Email Marketing

  • Email Marketing, Marketing

    How to Get Your First 1,000 Email Subscribers (No Ads)

    This post may contain affiliate links, meaning if you decide to make a purchase via my links, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. See my disclosure for more info.

    Your first 1,000 email subscribers are the hardest ones you’ll ever get, and also the cheapest, if you do it right. No ad budget required — just a decent lead magnet, a couple of places to put it, and enough patience to let organic traffic do its job over a few months instead of a few days.

    I built my own list this way, starting with Kit’s free plan, which covers everything you need up to 10,000 subscribers before you’d ever need to pay. There’s no reason to spend money proving this works before you know it works for your specific audience.

    Why 1,000 is the number that actually matters

    It’s not a magic threshold, but it’s usually where things start to compound. You’ll have enough data to see what subject lines and send times work for your specific audience, enough subscribers to test a paid product or affiliate promotion meaningfully, and enough momentum that referrals and shares start doing part of the work for you. Getting from 0 to 1,000 is mostly manual; getting from 1,000 to 10,000 gets progressively easier if your fundamentals are solid.

    Pick a home for your list first

    Kit’s free Newsletter plan supports up to 10,000 subscribers at no cost, with unlimited landing pages, forms, and broadcasts, plus basic automation and tagging so you can start segmenting from day one. That’s enough runway to hit your first 1,000 and well beyond without a subscription cost eating into a list that isn’t monetized yet.

    If your goal is closer to running a publication than a traditional newsletter — recommendation networks, ad monetization built into the platform, a more magazine-like reading experience — beehiiv is built specifically around that model and is worth a look before you commit to a platform.

    Build a lead magnet people actually want

    “Subscribe to my newsletter” convinces almost nobody by itself. A specific, useful freebie does the persuading for you. The best-performing lead magnets tend to be narrow and immediately usable: a checklist, a template, a short email course, or a content upgrade tied to the exact post someone is reading — not a generic 40-page PDF nobody opens.

    Content upgrades work especially well because they match intent. Someone reading a post about meal planning is a much better candidate for “get my printable meal-planning template” than for a generic “join my newsletter” box at the bottom of every page.

    Where to actually put your opt-ins

    Spread your opt-in across a few high-visibility spots rather than relying on one sidebar widget nobody scrolls to: a content upgrade inside your highest-traffic posts, a simple form at the end of every post, and a dedicated landing page you can link to from social media and guest posts. A well-timed exit-intent or scroll-triggered popup can help too, as long as it’s not so aggressive that it interrupts someone before they’ve read anything.

    Driving traffic without spending on ads

    Free traffic sources compound instead of disappearing the moment you stop paying. Pinterest is one of the strongest for this — a single well-optimized pin can drive traffic to a post for years, which is exactly the kind of engine you want feeding new subscribers on autopilot. SEO-optimized posts targeting specific questions your audience is already searching do the same thing on a longer timeline.

    Guest posts, podcast appearances, and simple shoutout swaps with bloggers in adjacent niches also work well early on, since you’re borrowing an audience that already trusts the person recommending you. None of this is instant. All of it keeps paying off long after a paid ad campaign would have ended.

    The realistic math

    If your content gets a few hundred visitors a day and your opt-in converts at even 1-2%, you’re looking at several new subscribers daily — which adds up to 1,000 within a few months, not a few days. Conversion rate matters more than raw traffic here: a smaller, more targeted audience with a genuinely relevant lead magnet will out-convert a larger, generic one.

    A single traffic source rarely gets you there fastest, either. Stacking two or three channels — search traffic landing on an older post with a content upgrade, a handful of pins still circulating on Pinterest, one guest post a month — reaches 1,000 sooner than waiting on any single channel to carry the whole load.

    Mistakes that slow this down

    The most common one is a single generic opt-in with no clear reason to subscribe. The second is going silent after someone signs up — a short welcome sequence that delivers on the lead magnet’s promise and introduces you does far more for long-term engagement than the freebie alone. And never buy subscribers or email lists; besides the deliverability damage, most providers, including Kit, prohibit it outright.

    Worth naming too: quitting after a slow first month. List growth is rarely a straight line — it tends to sit flat for a while, then jump when a single post starts ranking or a pin catches on and pulls in a cluster of subscribers at once.

