Compare newsletter platforms
Pick 2–5 platforms and build your own side-by-side across 53features — pricing, monetization, deliverability, automation and ownership. Every cell is verified against the vendor's own pages, not paraphrased.
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Compare 4 / 5 platforms
Pick a plan from the ▾ menu under a platform to see what that plan unlocks and its price at your subs count.
| Feature |  Substack |  Beehiiv |  Kit (ex-ConvertKit) |  Ghost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly priceat 2.5K subs · monthly | 10% of revenue | $0/mo · Free ≤2.5K subs | $0/mo · Free ≤10K subs | $55/mo · Publisher · 2.5K subs |
| 5/6 | 6/6 | 6/6 | 5/6 | |
| 2/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 | |
| 6/9 | 9/9 | 9/9 | 8/9 | |
| 7/9 | 9/9 | 9/9 | 7/9 | |
| 2/4 | 2/4 | 2/4 | 1/4 | |
| 3/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 2/5 | |
| 8/10 | 10/10 | 7/10 | 5/10 | |
| 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | |
| Get started | Try free → | Try free → | Try free → | Visit → |
✓ Yes · Partial · — No · dotted = unverified · a plan tag (e.g. Scale) = the cheapest plan that unlocks it; pick a plan above each column and ↑ marks features above it. Verified against vendor sources, June 2026. Some links are paid — OwnLetter may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It never affects the data.
What real users say
The matrix above is the spec sheet. This is the voice of the crowd: we read thousands of real reviews in full and distilled what people actually praise and complain about, theme by theme. Pick platforms and a theme, then hover any cell for a real, sourced quote.
Compare 4 / 5 platforms
| What users say about… | Substack480 reviews read | beehiiv669 reviews read | Kit885 reviews read |  Mailchimp2034 reviews read |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ▼ | ▼ | ▲ | ▲ | |
| ▼ | ▼ | ▼ | ▼ | |
| ▼ | ▼ | ▼ | ▼ | |
| ◆ | ◆ | ▲ | ▲ | |
| ◆ | ◆ | ▲ | ◆ | |
| ◆ | ▲ | ▲ | ◆ | |
| See for yourself | Try free → | Try free → | Try free → | Try free → |
▲ Praised · ▼ Complaint · ◆ Mixed · top theme / common / minor = how often readers bring it up · ❝ hover any cell for the exact count and a real, sourced quote · · = too few reviews to score. Read in full from Reddit, Trustpilot, G2 and Capterra, June 2026. We never invent a quote. Some links are paid — OwnLetter may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It never affects the data.
Review sources:RedditTrustpilotG2Capterra
Who controls your audience?
The spec sheet and the crowd tell you what a platform does. This tells you what happens if it turns on you: who can lock your account, what the platform keeps, and whether you can leave with your list. Pick your shortlist and compare the clauses no other comparator tabulates.
Compare 4 / 5 platforms
| Decision axis | Substack | Beehiiv | Kit | Ghost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ✓ 1/2 | ✓ 0/2 | ✓ 0/2 | ✓ 2/2 | |
| ✓ 0/3 | ✓ 0/3 | ✓ 0/3 | ✓ 1/3 | |
| ✓ 0/2 | ✓ 0/2 | ✓ 0/2 | ✓ 0/2 | |
| ✓ 0/2 | ✓ 1/2 | ✓ 0/2 | ✓ 1/2 | |
| ✓ 0/2 | ✓ 1/2 | ✓ 2/2 | ✓ 2/2 | |
| Get started | Try free → | Try free → | Try free → | Visit → |
✓ Favorable to you · Mixed · ✗ Unfavorable · — Verification pending. Hover any cell for the verbatim clause. We rate from the creator's point of view and never crown a winner; the favorable count is a fact, not a score. Compiled June 2026 from public terms, status pages and the pricing data layer. Re-verified quarterly. Some links are paid. OwnLetter may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It never affects the data.
Read the full Trust & Risk breakdown, with every verbatim clause and source →
Head-to-head deep dives
Want the full story on two platforms? These go deeper than the matrix — pricing math, migration, deliverability and the honest verdict.
Not sure which to compare?
Answer Tenquick questions and we'll point you to the platforms that fit your needs — then drop you straight back here with them pre-selected.