Newsletter LedgerFree newsletter platforms: how far each free plan goes
Five of the six platforms we track have a free plan, but the limits differ a lot: from 100 subscribers on Buttondown to no limit at all on Substack. Only Substack and Kit let you charge readers without paying for a plan. Prices checked .
Every free plan side by side
| Platform | Free up to | Sell paid subscriptions? | Fee on paid revenue | Once you outgrow it (free newsletter) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Substack Substack (no plan fee) | No limit | Yes | 10% | Stays $0 |
| Kit Free | 10,000 subscribers | Yes | 0.6% | $165.83/mo at 25,000 subscribers * Creator |
| beehiiv Free | 2,500 subscribers | No | n/a | $95.00/mo at 5,000 subscribers Lite |
| MailerLite Free | 250 subscribers | No | n/a | $10.80/mo at 500 subscribers Comfort |
| Buttondown Standard | 100 subscribers | Only with the $9/month add-on | 0% | $9.00/mo at 500 subscribers Standard |
US dollars. "Fee on paid revenue" is the platform's own cut, before Stripe's 2.9% + $0.30 per card charge. "Once you outgrow it" is the cheapest plan at the next common list size, billed yearly where offered. * = includes a figure not yet confirmed on the vendor's own page. No free plan: Ghost (Pro).
Disclosure: links to platforms go through /go/ redirects. Some are affiliate links (currently beehiiv, Systeme.io and Buttondown): if you sign up and pay, we may earn a commission at no cost to you. That never changes the numbers or the order of results. Full disclosure.
Visit Substack (opens in a new tab) · Visit Kit (opens in a new tab) · Visit beehiiv (opens in a new tab) · Visit MailerLite (opens in a new tab) · Visit Buttondown (opens in a new tab)
Which free plan fits
- A free newsletter you expect to grow large: Substack never charges a plan price. Kit Free covers you to 10,000 subscribers.
- You want to charge readers from day one without a plan price: Kit Free (0.6% fee) or Substack (10% fee). On a paid newsletter the 10% adds up quickly; see the Substack break-even calculator.
- You want beehiiv's growth tools later: beehiiv Free covers 2,500 subscribers; selling subscriptions starts on Lite (beehiiv pricing).
- You need funnels or courses too: Systeme.io has a free plan priced by contacts rather than subscribers; see Systeme.io pricing.
Free is not always cheapest once readers pay
With 5,000 subscribers and 5% paying $8/month, the cheapest platform in our data costs $145.00 a month, while Substack's free plan costs $333.00 in fees. The cheapest platform by list size page has the full table.
Questions
Which newsletter platform is free with the most subscribers?
Substack has no subscriber limit and no plan price. Among platforms with a plan price, Kit's Free plan goes furthest, to 10,000 subscribers, then beehiiv Free at 2,500.
Can I charge readers on a free plan?
On Substack and on Kit Free, yes. Substack keeps 10% of subscription revenue; Kit takes 0.6% on top of card processing. beehiiv, MailerLite and Buttondown need a paid plan or add-on before readers can pay.
Is Ghost free?
Ghost(Pro), the hosted version priced in our data, has no free plan. Self-hosting Ghost's open-source software is free but needs your own server, which we do not cover.
Free plans also limit features (automations, custom domains, branding). This page covers subscriber limits and price only; check each official page for features. See the methodology.