Best Newsletter Platforms in 2026: Free Plan Limits and Real Cost at 1k, 10k and 50k Subscribers
Free plan caps, paid tiers and fees for eight platforms, checked on each vendor's own pages in October 2026.
Short answer: beehiiv is the lowest published price with automations at 10,000 and 50,000 subscribers, at $49/mo billed yearly for any list up to 100,000. Its free plan costs $0 up to 2,500 subscribers but leaves automations out. At 1,000 subscribers, MailerLite Comfort at $19/mo is the lowest published price that includes them.
Key facts8 tools compared: beehiiv, Kit, Substack, MailerLite, Mailchimp, Brevo, Ghost, Buttondown
- 8 tools compared: beehiiv, Kit, Substack, MailerLite, Mailchimp, Brevo, Ghost, Buttondown
- Kit (best for: Creators who sell digital products and need the largest free subscriber cap): Free to 10,000 subscribers. Creator $33/mo billed yearly ($390/yr) at 1,000 subscribers.
- Substack (best for: Writers who want a built-in reader base and no setup, and accept a cut of paid revenue): Free to publish. The platform cut applies only when a reader pays for a subscription.
- MailerLite (best for: Senders who want automations at 1,000 subscribers and a free plan to test the first 250): Free to 250 subscribers. Comfort $19/mo at 1,000 and $89/mo at 10,000, monthly billing.
The cheapest newsletter platform depends on the list you will have in a year, because every free plan here caps something: subscribers, automations, or the fee on paid subscriptions. This page prices eight platforms at three list sizes and shows where each free plan stops.
MarketingShot data: this newsletter had about 34,000 subscribers as of October 25, 2026, with a 32% average open rate. Dupple sends its own newsletters on beehiiv, so beehiiv is one of the eight platforms here.
| Platform | 1,000 subscribers | 10,000 subscribers | 50,000 subscribers |
|---|---|---|---|
| beehiiv | $0 on Free (no automations), or $49 on Lite, billed yearly | $49 on Lite, billed yearly | $49 on Lite, billed yearly |
| Kit | $33 on Creator, billed yearly | Not published (free plan holds 10,000, no automations) | Not published |
| MailerLite | $19 on Comfort | $89 on Comfort | $319 on Comfort |
| Mailchimp | Not published (above its 500-contact base) | $350 on Premium for the first 12 months | Not published |
| Brevo | Starter entry at 5,000 emails, Standard at $18 for automation | Not published (between Starter and Professional) | From $499 on Professional (150,000-email entry) |
| Ghost | $18 on Starter (no paid memberships) | $199 on Business (member limit listed two ways) | Custom |
| Buttondown | $9 on Basic, $38 with automations | $79 on Professional | Custom (top published tier ends at 20,000) |
| Substack | Free to publish | Free to publish | Free to publish |
At about 34,000 subscribers, our list is past every subscriber cap in the free-plan table below, so a free plan is a place to test, not a place to run a newsletter. This page covers where a newsletter lives. The marketing newsletters guide is the reading list.
Top Picks
Based on features, real-world fit, and value for money.
Free has unlimited sends but no automations, and Lite adds automations and paid subscriptions at one flat price.
Free to 2,500 subscribers at $0. Lite, one flat price billed yearly up to 100,000 subscribers.
Writers who plan to sell paid subscriptions and want no platform cut on them
The largest free cap on this page, but visual automations and sequences wait for the paid Creator plan.
Free to 10,000 subscribers. Creator $33/mo billed yearly ($390/yr) at 1,000 subscribers.
Creators who sell digital products and need the largest free subscriber cap
Nothing to pay before a reader does, and the platform's cut arrives only with paid subscriptions.
Free to publish. The platform cut applies only when a reader pays for a subscription.
