9 Best Newsletter Platforms for 2026 (Pros, Cons and Pricing)
Compare the 9 best newsletter platforms on price, free plans, automation and monetization, with every starting price checked November 6, 2026.
We compare pricing pages, documentation and public reviews. We never accept payment for rankings.

Key takeaways
- Brevo is the cheapest paid start at $9/month, MailerLite follows at $12/month with the full toolset included, and Mailchimp is the best-known option at $13/month.
- Five of the nine tools have genuinely free plans — beehiiv to 2,500 subscribers and Kit to 10,000 — while Constant Contact and ActiveCampaign offer only a free trial.
- The single most important buying factor is what the price is based on: contacts, subscribers or emails sent. The billing unit decides what you pay as the list grows, not the headline price.
- Monetization is the split in this list: beehiiv and Kit let you sell paid subscriptions, while the general email tools charge for sending and leave selling to someone else.
On this page
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brevo | Small businesses that send a lot of email to a big list and want the lowest bill | $9/mo | Yes (free plan) |
| MailerLite | Solo creators and small teams that want the simplest editor and the lowest subscriber-based price | $12/mo | Yes (free plan) |
| Mailchimp | Small businesses that want the best-known platform with the widest integration list | $13/mo | Yes (free plan) |
| Constant Contact | Local small businesses and nonprofits that send event and community newsletters | $12/mo | No (30-day trial) |
| GetResponse | Small businesses that want email, landing pages and webinars in one subscription | $19/mo | Yes (free plan) |
| AWeber | Small businesses that want 24/7 human support and a simple setup | $15/mo | No (14-day trial) |
| beehiiv | Independent newsletter writers who want to grow and monetize a paid newsletter | $59/mo | Yes (free plan) |
| Kit | Creators who sell digital products and want tag-based automation for a newsletter audience | $39/mo | Yes (free plan) |
| ActiveCampaign | Growing businesses that need multi-step automation and a CRM behind the newsletter | $19/mo | No (14-day trial) |
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Request a listingThe best newsletter platforms
Brevo
Best for: Small businesses that send a lot of email to a big list and want the lowest bill
Brevo is the cheapest way into this list because it charges for emails sent, not contacts stored. Starter costs $9 a month for 5,000 emails, and the free plan sends 300 emails a day with up to 100,000 contacts stored, so a weekly newsletter to a few hundred readers can run free for a long time. Automation workflows are included on the free plan, and SMS, WhatsApp and a CRM sit in the same account as the newsletter grows.
The catch is the contact cap: Starter's $9 price stores 500 contacts, so a bigger list pays more even if it sends rarely. Landing pages and A/B testing wait for Standard at $18 a month. Buy Brevo when the list is large and sending is light; buy MailerLite when the list is small and you want every feature from day one.
What we like
- Cheapest paid start here: $9 a month for 5,000 emails, and you pay per email sent, not per contact stored
- Free plan sends 300 emails a day and stores up to 100,000 contacts
- Automation workflows are included on the free plan, not held for a paid tier
- SMS, WhatsApp, transactional email and a CRM sit in the same account
Watch out for
- Starter's $9 tier stores 500 contacts, so a bigger list costs more even if you send rarely
- Landing pages and A/B testing wait for Standard at $18/month
- Phone support waits for Professional at $499/month
MailerLite
Best for: Solo creators and small teams that want the simplest editor and the lowest subscriber-based price
MailerLite is the simplest tool in this list, and the pricing is the easiest to understand: you pay by subscriber count, and every paid plan includes the full feature set. Comfort costs $12 a month for 500 subscribers, with landing pages, A/B testing, automations and an AI writing assistant all included, so there is no second upgrade to buy the features you actually need.
The free plan covers 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails a month, which suits a new newsletter, but a list past 250 pays from the first month it grows. The price also climbs steeply with size: Comfort is $89 a month at 10,000 subscribers. Pick MailerLite when you want one price, one plan and no feature maze; pick Brevo when the list is big and the sending is light.
