The best newsletter platform is the one that matches what your newsletter is for: growing a creator audience, keeping customers informed, or publishing from your own site. Check the free tier limits, how easily readers can unsubscribe, and whether you can move your list later. Ten options follow in no particular order, then a setup routine.
I've sent a newsletter for years, and the platform has never been the thing that made people read it. What it does decide is how much time you lose each week: how long a send takes to build, whether sign-up forms work on your site, and how painful leaving would be if you outgrow it.
The ten platforms below are listed alphabetically and in no particular order. They range from big email marketing tools to small independent and open source options, and each description comes from the tool's own website, re-checked today. If your newsletter is new, my notes on getting your first thousand readers pair well with this list.
Newsletter platforms side by side
Yes in the free plan column means the platform's own site describes a free plan or free download, Trial only means a time-limited trial, and No means neither is stated. One open source platform is marked Yes because it's free to host yourself, while its managed hosting starts with a trial. Free tiers usually cap how many readers you can have.
| Tool | Type | Good for | Free plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| beehiiv | Newsletter platform | Growing and monetising a creator newsletter | Yes |
| Brevo | Email marketing platform | Free email plus extra channels | Yes |
| Buttondown | Indie newsletter software | Writers who like markdown and simplicity | Yes |
| Curated | Curation newsletter tool | Weekly link round-ups | Yes |
| Ghost | Publishing and newsletter platform | Site, newsletter and memberships together | Yes |
| Kit | Creator email platform | Creators selling products to a list | Yes |
| listmonk | Self-hosted newsletter manager | Running your own mailing list server | Yes |
| Mailchimp | Email marketing platform | A familiar all-round email tool | Yes |
| Mailcoach | Hosted or self-hosted newsletters | EU hosting or self-hosting | Trial only |
| MailPoet | WordPress newsletter plugin | Newsletters from a WordPress dashboard | Yes |
Ten newsletter tools, A to Z
beehiiv
Best for: Creators who want growth tools, ad monetisation and reader subscriptions built into the platform, starting on a plan the site calls free forever.
Brevo
Best for: Small businesses wanting a free plan for newsletters and other campaigns, with room to add more channels as they grow.
Buttondown
Best for: Independent writers who like plain, markdown-friendly writing from a small self-funded team, free for the first hundred subscribers.
Curated
Best for: Curators gathering links and articles into a regular round-up, with every feature included free until the list passes fifteen hundred subscribers.
Ghost
Best for: Publishers who want a website, newsletter and memberships in one open source platform, hosted themselves or managed for them.
Kit
Best for: Anyone selling courses or digital products to an audience who wants automations and a generous free tier before upgrading.
listmonk
Best for: Developers and technical teams who'd rather run their own mailing list server from a single download than pay per subscriber.
Mailchimp
Best for: Businesses that want a familiar, widely used email platform with a basic free plan and a trial of the fuller Standard plan.
Mailcoach
Best for: Built for developers and indie founders who'd like newsletters hosted in the EU or run on their own server, after a 14-day trial.
MailPoet
Best for: WordPress site owners who want to write and send newsletters from their dashboard, starting on the free Starter plan.
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The unsubscribe rule your platform has to handle
Here's a rule worth knowing before you pick anything. In the US, the FTC's CAN-SPAM compliance guide for business says you must honour an opt-out request within 10 business days, and that any opt-out mechanism you offer has to keep working for at least 30 days after you send your message.
What that means for you: the platform should take people off your list automatically the moment they click unsubscribe, with no spreadsheet for you to update by hand. On a self-hosted setup you're the one keeping that link working, so test it before your first send and again after any upgrade.
How I'd set up a new newsletter platform
- Write down what the newsletter is for: selling, informing customers or publishing your writing.
- Check the free tier limit against the readers you expect in your first year, not just today.
- Send a test issue to yourself on a phone and a laptop before importing anyone.
- Click your own unsubscribe link and confirm the address leaves the list straight away.
- Connect the sign-up form to your website and test it with a second email address.
- Export your list once, so you know you can take your readers with you if you move.
Which kind of platform matches your newsletter
- Creator newsletters: growth tools, referral features and reader subscriptions matter more than design templates.
- Small business updates: a general email marketing tool lets you send newsletters and offers from one place.
- Your own site first: a publishing platform or WordPress plugin keeps your archive on your domain.
- Technical teams: self-hosted tools give you full control, along with the job of running the server.
Where new newsletters go wrong
- Choosing on templates. Readers care about what's in the email, not the border around it.
- Ignoring deliverability. If your emails land in junk folders, my guide to fixing a newsletter that lands in spam walks through the checks.
- Moving platforms too often. Each move means re-testing forms, links and automations, so settle in before you switch.
- Sending without a format. A simple, steady structure is easier to keep up, and what a good issue looks like is worth reading before you design anything.
Do you make a newsletter platform? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
My plain advice on picking a newsletter platform
If you're starting from nothing, begin on a free tier with an export option and send ten issues before you think about switching. You'll learn more about what you need from those ten sends than from any feature comparison.
If you sell products, look at automations and tagging first. If you publish writing, look at your archive and how readers find old issues. And whatever you pick, test the unsubscribe link yourself on day one, because it's the one feature that has to work every single time.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best newsletter platform for beginners?
One with a free tier, a simple editor and an easy export. You can start small and move later without losing your readers.
Can I run a newsletter for free?
Yes. Several platforms here offer free plans, though most cap the number of readers or features. Open source options are free to download, but you'll need to host them.
What's the difference between a newsletter platform and an email marketing tool?
Newsletter platforms focus on publishing regular issues and growing readers, while email marketing tools add campaigns, automations and other channels. Many sit somewhere in between.
How quickly must I remove people who unsubscribe?
In the US, the FTC's CAN-SPAM guide says within 10 business days. A platform that removes them automatically is far safer than doing it by hand.
Should my newsletter live on my own website?
If your archive matters to you, a platform tied to your site keeps old issues on your own domain, where readers can find them later.
Can I move my list to another platform later?
Usually, yes. Check that the platform lets you export your readers before you commit, and keep a copy of your list somewhere safe.
