Ghost is an open source publishing platform with a website, newsletters and paid memberships. It has no free tier, and its Starter plan is $18 a month billed yearly.
Some publishers want a free start, a different fee model, or a tool that only sends email. These are other platforms in our directory, with the facts on free plans and fees.
At a glance
| Free plan | How it charges | |
|---|---|---|
| Substack | Yes. It is free to start. Charges apply only when a writer takes payments. | A share of revenue. Writers keep 90% of their revenue minus credit card fees, so Substack's share is 10%. |
| beehiiv | Yes. Free for up to 2,500 subscribers, with 1 publication, 1 team seat and a 30-day analytics lookback. beehiiv branding stays on the newsletter. | By plan tier, with subscriber count setting the limits: Free up to 2,500, Lite up to 100,000, Pro up to 250,000, and Enterprise at a custom price. |
| Kit | Yes. Free for up to 10,000 subscribers, with unlimited landing pages, forms and email broadcasts. It has 1 user, no visual automations, and Kit branding stays on. | By plan and subscriber count. Kit takes 0.6% on digital products and subscriptions, which includes card processing fees. Paid Recommendations carry a 23.5% Kit fee. |
| Buttondown | Yes. Free for the first 100 subscribers, with a rich text or markdown editor, a custom sending domain and hosted archives. | By active subscribers, plus monthly add-ons at $9, $29 or $79 each. Prices assume sending at most one email a day to the whole list. Buttondown takes no fees from paid subscribers. |
| MailerLite | Yes. Free for up to 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails a month, with 2 seats. If active subscribers go over 250, sending is locked until you upgrade or remove subscribers. | By subscriber count and sending volume. You pay for the number of subscribers you have and the volume you send. |
| Mailchimp | Yes. Free for up to 250 contacts with a maximum of 500 sends a month or 250 a day, 1 seat and 1 audience. Mailchimp branding stays on and generative AI is not included. | By contact tier. Paid plans bill monthly or annually at the rate for your tier, and overages are billed automatically when limits are passed. Pay-as-you-go email credits are an alternative for infrequent senders. |
Prices and plans change. We checked these figures on October 10, 2026, so confirm them before you buy.
What each one is
Substack
A publishing platform where writers and creators post, build a subscriber base and charge for paid content, keeping 90% of revenue after card fees. Publishing a writer-led newsletter and charging readers for paid posts.
beehiiv
An all-in-one platform for publishing, growing and earning from newsletters, podcasts, digital products, communities and websites. Publishing a newsletter and growing and earning from it in one place.
Kit
An email platform for creators, formerly called ConvertKit, with forms, automations and paid newsletters. Sending a creator newsletter and growing and selling to the audience.
Buttondown
A newsletter platform for creators and businesses, free for the first 100 subscribers, with paid add-ons and no fees on paid subscribers. Writing and sending a newsletter with simple pricing that grows with the list.
MailerLite
An email marketing platform with a drag-and-drop editor, automations, landing pages, websites and a free plan for up to 250 subscribers. Sending newsletters and campaigns and building an audience with forms and landing pages.
Mailchimp
An email and SMS marketing platform for small businesses and other organizations, with a free plan for up to 250 contacts. Sending email campaigns and automations to a contact list.
How to choose
Start with how each one charges. Ghost charges 0% Ghost transaction fees on Publisher and above, and Substack keeps a share of what readers pay. Others charge by plan, by subscriber count or by contact tier.
Then ask whether you need a website with your newsletter. Ghost has themes and memberships, and not every tool here does. Open the full page for any tool to see what it does and when we last checked.
How much does Substack take?
Writers keep 90% of their revenue minus credit card fees. That makes Substack's share 10%, with card fees taken on top.
Does beehiiv have a free plan?
Yes. The free plan costs $0 and supports up to 2,500 subscribers, 1 publication and 1 team seat. It includes unlimited email sends, landing pages and templates, and beehiiv branding stays on the newsletter.
Is Kit the same as ConvertKit?
Yes. ConvertKit is now Kit.
Is Buttondown free?
Nothing is charged for the first 100 subscribers. That tier includes a rich text or markdown editor, a custom sending domain and hosted archives.
Is MailerLite free?
Yes, up to 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails a month, with 2 seats, 3 automations and 1 website. Sending locks if active subscribers go above 250.