    FAQ

    How long does it realistically take to get 1,000 email subscribers?

    Most bloggers see this take a few months to a year, depending on existing traffic and how targeted the lead magnet is. Consistent content and a specific opt-in offer speed this up considerably compared to a generic “join my list” box.

    Do I need to pay for an email platform to start?

    No. Kit’s free plan supports up to 10,000 subscribers with unlimited forms, landing pages, and broadcasts, which is more than enough runway to build your first 1,000 without any cost.

    What’s the best type of lead magnet for a new blog?

    Something specific and immediately usable tied to your most popular content — a checklist, template, or short guide — tends to convert better than a broad, generic freebie that doesn’t match what the reader was just looking at.

    Should I use pop-ups to grow my list?

    Used carefully, yes. A scroll-triggered or exit-intent pop-up tied to a relevant offer converts well without annoying readers the way an immediate on-load pop-up does.

    Is Pinterest still worth it for growing an email list?

    Yes, particularly for niches with visual appeal like food, home, or lifestyle content. A single pin can keep sending traffic to a landing page for years, unlike most social platforms where a post’s reach fades within days.

    Getting to 1,000 subscribers is a matter of consistent, targeted effort, not ad spend. Set up your free Kit account today, build one genuinely useful lead magnet, and put it in front of the traffic you already have.

    For more on this, see my posts on a full webinar walkthrough for hitting your first or next 1,000 subscribers, my Pinterest strategy for more traffic and subscribers, and building content upgrades that actually convert.

  • Email Marketing, Marketing

    How the beehiiv Referral Program Grows Your List on Autopilot

    This post may contain affiliate links, meaning if you decide to make a purchase via my links, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. See my disclosure for more info.

    Word of mouth has always been the best way to grow a newsletter — the problem was that you couldn’t see it, steer it, or reward it. A referral program fixes all three: your readers get a personal share link, they unlock rewards for bringing in friends, and the platform tracks every signup automatically.

    beehiiv is the platform that turned this into a built-in feature instead of a duct-taped side project, and it’s one of the main reasons I recommend beehiiv to newsletter creators who are serious about growth. Morning Brew famously built an empire on exactly this mechanic; beehiiv (founded by early Morning Brew team members) baked it into the product.

    In this tutorial I’ll set up the whole thing with you: rewards that people actually want, the referral block in your emails, and the promotion rhythm that keeps it compounding. “Autopilot” is mostly true — but only after you’ve built the machine properly, so let’s build it properly.

    What you need

    • A beehiiv publication — the referral program is included from the free Launch plan up (check their pricing page for current plan details)
    • An existing list, even a small one — referrals multiply readers, they don’t create the first ones
    • One or two digital rewards you can create this week (more on that in step 3)

    Setting up your beehiiv referral program, step by step

    Step 1: Understand the mechanic you’re building

    Every subscriber gets a unique referral link. When friends subscribe through it, the referral counts toward milestones you define — reach 3 referrals, unlock reward one; reach 10, unlock reward two. beehiiv tracks the counts, credits the referrals, and triggers the milestone emails without you touching anything.

    Your job is designing the incentives; the plumbing is handled.

    Step 2: Turn on the referral program

    Inside beehiiv, open the growth features and enable the referral program. You’ll set your milestones, write the reward descriptions, and customize the referral page subscribers see when they share. Keep the copy simple: “Share the newsletter you already read, get useful stuff back.”

    Step 3: Choose milestones and rewards that fit a small list

    This step decides whether the program works, so slow down here.

    • Make the first milestone tiny. One to three referrals. Most readers will only ever hit this one, so it must feel reachable and worth it.
    • Go digital first. A bonus guide, a template, a swipe file, a private audio episode — zero shipping costs, instant delivery, infinitely repeatable.
    • Match rewards to your topic. A meal-planning newsletter rewarding with a freezer-prep template attracts exactly the right new subscribers. Generic rewards (gift cards!) attract exactly the wrong ones.
    • Save physical rewards for later. Merch works for big established newsletters; for everyone else it’s a logistics headache at milestone one.

    Step 4: Create the reward assets

    Block one afternoon and make the first two rewards: a well-designed PDF or template is enough. Name them specifically (“The 15-Minute Newsletter Growth Checklist” beats “Bonus Content”), because the name is what does the selling inside your referral section.