What we like
- Every paid plan includes the full feature set — landing pages, A/B testing and automations from $12/month
- Comfort at $12/month covers 500 subscribers with 5,000 monthly emails and 3 seats
- Free plan includes automations, landing pages and websites, not just sending
- 30% discount for nonprofits, and a 10% discount for annual billing
Watch out for
- Free plan caps at 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails a month, so a growing list pays quickly
- Price rises steeply with list size: Comfort is $89/month at 10,000 subscribers
- No phone support; help runs through email and live chat
Mailchimp
Best for: Small businesses that want the best-known platform with the widest integration list
Mailchimp is the safe default in this list: the platform most small businesses already know, with the widest integration list and the most tutorials written about it. Essentials costs $13 a month for 500 contacts and adds A/B testing, scheduling and the AI Campaign Builder, which drafts a full campaign from a single prompt.
The price is the trade-off. Mailchimp charges by contact count, so the bill climbs every time the list grows, and the $13 entry price only covers the smallest tier. Multi-step automation and predictive segments wait for Standard at $20 a month. Buy Mailchimp when you want the best-known tool your team already understands; buy MailerLite when the same features for less money matter more.
What we like
- The platform most small businesses already know, with the widest integration list here
- AI Campaign Builder drafts a full campaign from one prompt, included on Essentials
- Free plan covers 250 contacts, and Essentials adds A/B testing and scheduling
- SMS can be added to any paid plan when the list is ready for it
Watch out for
- Price rises steeply as contacts grow, so a 1,000-contact list costs far more than the $13 entry price
- Multi-step automation and predictive segments wait for Standard at $20/month
- Phone support waits for Premium at $350/month
Constant Contact
Best for: Local small businesses and nonprofits that send event and community newsletters
Constant Contact is built for the local business newsletter: the church bulletin, the shop's weekly update, the nonprofit's event invite. Lite costs $12 a month for 500 contacts and bundles email with event pages, signup forms and social posting, so one subscription covers the whole community routine. The 30-day trial gives full access with no credit card required.
There is no free plan, so the trial is the only free taste, and it allows 100 sends. Lite also includes just one automation template, so anything beyond a welcome email waits for Standard at $35 a month. Pick Constant Contact when events and community are the newsletter's job; pick MailerLite when you want a free plan to start on.
What we like
- The easiest editor here for a first newsletter, with event pages and social posting built in
- Lite at $12/month covers email, forms, social tools and basic automation for 500 contacts
- 30-day trial gives full platform access with no credit card required
- 30% discount for nonprofits that prepay for 12 months
Watch out for
- No free plan — only a 30-day trial with 100 sends
- Lite includes one automation template; real automation waits for Standard at $35/month
- Price rises fast with contacts: Lite is $80/month at 5,000 contacts
GetResponse
Best for: Small businesses that want email, landing pages and webinars in one subscription
GetResponse is the all-in-one pick: one subscription covers the newsletter, the landing pages, the signup forms and the website builder, with unlimited monthly sends on Starter. Starter costs $19 a month for 1,000 contacts, and the free plan covers 500 contacts with 2,500 emails a month, so a new list can start free and upgrade on the same platform.
Two costs hide in the detail. Webinars and extra users are paid add-ons on Starter, not included, and billing uses the peak contact count for the month, so deleting contacts does not lower that month's bill. Pick GetResponse when the newsletter is one part of a wider marketing setup; pick Brevo when sending alone is the job.
What we like
- Unlimited monthly email sends on Starter — no send cap to count against
- Free plan covers 500 contacts, and Starter adds an AI email generator and autoresponders
- Landing pages, signup forms, popups and a website builder sit in the same subscription
- 18% discount for annual billing, with list-size tiers up to 100,000 contacts
Watch out for
- Webinars and multi-user access are paid add-ons on Starter, not included
- Billing uses peak contacts for the month, so deleting contacts does not lower that month's bill
- Abandoned-cart recovery and product recommendations wait for Marketer at $49/month
AWeber
Best for: Small businesses that want 24/7 human support and a simple setup
AWeber has sold email to small businesses since 1998, and it shows in the support: 24/7 human help by phone, chat and email comes on every paid plan, and a free migration team moves contacts, segments and automations from the old platform. Lite costs $15 a month for 500 subscribers, with AI writing tools and a landing page builder included.
