: A simple technical newsletter
Independent writers
Add paid subscriptions with name-your-price tiers
Outcome: Reader-funded writing without a revenue cut
Bloggers
Turn an RSS feed into email with the RSS add-on
Outcome: Automatic issues from new posts
Key features
- Rich text or Markdown editor
- Send from a custom domain with hosted newsletter archives
- Paid subscriptions with name-your-price and free tiers as an add-on
- Add-ons for tagging, analytics, RSS-to-email, sponsorships and automations
- Charges for active subscribers rather than all contacts
Pros
- Free for the first 100 subscribers
- Buttondown does not charge extra for paid subscribers
- Modular add-ons keep the bill tied to features you use
Cons
- Most features beyond basic sending are paid add-ons
- Prices assume at most one email a day to the whole list
- No built-in reader network or ad marketplace
Rank 7
EmailOctopus
A low-cost email marketing tool with a drag and drop builder, templates, automations and landing pages.
emailoctopus.com8.1
out of 10
Best for: Small teams, nonprofits and hobby newsletters that need a free or very cheap sender for a growing list.
EmailOctopus is the budget choice for free newsletters that do not need paid tiers. The free Starter plan covers 2,500 subscribers and 10,000 emails a month, with one landing page and one form, though emails carry EmailOctopus branding and reports last 30 days. Pro starts at $9 a month billed yearly and adds full design control, unlimited landing pages and forms, unlimited users and reports that never expire.
The editor supports drag and drop or custom HTML with more than 100 mobile-friendly templates, and automations and merge-tag personalization are available. Nonprofits get a 20% lifetime discount, and plans upgrade automatically as the list grows. EmailOctopus has no paid subscription, membership or publication website features, so writers who want reader revenue should look elsewhere. For a company update, community digest or club newsletter, it is the cheapest credible paid option here.
Standout feature
Pro starts at $9 a month billed yearly, the lowest paid price here.
Use cases
Nonprofits
Send a monthly supporter newsletter
Outcome: Low cost with a 20% discount
Community groups
Email event updates to a few thousand members
Outcome: Regular contact on the free plan
Small teams
Share a company newsletter with several users
Outcome: Unlimited users on Pro
Key features
- Free Starter plan with 2,500 subscribers and 10,000 emails a month
- Drag and drop builder or custom HTML with 100+ templates
- Automations and personalization with merge tags
- Unlimited landing pages, forms and users on Pro
- 20% lifetime discount for nonprofits
Pros
- Cheapest paid plan on this list at $9 a month billed yearly
- Free plan covers 2,500 subscribers
- Pro removes branding and keeps reports forever
Cons
- No paid subscriptions or membership features
- Free plan shows EmailOctopus branding and keeps reports for 30 days
- No free trial of Pro, only the free plan
Rank 8
Flodesk
A design-focused email platform with templates, workflows, checkouts and unlimited sends on every paid plan.
flodesk.com8.0
out of 10
Best for: Small brands and creators who want polished, on-brand emails and simple selling without technical setup.
Flodesk is built for people who care how their emails look and do not want to wrestle with a template editor. Every paid plan includes unlimited sends priced by active subscribers. Lite costs $25 a month, or $19 a month billed yearly, for up to 1,000 subscribers and covers designer templates, analytics and segmentation, with one workflow automation and a 25,000 subscriber cap.
Pro, at $28 a month or $25 billed yearly, adds unlimited workflows, advanced analytics, footer control and one checkout. Everything, at $54 a month or $49 billed yearly, adds unlimited checkouts, sales pages, payment plans, subscriptions, abandoned cart automations and discount codes. The free plan builds forms, landing pages and link-in-bio pages but does not send email, so it is a list-building starter rather than a newsletter plan. Flodesk has no publication website, reader network or ad marketplace, which keeps it behind the publisher tools above.
Standout feature
Every paid plan includes unlimited email sends.
