Best-of list · by use case
A founder's newsletter is usually one of three things: a product update list, a growth channel for the company, or a product in its own right. The right platform depends on which, and on whether you'll ever charge.
We don't make newsletter software, and nothing here is ours. Prices are from each platform's site at the time of writing (September 2026).
Grouped by use case; order within a group is not a ranking. Prices at the time of writing (September 2026).
| Tool | Use case | Best for | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kit | Company newsletter with automations | The biggest free plan and strong automations. | Free up to 10,000 subscribers; Creator $33/mo, Pro $66/mo (yearly, at 1,000 subs) |
| beehiiv | The newsletter is the business | Monetizing with ads and paid tiers while keeping revenue. | Free to 2,500 subscribers; Scale $43/mo, Max $96/mo (annual, at 1,000 subs) |
| Substack | Free until you earn | Writers who want network discovery and zero upfront cost. | Free; 10% of paid subscriptions plus Stripe fees |
| Buttondown | Simple, developer-friendly | Changelogs and technical newsletters. | Free for 100 subscribers; add-ons from $9/mo |
Free; 10% of paid subscriptions plus Stripe fees
Publishing platform with an app, Notes, recommendations and a reader network.
Free for 100 subscribers; add-ons from $9/mo
Markdown or rich-text newsletters from a custom domain, priced by active subscribers, features à la carte.
For a company list with onboarding emails, Kit. If the newsletter is a product you'll monetize, beehiiv. For writing with built-in discovery, Substack. For a lightweight changelog, Buttondown.
Substack is free at any size. Of the subscription tools, Kit's free plan (up to 10,000 subscribers) is the largest at the time of writing (September 2026).
Indirectly. Hosted archives can rank, and a newsletter brings people back. Your product site still needs its own pages to rank.
Checked on their own sites on 23 September 2026. Prices and terms change, so check before you buy. Domain ratings are approximate third-party estimates.