The limits are tight, though. Lite allows 3 automations, 1 list and 3 landing pages, and AWeber's branding stays on emails until Plus at $30 a month. There is no free plan; Lite at $15 a month is the entry point, which suits a small list. Pick AWeber when support matters most; pick GetResponse when you need more room to grow at the same price.
What we like
- 24/7 human support by phone, chat and email on every paid plan
- Free plan covers 500 subscribers with automations included, not just sending
- AI writing tools and a landing page builder are included on Lite at $15/month
- Free migration moves contacts, segments and automations from the old platform
Watch out for
- Lite caps automations at 3, lists at 1, and landing pages at 3
- AWeber branding stays on emails until Plus at $30/month
- Lite's 5,000 monthly sends cap means a 500-subscriber list can send 10 times a month at most
beehiiv
Best for: Independent newsletter writers who want to grow and monetize a paid newsletter
beehiiv is the only tool here built for newsletters first and nothing else: a website, an editor, growth tools and monetization in one place. The free plan covers 2,500 subscribers with unlimited sends, which is the most generous free tier in this list, and Lite at $59 a month adds paid subscriptions, the ad network and referral tools.
The catch is that monetization itself costs money. The free plan cannot sell paid subscriptions — that waits for Lite — and Lite's $59 a month is the dearest entry price here. Paid subscriptions carry a 0% beehiiv platform fee, so only Stripe processing applies. Pick beehiiv when the newsletter is the business; pick Kit when the newsletter sells something else.
What we like
- Most generous free plan here: 2,500 subscribers with unlimited sends
- Paid subscriptions carry a 0% beehiiv platform fee — only Stripe processing applies
- Built-in ad network and recommendations grow the list without paid ads
- Website builder, polls and A/B testing are included on Lite
Watch out for
- Lite at $59/month is the dearest entry price in this list
- Paid subscriptions, the ad network and referral tools all wait for Lite — the free plan cannot monetize
- Price climbs by subscriber tier, so a fast-growing list reprices quickly
Kit
Best for: Creators who sell digital products and want tag-based automation for a newsletter audience
Kit, formerly ConvertKit, is built for creators who write a newsletter and sell something behind it: courses, downloads, paid subscriptions. The free Newsletter plan covers up to 10,000 subscribers, the highest free ceiling in this list, and Creator at $39 a month adds visual automations, A/B testing and the Creator Network, which brings in subscribers from other creators.
The trade-off is the price jump. The free plan has no automation, so the moment the newsletter needs sequences, the bill starts at $39 a month for 1,000 subscribers, and the emails stay deliberately plain and text-first. Pick Kit when the newsletter sells digital products; pick beehiiv when the newsletter itself is the product.
What we like
- Free Newsletter plan covers up to 10,000 subscribers — the highest free ceiling here
- Creator Network recommendations bring in subscribers from other creators' audiences
- Paid newsletters run on a 3.5% plus $0.30 transaction fee, with no monthly fee on the free plan
- Tag-based segmentation keeps one list clean instead of splitting it into many lists
Watch out for
- Creator at $39/month is steep for a 1,000-subscriber list
- Emails are deliberately plain and text-first, with limited visual design
- Advanced reporting and automation depth wait for Pro at $79/month
ActiveCampaign
Best for: Growing businesses that need multi-step automation and a CRM behind the newsletter
ActiveCampaign is the automation pick: the newsletter is the front end of a CRM with multi-step journeys, branching and lead scoring behind it. Starter costs $19 a month for 1,000 contacts and includes the CRM, an AI campaign builder and 10,000 monthly sends, which is ten times the contact limit. More than 970 integrations connect it to stores and support tools.
It is also the most complex tool here, and the only one besides Constant Contact with no free plan — just a 14-day trial. Starter includes one user seat and five actions per automation, so a team or a long journey pays more. Pick ActiveCampaign when the newsletter drives a sales process; pick GetResponse when the newsletter is the marketing.
