Mailchimp Alternatives for Newsletter Creators: Real Cost Comparison

The Mailchimp Problem for Newsletter Creators

Mailchimp was built for e-commerce email marketing, not newsletters. It charges by contacts stored, counts unsubscribed contacts against your limit, and locks automations behind higher tiers. The free tier gives you 250 contacts and 500 sends/month — barely enough for a personal mailing list. Essentials starts at $13/month for 500 contacts. For a creator growing a newsletter, these economics make no sense.

Kit (ConvertKit) — Free Up to 10,000 Subscribers

Kit's Newsletter plan is free for up to 10,000 subscribers with unlimited sends. That alone makes it the most generous free tier for newsletter creators. The catch: no advanced automations, no integrations, and no visual automation builder on the free plan. Creator is $39/month (for 1,000 subscribers, scaling up) with automations and integrations. Creator Pro is $79/month adding subscriber scoring and referral programs.

Kit is built for creators specifically — bloggers, YouTubers, podcasters. It has a subscriber-centric model (no duplicate counting), a visual automation builder, and built-in digital product sales. If you primarily need to send a weekly newsletter to a growing list, Kit's free plan lets you reach 10,000 subscribers before you pay anything.

beehiiv — Free Up to 2,500 Subscribers

beehiiv Launch is free for up to 2,500 subscribers with unlimited sends, custom domains, and a website builder. Scale is $49/month for unlimited subscribers plus the ad network (Boosts), referral program, and A/B testing. Max is $109/month adding priority support and API access.

beehiiv is the newsletter-native platform. It was built specifically for newsletter operators who want to grow, monetize, and manage a newsletter business. The built-in ad network (Boosts) means you can earn revenue from other newsletters recommending yours — and that revenue can offset or exceed the $49/month Scale plan cost. If you plan to monetize through ads and paid subscriptions, beehiiv gives you the best tooling.

Substack — Free (10% Revenue Cut)

Substack is free for unlimited subscribers and unlimited sends. The platform takes 10% of paid subscription revenue plus Stripe processing fees. If you never charge readers, it costs nothing. Substack provides built-in discovery through its recommendation network and mobile app.

The tradeoff is control. You can't fully customize your brand, you have limited segmentation, no automation, and the 10% cut grows as revenue grows. At $5,000/month in subscription revenue, Substack takes $500/month. At $10,000/month, that's $1,000/month. For comparison, beehiiv Scale at $49/month takes zero percent of revenue.

Brevo — Free for 100,000 Contacts

Brevo's free plan stores up to 100,000 contacts with 300 emails per day (about 9,000/month). Starter is $9/month for 5,000 emails/month without the daily limit. Standard is $18/month adding marketing automation and A/B testing. The key differentiator: Brevo charges by emails sent, not contacts stored. You could have 50,000 subscribers and pay less than Mailchimp charges for 2,000.

The 300 emails/day limit on the free plan is the constraint. For a weekly newsletter to 5,000 subscribers, you'd need to send across multiple days (or upgrade to Starter at $9/month). But for creators building a list who send 1–2 times per week, the free plan works well up to about 2,000 active subscribers on a weekly cadence.

Ghost — $18/Month (Self-Hosted Free)

Ghost Pro Starter is $18/month for up to 1,000 members and 1 staff user. Publisher is $35/month for unlimited members, 3 staff, paid subscriptions, and custom themes. Self-hosted Ghost is completely free with no limits — if you run your own server.

Ghost is the professional publisher's platform. It takes zero percent of subscription revenue (unlike Substack's 10%). For a creator earning $2,000/month in subscriptions, Ghost Pro at $35/month keeps $1,965 in your pocket, while Substack takes $200. The breakeven against Substack happens at roughly $350/month in subscription revenue.

Cost Comparison at 5K, 10K, and 25K Subscribers

At 5,000 subscribers: Kit is free (Newsletter plan). beehiiv Scale is $49/month. Substack is free (if no paid subscribers). Brevo Starter is $9/month (enough for weekly sends). Ghost Starter is $18/month. Mailchimp Standard is roughly $75/month.

At 10,000 subscribers: Kit is free (Newsletter plan, maxes out here). beehiiv Scale is $49/month. Substack is free. Brevo Starter is roughly $18/month (more sends needed). Ghost Publisher is $35/month. Mailchimp Standard is roughly $110/month.

At 25,000 subscribers: Kit Creator is roughly $79+/month (paid plan required above 10K). beehiiv Scale is $49/month (unlimited subscribers). Substack is free. Brevo Standard is roughly $35/month. Ghost Publisher is $35/month. Mailchimp Standard is roughly $230/month.

beehiiv Scale at $49/month for unlimited subscribers is the best value at scale. Mailchimp is the most expensive at every subscriber tier.

The Decision Framework

• Biggest free tier: Kit free (10,000 subscribers)
• Best for monetization: beehiiv Scale ($49/month, built-in ads and referrals)
• Simplest setup, built-in audience: Substack free (but 10% cut on paid)
• Cheapest at high volume: Brevo ($9–$18/month for 5K–25K)
• Full ownership, no revenue cut: Ghost ($18–$35/month or free self-hosted)