    Step 5: Add the referral block to your newsletter

    beehiiv gives you a referral section you can drop into your email template — it shows each reader their personal link and progress toward the next reward. Put it near the bottom of every issue, styled to match, with one line of copy above it that changes regularly so regulars don’t go blind to it.

    Step 6: Launch it like a small event

    A referral program nobody notices grows nothing. Send one dedicated email explaining the program and the first reward, mention it on your thank-you page (new subscribers are at peak enthusiasm the second after joining), and re-promote the program every few weeks with a one-liner — “Sarah just unlocked the template pack, here’s how” works better than any banner.

    Step 7: Check the numbers monthly

    beehiiv’s analytics show who refers and which milestones convert. If almost nobody reaches milestone one, it’s too high or the reward is too weak. If lots of people hit it and stall, your second milestone has a gap. Adjust and let it run — this is the part that genuinely becomes autopilot.

    Honest notes before you build this

    A few things the hype skips. Referral programs amplify an engaged list; they can’t resurrect a dead one — if your open rates are low, fix the newsletter first (my ultimate guide to email marketing is the place to start). Expect a minority of readers to do the majority of referring; that’s normal and still worth it. And referred subscribers are only valuable when the reward attracts your actual audience — a mismatched incentive fills your list with people who wanted the freebie, not the newsletter, and your deliverability pays for it.

    Also worth saying: if you don’t have any audience anywhere yet — no blog, no social presence, no seed list — build a content home base first. My ultimate guide to blogging covers that foundation.

    FAQ

    What is the beehiiv referral program?

    It’s a built-in growth feature that gives every subscriber a personal referral link and rewards them automatically when friends subscribe through it. You define the milestones and rewards; beehiiv handles tracking, crediting, and milestone emails.

    Is the referral program free on beehiiv?

    According to beehiiv’s current pricing page, the referral program is included from the free Launch plan (up to 2,500 subscribers) upward. Plan features shift occasionally, so double-check the pricing page before you commit.

    What rewards work best for a newsletter referral program?

    Digital rewards tied to your topic: templates, bonus guides, swipe files, private episodes. They cost nothing to deliver and attract referred subscribers who actually want your content — the first milestone should be reachable at 1-3 referrals.

    How many subscribers do I need before launching a referral program?

    There’s no magic number, but a few hundred engaged readers make it worthwhile — below that, focus on content and one traffic channel. The program multiplies word of mouth that already exists.

    Do referred subscribers count toward beehiiv’s plan limits?

    Yes, every subscriber counts toward your plan’s limit regardless of how they joined. The free Launch plan covers up to 2,500 subscribers, and paid plans like Scale ($43/month) extend that to 100,000.

    A referral program is the rare growth tactic that keeps paying without new work: build good rewards once, show the block in every issue, and your readers become your distribution. Head over to beehiiv and switch on your referral program — start with one tiny milestone and one great digital reward, and let your best readers grow the list for you.

  • Email Marketing, Marketing

    How to Migrate From Substack to beehiiv (Without Losing Subscribers)

    This post may contain affiliate links, meaning if you decide to make a purchase via my links, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. See my disclosure for more info.

    Substack is a lovely place to start a newsletter. It’s free, it’s simple, and the network effect from Notes and recommendations can genuinely help you find your first readers. But at some point many writers hit the same walls: limited design control, basic analytics, and that 10% cut of everything you earn from paid subscriptions.

    That’s usually when people start googling “substack to beehiiv” — and the good news is that the move is far less scary than it looks. I’ll walk you through the whole migration step by step: exporting your list, importing it into beehiiv, moving your archive, and pointing readers to your new home without losing subscribers along the way.

    Set aside an afternoon. Most of this is waiting for DNS records, not actual work.

    What you need before you start

    • Access to your Substack account settings (you’ll export from there)
    • A beehiiv account — the free Launch plan covers you up to 2,500 subscribers
    • Optional but recommended: a custom domain for your newsletter
    • If you have paid subscribers: access to the Stripe account connected to your Substack

    The migration, step by step

    Step 1: Export everything from Substack

    In Substack, go to your publication settings and look for the export option. You’ll get a ZIP file containing your full subscriber list as a CSV plus your published posts as HTML files.

