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Use case

Best newsletter platforms

Ranking reviewed October 17, 2026. Shelf: Newsletters.

The job is an independent creator sending a newsletter they mean to keep. A company running lifecycle email for an app is a different ranking.

We don’t order these by who pays us, and we don’t copy their pricing. Fees and plan limits belong on each vendor’s site.

Short answer

If the newsletter is how you run a creator business, start with Kit (formerly ConvertKit). If you want a newsletter product built around growth and monetization, look at Beehiiv. If you want to publish and offer paid subscriptions with almost no setup, use Substack. If you want a site and memberships you can host yourself, use Ghost.

Editorial ranking

Ranked for a creator whose newsletter is part of how they make a living, not for a one-off announcement list.

  1. Rank 1: Kit

    Email for creators, formerly ConvertKit

    Kit is the best default when the list is the business: newsletters, automations, landing pages, and selling, in a product that used to be called ConvertKit. You are operating the email yourself, which is the point.

    Best for Creators who sell to an email list. Check the Kit site for current plans and fees. CreatorGoodies does not publish live prices.

  2. Rank 2: Beehiiv

    A newsletter platform aimed at growth

    Beehiiv is the pick when the newsletter is the product and you want growth and monetization features around publishing. Recommendations and ad options are part of why people choose it. Confirm the current rules before you count on them.

    Best for Operators who want a growth-minded newsletter product. Check the Beehiiv site for current plans and fees. CreatorGoodies does not publish live prices.

  3. Rank 3: Substack

    Publish a newsletter and offer paid subscriptions

    Substack is the shortest path to a public newsletter with paid subscriptions, and readers can find you inside Substack. The tradeoff is that you are publishing in their network. Check the current fee on paid subscriptions.

    Best for Starting a paid newsletter with very little setup. Check the Substack site for current plans and fees. CreatorGoodies does not publish live prices.

  4. Rank 4: Ghost

    Open-source publishing for memberships and newsletters

    Ghost is the right answer when you want a real publication: a site, memberships, and email, on open-source software you can self-host or run on Ghost(Pro). It asks more of you on day one.

    Best for A publication you can self-host or run on Ghost(Pro). Check the Ghost site for current plans and fees. CreatorGoodies does not publish live prices.

Rankings are editorial. Read how we rank before you treat a number as a fact. Makers can submit a tool.