The best newsletter platforms in 2026, compared
Eight newsletter platforms, with each one's free plan, starting price, strengths and weak spots, taken from their own pricing pages in November 2026. We make Terlido Newsletter, so it is on the list. It does not win every category, and each section says where another tool is the better pick.
At a glance
| Platform | Best for | Free plan | Paid from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Terlido Newsletter | A free newsletter sent from your own address, with replies in your own inbox | Up to 10,000 subscribers | $29 (~€25)/month (Pro) |
| Substack | Writers who want to charge readers and be found inside Substack's app | Free to publish at any subscriber count | 10% of each payment (Paid subscriptions) |
| beehiiv | Newsletters that want to earn from ads and paid subscriptions | Up to 2,500 subscribers | From $59 (~€51)/month (Lite) |
| Kit (ConvertKit) | Creators who sell digital products and paid newsletters | Up to 10,000 subscribers | $39 (~€34)/month (Creator) |
| MailerLite | A website, landing pages and a newsletter on a small budget | Up to 250 subscribers | From $12 (~€10)/month (Comfort) |
| Mailchimp | Marketing teams that send to a big list in one go | Up to 250 contacts | From $13 (~€11)/month (Essentials) |
| Ghost | A publication website with paid memberships, on open-source software | None listed | $18 (~€15)/month (Starter) |
| Buttondown | A simple newsletter written in Markdown, paying only for what you add | Up to 100 subscribers | $9 (~€8)/month (Basic) |
Prices are in US dollars, billed monthly unless a plan says otherwise; the euro value in brackets is a rough guide. Prices change, so check each pricing page before you buy.
How we chose
These are the platforms people compare most when they search for a newsletter tool. We judged each one on the same five things:
- How many subscribers the free plan covers, and what it leaves out.
- What the cheapest paid plan costs, and whether the price grows with your list.
- Ways to earn: paid subscriptions, ads or digital products.
- Ways to grow: discovery, recommendations, referrals, a website.
- Where your email is sent from, and where replies go.
Every price and limit comes from the platform's own pricing page, linked in its section. We did not rate or score the tools, and nobody paid to be listed.
1. Terlido Newsletter (ours)
Best for: A free newsletter sent from your own address, with replies in your own inbox.
- Free plan
- Up to 10,000 subscribers, 1 brand, a welcome email, and a small "Sent with Terlido Newsletter" line in the footer
- Paid from: $29 (~€25)/month (Pro)
- Up to 100,000 subscribers across unlimited brands, all automations, A/B tests, referrals, RSS-to-email, the API and your own domain. Past 100,000: +$10 (~€9) a month for each extra 50,000
Where it is strong
- Each issue goes out from your own mailbox (Gmail, Microsoft 365 or any SMTP server), so readers see your address and their replies land in the inbox you already read.
- Free up to 10,000 subscribers, with a welcome automation on the Free plan.
- Pro is one flat monthly price up to 100,000 subscribers, not a price that rises with every tier.
- On Pro, your AI agent can draft, test, schedule and send issues through Terlido's MCP server, and the same connection runs Terlido Outreach.
Watch out for
- Paid newsletters. Terlido has no paid subscriptions or paywall.
- Sending a big list in one burst. Terlido sends from your mailbox at your provider's pace, so a large list can take more than a day.
- No reader app, discovery network, ad network, website builder or podcasts. You get a hosted signup page and a public archive.
- Terlido Newsletter is new and has no customer logos or open-rate numbers to show you yet.
2. Substack
Best for: Writers who want to charge readers and be found inside Substack's app.
- Free plan
- Free to publish at any subscriber count
- Paid from: 10% of each payment (Paid subscriptions)
- Plus Stripe fees: 2.9% + $0.30 (~€0.26) per US card payment and 0.7% for recurring billing
Where it is strong
- Paid subscriptions are built in: you choose which posts are free or for paid readers, and keep 90% of revenue minus card fees. Terlido has no paid subscriptions or paywall.
- Free at any size. Terlido Free stops at 10,000 subscribers, and above that you need Pro.
- A reader app and discovery (Explore, topics and leaderboards) that can bring readers you did not reach yourself. Terlido has no reader app or discovery network.
- Podcasts and live video in the same place as the newsletter. Terlido Newsletter is email only.
Watch out for
- Substack takes 10% of every paid subscription, on top of Stripe's fees, for as long as you charge.
- A custom domain is an extra one-time fee.
Terlido vs SubstackSubstack help center: How much does Substack cost?Substack: going paid
Substack details checked in November 2026.