What we like
- Multi-step marketing automation with branching is included on Starter, not a higher tier
- A CRM, AI campaign builder and AI-suggested segments come with the entry plan
- More than 970 integrations connect the newsletter to stores, CRMs and support tools
- 10,000 monthly sends on Starter — 10 times the contact limit
Watch out for
- No free plan — only a 14-day trial
- Starter includes 1 user seat and 5 actions per automation; extra seats and depth cost more
- Plus at $49/month is the step up for landing pages and unlimited automation actions
The best newsletter platforms do one job well: they get a regular email to a list of readers, keep the list clean, and show who opened and clicked, without charging for features a small sender never uses. We ranked the nine tools below by fit for the most common buyer — a small business or creator sending a weekly newsletter — starting with the cheapest paid plans and ending with the automation-heavy options, and every price was checked on the vendor's own pricing page on November 6, 2026.
How to choose the best newsletter platforms
- Check what the price is based on. Brevo charges per email sent, MailerLite and Kit charge per subscriber, and Mailchimp charges per contact stored. The billing unit decides what you pay as the list grows, not the headline price.
- Count the free plan's real ceiling. beehiiv is free to 2,500 subscribers and Kit to 10,000 — AWeber has no free plan, only a 14-day trial — but Mailchimp's free plan stops at 250 contacts, and Constant Contact and ActiveCampaign have no free plan at all.
- Decide whether the newsletter earns money. Only beehiiv and Kit sell paid subscriptions in this list. If the newsletter is the business, that feature matters more than the sending price.
- Check what the entry plan leaves out. Automation, landing pages and A/B testing sit on higher tiers for several tools here — MailerLite is the exception, with the full feature set on every paid plan.
- Test deliverability before you commit. Send a real issue to your own inbox and a colleague's, check the spam folder, and confirm the unsubscribe link works. A cheap plan that lands in spam costs more than an expensive one that reaches the inbox.
A newsletter is one part of a marketing stack, not the whole stack. If the business also needs to be found online, our guide to email marketing platforms for newsletters covers the wider field, and our monthly SEO service handles the visibility side. And before you publish the landing page the newsletter points to, run its title through the free SERP snippet preview tool — it shows exactly how the title and description will look in Google.
Whatever you shortlist, try it with a real issue before you pay. The free plans and trials in this list are long enough to send one genuine newsletter — your list, your template, your subject line — and that issue tells you more than any review can. Check two things in the trial: that the email reaches the inbox instead of spam, and that the editor lets you build the issue in under an hour. Every tool here offers a free plan or a trial, so there is no reason to buy before sending one real newsletter.
Newsletter platforms pricing: what you will actually pay
Take a 500-subscriber newsletter sent once a week — four issues a month, about 2,000 sends. On monthly billing, the subscription costs $9 a month on Brevo, $12 on MailerLite or Constant Contact, $13 on Mailchimp, $15 on AWeber, $19 on GetResponse or ActiveCampaign, $39 on Kit and $59 on beehiiv. Over a year, that is $108 on Brevo, $144 on MailerLite or Constant Contact, $156 on Mailchimp, $180 on AWeber, $228 on GetResponse or ActiveCampaign, $468 on Kit and $708 on beehiiv.
Three of those numbers need adjusting before they are real. First, the free plans: at 500 subscribers, Brevo's free plan covers the whole workload (300 emails a day), GetResponse's free plan covers it (500 contacts, 2,500 emails a month) — so the first year can cost $0 on either of those two. beehiiv's free plan covers it too, up to 2,500 subscribers. Mailchimp's free plan does not, because it stops at 250 contacts, and MailerLite's free plan does not either, because it stops at 250 subscribers.
Second, annual billing cuts the bill on most tools here: Brevo drops from $108 to about $97 a year, MailerLite from $144 to about $130, GetResponse from $228 to about $187, AWeber from $180 to $150, ActiveCampaign from $228 to $180, Kit from $468 to $396 and beehiiv from $708 to $588. Mailchimp publishes no standard annual price — the $11.05 figure is a 12-month new-customer rate, not a standing discount — and Constant Contact's price is monthly only at the entry tier.