    Download it and keep it somewhere safe — this file is your entire newsletter in portable form. If you run paid subscriptions, also log into Stripe and familiarize yourself with your subscriber data there, because paid billing lives in Stripe, not in the CSV.

    Step 2: Set up your beehiiv publication

    Create your account at beehiiv and set up a new publication: name, description, logo, brand colors. The free Launch plan includes unlimited sends for up to 2,500 subscribers, so for most Substack migrations you can complete the entire move without paying anything.

    Don’t rush this step. Write your welcome email and set your sender name properly before you import anyone — new subscribers who join mid-migration should land in a finished house, not a construction site.

    Step 3: Clean your list, then import it

    Before uploading, open the subscriber CSV and remove obvious dead weight: addresses that bounced, role accounts (info@, admin@), and anyone who hasn’t opened in a year. Importing a bloated list hurts your deliverability from day one on a new platform.

    Then import the cleaned CSV in beehiiv’s audience section and map the columns (email, signup date, and any custom fields). Larger imports can get a short review — that’s normal and usually resolves quickly.

    Step 4: Move your post archive

    beehiiv can import your existing Substack content, so your archive doesn’t vanish. Bring your posts over, then spot-check the formatting: headings, images, and embedded buttons occasionally need a manual fix after any platform migration.

    Prioritize your best-performing posts. Nobody needs all 200 archive entries pixel-perfect, but the ten posts that people actually find via search should look right.

    Step 5: Connect your custom domain

    If you already used a custom domain on Substack, point it to beehiiv by updating the DNS records beehiiv gives you. If you published on a substack.com subdomain, this is the moment to buy a proper domain — you never want your audience’s bookmark to belong to a platform again.

    Also set up your sending domain (the DKIM and SPF records beehiiv walks you through). This authenticates your email and matters more for deliverability than anything else in this list.

    Step 6: Tell your readers — loudly

    Substack won’t redirect a substack.com address to your new home, so communication has to do the work. Publish one final Substack post announcing the move with a direct link, pin it, and update every link in your Instagram bio, website, and email signature.

    Leave the old Substack up for a while. It catches stragglers and keeps old shared links alive while search engines find your new archive.

    Step 7: Send your first beehiiv issue

    Send it within the first week, keep your usual schedule, and ask readers to reply to the email — replies are the strongest positive signal you can give inbox providers on a new sending setup. Watch your open rates for the first few sends; a temporary dip is normal, a crash means you skipped step 5.

    What about paid subscribers?

    This is the honest, slightly annoying part. Substack paid subscriptions run through Substack’s own Stripe setup, so they don’t transfer with a CSV. beehiiv supports paid subscriptions (with no platform cut on paid plans, versus Substack’s 10%), but moving active billing requires coordination — contact beehiiv support before you migrate and plan the switch carefully.

    Expect a small amount of churn during the change no matter how well you do it. In my experience the 10% fee you stop paying makes up for it quickly, but go in with realistic expectations.

    Common mistakes to avoid

    • Importing the raw list. Dead addresses drag down deliverability on a sending setup that has no reputation yet.
    • Migrating mid-launch. Move during a quiet period, never the week you’re selling something.
    • Deleting the Substack immediately. Old links keep sending readers there for months. Let it point people forward.
    • Skipping the welcome automation. New signups should get an email instantly — it’s the first thing to rebuild, not the last.

    One more honest note: if Substack’s recommendation network and Notes drive most of your growth, weigh the trade-off. You’ll trade that discovery engine for beehiiv’s referral program, boosts, and better analytics — a great deal for newsletters run as a business, a worse one if you mostly enjoy the Substack social scene. I’ve broken down the platform in detail in my beehiiv review if you’re still deciding.

    FAQ

    Can I migrate from Substack to beehiiv for free?

    Yes. Substack exports are free, and beehiiv’s Launch plan is free for up to 2,500 subscribers. You only need a paid beehiiv plan for advanced features like automations or paid subscriptions.

    Will I lose subscribers when I move from Substack to beehiiv?

    Your list transfers completely via CSV, so nobody is lost in the move itself. You may see slightly lower opens for a couple of weeks while your new sending domain builds reputation — that recovers if you authenticated your domain properly.

    Can I move my paid Substack subscribers to beehiiv?

