Tested six email platforms across deliverability, automation depth, design quality, and pricing. Here's the honest ranking, and more importantly, which one fits your specific situation.
Verdict: ConvertKit if you sell things to your audience (courses, coaching, digital products). Beehiiv if the newsletter itself is your product. MailerLite if you want 85% of the features at half the price. Mailchimp only if you're deep in e-commerce. ActiveCampaign only at scale with a real marketing ops need.
Quick Ranking
| Platform | Best For | Price (1k subs) | Free Plan | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ConvertKit | Creators selling products | $29/mo | Yes (1k subs) | Best for monetization |
| Beehiiv | Newsletter publishers | Free | Yes (2.5k subs) | Best for newsletter-first |
| MailerLite | Budget-conscious small biz | $13.50/mo | Yes (1k subs) | Best value |
| Mailchimp | E-commerce brands | $20/mo | Yes (500 subs) | Best for Shopify users |
| ActiveCampaign | Enterprise automation | $39/mo | No | Best for scale |
#1 ConvertKit (now Kit), Best for Creators
ConvertKit is built for creators who sell things to their audience: courses, ebooks, coaching packages, templates, memberships. If you're building a monetized audience, no other tool at this price comes close on the features that actually matter for selling.
Pricing
| Plan | Price | Subscribers | Key Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Up to 1,000 | Unlimited email sends, landing pages, forms |
| Creator | $29/mo | 1,000 | Automation, sequences, paid newsletters |
| Creator Pro | $59/mo | 1,000 | Newsletter referral system, advanced reporting, subscriber scoring |
| Scales with list | ~$79/mo | 5,000 | Same features, higher limit |
What ConvertKit does well
- Automation builder: Visual, drag-and-drop automation flows that actually work. Tag subscribers based on actions, segment by purchase history, trigger sequences from any event. For selling to a list, this is what you're paying for.
- Native digital product sales: Sell ebooks, courses, and downloads directly through ConvertKit without Gumroad or a separate storefront. The conversion data flows back into your email segments automatically.
- Creator Network: Recommend other newsletters and grow your list through cross-promotions. This is a genuine list-building channel baked into the platform.
- Deliverability: Consistently above 95% inbox placement in independent tests. ConvertKit's infrastructure is optimized for personal-brand emails, not bulk blasts.
What ConvertKit does poorly
- Price jumps sharply with list size: At 10k subscribers you're paying $119/month. At 25k, $199/month. If your list grows fast, model out the 12-month cost.
- Email design is limited: ConvertKit's aesthetic is intentionally plain-text-first. If you need branded, image-heavy newsletters like a retailer would send, the templates feel sparse.
- No SMS or push notifications: Email-only. ActiveCampaign and Klaviyo cover multi-channel; ConvertKit doesn't.
#2 Beehiiv, Best for Newsletter-First Businesses
Beehiiv was built by the team that scaled Morning Brew to 4 million subscribers. If your newsletter IS your product, not just a channel for selling something else, Beehiiv is designed for you.
Pricing
| Plan | Price | Subscribers | Key Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Launch | $0 | Up to 2,500 | Unlimited sends, custom domain, basic analytics |
| Scale | $39/mo | Up to 1,000 | Boosts, paid subscriptions, Ad Network access |
| Max | $99/mo | Up to 1,000 | 3D analytics, A/B testing, automations, API |
Note: Beehiiv's free plan gives you 2,500 subscribers, the most generous in the market. The Scale/Max pricing scales with subscriber count.
What Beehiiv does well
- Ad Network monetization: Beehiiv connects you with brands paying $50-200 CPM to advertise in newsletters like yours. You set a floor price; they book directly. This is a revenue stream that doesn't require you to sell your own products.
- Paid subscription model: Native paid newsletter subscriptions with Stripe integration. Readers pay monthly or annually for premium access. Morning Brew's model, available to anyone.
- Boosts: Get paid to recommend other newsletters. Other publishers pay to get featured in your next issue. Passive list monetization even at 1,000 subscribers.
- Publication-quality reading experience: The email rendering and web version of Beehiiv newsletters look premium. High reader retention compared to plain-text tools.
What Beehiiv does poorly
- Automation is basic on free/Scale: Complex multi-step automations require the Max plan. ConvertKit beats it here at comparable prices.
- Not built for product sales: Beehiiv doesn't have native digital product selling. If you're selling courses or ebooks, ConvertKit is better integrated.
- Smaller creator economy ecosystem: Less content and community around growth tactics compared to ConvertKit's well-documented automation strategies.
#3 MailerLite, Best Value for Small Business
MailerLite at $13.50/month for 1,000 subscribers is roughly 50% cheaper than ConvertKit at the same size, and it includes 85-90% of the features most small businesses actually use. If you're not selling digital products directly and don't need ConvertKit's advanced automation, MailerLite is the honest best value.
Pricing
| Plan | Price | Subscribers |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 1,000 (12k sends/mo) |
| Growing Business | $13.50/mo | 1,000 (unlimited sends) |
| Advanced | $18/mo | 1,000 (AI writing, custom HTML, priority support) |
What MailerLite does well
- Landing page builder: Included on all paid plans. Creates simple, clean landing pages for lead magnets and product promos without a separate tool.