Writers who want a built-in reader base and no setup, and accept a cut of paid revenue
| Tool | Pricing | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| beehiiv | Free to 2,500 subscribers at $0. Lite, one flat price billed yearly up to 100,000 subscribers. | Writers who plan to sell paid subscriptions and want no platform cut on them |
| Kit | Free to 10,000 subscribers. Creator $33/mo billed yearly ($390/yr) at 1,000 subscribers. | Creators who sell digital products and need the largest free subscriber cap |
| Substack | Free to publish. The platform cut applies only when a reader pays for a subscription. | Writers who want a built-in reader base and no setup, and accept a cut of paid revenue |
| MailerLite | Free to 250 subscribers. Comfort $19/mo at 1,000 and $89/mo at 10,000, monthly billing. | Senders who want automations at 1,000 subscribers and a free plan to test the first 250 |
| Mailchimp | Free under 250 contacts with 500 sends a month. Essentials from $13/mo on a 500-contact base. | Teams already using Mailchimp who accept contact-tier pricing and need a familiar editor |
| Brevo | Free at 300 emails a day after approval. Starter $9/mo from 5,000 emails a month. | Senders with a daily email habit who want to pay per email, not per subscriber |
| Ghost | No free hosted plan. Starter $18/mo billed yearly at 1,000 members, Publisher $29/mo. | Publishers who want to own the site, the list and the stack, and take no platform fee on paid memberships |
| Buttondown | Free to 100 subscribers. Basic $9/mo to 1,000, Standard $29/mo to 5,000, Professional $79/mo to 10,000. | Solo writers who want a plain editor and expect a list under 10,000 subscribers |
Pricing read from each vendor's own pricing page, checked Oct 2026. Every vendor here publishes a price.
beehiiv
Free has unlimited sends but no automations, and Lite adds automations and paid subscriptions at one flat price.
- Pricing
- Free to 2,500 subscribers at $0. Lite, one flat price billed yearly up to 100,000 subscribers.
Best for: Writers who plan to sell paid subscriptions and want no platform cut on them
Pros
- Unlimited email sends on the free plan, so a list of up to 2,500 people never meters a send.
- Paid subscriptions carry a 0% take rate on Lite, so the only cut is Stripe's 2.9% plus $0.30 per payment.
- Lite is one price up to 100,000 subscribers, so the bill does not rise as the list passes 10,000.
Cons
- The free plan has no automations, so a welcome series means a paid plan from the first sequence.
- Branding stays on until Pro, which is $95/mo billed yearly, and the 2,500 cap is the first wall a growing free list hits.
Kit
The largest free cap on this page, but visual automations and sequences wait for the paid Creator plan.
- Pricing
- Free to 10,000 subscribers. Creator $33/mo billed yearly ($390/yr) at 1,000 subscribers.
Best for: Creators who sell digital products and need the largest free subscriber cap
Pros
- The free plan holds up to 10,000 subscribers, so a list can grow to five figures before any bill arrives.
- Creator adds unlimited visual automations and email sequences at $390 a year for 1,000 subscribers, against $39 a month billed monthly.
- Paid newsletters and digital product sales run at 3.5% plus 30 cents, with card processing included in that rate.
Cons
- Automations are off on the free plan, so a welcome series is the first paid step for a new list.
- The pricing page prices only the 1,000-subscriber tier, and the help center gives $59/mo at 3,000, so larger lists are not priced on this page.
Substack
Nothing to pay before a reader does, and the platform's cut arrives only with paid subscriptions.
- Pricing
- Free to publish. The platform cut applies only when a reader pays for a subscription.
Best for: Writers who want a built-in reader base and no setup, and accept a cut of paid revenue
Pros
- Publishing is free, so a list costs nothing to keep until a reader pays.
- The cut applies only to paid subscriptions, so a free newsletter carries no bill at 1,000, 10,000 or 50,000 subscribers.
- A paid newsletter needs no separate hosting or checkout build before the first subscriber.
Cons
- The cut on paid subscriptions grows with revenue, so the platform costs more as the paying audience grows.
- A writer who wants a custom site and full control of the page layout gives up flexibility for the built-in audience.
MailerLite
Automations start on Comfort, and the price climbs steeply above 10,000 subscribers, where beehiiv's flat plan pulls ahead.
- Pricing
- Free to 250 subscribers. Comfort $19/mo at 1,000 and $89/mo at 10,000, monthly billing.
Best for: Senders who want automations at 1,000 subscribers and a free plan to test the first 250
Pros
- Comfort includes automations, the feature the free plans on this page hold back, at 1,000 subscribers.
- Power has unlimited monthly emails and unlimited automations, at $39/mo for 1,000 subscribers and $129/mo for 10,000.
- Yearly billing takes about 10% off each tier, so Comfort at 1,000 subscribers is $17.10 a month billed yearly.
