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Cheapest newsletter platform for 500 subscribers (2026)
Last verified against official pricing pages · USD, excluding tax
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.
Short answer
- Basic newsletter: beehiiv Free, Kit Free, Substack Free + 10% of paid revenue, EmailOctopus Free, AWeber Free, GetResponse Free at $0/mo full ranking
- With automations: EmailOctopus Free, AWeber Free at $0/mo full ranking
- With automations + website on your own domain: MailerLite Comfort at $12/mo full ranking
- With automations, no platform branding: EmailOctopus Pro at $10/mo full ranking
- Paid newsletter (5% pay $8/mo): Kit Free at $14.50/mo full ranking
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Full rankings for 500 subscribers
Basic newsletter
| # | Platform | Cheapest fitting plan | Total /mo (monthly billing) | Total /mo (annual billing) | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | beehiiv | Free | $0 | $0 | Visit (paid link) |
| 2 | Kit | Free | $0 | $0 | Visit |
| 3 | Substack | Free + 10% of paid revenue | $0 | $0 | Visit |
| 4 | EmailOctopus | Free | $0 | $0 | Visit |
| 5 | AWeber | Free | $0 | $0 | Visit (paid link) |
| 6 | GetResponse | Free | $0 | $0 | Visit |
| 7 | Buttondown | Paid (usage-based) | $9 | $7.50 | Visit |
| 8 | Brevo | Starter (priced by emails sent; assumes 4 sends/subscriber/month) | $9 | $8.08 | Visit |
| 9 | MailerLite | Comfort | $12 | $10.80 | Visit |
| 10 | Constant Contact | Lite | $12 | $10.20 | Visit |
| 11 | Mailchimp | Essentials | $13 | n/a | Visit |
| 12 | Ghost | Starter | $18 | $15 | Visit |
| 13 | ActiveCampaign | Starter | $19 | $15 | Visit |
With automations
| # | Platform | Cheapest fitting plan | Total /mo (monthly billing) | Total /mo (annual billing) | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | EmailOctopus | Free (limited automations) | $0 | $0 | Visit |
| 2 | AWeber | Free (limited automations) | $0 | $0 | Visit (paid link) |
| 3 | Brevo | Starter (limited automations) (priced by emails sent; assumes 4 sends/subscriber/month) | $9 | $8.08 | Visit |
| 4 | MailerLite | Comfort | $12 | $10.80 | Visit |
| 5 | Constant Contact | Lite (limited automations) | $12 | $10.20 | Visit |
| 6 | Mailchimp | Essentials (limited automations) | $13 | n/a | Visit |
| 7 | ActiveCampaign | Starter | $19 | $15 | Visit |
| 8 | GetResponse | Starter (limited automations) | $19 | $15.58 | Visit |
| 9 | Buttondown | Paid (usage-based) | $29 | $24.17 | Visit |
| 10 | Kit | Creator | $39 | $32.50 | Visit |
| 11 | beehiiv | Lite | $59 | $49 | Visit (paid link) |
Not available for this scenario: Ghost, Substack.
With automations + website on your own domain
| # | Platform | Cheapest fitting plan | Total /mo (monthly billing) | Total /mo (annual billing) | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | MailerLite | Comfort | $12 | $10.80 | Visit |
| 2 | AWeber | Lite (limited automations) | $15 | $12.50 | Visit (paid link) |
| 3 | GetResponse | Starter (limited automations) | $19 | $15.58 | Visit |
| 4 | Buttondown | Paid (usage-based) | $29 | $24.17 | Visit |
| 5 | Kit | Creator | $39 | $32.50 | Visit |
| 6 | beehiiv | Lite | $59 | $49 | Visit (paid link) |
| 7 | ActiveCampaign | Plus | $59 | $49 | Visit |
Not available for this scenario: Ghost, Substack, Mailchimp.
Not ranked because a required feature isn't confirmed on their official pricing pages: EmailOctopus, Brevo, Constant Contact.
With automations, no platform branding
| # | Platform | Cheapest fitting plan | Total /mo (monthly billing) | Total /mo (annual billing) | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | EmailOctopus | Pro | $10 | $9 | Visit |
| 2 | MailerLite | Comfort | $12 | $10.80 | Visit |
| 3 | Mailchimp | Essentials (limited automations) | $13 | n/a | Visit |
| 4 | Brevo | Standard (priced by emails sent; assumes 4 sends/subscriber/month) | $18 | $16.17 | Visit |
| 5 | GetResponse | Starter (limited automations) | $19 | $15.58 | Visit |
| 6 | AWeber | Plus | $30 | $20 | Visit (paid link) |
| 7 | Kit | Creator | $39 | $32.50 | Visit |
| 8 | ActiveCampaign | Plus | $59 | $49 | Visit |
| 9 | Buttondown | Paid (usage-based) | $79 | $65.83 | Visit |
| 10 | beehiiv | Pro | $109 | $95 | Visit (paid link) |
Not available for this scenario: Ghost, Substack.
