Newsletter Platform Pricing Comparison 2026: Every Plan, Every Price
Newsletter platform pricing is confusing by design. Some platforms charge per subscriber. Some charge flat rates. Some take a percentage of your revenue. Some charge you for contacts who have unsubscribed. This guide lays out every price for every major platform at every scale, so you can make an informed decision.
All prices below are monthly rates. Most platforms offer a discount (typically 15-20%) for annual billing.
Free Tier Comparison
| Platform | Free Subscriber Limit | Monthly Send Limit | Key Limitations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kit | 10,000 | Unlimited | No visual automations, basic reporting |
| Substack | Unlimited | Unlimited | 10% cut on paid subs + Stripe fees |
| Beehiiv | 2,500 | Unlimited | No ad network, limited automations |
| Ghost (self-hosted) | Unlimited | Varies (email provider) | Requires server + technical setup |
| Buttondown | 100 | Unlimited | No custom domain, basic features |
| Mailchimp | 500 | 1,000 | Mailchimp branding, counts unsubscribes |
Paid Plan Pricing by Subscriber Count
This table shows the approximate monthly cost at each subscriber tier for the standard/growth plan on each platform. Prices are based on publicly listed rates as of February 2026.
| Subscribers | Beehiiv (Scale) | Kit (Creator) | Substack | Ghost(Pro) | Buttondown (Pro) | Mailchimp (Standard) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 | $39/mo | $29/mo | Free* | $9/mo | $9/mo | $26/mo |
| 5,000 | $39/mo | $66/mo | Free* | $25/mo | $29/mo | $75/mo |
| 10,000 | $79/mo | $100/mo | Free* | $25/mo | $59/mo | $110/mo |
| 25,000 | $79/mo | $166/mo | Free* | $50/mo | $99/mo | $270/mo |
| 50,000 | $159/mo | $266/mo | Free* | $85/mo | $149/mo | $410/mo |
| 100,000 | $249/mo | $466/mo | Free* | $165/mo | $249/mo | $800/mo |
*Substack charges $0/month but takes 10% of paid subscription revenue plus Stripe processing fees (~2.9% + $0.30). See the hidden costs section below.
The True Cost of Substack's "Free" Pricing
Substack appears to be the cheapest option because there is no monthly fee. But if you monetize through paid subscriptions, the 10% cut changes the math significantly. Here is what Substack actually costs at different revenue levels:
| Annual Revenue | Substack's 10% Cut | Stripe Fees (~3%) | Total Fees | Beehiiv Equivalent Annual Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $10,000 | $1,000 | ~$300 | $1,300 | $468 - $948 |
| $50,000 | $5,000 | ~$1,500 | $6,500 | $948 - $1,908 |
| $100,000 | $10,000 | ~$3,000 | $13,000 | $1,908 - $2,988 |
| $250,000 | $25,000 | ~$7,500 | $32,500 | $2,988 |
| $500,000 | $50,000 | ~$15,000 | $65,000 | $2,988 |
At $50K in annual revenue, Substack costs you $6,500 in fees while Beehiiv's Scale plan costs $948-$1,908 per year (depending on your subscriber count). The gap widens as revenue increases. At $250K/year, Substack's fees exceed $32,000, while any other platform charges a fraction of that.
Hidden Cost: Mailchimp Charges for Unsubscribed Contacts
Mailchimp counts every contact in your account toward your plan limit, including people who have unsubscribed, bounced, or gone inactive. You are paying for contacts who will never receive another email from you.
If you have 10,000 contacts but 2,000 have unsubscribed, Mailchimp charges you for 10,000. Every other platform on this list only counts active subscribers. Over time, this inflates your costs by 15-30% compared to the stated per-subscriber pricing.
You can manually archive or delete unsubscribed contacts to reduce costs, but this requires ongoing maintenance that no other platform demands.
Cost Per Subscriber Analysis
| Platform | Cost/Sub at 5K | Cost/Sub at 25K | Cost/Sub at 100K |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ghost (self-hosted) | $0.001 | $0.0004 | $0.0001 |
| Ghost(Pro) | $0.005 | $0.002 | $0.0017 |
| Beehiiv | $0.008 | $0.003 | $0.0025 |
| Buttondown | $0.006 | $0.004 | $0.0025 |
| Kit | $0.013 | $0.007 | $0.0047 |
| Mailchimp | $0.015 | $0.011 | $0.008 |
Ghost (self-hosted) is the cheapest at every scale if you can handle the technical requirements. Among fully managed platforms, Beehiiv offers the best per-subscriber pricing at scale due to its flat-tier structure. Mailchimp is the most expensive at every subscriber count.