Cons
- The free plan stops at 250 subscribers, and sending locks once the list passes that cap, so a campaign can stall.
- At 50,000 subscribers Comfort is $319/mo, more than six times the Lite price on beehiiv for the same list size.
Mailchimp
A familiar name with a free plan capped at 250 contacts, and paid prices that move with every contact tier.
- Pricing
- Free under 250 contacts with 500 sends a month. Essentials from $13/mo on a 500-contact base.
Best for: Teams already using Mailchimp who accept contact-tier pricing and need a familiar editor
Pros
- The free plan allows 500 sends a month or 250 a day, with one audience and one seat, so a small list can test sending.
- Essentials starts at $13/mo and Standard at $20/mo on the 500-contact base for the first 12 months.
- Lists of 10,000 or more contacts can save 15% in their first 12 months, and the page shows Premium at $350/mo on that basis.
Cons
- The pricing page shows no price between the 500-contact base and the 10,000-contact Premium base, so 1,000 and 50,000 contacts are not priced on it.
- The 14-day trial on Essentials and Standard is a trial, not a free plan, and the free plan pauses sending at the 250-contact cap.
Brevo
Priced by monthly emails rather than subscribers, so the free daily cap is the real limit on a list.
- Pricing
- Free at 300 emails a day after approval. Starter $9/mo from 5,000 emails a month.
Best for: Senders with a daily email habit who want to pay per email, not per subscriber
Pros
- After sending approval the free plan needs no card and allows 300 emails a day, enough for a small daily note.
- Standard adds marketing automation and A/B testing, the two things Starter leaves out.
- Yearly billing takes about 10% off each plan, so Standard is $194.04 a year against $216 billed monthly.
Cons
- A 300-a-day cap means a single send to 2,000 people takes seven days, so a weekly newsletter needs a paid plan.
- Professional starts at 150,000 emails a month and lists at $499/mo, and the page routes that tier to sales, so a large weekly list is a sales conversation.
Ghost
Publisher adds paid memberships, with no Ghost fee on them beyond payment processing.
- Pricing
- No free hosted plan. Starter $18/mo billed yearly at 1,000 members, Publisher $29/mo.
Best for: Publishers who want to own the site, the list and the stack, and take no platform fee on paid memberships
Pros
- Publisher and Business take no Ghost transaction fee on paid memberships, so processor fees are the only cut.
- Starter includes a free custom domain for its 1,000 members.
- The software is open source, so self-hosting costs nothing in licenses and the server bill is the only cost.
Cons
- Starter has no paid memberships, so a paid newsletter starts at Publisher.
- The Business plan lists 1,000 members on its price card and 10,000 in its comparison table, so the member limit at that tier is unclear.
Buttondown
Tiers step with subscriber count, and automations cost extra, so a welcome series raises the bill.
- Pricing
- Free to 100 subscribers. Basic $9/mo to 1,000, Standard $29/mo to 5,000, Professional $79/mo to 10,000.
Best for: Solo writers who want a plain editor and expect a list under 10,000 subscribers
Pros
- The base plan includes a rich text or markdown editor and sending from a custom domain.
- Basic covers up to 1,000 subscribers, and Professional is $79/mo for up to 10,000, below MailerLite Comfort's $89 at that size.
- Every tier shows a subscriber cap, so the next price is visible before the list crosses it.
Cons
- Automations are a $29/mo add-on, so Basic with a welcome series is $38/mo at 1,000 subscribers.
- Above 20,000 subscribers the published tiers end and Enterprise is quoted by sales, so a list the size of MarketingShot's would need that quote.
What it is
A newsletter platform sends your email to a list, stores the subscribers, and usually takes a cut when readers pay for a subscription. Free plans cap one of three things: the subscriber count, the features, or the fee.