Third, the list will grow, and the billing unit decides what growth costs. On Brevo the bill follows sends, so a list that doubles but still sends weekly costs little more until the 5,000-email allowance runs out. On Mailchimp, MailerLite and Kit the bill follows subscribers, so every new reader raises the price whether you email them or not. If you run an ecommerce store rather than a newsletter-first business, the sending math differs — see our guide to email marketing platforms for creators.
Know the difference: newsletter platform vs email marketing software
The confusion in this category is between a newsletter and a campaign. A newsletter platform is built around a regular issue sent to subscribers — a website, an archive, growth tools and, on beehiiv and Kit, paid subscriptions. Email marketing software is built around campaigns and automation: welcome series, abandoned carts, win-back flows and a CRM. The tools overlap, but the center of gravity differs, and buying the wrong kind means paying for a second tool later.
There is a second, quieter confusion: the free plan and the free trial are not the same thing. A free plan, like beehiiv's to 2,500 subscribers or Kit's to 10,000, has no end date — you can run on it for a year. A free trial, like Constant Contact's 30 days or ActiveCampaign's 14 days, ends and the bill starts whether you are ready or not. Two tools in this list have no free plan at all, so their trial is the only free taste.
A third distinction worth knowing is the billing unit. Brevo charges per email sent, so a large list emailed rarely is cheap. Mailchimp, MailerLite and Kit charge per subscriber or contact, so a large list is expensive even if you email it once a month. GetResponse and ActiveCampaign charge per contact too, but GetResponse puts no cap on sends. Before you compare headline prices, work out which unit your newsletter actually consumes — sends or subscribers — because that is the number that decides your bill in year two.
Quick comparison: tool type by need
| Buyer | Best pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Big list, light sending, lowest bill | Brevo | Charges per email sent, from $9/month, with a free plan |
| Simplest setup, one price, every feature | MailerLite | Full toolset from $12/month, priced by subscribers |
| Best-known tool, widest integrations | Mailchimp | The default choice, from $13/month, free to 250 contacts |
| Local business or nonprofit newsletter | Constant Contact | Events and social posting included, from $12/month |
| Newsletter that earns money | beehiiv | Paid subscriptions with a 0% platform fee, free to 2,500 subscribers |
| Creator selling courses or downloads | Kit | Free to 10,000 subscribers, Creator is $39/month |
Mistakes to avoid
- Budgeting on the entry price for a growing list. The $9–$13 prices in this list cover the smallest tier only. A list that doubles in a year reprices on every subscriber-based tool here, so price the list you expect in twelve months, not the list you have today.
- Confusing a free trial with a free plan. Constant Contact's 30 days and ActiveCampaign's 14 days end, and the bill starts. If you need months of free sending, pick a tool with a real free plan — beehiiv, Kit, Brevo or GetResponse.
- Buying on the sending price, then finding automation costs extra. Multi-step automation waits for a higher tier on Mailchimp, Constant Contact and ActiveCampaign. If the newsletter needs welcome sequences, check which tier includes them before you buy.
- Paying to monetize before the audience exists. beehiiv's paid subscriptions need Lite at $59 a month and Kit's need Creator at $39. Build the free audience first, and pay for monetization the month the first reader is willing to pay.
- Forgetting the second cost: your time. A plain-text editor like Kit's builds an issue in minutes; a design-heavy tool takes longer every week. The cheapest plan is not cheap if every issue costs you an extra hour.
How we chose
We checked each vendor's own pricing page on November 6, 2026 and recorded the starting price exactly as shown, including the annual-billing figure where the page lists one, and we ranked the tools by fit for the most common buyer — a small business or creator sending a weekly newsletter — not by brand size. Ratings are from G2, checked the same day. Two facts need flagging. First, AWeber's own pricing page lists no free plan — only a 14-day free trial — which conflicts with earlier checks that found a free plan for up to 500 subscribers; we went with the vendor's own page as read on November 6, 2026. Second, ActiveCampaign's pricing page leads with the $15 a month annual-billed figure; the $19 monthly-billed figure is the standard monthly rate. No vendor paid for a place in this list, and none of the links here are affiliate links.