    Yes, but not automatically. Paid billing runs through Stripe, so coordinate with beehiiv support to transition subscriptions, and expect a little churn during the switch.

    Does beehiiv import Substack posts?

    Yes, beehiiv can import your Substack archive so your published posts come with you. Check formatting on your most important posts afterwards, as no migration is ever pixel-perfect.

    Why do writers leave Substack for beehiiv?

    The usual reasons: beehiiv’s 0% cut on paid subscriptions versus Substack’s 10%, stronger growth tools like the referral program, proper A/B testing, and much deeper analytics. Writers who mainly value Substack’s social network tend to stay.

    If you’re still setting up the basics of your newsletter strategy first, start with my guide on how to start a newsletter and the ultimate guide to email marketing.

    Ready to make the move? Head over to beehiiv and set up your free publication — export your Substack today, follow the seven steps above, and your newsletter lands on a platform you actually control, subscribers intact.

  • Email Marketing, Marketing

    beehiiv vs Substack: Where Should You Build in 2026?

    This post may contain affiliate links, meaning if you decide to make a purchase via my links, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. See my disclosure for more info.

    TL;DR: If you want a newsletter that behaves like a business — multiple revenue streams, real analytics, automations, and no revenue share on paid subscriptions — beehiiv is the stronger platform in 2026. If you mainly want to write, charge for some posts, and benefit from an existing reader network with zero setup, Substack still makes sense. The deciding factor is usually fees: Substack takes a percentage of your paid subscription revenue forever, while beehiiv charges a flat plan price and takes 0% on paid subscriptions.

    I’ve watched a lot of writers agonize over this choice, and it’s worth agonizing over: moving a newsletter later is possible, but re-training reader habits and rebuilding paid subscriptions is real work. So let’s compare the two properly — costs, growth, monetization, and ownership — and land on who should pick what.

    The two platforms in one minute

    beehiiv was built by early Morning Brew team members as a growth engine for newsletters. It gives you the newsletter itself plus a website, referral and recommendation systems, an ad network, automations, and detailed analytics. It’s priced like software: free to start, then a flat monthly fee as you grow.

    Substack is a publishing platform with a social layer. You get a clean writing experience, a hosted publication, podcasts and community features, and access to Substack’s own discovery network — readers already on Substack can find and follow you. It’s free to publish; Substack makes money by taking a cut of your paid subscriptions.

    beehiiv vs Substack: comparison table

    beehiiv Substack
    Free option Launch plan, free up to 2,500 subscribers Free to publish, no subscriber cap
    Paid plans Scale from $43/month; Max from $96/month (less on annual billing) No platform subscription
    Fee on paid subscriptions 0% on Scale and up (only Stripe’s processing fees) Takes a percentage of paid subscription revenue — check their current rate
    Growth tools Recommendations, referral program, Boosts, ad network Substack network, recommendations, Notes
    Monetization routes Paid subs, ad network, Boosts, digital products Paid subs, pledges, founding tiers
    Custom domain Yes, including on the free plan Available for a one-time fee
    Best for Operators building a media or affiliate business Writers who want simplicity and network discovery

    Pricing and fees: flat cost vs revenue share

    This is the comparison that actually decides it for most people, so let’s do the math logic without pretending there’s one right answer.

    beehiiv’s model: the Launch plan is genuinely free up to 2,500 subscribers — unlimited sends, website, custom domain included. Past that, Scale starts at $43/month and pricing steps up with list size. Crucially, beehiiv takes 0% of your paid subscription revenue on paid plans; you only lose Stripe’s standard processing fee (2.9% + $0.30 per transaction, as listed on their pricing page).

    Substack’s model is the mirror image: no monthly fee ever, but a percentage of every paid subscription goes to Substack, plus payment processing. They’ve used the same revenue-share model for years — verify the current rate on their site before you commit.

    The consequence: a free newsletter with no paid tier is cheap on both. The moment paid subscriptions become your main income, a revenue share grows with your success, while beehiiv’s flat fee doesn’t. At a few hundred paying readers, the flat fee is usually the cheaper structure by a wide margin. Run your own numbers before deciding — and if you want the full monetization picture first, my post on how to monetize a newsletter in 2026 walks through all the revenue models.

