Best free newsletter platform
Starting at zero cost, on a plan that does not expire, with room to charge readers later.
| # | Tool | Starting price | Best for | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Substack Top pick | Free; 10% of paid revenue Free tier | Writers starting a paid newsletter who would rather give up a share of revenue than pay a monthly bill. | | Visit |
| 2 | Kit | Free, then $33/mo Free tier | Creators who want to charge for a newsletter from day one without paying a monthly fee first. | | Visit |
| 3 | beehiiv | Free, then $49/mo Free tier | Newsletter operators who want growth tools and ad revenue built in, and expect to outgrow a hobby list. | | Visit |
| 4 | MailerLite | Free, then $19/mo Free tier | Small businesses and writers who want the lowest monthly price and no cut of subscription revenue. | | Visit |
| 5 | Ghost | $18/mo | Writers and publications that want a real website with the newsletter attached, and to keep all subscription revenue. | | Visit |
Ranked on weighted capability scores, weighted most heavily towards free plan and paid subscriptions. Commission is not an input — see methodology.
How this ranking was weighted
| Dimension | Weight | Substack | Kit | beehiiv | MailerLite | Ghost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free plan | ×4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| Paid subscriptions | ×2 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Value for money | ×2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 4 |
| Ease of use | ×1 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
| Weighted total | 91 | 89 | 76 | 67 | 51 |
Capability scores are 1–5 per dimension. Weights reflect what matters for this use case. A tool we have not assessed on a dimension scores 3, not 0.
Why Substack wins here
Strengths
- +Free to publish at any size, with no monthly fee even once readers pay.
- +Paid subscriptions work from day one, with nothing to pay until you earn.
- +Other writers can recommend your publication, and new recommendations reach their subscribers in a digest email.
Limitations
- −Keeps 10% of every paid-subscription payment, on top of Stripe’s fees, and no plan removes it.
- −At $1,000 a month in subscriptions the 10% share is $100 a month, and it grows with every paying reader.
- −Using your own domain costs a one-off $50.
The case for Kit
An email platform built for creators, with strong automation and a free plan for up to 10,000 subscribers. Creators who want to charge for a newsletter from day one without paying a monthly fee first.
Full Substack vs Kit comparison →
Common questions
Best free newsletter platform?
Substack scores highest for a free newsletter, at 91 out of 100 when weighted for free plan and paid subscriptions. Kit is second on 89.
Why is the pick here different from your overall ranking?
Our overall ranking for newsletter platforms puts beehiiv first, because it averages every use case. Weighted specifically for a free newsletter, Substack comes out ahead — starting at zero cost, on a plan that does not expire, with room to charge readers later.
Sources & verification
- ghost.org — checked 24 September 2026Founded April 2013.
- ghost.org — checked 24 September 2026No free plan on Ghost(Pro) — each plan starts with a free trial. Ghost is also open-source software you can host yourself.
- kit.com — checked 24 September 2026Paid newsletters and recurring subscriptions on every plan, including free. 3.5% + 30¢ per transaction, inclusive of card processing — Kit says its own share is 0.6%.
- support.substack.com — checked 24 September 2026Publishing is free however many subscribers you have. Paid subscriptions cost nothing a month; Substack takes 10% of each payment.
- support.substack.com — checked 24 September 2026One-time $50 fee to use your own domain.
- support.substack.com — checked 24 September 2026Writers recommend other publications; new recommendations reach their subscribers in a digest email.
- beehiiv.com — checked 24 September 2026
- beehiiv.com — checked 24 September 2026Launch plan: free for up to 2,500 subscribers, with unlimited email sends, a website and custom domains. No card required. Paid subscriptions, automations and the ad network need a paid plan.
- mailerlite.com — checked 24 September 2026
- mailerlite.com — checked 24 September 2026No sales fee on paid newsletters; Stripe processes the payments.
- mailerlite.com — checked 24 September 2026Free plan: up to 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails a month, with 3 automations, 1 website and 1 landing page. Paid newsletters, custom domains and removing the MailerLite logo need a paid plan.