Creator tools
Newsletter platforms: where to build your audience
Where you start an email list shapes how much you keep and how fast you grow. This hub compares the platforms on free plans, monetisation and growth tools.
Refer Labs may earn a commission if you sign up or buy through the links on this page, at no extra cost to you.
beehiiv
Growth and monetisation
Built for creators serious about growing and monetising a newsletter. Free up to 2,500 subscribers; the ad network and paid subscriptions, with a 0% cut, come on the paid Scale plan.
- Free plan
- Up to 2,500 subs
- Revenue cut
- 0% on paid subs; Scale US$43/mo billed annually (30 September 2026)
- Best for
- Serious creators
ConvertKit (Kit)
Automation & funnels
A full email marketing platform with advanced automation and segmentation, and a free plan up to 10,000 subscribers. Better for product businesses with complex sequences than newsletter-first creators.
- Free plan
- Up to 10,000 subs (30 September 2026)
- Revenue cut
- 3.5% + 30c per sale, card fees included
- Best for
- Product funnels
Substack
Simple start & discovery
The simplest way to start a paid newsletter, with a strong built-in discovery network. Takes a 10% cut of paid subscription revenue, which adds up at scale.
- Free plan
- No subscriber cap
- Revenue cut
- 10% of paid subscriptions, plus card fees (30 September 2026)
- Best for
- Beginners
Read the full beehiiv vs Substack vs ConvertKit comparison →
Know about the good offers first
Verified offers for Australians across health, tools and software, sent only when there is a new one worth knowing about. No spam, no pay-to-rank picks.
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Common questions
What is the best newsletter platform in 2026?+
It depends on what the free plan has to carry. Kit's free plan goes to 10,000 subscribers, four times beehiiv's 2,500, but beehiiv keeps 0% of paid subscriptions on its Scale plan where Substack keeps 10% and Kit charges 3.5% + 30c including card fees (each read on the vendor's own page, 30 September 2026). Substack is the simplest start and has the strongest discovery network.
beehiiv vs Substack: which should I choose?+
beehiiv if you are serious about growing and keeping all your revenue. Substack if you want the simplest possible start and value its discovery network, accepting the 10% cut on paid subscriptions.
Some links are disclosed affiliate links.