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Top 10 Newsletter Platforms for Paid Newsletters & Creators (2026)

Last updated October 11, 2026. Ranked by our scoring system against the published rubric and reviewed by an editor.

Quick answer: the top 10

Rank Platform Score /10 Best for Platform fee on paid subs
1 Kit 8.4 Creators who want automation plus paid newsletters 3.5% + 30¢ including card processing [K1]
2 MailerLite 8.3 Budget-conscious creators who want strong support 0% (Stripe fees only) [M2]
3 beehiiv 7.8 Growth-focused newsletters with built-in ad income 0% (Stripe 2.9% + 30¢) [B1]
4 Ghost (Ghost(Pro)) 7.3 Publications that want a full website, SEO and memberships 0% (processor fees apply) [G1]
5 Buttondown 7.2 Writers who want a simple, privacy-first tool Not published [BD1]
6 Flodesk 6.7 Design-led creators selling subscriptions and products 0% (Stripe fees only) [F1]
7 Substack 6.5 Starting from zero with no upfront cost 10% plus card fees [S1]
8 Memberful 6.3 Adding paid memberships to an existing site or WordPress 4.9% transaction fee [MF1]
9 Patreon 6.0 Fan memberships that mix video, audio and posts 10% plus processing and payout fees [P1]
10 Kajabi 5.9 Course and coaching businesses where the newsletter is one part 0% revenue share (card fees apply) [KJ1]

Rankings on this page are unpaid. There are no affiliate links yet. Disclosure.

Want the best one for you? Use the "Find my best pick" panel. It asks 4 quick questions and re-ranks this list.

On this list

Find my best pick

4 questions. The panel re-ranks the published scores on this page.

How we ranked them (method and rubric)

  • Candidates: 12 platforms, plus Memberful, which is included so the ranked list has 10 tools that sell paid newsletter subscriptions.
  • Eligibility gate (specific to this list): a platform must sell paid newsletter subscriptions natively. Mailchimp, Brevo and Moosend failed this gate, because we found no native paid-subscription feature on their pricing pages [MC1][BR1][MO1]. They were scored for transparency (see the appendix) but are not ranked.
  • Evaluation: Desk research only. Every product was researched, not hands-on tested. How the scores are calculated is on the methodology page.
  • Reviews: G2 and Capterra ratings checked 2026-10-11 [VR]. How those ratings become a score is on the methodology page.
  • Typical user, for pricing: a solo creator with about 1,000 subscribers who wants to charge for the newsletter.

Weights (standard SaaS rubric, unchanged)

Criterion Weight
Features & fit (paid newsletters) 25%
Pricing & value, including take rate 20%
Ease of use 15%
Review sentiment (G2/Capterra) 15%
Integrations 10%
Support & reliability 10%
Security & compliance 5%

Features checklist for this list (must-haves are marked ★): ★native paid subscriptions · ★custom domain · ★web archive or SEO-friendly posts · ★segmentation · automations/sequences · referral or recommendation growth tools · ad or sponsorship monetization · analytics · API/webhooks · multiple tiers.

Anchors for this list: Pricing starts at 10 and subtracts points for no free plan, the cost of paid subscriptions at 1,000 subscribers, and the platform's revenue share. The other anchors are on the methodology page.

Per-criterion scores

Platform Features 25% Price 20% Ease 15% Reviews 15% Integrations 10% Support 10% Security 5% Overall Evaluated via Checked
Kit 9 9 8 7.5 9 8 6 8.4 desk research 2026-10-11
MailerLite 7 9 9 8.4 8 9 8 8.3 desk research 2026-10-11
beehiiv 9 7 8 6.5 8 8 7 7.8 desk research 2026-10-11
Ghost(Pro) 9 6 7 6.0 9 6 7 7.3 desk research 2026-10-11
Buttondown 7 7 8 9.0 6 6 6 7.2 desk research 2026-10-11
Flodesk 6 6 9 8.5 6 5 5 6.7 desk research 2026-10-11
Substack 7 7 10 5.0† 3 5 5 6.5 desk research 2026-10-11
Memberful 7 4 7 6.5 8 6 6 6.3 desk research 2026-10-11
Patreon 6 6 8 6.3 4 5 6 6.0 desk research 2026-10-11
Kajabi 7 3 7 6.6 6 6 6 5.9 desk research 2026-10-11

† = no usable review data (Substack's G2 rating has only 18 reviews), so a neutral 5.0 was applied.

