Side by side
| Kit | Substack | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | 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. | Yes. It is free to start. Charges apply only when a writer takes payments. |
| Starting price | Creator is $33 a month for 1,000 email subscribers, shown as $390 billed yearly. No monthly billing option is shown. | Not published. |
| How it charges | 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. | A share of revenue. Writers keep 90% of their revenue minus credit card fees, so Substack's share is 10%. |
| Works with | Patreon, Canva, Transistor.fm, SavvyCal, GIPHY, Circle, Broadcast Boost, TeachKit, Sponsy, Lex and Senja through the Kit App Store. | Podcasts can be published to Substack, Apple, Spotify and YouTube. |
| AI features | Kit MCP connects Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini and others to a Kit account on Creator and Pro. Subscriber Signals on Pro does automated audience research. A Kit AI assistant handles most support questions. | Not published. |
Prices and plans change. We checked these figures on October 10, 2026, so confirm them before you buy.
What Kit is
Kit was formerly called ConvertKit. It is an email-first operating system for creators, covering email creation, automations and audience management.
A newsletter operator can use it to send emails, build landing pages and forms, run visual automations, take paid newsletter subscriptions, and use Recommendations to appear in other creators' emails.
Paid plans include a free migration service, and there is a 14-day free trial with no credit card required.
What Substack is
Substack puts writers, creators and subscribers in charge of a new media model. It is free to start and free to leave.
A newsletter operator can publish posts, mark each post free or paid-only, host podcasts, and grow through recommendations, Notes and the Substack app.
Creators own their content and subscriber list.
Which one fits
Kit and Substack charge in different ways. Substack is free to start and keeps 10% of paid subscription revenue, plus card fees. Kit is free up to 10,000 subscribers, then charges by plan and list size, and takes 0.6% on digital products and subscriptions.
A writer who wants to publish and maybe charge readers later pays nothing up front on either. Once paid subscriptions bring in real money, 0.6% is a much smaller share than 10%, but Kit adds a monthly plan fee as the list grows. Work out both with your own list size and expected revenue.
Is Kit the same as ConvertKit?
Yes. ConvertKit is now Kit.
Does Kit have a free plan?
Yes. The free plan covers up to 10,000 subscribers with unlimited landing pages, forms and broadcasts. Visual automations and removing Kit branding need a paid plan.
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.
Do I own my subscriber list?
Yes. Writers own their content and their subscriber list, and Substack is free to leave.