What to do next
Start with the free plan or trial of your top pick and send one real issue to your actual list. Check that it reaches the inbox, that the editor was fast enough to use every week, and that the reports show opens and clicks clearly before you commit to a year. If the newsletter is sorted but new readers are not finding you, our monthly SEO service handles the visibility side — or compare the wider field in our guide to email marketing platforms. Once your tools are in place, find out what's holding your rankings back.
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Get a free audit→Sources we checked (18)
- Brevo pricing — brevo.com/pricing (checked November 6, 2026)
- MailerLite pricing — mailerlite.com/pricing (checked November 6, 2026)
- Mailchimp pricing — mailchimp.com/pricing (checked November 6, 2026)
- Constant Contact pricing — constantcontact.com/pricing (checked November 6, 2026)
- GetResponse pricing — getresponse.com/pricing (checked November 6, 2026)
- AWeber pricing — aweber.com/pricing.htm (checked November 6, 2026)
- beehiiv pricing — beehiiv.com/pricing (checked November 6, 2026)
- Kit pricing — kit.com/pricing (checked November 6, 2026)
- ActiveCampaign pricing — activecampaign.com/pricing (checked November 6, 2026)
- Brevo G2 reviews — g2.com/products/sendinblue/reviews (checked November 6, 2026)
- MailerLite G2 reviews — g2.com/products/mailerlite/reviews (checked November 6, 2026)
- Mailchimp G2 reviews — g2.com/products/mailchimp/reviews (checked November 6, 2026)
- Constant Contact G2 reviews — g2.com/products/constant-contact/reviews (checked November 6, 2026)
- GetResponse G2 reviews — g2.com/products/getresponse/reviews (checked November 6, 2026)
- AWeber G2 reviews — g2.com/products/aweber/reviews (checked November 6, 2026)
- beehiiv G2 reviews — g2.com/products/beehiiv/reviews (checked November 6, 2026)
- Kit G2 reviews — g2.com/products/convertkit-kit/reviews (checked November 6, 2026)
- ActiveCampaign G2 reviews — g2.com/products/activecampaign/reviews (checked November 6, 2026)
Frequently asked questions
What is the best newsletter platform?
Brevo is the best value for most senders at $9/month, MailerLite is the simplest pick at $12/month, and Mailchimp is the best-known option at $13/month. Creators who monetize should look at beehiiv or Kit instead, since both sell paid subscriptions. The right pick depends on list size, sending frequency and whether the newsletter itself earns money.
How much does a newsletter platform cost?
Entry prices run from $9 to $59 a month. Brevo starts at $9, MailerLite and Constant Contact at $12, Mailchimp at $13, AWeber at $15, GetResponse and ActiveCampaign at $19, Kit at $39 and beehiiv at $59. A 500-subscriber weekly newsletter costs $108 to $708 a year on monthly billing, before annual discounts.
Is there a free newsletter platform?
Yes. beehiiv is free to 2,500 subscribers with unlimited sends, Kit is free to 10,000 subscribers, and Brevo, MailerLite, Mailchimp and GetResponse all have free plans with smaller caps; AWeber has no free plan, only a 14-day trial. Constant Contact and ActiveCampaign have no free plan, only a 30-day and a 14-day trial respectively.
What is the difference between Mailchimp and Brevo?
Mailchimp charges by contacts stored, while Brevo charges by emails sent. That makes Brevo cheaper for a big list emailed rarely, and Mailchimp simpler for a small list emailed often. Mailchimp has the wider integration list and the better-known brand; Brevo has the lower entry price at $9 a month and automation on its free plan.
Can I sell paid subscriptions with a newsletter platform?
Yes, on beehiiv and Kit. beehiiv takes a 0% platform fee on paid subscriptions, so only Stripe processing applies, and Kit charges 3.5% plus $0.30 per transaction. Both need a paid plan for subscriptions: beehiiv Lite at $59 a month, or Kit Creator at $39 a month. The general email tools in this list do not sell subscriptions.
Can I switch newsletter platforms later?
Yes, and every tool here offers free migration or an import tool for contacts. Export the subscriber list, tags and segments from the old platform, import them into the new one, and warm up the new sending domain before the first big send. AWeber and ActiveCampaign both advertise free migration help, so ask for it.
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