How we compared: eight platforms a newsletter writer would open first, priced at USD list rates. Each price was verified on the vendor's own pages in October 2026, with yearly billing shown where the vendor lists it. A cell that says not published means the vendor's pages show no price at that size.
| Platform | Subscriber cap on free | Automations on free | Fee on paid subscriptions |
|---|---|---|---|
| beehiiv | 2,500 | No, starts on Lite | 0% take rate on Lite, Stripe fees on top |
| Kit | 10,000 | No, starts on Creator | 3.5% plus 30 cents, card processing included |
| MailerLite | 250 | Included from Comfort | Not listed on the pricing page |
| Mailchimp | 250 contacts | No | Not applicable |
| Brevo | No subscriber cap stated, 300 emails a day | No, starts on Standard | Not applicable |
| Ghost | No free hosted plan | Not listed | 0% Ghost fee on Publisher and Business, processor fees on top |
| Buttondown | 100 | No, an add-on | Not listed |
| Substack | Free to publish | Not listed | A cut of paid subscriptions only |
How it works
Start with the list size you expect in 12 months, then the feature the welcome series needs, then the fee on paid subscriptions. The table above uses the lowest published paid plan that holds each list, with automations added where a cell says so.
Brevo prices by monthly email volume, so a weekly send to 1,000 people is about 4,000 emails a month, and to 50,000 people about 200,000. The Brevo review covers that send-volume model. Mailchimp, Kit and Ghost leave some sizes off their pricing pages, and those cells say not published rather than estimate a price.
Why it matters
The free plan usually fails on a feature, not on the list. A welcome series is the first step most lists take toward a paid plan, and the free-plan table above shows which platforms hold automations back.
The cost curve matters more than the entry price. beehiiv's Lite is one price up to 100,000 subscribers, while MailerLite's Comfort rises with every tier, from 1,000 subscribers to $319/mo at 50,000. Our own list makes the point: at about 34,000 subscribers, MailerLite Comfort is $249/mo on its 35,000 tier.
Kit's free cap is the largest subscriber cap on a free plan here, at 10,000, but its pricing page prices only the 1,000-subscriber tier. A list that passes 10,000 hits the first paid step before the page shows what that step costs. The Kit review covers the plan in more depth.
Key features to look for
Pricing
At 1,000 subscribers, MailerLite Comfort at $19/mo is the lowest published price with automations, and Buttondown reaches $38 once its automation add-on is added. At 10,000 subscribers, beehiiv Lite, billed yearly, undercuts MailerLite Comfort at $89/mo and Buttondown Professional at $79/mo before any add-on.
At 50,000 subscribers the gap widens, because beehiiv Lite holds its price up to 100,000 subscribers while MailerLite Comfort reaches $319/mo. Mailchimp's Premium shows $350/mo for the first 12 months at its 10,000-contact base, and Brevo's Professional starts at $499/mo for 150,000 emails a month. The Mailchimp review has the longer breakdown of its contact tiers.
Ghost's Business is $199/mo billed yearly, and its member limit is listed as 1,000 on the price card and 10,000 in the comparison table, so the 10,000 figure is the less certain one.
| Plan | Price | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| beehiiv Free | Free, up to 2,500 subscribers | Unlimited sends, no automations |
| beehiiv Lite | Billed yearly, up to 100,000 subscribers | Automations and paid subscriptions at a 0% take rate |
| beehiiv Pro | Billed yearly, up to 250,000 subscribers | Removes beehiiv branding |
| Kit Free | Free, up to 10,000 subscribers | Broadcasts, no visual automations or sequences |
| Kit Creator, 1,000 subscribers | Billed yearly, $390 a year | Unlimited visual automations and email sequences |
| Kit Creator, 3,000 subscribers | Monthly, $59/mo | Help center example, the only tier above 1,000 listed |
| Substack | Free to publish | Cut applies only to paid subscriptions |
| MailerLite Free | Free, up to 250 subscribers | Sending locks above the cap |
| MailerLite Comfort, 1,000 subscribers | Monthly, $19/mo; yearly, $17.10/mo | Automations included, 10,000 emails a month |
| MailerLite Comfort, 10,000 subscribers | Monthly, $89/mo; yearly, $80.10/mo | Up to 100,000 emails a month |
| MailerLite Comfort, 50,000 subscribers | Monthly, $319/mo; yearly, $287.10/mo | Up to 500,000 emails a month |
| MailerLite Power, 10,000 subscribers | Monthly, $129/mo; yearly, $116.10/mo | Unlimited monthly emails and automations |