The top 10 in detail

1. Kit (formerly ConvertKit): 8.4/10

Best for: creators who want deep email automation and paid newsletters in one tool. · Official site: https://kit.com

  • Pricing:
    • Free "Newsletter" plan for up to 10,000 subscribers. Creator plan from $39/mo at 1,000 subscribers ($33/mo billed annually); Pro plan from $79/mo [K2][K3].
    • Kit's help center confirms the $39 and $79 starting prices [K3]. Price from third-party source [K2] for the 10,000-subscriber free tier and the annual prices.
  • Paid newsletters and fees:
    • Paid newsletters are billed monthly, quarterly or annually, with gated posts [K1].
    • The fee is 3.5% + 30¢, which Kit says includes card processing, so Kit's own share is 0.6% [K1].
    • A third-party source says the free plan can run paid newsletters [K2].
  • Pros: visual automation builder and sequences; 100+ app integrations and an MCP connector [K1]; newsletter referral system and paid recommendations [K1]; 24/7 email and chat support on paid plans [K1].
  • Cons: Kit keeps 23.5% of Paid Recommendations earnings [K1]. The engagement analytics and referral system are only on Pro [K1]. Its weighted rating (4.50) is lower than MailerLite's (4.67) [VR].
  • Reviews: G2 4.4/5 (236 reviews); Capterra 4.6/5 (244). Weighted 4.50 [VR].
  • Score: 8.4

2. MailerLite: 8.3/10

Best for: creators on a budget who want polished email marketing and top-rated support. · Official site: https://www.mailerlite.com

  • Pricing: free up to 250 subscribers (2,500 emails a month). Comfort from $12/mo, Power from $25/mo. 14-day trial of premium features [M1].
  • Paid newsletters and fees: available on the Comfort and Power plans through Stripe. MailerLite takes 0% commission, so you pay only Stripe's fees [M2].
  • Pros: highest-rated support among the tools we checked (G2 support score 9.3 vs Kit's 8.6) [R1]; 24/7 live chat on Power [M1]; data stored in the EU with ISO 27001 and GDPR controls [M1]; websites, landing pages and digital products are built in [M1].
  • Cons: the free tier is only 250 subscribers [M1]. Comfort caps monthly sends at 10× your subscriber tier [M1]. It has fewer newsletter-specific growth tools (a recommendation network or ad network) than beehiiv [M1][B1].
  • Reviews: G2 4.6/5 (1,123 reviews); Capterra 4.71/5 (2,324). Weighted 4.67 [VR].
  • Score: 8.3

3. beehiiv: 7.8/10

Best for: newsletters focused on growth and ad revenue. · Official site: https://www.beehiiv.com

  • Pricing: free up to 2,500 subscribers. Lite from $49/mo and Pro from $95/mo (both shown as yearly billing at 1,000 subscribers). Enterprise is custom [B1].
  • Paid newsletters and fees: paid subscriptions start on Lite. beehiiv takes 0%, leaving only Stripe's 2.9% + $0.30 [B1].
  • Pros: unlimited sends on every plan, plus a recommendation network and ad network [B1]; website, podcast, community and digital products are included on all plans [B1]; 24/7 priority support on Pro, and SSO/SAML and dedicated IPs on Enterprise [B1].
  • Cons: you need at least $49/mo to charge subscribers [B1]. beehiiv branding is only removable on Pro [B1]. Its review base is small: 40 on G2, 16 on Capterra [VR]. One G2 reviewer reports Stripe-integration problems (secondary) [R2].
  • Reviews: G2 4.5/5 (40 reviews) [VR]. Capterra 4.4 (16) was excluded because it has fewer than 20 reviews.
  • Score: 7.8

4. Ghost (Ghost(Pro)): 7.3/10

Best for: publications that want a full website, SEO and membership tiers with no platform fees. · Official site: https://ghost.org