3. beehiiv
Best for: Newsletters that want to earn from ads and paid subscriptions.
- Free plan
- Up to 2,500 subscribers, 1 publication, website and podcast, recommendation network, unlimited email sends
- Paid from: From $59 (~€51)/month (Lite)
- $139 (~€120)/month at 10,000 subscribers. 3 publications, ad network, paid subscriptions (1 tier), 10 automations, custom domains, A/B tests
Where it is strong
- Ways to earn: an ad network and paid subscriptions from Lite, with 0% taken from subscription revenue. Terlido has neither.
- A website, podcast hosting and a recommendation network, even on Free. Terlido has a public archive and a signup page, not a site builder or podcasts.
- Unlimited email sends on every plan and up to 250,000 subscribers on Pro. Terlido sends from your mailbox at your provider's pace, so a big list can take more than a day.
Watch out for
- The Free plan stops at 2,500 subscribers, and automations, the ad network and paid subscriptions start on Lite.
- Paid plans rise with your subscriber count.
Terlido vs beehiivbeehiiv pricing page
beehiiv details checked in November 2026.
4. Kit (ConvertKit)
Best for: Creators who sell digital products and paid newsletters.
- Free plan
- Up to 10,000 subscribers, 1 user, unlimited forms and broadcasts, paid newsletters and digital products, Kit branding, no visual automations or sequences
- Paid from: $39 (~€34)/month (Creator)
- At 1,000 subscribers ($33 (~€28)/month billed yearly, $390 (~€335) a year). 2 users, unlimited visual automations and sequences, RSS campaigns, SMS, branding removal
Where it is strong
- Paid newsletters, subscriptions and digital products on every plan, including Free. Terlido has no paid subscriptions or checkout.
- Free and paid recommendations and newsletter sponsorships to help creators grow and earn. Terlido has neither.
- SMS marketing on Creator. Terlido Newsletter is email only.
Watch out for
- Kit Free has no visual automations or sequences.
- Sales carry a 3.5% + 30c fee on every plan, and paid plans rise with your subscriber count.
Terlido vs Kit (ConvertKit)Kit pricing page
Kit (ConvertKit) details checked in November 2026.
5. MailerLite
Best for: A website, landing pages and a newsletter on a small budget.
- Free plan
- Up to 250 subscribers, 2,500 emails a month, 2 seats, automations, 1 landing page, 1 digital product or booking
- Paid from: From $12 (~€10)/month (Comfort)
- Emails up to 10 times your subscriber tier a month, 3 seats, 50 automations, 10 sites, logo removal, full API and MCP access
Where it is strong
- Websites, landing pages, digital products and bookings in the same account, with one of each on Free. Terlido has a hosted signup page and a public archive, not a site builder or a store.
- Automations on the Free plan, and unlimited automations and seats on Power. Terlido Free includes only a welcome automation.
- Unlimited emails a month on Power (fair use). Terlido sends from your mailbox at your provider's pace, so a big list can take more than a day.
- Paid plans start at $12 (~€10) a month, so a small list can upgrade cheaply.
Watch out for
- The Free plan stops at 250 subscribers.
- Paid plans are priced by subscriber count, so the bill grows with your list.
Terlido vs MailerLiteMailerLite pricing page
MailerLite details checked in November 2026.
6. Mailchimp
Best for: Marketing teams that send to a big list in one go.
- Free plan
- Up to 250 contacts, 500 emails a month (250 a day), 1 seat, Mailchimp branding, no automation flows
- Paid from: From $13 (~€11)/month (Essentials)
- 500 contacts, sends up to 10 times your contact limit a month, 3 seats, up to 4 steps per flow
Where it is strong
- Sending does not depend on one mailbox: paid plans send 10 to 15 times your contact limit a month. Terlido sends from your mailbox at your provider's pace, so a big list can take more than a day.
- Up to 250,000 contacts on Premium with unlimited seats, and custom plans above that. Terlido Pro includes 100,000 subscribers, with extra blocks after that.
- Custom reports, dynamic content and up to 5 audiences on Standard.
Watch out for
- The Free plan stops at 250 contacts and 500 emails a month, with no automation flows.
- Unsubscribed contacts count toward your limit, and going over your contact or email limit adds a charge.
Terlido vs MailchimpMailchimp marketing pricingMailchimp: compare plansMailchimp help: about pricing plans
Mailchimp details checked in November 2026.
7. Ghost
Best for: A publication website with paid memberships, on open-source software.
- Free plan
- No free plan listed on the pricing page.