- Website builder: Basic website builder included. For solopreneurs who want a one-stop shop, MailerLite eliminates the need for a separate website tool.
- Solid deliverability: MailerLite consistently ranks highly in independent deliverability tests, often matching tools 3x the price.
- Clean interface: Intuitive enough that non-technical users are up and running in under an hour. Not as powerful as ConvertKit's automation but far more accessible.
Who should use MailerLite
Local businesses, consultants, coaches, and service providers who want to stay in contact with their customer base without complex automation or digital product infrastructure. The price advantage is real and ongoing.
#4 Mailchimp, Best for E-Commerce
Mailchimp's strongest use case is e-commerce: Shopify and WooCommerce integration, abandoned cart sequences, purchase-triggered emails, and product recommendation blocks. If you're running a physical or digital product store, Mailchimp's commerce integrations are mature in ways the other tools aren't.
Pricing
| Plan | Price | Contacts | Sends |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 500 | 1,000/mo |
| Essentials | $13/mo | 500 | 5,000/mo |
| Standard | $20/mo | 500 | 6,000/mo |
| Premium | $350/mo | 10,000 | 150,000/mo |
Who should skip Mailchimp
Creators building audiences and selling digital products. Mailchimp's automation for creator use cases is significantly behind ConvertKit. The interface is also more complex than the others for equivalent tasks.
#5 ActiveCampaign, Best for Marketing Automation at Scale
ActiveCampaign is the professional choice for multi-channel marketing automation: email, SMS, CRM, lead scoring, site tracking, and API integrations. It's overkill for 90% of small businesses, but for teams running significant B2B nurture sequences or complex e-commerce automations, it's worth the price.
Pricing
| Plan | Price | Contacts | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | $15/mo | 1,000 | Basic email, 1 user, limited automations |
| Plus | $49/mo | 1,000 | CRM, landing pages, 3 users |
| Professional | $79/mo | 1,000 | Predictive sending, lead scoring, 5 users |
Who needs ActiveCampaign
SaaS companies, B2B service businesses, and e-commerce brands with complex segmentation needs and teams of 3+ marketing people. If you're a solo operator or small team, the complexity-to-value ratio isn't there.
Decision Framework
| Your situation | Best choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Starting a newsletter from scratch | Beehiiv (free) | 2,500-sub free plan, monetization built in |
| Selling courses, coaching, digital products | ConvertKit | Best automation + native product selling |
| Small business, tight budget | MailerLite | 50% cheaper than ConvertKit, most features |
| Shopify / WooCommerce store | Mailchimp | Best e-commerce integrations |
| B2B with 3+ person marketing team | ActiveCampaign | CRM + automation at scale |
| Newsletter as primary business model | Beehiiv paid | Ad Network + paid subs revenue model |
What to Look For When Choosing
Deliverability
All five platforms have solid deliverability when used correctly. The biggest deliverability factor you control: list hygiene. Clean unengaged subscribers every 90 days. A 25% open rate across 1,000 subs beats a 5% rate across 5,000, both for deliverability and for your own growth signal.
Automation depth
For simple sequences (welcome series, drip campaigns), all platforms handle this. The differentiator is conditional branching: ConvertKit and ActiveCampaign let you create complex decision trees that respond to subscriber behavior. MailerLite's automation is solid for most use cases. Beehiiv's is basic.
Free plan quality
Beehiiv's free plan (2,500 subscribers, unlimited sends) is the most generous by far. ConvertKit's free plan (1,000 subscribers) is fully functional and includes landing pages. Mailchimp's free plan (500 subscribers) is the most restrictive. For starting out, Beehiiv or ConvertKit free are the strongest options.
FAQ
Can I switch platforms later without losing my list?
Yes. All platforms let you export your subscriber list as a CSV. Switching has some friction (re-importing, rebuilding automations, updating embedded forms) but it's doable. Pick the right tool now but don't feel locked in.
Is ConvertKit free plan actually good?
Yes, for building to 1,000 subscribers. You get unlimited email sends, landing pages, and basic forms. The limitation is no automation, you can't set up drip sequences on the free plan. Upgrade to Creator ($29/month) when you want to automate sequences or sell products.
Is Beehiiv's Ad Network available to small lists?
Technically yes, Beehiiv lists you in the network from day one. Practically, advertisers typically prefer lists with 1,000+ engaged subscribers. Focus on building engagement first; Ad Network revenue becomes meaningful around 2,000-5,000 subscribers.
What's the difference between ConvertKit and Kit?
They're the same product. ConvertKit rebranded to "Kit" in late 2024. The platform, pricing, and features are identical. The new name is just the brand; all documentation and help content still refers to both names.
Which has the best customer support?
ConvertKit and MailerLite both have responsive live chat and email support. Mailchimp's support has declined as the company has scaled. ActiveCampaign has strong support for paid tiers but is notably slower on the Starter plan. Beehiiv's support is email-only and reasonable for a newer platform.
This is a repost. The full, always-updated guide lives on my site: Best Email Marketing Tools 2026: Ranked for Small Business & Creators.
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