How to choose an email marketing platform: Kit vs MailerLite vs beehiiv
Facts checked on the official pages on 2026-09-19. Prices and plans change — confirm on the official page before you sign up.
If you want to start an email list or a newsletter, the first question is usually not "which tool is best" but "what do I need on day one". This guide lines up three platforms — Kit (formerly ConvertKit), MailerLite and beehiiv — on the points that decide that, using only what each company publishes on its own pricing page.
Start here: what do you need first?
| If your first need is… | Look at this row in the table below |
|---|---|
| Grow an email list without paying yet | Free plan: subscriber limit |
| Send a welcome email or an email sequence automatically | Automations on the free plan |
| Collect sign-ups on a page, without your own website | Landing pages & sign-up forms |
| Run a newsletter with its own web page | Website / publication |
| Sell digital products or paid subscriptions | Selling & paid subscriptions |
Side by side (official pricing pages)
| Point | Kit | MailerLite | beehiiv |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free plan: subscriber limit | "Free—up to 10,000 subscribers" [1] | "Up to 250 subscribers", "2,500 monthly emails" [2] | Launch: "Up to 2,500 subscribers" [3] |
| Automations on the free plan | "Unlimited Visual Automations" and "Unlimited email sequences" are listed under Creator [1] | "3 automations" [2] | "Email Automations" is listed under Scale [3]. |
| Landing pages & sign-up forms | "Unlimited landing pages & forms" (Free) [1] | "1 website & 1 landing page", "3 signup forms" (Free) [2] | See the official page |
| Website / publication | See the official page | "1 website & 1 landing page" (Free) [2] | Launch includes newsletter, website and podcast [3] |
| Selling & paid subscriptions | "Sell digital products & subscriptions" (Free) [1] | See the official page | "0% Take Rate on Paid Subscriptions" (Scale) [3] |
| First paid plan (as listed) | Creator: "$33/mo" or "$390 billed yearly" [1]. The price depends on your subscriber count | Comfort: "starting $12/month" [2] | Scale: "$43 per month" ($517 annually) [3] |
| Next plan (as listed) | Pro: "$66/mo" or "$790 billed yearly" [1] | Power: "starting $25/month" [2] | Max: "$96 per month" ($1,151 annually) [3] |
Quotes are copied from the pages listed under Sources. Paid-plan prices usually rise with the number of subscribers; check the slider on each official page for your list size.
Kit (formerly ConvertKit)
What the official pricing page lists: a free plan "up to 10,000 subscribers" with "Unlimited landing pages & forms", "Unlimited email broadcasts", "Audience tagging & segmentation" and "Sell digital products & subscriptions". The Creator plan adds "Unlimited Visual Automations", "Unlimited email sequences" and "Remove Kit branding". [1]
MailerLite
What the official pricing page lists: a free plan "Up to 250 subscribers" and "2,500 monthly emails", with "3 automations", "1 website & 1 landing page" and "3 signup forms". Comfort adds "50 automations" and "10 websites & landing pages". [2]
beehiiv
What the official pricing page lists: a free Launch plan "Up to 2,500 subscribers" with newsletter, website and podcast, "Unlimited Email Sends" and "Recommendation Network". Scale adds "Ad Network", "Email Automations" and "0% Take Rate on Paid Subscriptions". [3]
Questions to answer before you pick
- How many subscribers do you expect in the first months? Compare the free plan limits above.
- Do you need an automatic welcome email or sequence from day one? Check whether it is on the free plan.
- Do you already have a website, or do you need the tool to host your sign-up page?
- Will you sell something (a digital product or paid newsletter)? Check the selling row.
Sources
- Kit, Pricing — https://kit.com/pricing (checked 2026-09-19)
- MailerLite, Pricing — https://www.mailerlite.com/pricing (checked 2026-09-19)
- beehiiv, Pricing — https://www.beehiiv.com/pricing (checked 2026-09-19)