Newsletter platform cost calculator
Enter your list size and the features you need. We show what beehiiv, Kit, MailerLite, Ghost, Buttondown, Substack, EmailOctopus, Brevo, Mailchimp, AWeber, Constant Contact, ActiveCampaign and GetResponse would actually cost you today — and at 2× and 5× your list — with every price linked to its official source.
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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 | Brevo | Starter tier up to 5,000 limited automations on this plan; priced by emails sent; assumes 4 sends/subscriber/month | $32 | $32 | $46 | $82 | Visit |
| 4 | MailerLite | Comfort tier up to 5,000 | $49 | $49 | $89 | $179 | Visit |
| 5 | GetResponse | Starter tier up to 5,000 limited automations on this plan; billed on peak contacts; overage charges above the tier | $54 | $54 | $79 | $174 | Visit |
| 6 | AWeber | Lite tier up to 5,000 limited automations on this plan | $60 | $60 | $100 | $210 | Visit (affiliate) |
| 7 | Mailchimp | Essentials tier up to 5,000 limited automations on this plan; billed on peak contacts; overage charges above the tier | $75 | $75 | $110 | $270 | Visit |
| 8 | Constant Contact | Lite tier up to 5,000 limited automations on this plan | $80 | $80 | $120 | $280 | Visit |
| 9 | Kit (ConvertKit) | Creator tier up to 5,000 | $89 | $89 | $139 | $199 | Visit |
| 10 | ActiveCampaign | Starter tier up to 5,000 billed on peak contacts; overage charges above the tier | $99 | $99 | $189 | $489 | Visit |
| 11 | beehiiv | Lite tier up to 5,000 | $109 | $109 | $139 | $199 | Visit (affiliate) |
Not shown (2)
- Ghost (Ghost(Pro)): Starter: no automations; Publisher: no automations; Business: no automations
- Substack: Free + 10% of paid revenue: no automations
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).
Next: What would switching cost me? · Best platform for my needs & budget · Price change tracker
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We re-check every platform's official pricing page and email you when a price, limit or fee changes, with before/after numbers and the cheapest alternative. Plus one monthly cost report. Free, no spam. What you get →
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 ActiveCampaign at $189/mo.
- 50,000 subscribers (with automations, monthly billing): cheapest is EmailOctopus Pro at $178/mo; most expensive tracked option is ActiveCampaign at $759/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
- Mailchimp vs MailerLite
- Brevo vs MailerLite
- Brevo vs Mailchimp
- AWeber vs MailerLite
- AWeber vs Mailchimp
- AWeber vs Kit
- Constant Contact vs Mailchimp
- Constant Contact vs MailerLite
- AWeber vs Constant Contact
- ActiveCampaign vs Mailchimp
- GetResponse vs Mailchimp
- ActiveCampaign vs GetResponse
- GetResponse vs MailerLite
- 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.
Want to know when any of this changes? Get free price-change alerts.