Use cases
Lifestyle brands
Send image-rich newsletters from designer templates
Outcome: On-brand emails without a designer
Coaches
Sell a program through a checkout and sales page
Outcome: Payments and email in one tool
Small shops
Recover abandoned carts with an automation
Outcome: More completed purchases
Key features
- Unlimited email sends on every paid plan
- Designer templates, analytics and segmentation on Lite
- Unlimited workflow automations and 1 checkout on Pro
- Sales pages, payment plans, subscriptions and abandoned cart flows on Everything
- Free plan for forms, landing pages and link-in-bio pages
Pros
- Strong templates make branded emails quick to build
- Pricing is by active subscribers with unlimited sends
- Selling tools are built in on the Everything plan
Cons
- The free plan cannot send email
- Lite allows only 1 workflow automation
- Subscriptions and multiple checkouts need the $49 Everything plan
Rank 9
Mailchimp
A widely used email marketing platform owned by Intuit, with campaigns, automation flows and audience tools.
mailchimp.com7.5
out of 10
Best for: Companies already using Mailchimp for marketing that want to send a newsletter from the same account.
Mailchimp is a full marketing suite, and its newsletter features make the most sense for companies already running campaigns there. The free plan covers 250 contacts with a cap of 500 sends a month or 250 a day, one seat and one audience. Essentials allows sends up to 10 times your contact count and 3 seats, but automation flows are limited to 4 steps.
Standard, which has a 14 day free trial, raises sends to 12 times contacts, adds generative AI features, multivariate and A/B testing and up to 200 flows, and Premium adds unlimited seats and audiences. Pricing in our fetch showed introductory rates for 12 months, and the USD figure did not load reliably, so we marked it pending. For writers publishing a newsletter as their main product, Mailchimp lacks paid subscriptions, a publication website and a reader network, and the send limits tied to contacts can bite on daily newsletters.
Standout feature
The free plan includes 250 contacts and access to Mailchimp's marketing tools.
Use cases
Marketing teams
Send a monthly newsletter alongside promotional campaigns
Outcome: One tool for all email
Ecommerce brands
Combine a newsletter with automated flows
Outcome: Repeat purchases from subscribers
Small businesses
Start free with up to 250 contacts
Outcome: A no-cost first newsletter
Key features
- Free plan with up to 250 contacts
- Marketing automation flows, up to 200 flows on higher plans
- Multivariate and A/B testing on Standard and Premium
- Generative AI features on Standard and Premium
- Popup forms and predictive segmentation on upper plans
Pros
- Familiar tool with a large integration ecosystem
- 14 day free trial of the Standard plan
- Strong automation and testing on Standard and Premium
Cons
- The free plan allows only 500 sends a month and 1 seat
- Essentials limits flows to 4 steps
- No paid subscription or publication features for newsletter writers
Frequently asked questions
+What is the best newsletter platform in 2026?
beehiiv is our top pick for most publishers because it combines a free plan for 2,500 subscribers with paid subscriptions at a 0% take rate and a built-in ad network from $49 a month billed yearly. Kit is better for creators who sell products, and Ghost is the best choice for an owned publication website.
+Which newsletter platform is cheapest?
Substack costs nothing to publish but keeps 10% of paid subscription revenue. Among monthly plans, EmailOctopus Pro is the cheapest at $9 a month billed yearly, followed by MailerLite Comfort from $12 a month and Ghost Starter at $18 a month billed yearly. beehiiv, Kit, MailerLite, EmailOctopus, Buttondown and Mailchimp also have free plans.
+Is Substack or beehiiv better for a paid newsletter?
Substack is better for starting out, because it is free and includes a reader network, but it keeps 10% of paid revenue. beehiiv charges a monthly fee from $49 billed yearly on Lite and takes 0% of paid subscriptions, so it usually costs less once paid revenue grows.
+Which platforms take no cut of paid subscriptions?
beehiiv takes 0% of paid subscription and digital product revenue, Ghost charges no transaction fees on Publisher and above, and Buttondown says it does not charge extra for paid subscribers. Payment processor fees such as Stripe's still apply on all of them.
+Can I run a newsletter for free?
Yes. Substack is free to publish, Kit's free plan covers up to 10,000 subscribers, beehiiv's covers 2,500, EmailOctopus covers 2,500 subscribers with 10,000 emails a month, and Buttondown is free for the first 100 subscribers.
+How did you score these platforms?
Scores are editorial assessments based on documented features, published pricing and vendor documentation, weighted 40% features, 30% ease of use and 30% value. We compared documented features and published prices and did not run hands-on tests. Prices were checked on each vendor's site on November 9, 2026.
About this list
Updated November 9, 2026 by the Mojolin research desk. Mojolin is self-funded
Questions or corrections: editorial@mojolin.com
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