  • Pricing: Starter $18/mo, Publisher $29/mo, Business $199/mo (billed yearly, 1,000 members). There's no free hosted plan [G1].
  • Paid newsletters and fees: paid subscriptions start on Publisher. Ghost charges 0% transaction fees; payment-processor fees still apply [G1].
  • Pros: unlimited email sends, 2FA and Fastly security on every plan [G1]; up to 3 or 10 premium tiers [G1]; 8,000+ integrations through Zapier, plus an Admin API and webhooks [G1]; open source.
  • Cons: Starter can't take payments [G1]. Support is email-only below Business [G1]. Its review base is small (93 reviews in total) [VR].
  • Reviews: G2 4.0/5 (40 reviews); Capterra 4.7/5 (53). Weighted 4.40 [VR].
  • Score: 7.3

5. Buttondown: 7.2/10

Best for: independent writers who want a simple, privacy-first newsletter with Markdown. · Official site: https://buttondown.com

  • Pricing: free for the first 100 subscribers. Paid subscriptions are a +$9/mo add-on. Other add-ons run from $9 to $79/mo. The base price at 1,000 subscribers is not published [BD1]. Nonprofits get 50% off [BD1].
  • Paid newsletters and fees: paid subscriptions are an add-on [BD1]. Buttondown's own transaction fee is not published.
  • Pros: Markdown or rich-text editor, custom sending domain and hosted archives on the base plan [BD1]; you're billed for active subscribers only [BD1]; profitable, self-funded company [BD1].
  • Cons: add-ons stack up fast (automations +$29, teams +$79) [BD1]. Pricing assumes one email a day at most [BD1].
  • Reviews: Capterra 4.8/5 (114 reviews) [VR]. G2 4.0 (1) was excluded because it has fewer than 20 reviews.
  • Score: 7.2

6. Flodesk: 6.7/10

Best for: creators focused on design who sell subscriptions and digital products. · Official site: https://flodesk.com

  • Pricing: the free plan has no email sending. Lite $25/mo ($19 annual), Pro $28/mo ($25), Everything $54/mo ($49) at 1,000 subscribers [F1].
  • Paid newsletters and fees: subscriptions are only on the Everything plan. Flodesk adds no transaction fee on top of Stripe [F1]. Checkout is limited to the US, Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand and the Euro Area [F1].
  • Pros: designer templates, unlimited sends on paid plans [F1]; checkout, payment plans and abandoned-cart automations [F1].
  • Cons: you need the $49+/mo plan to sell subscriptions [F1]. The flat unlimited pricing ended for new members on December 2, 2025 [F1].
  • Reviews: G2 4.8/5 (304 reviews); Capterra 4.5/5 (167). Weighted 4.69 [VR].
  • Score: 6.7

7. Substack: 6.5/10

Best for: writers starting from zero who want built-in discovery and no upfront cost. · Official site: https://substack.com

  • Pricing: free to start. Writers keep 90% of revenue minus card fees, which means Substack takes 10% [S1].
  • Paid newsletters and fees: native paywall with free and paid posts [S1]. Fees are 10% plus card fees [S1].
  • Pros: no technical setup [S1]; you own your content and subscriber list [S1]; a reader network and app (per third-party comparisons [R5]).
  • Cons: the 10% cut grows with revenue [S1]. Third-party comparisons report no A/B testing or native ad network [R5]. Fewer integrations.
  • Reviews: G2 4.3/5 from only 18 reviews (excluded because it has fewer than 20). Capterra shows no rating [VR]. A neutral 5.0 was applied.
  • Score: 6.5

8. Memberful: 6.3/10

Best for: adding paid memberships and a paid newsletter to an existing site (WordPress or Kit). · Official site: https://memberful.com

  • Pricing: Standard $49/mo plus a 4.9% transaction fee. Free to use until you start accepting payments. Enterprise is custom [MF1].
  • Paid newsletters and fees: newsletters, dynamic paywalls, group plans and trials [MF1]. 4.9% fee [MF1].
  • Pros: managed integrations with WordPress, Mailchimp, Discord and Kit [MF1]; built-in referral program and retention discounts [MF1].
  • Cons: the highest percentage fee among the tools that charge a monthly subscription [MF1].
  • Reviews: G2 4.5/5 (40 reviews). Capterra shows no rating [VR].
  • Score: 6.3