Best Value at Each Scale
Under 2,500 Subscribers: Beehiiv (Free)
Beehiiv's free tier includes growth tools (referral program, SEO hosting, analytics) that no other free plan matches. If you are below 2,500 subscribers, you get professional-grade features at zero cost.
2,500 - 10,000 Subscribers: Kit (Free) or Beehiiv ($39/mo)
Kit's free tier covers up to 10K subscribers with basic features. If you want Beehiiv's superior growth and analytics tools, the $39/mo Grow plan is a strong value at this range.
10,000 - 50,000 Subscribers: Beehiiv ($79/mo) or Ghost(Pro) ($25-$85/mo)
Beehiiv's Scale plan ($79/mo) covers up to 25K subscribers and includes the ad network for monetization. Ghost(Pro) is cheaper but lacks built-in growth tools. Choose Beehiiv if growth is your priority, Ghost if you want the lowest cost.
50,000+ Subscribers: Beehiiv ($159-$249/mo) or Ghost (self-hosted)
At large scale, Beehiiv's flat pricing becomes extremely efficient. Ghost self-hosted remains the cheapest option if you have the technical capability. Avoid Mailchimp at this scale - it costs $400-$800/mo and offers less functionality.
Monetizing with Paid Subscriptions: Ghost or Beehiiv
If paid subscriptions are your primary revenue model, avoid Substack's 10% cut. Ghost charges 0% on memberships. Beehiiv charges a flat monthly fee with no revenue share. At $50K+ in annual paid subscription revenue, the savings over Substack are $5,000-$50,000+ per year.
Platform Pricing Details
Beehiiv Pricing
- Launch (Free): Up to 2,500 subscribers. Includes referral program, analytics, custom domain.
- Grow ($39/mo): Up to 10,000 subscribers. Adds automations, premium themes, removal of Beehiiv branding.
- Scale ($79/mo): Up to 25,000 subscribers. Adds ad network, advanced analytics, priority support.
- Max ($159/mo): Up to 50,000 subscribers. Full feature set.
- Enterprise ($249+/mo): 100,000+ subscribers. Custom pricing available.
Kit (ConvertKit) Pricing
- Newsletter (Free): Up to 10,000 subscribers. Basic features.
- Creator ($29/mo at 1K subs): Scales with subscriber count. Adds automations, integrations, no Kit branding.
- Creator Pro ($59/mo at 1K subs): Adds subscriber scoring, advanced reporting, Facebook custom audiences.
Ghost Pricing
- Self-hosted: Free. You pay only for server hosting ($5-$12/mo) and email delivery via Mailgun or similar.
- Ghost(Pro) Starter ($9/mo): Up to 500 members.
- Ghost(Pro) Creator ($25/mo): Up to 1,000 members.
- Ghost(Pro) Team ($50/mo): Up to 1,000 members + team features.
- Ghost(Pro) Business ($165/mo): Up to 10,000 members + premium support.
Substack Pricing
- Free newsletter: $0/month, no limits.
- Paid subscriptions: Substack takes 10% of all paid subscription revenue. Stripe takes an additional ~2.9% + $0.30 per transaction.
Buttondown Pricing
- Free: Up to 100 subscribers.
- Basic ($9/mo): Up to 1,000 subscribers.
- Professional ($29/mo): Up to 5,000 subscribers. Custom domain, automations.
- Business ($59-$249/mo): 10,000-100,000+ subscribers.
Mailchimp Pricing
- Free: 500 contacts, 1,000 sends/month.
- Essentials ($13/mo at 500): Scales with contacts. A/B testing, basic automations.
- Standard ($20/mo at 500): Scales with contacts. Advanced automations, predictive insights.
- Premium ($350/mo): Advanced segmentation, multivariate testing, phone support.
Bottom line: For most newsletter creators, Beehiiv offers the best combination of features and pricing. The flat-tier structure means your costs do not spiral as you grow.
Check Beehiiv Pricing