Newsletter LedgerKit (ConvertKit) alternatives: what costs less at your size
Under 10,000 subscribers Kit is the cheapest platform in our data for both free and paid newsletters, because its Free plan covers that size and sells subscriptions. Above 10,000 you need Kit Creator, and for a paid newsletter MailerLite Comfort and beehiiv Lite cost less in our example. Kit's Creator prices above 3,000 subscribers are not yet confirmed on Kit's own page, so those figures carry a *. Prices checked .
Paid newsletter: monthly cost next to Kit
| Platform | 1,000 subscribers | 5,000 subscribers | 10,000 subscribers | 25,000 subscribers | 50,000 subscribers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kit (for reference) | $29.00 cheapest Free | $145.00 cheapest Free | $290.00 cheapest Free | $890.83 * Creator | $1,829.00 * Creator |
| MailerLite | $43.70 Comfort | $177.10 Comfort | $346.10 Comfort | $826.10 Comfort | $1,617.10 Comfort |
| Buttondown | $44.60 Standard | $171.00 Standard | $354.00 Standard | n/a no self-serve price | n/a no self-serve price |
| Ghost (Pro) | $55.60 Publisher | $196.00 * Publisher | $354.00 * Publisher | $806.00 * cheapest Publisher | $1,538.00 * cheapest Publisher |
| beehiiv | $75.60 Lite | $228.00 Lite | $385.00 Lite | $834.00 Lite | $1,579.00 Lite |
| Substack | $66.60 Substack (no plan fee) | $333.00 Substack (no plan fee) | $666.00 Substack (no plan fee) | $1,665.00 Substack (no plan fee) | $3,330.00 Substack (no plan fee) |
Per month, US dollars, billed yearly where the platform offers it, otherwise month-to-month. 5% of the list pays $8/month; plan, platform fee and Stripe's card fees included. * = includes a figure not yet confirmed on the vendor's own page. "n/a" = no self-serve price in our data at that size.
Free newsletter: monthly cost next to Kit
| Platform | 1,000 subscribers | 5,000 subscribers | 10,000 subscribers | 25,000 subscribers | 50,000 subscribers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kit (for reference) | $0.00 cheapest Free | $0.00 cheapest Free | $0.00 cheapest Free | $165.83 * Creator | $379.00 * Creator |
| MailerLite | $17.10 Comfort | $44.10 Comfort | $80.10 Comfort | $161.10 Comfort | $287.10 Comfort |
| Buttondown | $9.00 Standard | $29.00 Standard | $79.00 Standard | n/a no self-serve price | n/a no self-serve price |
| Ghost (Pro) | $18.00 Starter | $63.00 * Publisher | $88.00 * Publisher | $141.00 * Publisher | $208.00 * Publisher |
| beehiiv | $0.00 cheapest Free | $95.00 Lite | $119.00 Lite | $169.00 Lite | $249.00 Lite |
| Substack | $0.00 cheapest Substack (no plan fee) | $0.00 cheapest Substack (no plan fee) | $0.00 cheapest Substack (no plan fee) | $0.00 cheapest Substack (no plan fee) | $0.00 cheapest Substack (no plan fee) |
Per month, US dollars, billed yearly where the platform offers it, otherwise month-to-month. Plan price only. * = includes a figure not yet confirmed on the vendor's own page. "n/a" = no self-serve price in our data at that size.
Try your own list size, price and share of paying readers in the cost calculator.
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.
The alternatives, from their own pages
MailerLite
- Free plan up to 250 subscribers, without paid newsletters.
- Comfort is priced by list size and sells paid subscriptions with 0% commission; only Stripe fees apply.
- Paying yearly saves 10%.
- A general email marketing tool, not only a newsletter platform.
Visit MailerLite (opens in a new tab)
Official pricing source (checked 2026-10-19)
Buttondown
- Free for the first 100 subscribers, then priced by list size: $9/month to 1,000, $29 to 5,000, $79 to 10,000 and $139 to 20,000.
- Paid subscriptions are a +$9/month add-on, and Buttondown says "You keep all of the money you make after credit card fees."
- No yearly price found, so our figures are month-to-month.
Visit Buttondown (opens in a new tab)
Official pricing source (checked 2026-10-19)
Ghost (Pro)
- Ghost(Pro) has no free plan. Starter is $18/month billed yearly and cannot sell subscriptions.
- Publisher, the cheapest plan with paid subscriptions, is $29/month billed yearly at 1,000 members. Prices for larger lists sit behind a slider we could not read, so those figures are not yet confirmed.
- No transaction fees from Ghost on subscriptions; payment processor fees still apply.
Visit Ghost (Pro) (opens in a new tab)
Official pricing source (checked 2026-10-19)
beehiiv
- Free plan up to 2,500 subscribers, without paid subscriptions.
- Lite is the cheapest plan that sells subscriptions, priced by list size.
- Takes 0% of paid subscription revenue; you pay only Stripe.
- Lite includes the referral program and the ad network, up to 10 live automations and one paid tier.
Visit beehiiv (opens in a new tab)
Official pricing source (checked 2026-10-19)
Substack
- Free to publish at any list size: there is no plan price.
- Keeps 10% of paid subscription revenue, on top of Stripe's 2.9% + $0.30 per card charge. Its help center also lists Stripe Billing at 0.7% of recurring payments.
- A custom domain is an optional one-time $50.
Visit Substack (opens in a new tab)
Official pricing source (checked 2026-10-19)
When Kit is still the better deal
- Any list under 10,000 subscribers. Kit Free is $0, paid subscriptions included, with a 0.6% fee on top of card processing.
- Automations and landing pages. Kit is built for creators who sell through email sequences, not only a weekly newsletter.
Questions
Is there anything cheaper than Kit?
Under 10,000 subscribers, rarely: Kit's Free plan costs $0 and can sell paid subscriptions, so only Substack matches it for a free newsletter. Above 10,000 subscribers, MailerLite Comfort and beehiiv Lite cost less than Kit Creator for a paid newsletter in our data.
What is the best free alternative to Kit (ConvertKit)?
For a free newsletter above 10,000 subscribers, Substack is the only platform here that stays $0 at any size. Below 10,000 Kit Free is already $0; beehiiv Free is $0 up to 2,500.
Do Kit alternatives charge a fee on paid subscriptions?
beehiiv, MailerLite, Buttondown and Ghost(Pro) state 0% of subscription revenue. Kit takes 0.6% on top of card processing, and Substack keeps 10%.
This page compares published prices and plan limits only; we have not moved a publication off Kit ourselves. The order of platforms follows the numbers, never whether a platform pays us. See the methodology.