- Paid from: $18 (~€15)/month (Starter)
- Billed monthly ($15 (~€13)/month billed yearly). 1,000 members, your own website, an email newsletter and simple design settings
Where it is strong
- A full website and newsletter in one, with a free custom domain from Starter.
- Paid subscriptions from the Publisher plan ($35 (~€30)/month billed monthly), with 0% taken by Ghost; payment processor fees still apply.
- Ghost's code is open source and linked from its pricing page.
Watch out for
- The pricing page lists no free plan for Ghost(Pro), the hosted service.
- Starter has no paid subscriptions, custom themes or integrations; those start on Publisher.
- Plans are priced by member count: at 10,000 members the cheapest plan is Publisher, $105 (~€90)/month billed monthly ($88 (~€76)/month billed yearly).
Ghost details checked in November 2026.
8. Buttondown
Best for: A simple newsletter written in Markdown, paying only for what you add.
- Free plan
- Up to 100 subscribers, rich text or Markdown editor, sending from a custom domain, hosted archives
- Paid from: $9 (~€8)/month (Basic)
- Up to 1,000 subscribers ($90 (~€77)/year billed yearly). Includes paid subscriptions, analytics, tagging and RSS-to-email; add-ons such as automations are +$20 (~€17)/month each
Where it is strong
- Sending from your own domain and hosted archives are in the Free plan.
- You pay only for active subscribers, not for every contact.
- Paid subscriptions and analytics are included from the $9 (~€8) plan, and sponsorships, automations and more are add-ons, so you pay only for what you use.
Watch out for
- The Free plan stops at 100 subscribers.
- Add-ons cost extra each month: automations and multiple newsletters are +$20 (~€17)/month each at 1,000 subscribers.
- Prices assume at most one email a day to your whole list.
Buttondown details checked in November 2026.
Questions people ask
What is the best newsletter platform?
There is no single best one; it depends on what you need. Terlido Newsletter: a free newsletter sent from your own address, with replies in your own inbox. Substack: writers who want to charge readers and be found inside Substack's app. beehiiv: newsletters that want to earn from ads and paid subscriptions. Kit (ConvertKit): creators who sell digital products and paid newsletters. MailerLite: a website, landing pages and a newsletter on a small budget. Mailchimp: marketing teams that send to a big list in one go. Ghost: a publication website with paid memberships, on open-source software. Buttondown: a simple newsletter written in Markdown, paying only for what you add.
What is the best free newsletter platform?
It depends on your list size. Free plans as of November 2026: Terlido Newsletter: up to 10,000 subscribers; Substack: free to publish at any subscriber count; beehiiv: up to 2,500 subscribers; Kit (ConvertKit): up to 10,000 subscribers; MailerLite: up to 250 subscribers; Mailchimp: up to 250 contacts; Ghost: no free plan listed; Buttondown: up to 100 subscribers. Substack is free at any size but takes 10% when readers pay.
Substack or beehiiv: which is better?
Substack is free at any size, takes 10% of paid subscriptions, and has a reader app and discovery that can bring new readers. beehiiv is free up to 2,500 subscribers, takes 0% of subscription revenue, and adds an ad network and paid subscriptions from its Lite plan, plus a website and podcast hosting.
Which newsletter platforms let you charge for subscriptions?
Substack (10% of each payment plus Stripe fees), beehiiv from Lite (0% taken, Stripe fees apply), Kit on every plan (3.5% + 30c per sale), Ghost from Publisher (0% taken by Ghost, payment fees apply) and Buttondown as a +$9 (~€8)/month add-on. Terlido has no paid subscriptions.
Can I send a newsletter from my own Gmail or Outlook address?
With Terlido, yes: each issue goes out from your own mailbox (Gmail, Microsoft 365 or any SMTP server), so replies land in the inbox you already read. It sends at your provider's pace, so a big list can take more than a day.
Do newsletter platforms charge per subscriber?
Most paid plans do: Mailchimp, MailerLite, Kit, beehiiv, Ghost and Buttondown price by list size. Substack is free and takes a share of paid subscriptions instead. Terlido Pro is $29 (~€25) a month, flat up to 100,000 subscribers, then +$10 (~€9) a month for each extra 50,000.
Can I move my list to another newsletter platform?
Yes, as a CSV export of your subscribers. Terlido imports lists from beehiiv, Substack, Mailchimp or any CSV, and unsubscribes stay unsubscribed.
Try Terlido Newsletter free
Up to 10,000 subscribers on the Free plan, no card needed. Connect your mailbox, import your list and send yourself a test issue. If you need paid subscriptions or ads, pick Substack or beehiiv instead.
Try Terlido Newsletter free