Newsletter platform cost calculator
Enter your list size and the features you need. We show what beehiiv, Kit, MailerLite, Ghost, Buttondown, Substack and EmailOctopus would actually cost you today — and at 2× and 5× your list — with every price linked to its official source.
Prices change often. Every price here was checked against the platform's official pricing page on the date shown, but plans, promos and taxes vary. Always confirm on the official site before you buy or switch. Not financial advice.
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Results
| # | Platform | Cheapest fitting plan | Plan /mo | Total /mo | At 2× list | At 5× list | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Buttondown Cheapest | Paid (usage-based) tier up to 5,000 | $29 | $29 | $79 | $239 | Visit |
| 2 | EmailOctopus | Pro tier up to 5,000 | $31.50 | $31.50 | $44.50 | $94.50 | Visit |
| 3 | MailerLite | Comfort tier up to 5,000 | $49 | $49 | $89 | $179 | Visit |
| 4 | Kit (ConvertKit) | Creator tier up to 5,000 | $89 | $89 | $139 | $199 | Visit |
| 5 | beehiiv | Lite tier up to 5,000 | $109 | $109 | $139 | $199 | Visit (affiliate) |
Not shown (4)
- Ghost (Ghost(Pro)): Starter: no automations; Publisher: no automations; Business: no automations
- Substack: Free + 10% of paid revenue: no automations
- Brevo: Pricing not verified yet
- Mailchimp: Pricing not verified yet
Cheapest fitting plan per platform; ties keep the lower tier. "n/a" means no self-serve plan covers that list size or feature set. Ranking is by cost only — affiliate relationships never change the order (disclosure).
Costs at a glance
- 1,000 subscribers (with automations, monthly billing): cheapest is EmailOctopus Free at $0/mo; most expensive tracked option is beehiiv at $59/mo.
- 10,000 subscribers (with automations, monthly billing): cheapest is EmailOctopus Pro at $44.50/mo; most expensive tracked option is Kit (ConvertKit) at $139/mo.
- 50,000 subscribers (with automations, monthly billing): cheapest is EmailOctopus Pro at $178/mo; most expensive tracked option is Kit (ConvertKit) at $379/mo.
Price-change log
Dated, sourced record of every pricing change we track — starting with beehiiv's October 2026 increase.
beehiiv price increase 2026
What you'll pay at your renewal and the cheaper alternatives at your list size.
Substack vs beehiiv vs Ghost
Cost at 1k, 10k and 50k subscribers — free and paid newsletters.
Head-to-head comparisons
- beehiiv vs Kit
- beehiiv vs Substack
- Kit vs MailerLite
- beehiiv vs MailerLite
- Substack vs Ghost
- All comparisons →
Cheapest platform for your list size
- Cheapest newsletter platform for 1,000 subscribers
- Cheapest newsletter platform for 5,000 subscribers
- Cheapest newsletter platform for 10,000 subscribers
FAQ
What is the cheapest newsletter platform?
It depends on list size and features. With no special needs, Substack is free (it takes 10% of paid subscription revenue instead), Kit is free up to 10,000 subscribers and beehiiv is free up to 2,500. If you need automations, EmailOctopus is usually the cheapest in our data; if you also want your website on your own domain, MailerLite or Buttondown usually is. Use the calculator for your exact numbers.
How much did beehiiv raise its prices in 2026?
On October 1, 2026 beehiiv renamed Scale to Lite and Max to Pro. At 10,000 subscribers on monthly billing, Lite went from $109 to $139/month and Pro from $219 to $239/month. Existing customers move to the new prices at their first renewal on or after November 1, 2026.
Does the calculator include payment processing fees?
Yes, if you tick "paid subscriptions". We add each platform's own cut (e.g. Substack 10%, Kit's all-in 3.5% + $0.30) plus an estimate of Stripe's standard card fee (2.9% + $0.30 per payment) for Stripe-based platforms.
How often are prices checked?
Every price row shows the date it was last verified against the official pricing page and links to the source. Price changes are recorded in our dated price-change log.
Get notified when newsletter platform prices change
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