What is a newsletter platform?
A newsletter platform hosts your subscriber list, sends your emails, gives you a signup form and a web archive of past issues, and handles unsubscribes and deliverability. It is a publishing tool — different from the transactional email your app sends (password resets, receipts) and from lifecycle email tools that react to what users do inside the product.
Where Wolfix raises it. It does not. A newsletter is a Growth channel choice, not a gap a scan can find, so no finding links here. The topic sits with the Growth department because channel strategy is part of its brief.
When you need a newsletter — and when you don't
You need one now if you have an audience that wants to hear from you between releases — early users, a waitlist, readers of your blog — and you will actually write on a schedule.
You don't need one yet if you have nothing regular to say. A newsletter that goes quiet after two issues teaches subscribers to ignore you. For release notes alone, a changelog page and an occasional email from your existing email provider are enough.
The options, one by one
Beehiiv is a service Wolfix refers customers to. Substack, Kit, Mailchimp and Ghost are not Wolfix partners and are included because a fair comparison needs them.
Beehiiv
What it is. A newsletter platform built for publishers and creators: newsletters, a website, a recommendation network between newsletters, an ad network, and paid subscriptions.
Pricing (as of 2026-10-04). Free is $0 up to 2,500 subscribers with unlimited email sends [S1]. At 1,000 subscribers, Lite is $49 a month and Pro $95 a month, both billed yearly; prices rise with the subscriber count [S1]. Lite adds paid subscriptions at a 0% take rate [S1].
Pros
- A free plan for up to 2,500 subscribers with unlimited email sends, landing pages and the recommendation network (as of 2026-10-04, [S1]).
- Lite adds ad monetization and paid subscriptions at a 0% take rate (as of 2026-10-04, [S1]).
Cons
- Automations and custom domains start on Lite at $49 a month billed yearly (as of 2026-10-04, [S1]); on the free plan every email is sent by hand.
- Removing Beehiiv branding needs Pro at $95 a month billed yearly (as of 2026-10-04, [S1]), and prices rise with your subscriber count.
Who it suits. A founder who wants the newsletter to become a channel in its own right, with room to grow into sponsorships.
Substack
Not a Wolfix partner. Named for comparison; Wolfix earns nothing from it.
What it is. A free publishing platform for newsletters and paid subscriptions, with its own reader app and discovery network.
Pricing (as of 2026-10-04). Free to publish; on paid subscriptions, writers keep 90% of revenue minus credit card fees [S2].
Pros
- Nothing to pay until you earn: no plan fee, and you own your content and subscriber list (as of 2026-10-04, [S2]).
- A Substack reader app and Discover section sit alongside your publication (as of 2026-10-04, [S2]).
Cons
- The 10% cut of paid-subscription revenue, plus card fees (as of 2026-10-04, [S2]), grows with success — at scale it costs more than a flat-fee platform such as Ghost, which takes 0% (as of 2026-10-04, [S5]).
Who it suits. A founder writing in public who may charge for the newsletter later.
Kit
Not a Wolfix partner. Named for comparison; Wolfix earns nothing from it.
What it is. Formerly ConvertKit: an email platform for creators built around automations, landing pages and selling digital products and paid newsletters.
Pricing (as of 2026-10-04). Free up to 10,000 subscribers with unlimited broadcasts [S3]. Creator is $33 a month billed yearly ($390) and Pro $66 a month ($790) at 1,000 subscribers [S3].
Pros
- A free plan up to 10,000 subscribers (as of 2026-10-04, [S3]), against Beehiiv's 2,500 (as of 2026-10-04, [S1]).
- Unlimited visual automations and email sequences on Creator (as of 2026-10-04, [S3]).
Cons
- Automations, sequences and removing Kit branding all need Creator at $33 a month for just 1,000 subscribers (as of 2026-10-04, [S3]), and the price rises with the list.
- Every paid subscription or digital-product sale costs 3.5% plus 30¢, card processing included, of which Kit keeps 0.6% (as of 2026-10-04, [S3]); on a $5 monthly subscription that is about 48¢, or 9.5% of the price, because the flat 30¢ weighs most on small payments.
Who it suits. A founder who wants email sequences and automation, such as a welcome series or a course.
Mailchimp
Not a Wolfix partner. Named for comparison; Wolfix earns nothing from it.
What it is. An email marketing platform for small businesses' marketing campaigns, priced by contact count [S4].
Pricing (as of 2026-10-04). Free under 250 contacts [S4]. After a 14-day free trial, Essentials starts at $13 a month and Standard at $20 a month, rising with contacts [S4].