9. Patreon: 6.0/10

Best for: creators running fan memberships across video, audio and posts. · Official site: https://www.patreon.com

  • Pricing: free to start. Patreon takes 10% of income, plus processing, currency-conversion and payout fees [P1].
  • Paid newsletters and fees: monthly and annual tiers, email newsletters and exportable email lists [P1].
  • Pros: handles payments, chargebacks and most tax remittance [P1]; native video, livestreaming and podcast feeds [P1].
  • Cons: 10% plus several layers of fees [P1]. It isn't an email-first tool. A third-party source cites a low Trustpilot score [R9].
  • Reviews: G2 4.2/5 (75 reviews); Capterra 4.4/5 (28). Weighted 4.25 [VR].
  • Score: 6.0

10. Kajabi: 5.9/10

Best for: course and coaching businesses where the newsletter is one part of a larger product. · Official site: https://kajabi.com

  • Pricing: Basic $179/mo ($143 annual), Growth $249/mo ($199), Pro $499/mo ($399). 30-day money-back guarantee [KJ1].
  • Paid newsletters and fees: no platform revenue share. Kajabi Payments charges 2.9% + $0.30 on Basic (US). Third-party processors add 0.5-2% [KJ1].
  • Pros: email, website, community, checkout and courses in one place [KJ1]; unlimited marketing emails [KJ1].
  • Cons: by far the most expensive option on this list [KJ1]. Basic allows only 2,500 contacts [KJ1].
  • Reviews: G2 4.1/5 (93 reviews); Capterra 4.4/5 (230). Weighted 4.31 [VR].
  • Score: 5.9

FAQ

Which newsletter platform takes the smallest cut of paid subscriptions? beehiiv, MailerLite, Ghost and Flodesk charge 0% platform fees, so you pay only payment-processor fees [B1][M2][G1][F1]. Kit's all-in fee is 3.5% + 30¢, including processing [K1]. Substack and Patreon take 10% [S1][P1].

What's the best free newsletter platform for paid newsletters? Substack is free with a 10% cut [S1]. Kit's free plan covers up to 10,000 subscribers, but whether it supports paid newsletters is only confirmed by a third-party source [K2]. beehiiv's free plan doesn't include paid subscriptions [B1].

Is beehiiv better than Substack? It depends on scale. beehiiv charges a monthly fee and takes 0%, while Substack is free and takes 10% [B1][S1]. By the cited prices, a newsletter earning about $500 a month or more in subscriptions pays Substack more than the $49 Lite plan costs (10% of $490 is $49), before card fees.

How often is this list updated? Prices and ratings are re-checked at least every 90 days. See the changelog.

Sources (all checked 2026-10-11)

Appendix: scored but not ranked (failed the paid-subscription gate)

Platform Features Price Ease Reviews Integrations Support Security Overall Note
Brevo 4 5 7 7.8 (G2 4.5 from 2,760; Capterra 4.6 from 3,523 [VR]) 8 7 7 6.1 Not published [BR1]
Mailchimp 4 4 7 6.5 (G2 4.3 from 12,990 [VR]) 9 7 7 5.8 Free under 250 contacts; paid prices not published [MC1]
Moosend 3 5 8 8.1 (G2 4.7 from 74; Capterra 4.6 from 195 [VR]) 6 7 7 5.8 30-day trial; prices not published [MO1]

Changelog

  • 2026-10-11: Replaced secondary review data with browser-verified G2 and Capterra figures, using a review-count-weighted average. Ghost moved from #5 to #4 and Buttondown from #4 to #5; Flodesk moved from #7 to #6 and Substack from #6 to #7. Added affiliate terms for Buttondown, Ghost, Substack, Flodesk, Memberful, Patreon and Kajabi.
  • 2026-10-11: First published. Added Memberful so the list has 10 eligible tools. Mailchimp, Brevo and Moosend were excluded by the eligibility gate.