| Mailchimp Free | Free, under 250 contacts | 500 sends a month or 250 a day, one seat |
| Mailchimp Essentials | From $13/mo for the first 12 months | 500-contact base, price rises with contacts |
| Mailchimp Standard | From $20/mo for the first 12 months | 500-contact base, price rises with contacts |
| Mailchimp Premium | $350/mo for the first 12 months | 10,000-contact base, 15% offer for 10,000 or more |
| Brevo Free | Free, 300 emails a day | No card needed after sending approval |
| Brevo Starter | Monthly, $9/mo; yearly, $96.96 | From 5,000 emails a month |
| Brevo Standard | Monthly, $18/mo; yearly, $194.04 | Adds marketing automation and A/B testing |
| Brevo Professional | Monthly, $499/mo; yearly, $5,388.96 | From 150,000 emails a month, 10 seats |
| Ghost Starter | Billed yearly, $18/mo | 1,000 members, free custom domain, no paid memberships |
| Ghost Publisher | Billed yearly, $29/mo | 1,000 members, paid memberships with no Ghost fee |
| Ghost Business | Billed yearly, $199/mo | 15 staff users, member limit listed two ways |
| Buttondown Free | Free, up to 100 subscribers | Sending from a custom domain in the base plan |
| Buttondown Basic | $9/mo, up to 1,000 subscribers | Automations are an add-on |
| Buttondown Standard | $29/mo, up to 5,000 subscribers | Next tier after Basic |
| Buttondown Professional | $79/mo, up to 10,000 subscribers | Top tier below the 20,000 level |
| Buttondown Advanced | $139/mo, up to 20,000 subscribers | Enterprise is quoted by sales above this |
The bottom line
Open beehiiv when the list will pass 2,500 subscribers and automations are the job, because Lite stays one flat price up to 100,000 subscribers. Read the beehiiv review and the beehiiv against Kit comparison before you move a list.
Open MailerLite for a list under 10,000 that needs a cheap automated step. Open Kit when the broadcast is the work and the list stays inside the free cap. Brevo fits a daily sender, and Buttondown fits a plain letter under 1,000 subscribers. Substack is the free start for a paid audience, and Ghost is the choice for owning the stack.
Disclosure: Dupple, which publishes MarketingShot, sends its newsletters on beehiiv. This page is about where a newsletter lives, so the free email marketing software guide covers business email and the newsletter growth guide covers acquisition. Cite this: MarketingShot, "Best Newsletter Platforms in 2026", October 2026.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest newsletter platform in 2026?
For a list under 2,500, beehiiv's free plan costs $0 and allows unlimited sends, but it has no automations. At 1,000 subscribers with automations, MailerLite Comfort is the lowest published price here, and Kit's Creator at $33/mo billed yearly is the next step, checked on vendor pages in October 2026.
Is Substack free for a newsletter?
Publishing is free, and the platform's cut applies only when a reader pays for a subscription. A free Substack list costs nothing at 1,000, 10,000 or 50,000 subscribers until paid subscriptions start. The growth guide covers what paid tiers do to acquisition.
How much does beehiiv cost at 10,000 subscribers?
beehiiv Lite costs $49/mo billed yearly for any list up to 100,000 subscribers, and it includes automations and paid subscriptions at a 0% take rate. Stripe's card fee still applies to each paid subscription, and the beehiiv against Kit comparison sets the two side by side.
Does Kit's free plan include automations?
No. Kit's free plan holds up to 10,000 subscribers without visual automations or sequences. Creator starts at $33/mo billed yearly for 1,000 subscribers. The help center's $59/mo at 3,000 is the only higher tier it gives, so a 10,000 list is not priced here.
What does Mailchimp cost at 10,000 contacts?
Mailchimp's Premium plan shows $350/mo for the first 12 months at its 10,000-contact base, and a 15% offer applies to lists of 10,000 or more. The free plan stops at 250 contacts, and the Mailchimp review explains the tiers in between.
Sources
Prices and plan details come from each vendor's own pricing page, re-checked by the Toolradar pricing tracker.
- beehiiv pricingchecked Sep 2026
- Kit pricingchecked Sep 2026
- Substack pricingchecked Sep 2026
- MailerLite pricingchecked Sep 2026
- Mailchimp pricingchecked Sep 2026
- Brevo pricingchecked Sep 2026
- Ghost pricingchecked Sep 2026
Some offers on this page may be paid placements or contain affiliate links.
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