Pros
- Templates, including custom-coded ones, and a free 14-day trial of Standard (as of 2026-10-04, [S4]).
Cons
- The free plan stops at 250 contacts (as of 2026-10-04, [S4]), against 2,500 on Beehiiv and 10,000 on Kit (as of 2026-10-04, [S1], [S3]).
- Sending is paused if you exceed your contact or send limit, and overages apply on paid plans (as of 2026-10-04, [S4]).
Who it suits. A small business sending marketing campaigns and product announcements rather than running a newsletter.
Ghost
Not a Wolfix partner. Named for comparison; Wolfix earns nothing from it.
What it is. An open-source publishing platform for a website, newsletter and paid memberships, available hosted as Ghost(Pro) or self-hosted.
Pricing (as of 2026-10-04). Ghost(Pro) Starter is $15 a month billed yearly for 1,000 members; Publisher, which adds paid subscriptions and custom themes, is $29 [S5]. Ghost takes 0% of transactions [S5].
Pros
- 0% transaction fees on paid memberships (as of 2026-10-04, [S5]); you pay only the plan and Stripe's own fees.
- Self-hosting is an option instead of Ghost(Pro) (as of 2026-10-04, [S5]), so the publication is not tied to one host.
Cons
- No free hosted plan: the cheapest is $15 a month, and paid subscriptions need Publisher at $29 (as of 2026-10-04, [S5]).
- Plans are priced by member count, starting at 1,000 (as of 2026-10-04, [S5]), so a growing list moves you up the bands.
Who it suits. A founder who wants the newsletter and website as one publication they own.
Still undecided: a changelog and a lifecycle email tool
If what you need is email triggered by what users do in the product, a lifecycle email tool is a better fit than any newsletter platform. Buttondown is a simple, developer-friendly alternative.
Side-by-side comparison
| Service | Free plan | Paid from | Paid subscriptions cut | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beehiiv | Up to 2,500 subscribers [S1] | Lite, $49/month billed yearly at 1,000 subscribers [S1] | 0% on Lite and above [S1] | 2026-10-04 |
| Substack | Yes, no plan fee [S2] | No paid plans [S2] | 10% plus card fees [S2] | 2026-10-04 |
| Kit | Up to 10,000 subscribers [S3] | Creator, $33/month billed yearly [S3] | 3.5% + 30¢ per sale, card processing included; Kit keeps 0.6% [S3] | 2026-10-04 |
| Mailchimp | Under 250 contacts [S4] | Essentials, from $13/month after a 14-day trial [S4] | Not stated on the pricing page [S4] | 2026-10-04 |
| Ghost | No hosted free plan; self-host free [S5] | Starter, $15/month billed yearly [S5] | 0% on Publisher and above [S5] | 2026-10-04 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the best newsletter platform for a startup?
Beehiiv for a growing newsletter with a free plan to 2,500 subscribers; Kit for automated sequences, free to 10,000; Substack if you want to charge later and pay nothing until you do (as of 2026-10-04, [S1], [S3], [S2]).
Should my startup have a newsletter?
Only if you will write regularly and have people who want to hear from you. If not, a changelog page and occasional announcement emails do the job.
Is Beehiiv free?
The Free plan covers up to 2,500 subscribers (as of 2026-10-04, [S1]). Automations, custom domains and paid subscriptions need Lite or above.
Beehiiv or Substack?
Substack is free and takes 10% of paid subscriptions (as of 2026-10-04, [S2]); Beehiiv charges a plan fee and takes 0% on Lite and above (as of 2026-10-04, [S1]). The flat fee wins once paid revenue is large enough.
Can I send product emails like password resets from a newsletter platform?
No. Newsletter platforms are for newsletters. Transactional email from your app needs a transactional email provider.
Sources
Prices were read from each provider's public pricing page on the date shown; several rise with your subscriber count.
- [S1] Beehiiv pricing — beehiiv.com/pricing, checked 2026-10-04.
- [S2] Substack, going paid — substack.com/going-paid, checked 2026-10-04.
- [S3] Kit pricing — kit.com/pricing, checked 2026-10-04.
- [S4] Mailchimp marketing pricing — mailchimp.com/pricing/marketing, checked 2026-10-04.
- [S5] Ghost(Pro) pricing — ghost.org/pricing, checked 2026-10-04.
Last reviewed
Last reviewed on 2026-10-04. Newsletter-platform prices change with subscriber bands; confirm them on the sources above before you choose.