Not ranked because a required feature isn't confirmed on their official pricing pages: Constant Contact.
Paid newsletter (5% pay $8/mo)
| # | Platform | Cheapest fitting plan | Total /mo (monthly billing) | Total /mo (annual billing) | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kit | Free | $14.50 | $14.50 | Visit |
| 2 | AWeber | Free | $16.70 | $16.70 | Visit (paid link) |
| 3 | Buttondown | Paid (usage-based) | $23.70 | $22.20 | Visit |
| 4 | MailerLite | Comfort | $26.70 | $25.50 | Visit |
| 5 | Substack | Free + 10% of paid revenue | $34.70 | $34.70 | Visit |
| 6 | Ghost | Publisher | $49.70 | $43.70 | Visit |
| 7 | beehiiv | Lite | $73.70 | $63.70 | Visit (paid link) |
| 8 | GetResponse | Creator | $82.30 | $69.88 | Visit |
Not available for this scenario: EmailOctopus.
Not ranked because a required feature isn't confirmed on their official pricing pages: Brevo, Mailchimp, Constant Contact, ActiveCampaign.
Ranked by total monthly cost on monthly billing (the cheapest plan on each platform that covers 500 subscribers and the required features). Paid totals = plan + platform cut + Stripe card fees (2.9% + $0.30 per payment, estimate) + Stripe's 0.7% Billing fee on recurring payments where confirmed (beehiiv, MailerLite, Ghost, Buttondown, Substack and AWeber); not added for GetResponse (not confirmed); Kit's 3.5% + $0.30 is all-in. How we model fees. Ranking is by cost only — affiliate links never change the order (disclosure).
Adjust in the calculator Rank with your exact needs and budget →
FAQ
What is the cheapest newsletter platform for 500 subscribers?
For a basic newsletter: beehiiv Free, Kit Free, Substack Free + 10% of paid revenue, EmailOctopus Free, AWeber Free, GetResponse Free at $0/mo. If you need automations: EmailOctopus Free, AWeber Free at $0/mo. Monthly billing, prices verified 2026-10-20.
What is the cheapest option for 500 subscribers with automations and my own domain?
MailerLite Comfort at $12/mo, on monthly billing.
What is the cheapest platform for a paid newsletter with 500 subscribers?
Assuming 25 paid subscribers at $8/month: Kit Free at $14.50/mo, including platform cut and estimated Stripe fees.
Which free plans cover 500 subscribers?
beehiiv Free, Kit Free, Substack Free + 10% of paid revenue, EmailOctopus Free, AWeber Free, GetResponse Free. Free plans have limits (automations, branding, sends): see our free plans comparison.
How much does yearly billing save at 500 subscribers?
For the cheapest paid plans with automations: Brevo Starter: $9/mo monthly vs $8.08/mo yearly; MailerLite Comfort: $12/mo monthly vs $10.80/mo yearly; Constant Contact Lite: $12/mo monthly vs $10.20/mo yearly.
How are these rankings made?
By total monthly cost only: the cheapest plan on each platform that covers 500 subscribers and the required features, using prices checked on the official pricing pages (2026-10-20). Features that the official pages don't confirm count as not available. Affiliate links never change the order.
Sources
- beehiiv pricing (checked 2026-10-20)
- Kit pricing (checked 2026-10-20)
- MailerLite pricing (checked 2026-10-20)
- Ghost pricing (checked 2026-10-20)
- Buttondown pricing (checked 2026-10-20)
- Substack pricing (checked 2026-10-20)
- EmailOctopus pricing (checked 2026-10-20)
- Brevo pricing (checked 2026-10-20)
- Mailchimp pricing (checked 2026-10-20)
- AWeber pricing (checked 2026-10-20)
- Constant Contact pricing (checked 2026-10-20)
- ActiveCampaign pricing (checked 2026-10-20)
- GetResponse pricing (checked 2026-10-20)
- Stripe pricing (card-fee estimate)
- Stripe Billing pricing (0.7% on recurring payments)
Other sizes: 1,000 subscribers · 2,500 subscribers · 5,000 subscribers · 10,000 subscribers · 25,000 subscribers · Free plans compared · Best for: paid newsletters, beginners, small business, creators, nonprofits · Alternatives to Substack, Mailchimp, beehiiv, Kit · 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 · beehiiv vs Ghost · Kit vs Substack · Kit vs Mailchimp · beehiiv vs Mailchimp · Kit vs Ghost · Substack vs MailerLite · Ghost vs MailerLite · beehiiv vs AWeber · Substack vs Mailchimp · AWeber vs Substack · AWeber vs Ghost · Ghost vs Mailchimp
Guides: Is beehiiv worth it in 2026 · Substack to beehiiv migration · beehiiv Free plan (2026) · AWeber Free plan (2026)
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Recently flagged: Kit: 25% off the first year of Pro on annual billing (limited-time offer) (20 Oct 2026) · beehiiv renames plans and raises prices (Scale → Lite, Max → Pro) (1 Oct 2026)