    Growth: borrowed network vs owned engine

    Substack’s biggest genuine advantage is discovery you don’t have to build. Recommendations from other Substack writers, the app, and Notes can send you real subscribers, especially in writer-heavy niches like politics, culture, and finance. Some publications grow meaningfully from network effects alone. The honest caveat: you’re renting that discovery. It favors writers who post often and play the social game, and it can change under your feet.

    beehiiv approaches growth like a marketer. You get a recommendation network too, plus a built-in referral program (readers earn rewards for sharing), Boosts (other newsletters pay to send you subscribers, or you pay to acquire them), and clean acquisition analytics so you can see which channel actually grows your list. None of it is magic — you still need to bring traffic from SEO, Pinterest, or social — but the tooling for deliberate growth is clearly deeper.

    Shorthand: Substack grows you passively but unpredictably; beehiiv gives you levers to pull.

    Monetization: one lane vs several

    On Substack, the model is paid subscriptions, full stop (plus pledges and founding tiers, which are variations of the same thing). That’s perfect if your readers will pay for your writing directly.

    beehiiv assumes you might want several income streams: paid subscriptions (0% take), sponsored placements through its ad network, Boosts income for recommending other newsletters, and digital product sales. For affiliate-driven newsletters — my world — this flexibility matters, because subscription revenue is only one slice of the pie. I went deeper on the platform’s business features in my full beehiiv review if you want the feature-by-feature breakdown.

    Fair warning for beehiiv: the ad network and Boosts only become interesting with a real audience. Under a thousand engaged subscribers, don’t expect meaningful ad income on either platform.

    Ownership, data, and switching costs

    Both platforms let you export your email list, which is the non-negotiable minimum. The differences sit a layer deeper.

    On beehiiv, a custom domain is available from the free plan, so every link you share builds your own web presence, and your archive can double as an SEO asset on your domain. Automations and webhooks mean your newsletter can plug into the rest of your stack.

    On Substack, your publication lives inside their ecosystem by default (a custom domain is possible for a one-time fee). Your paid relationships run through Substack’s subscription infrastructure, which makes leaving stickier: subscribers can be moved, but the payment relationships and network followers don’t transfer cleanly. If long-term independence ranks high for you, that’s a real cost hiding behind the free price tag.

    Verdict: which one should you pick?

    • Pick beehiiv if you’re building a newsletter as a business asset: affiliate content, sponsorships, products, serious growth tracking, or a paid tier where you keep every dollar minus processing. Start free, upgrade when the list justifies it. Try beehiiv’s free Launch plan here.
    • Pick Substack if you’re a writer first, your niche is active on Substack, and the idea of configuring anything makes you close the laptop. The network discovery is genuinely valuable in the right niches, and free-forever is hard to argue with at small scale.
    • Edge case: if you’re already earning well on Substack with paid subscriptions, the revenue share you’re paying is effectively your marketing budget for their network. Switch only if the math and the ownership argument both point away.

    FAQ

    Is beehiiv better than Substack for making money?

    For most business-minded newsletters, yes: beehiiv takes 0% of paid subscriptions on its paid plans and adds ad network, Boosts, and digital product revenue on top. Substack monetizes one way — paid subscriptions — and takes a percentage of that revenue.

    Is beehiiv actually free?

    The Launch plan is free up to 2,500 subscribers with unlimited sends, a website, and a custom domain, no credit card required. Paid features like the ad network, automations, and the 0% paid-subscription rate start with the Scale plan at $43/month.

    Can I move my newsletter from Substack to beehiiv later?

    Yes — you can export your subscriber list and import it, and beehiiv has migration tooling for exactly this move. Free subscribers transfer easily; paid subscribers require re-setting up billing, which is the main friction. Migrating is easier before your paid tier gets big.

    Does Substack have better discovery than beehiiv?

    Usually, yes. Substack’s app, recommendations, and Notes expose you to readers already on the platform, which beehiiv can’t fully match. beehiiv counters with referral tools, Boosts, and its own recommendation network — growth you control rather than growth that happens to you.

    Which platform is better for beginners?

    Substack is simpler on day one; beehiiv is simpler on day 300. If you just want to write this week, Substack wins. If you know you’ll want automations, segmentation, or sponsor income within a year, starting on beehiiv saves you a migration.

    Both platforms will send your words to inboxes just fine — the difference is what happens around the writing. If you’re building something you intend to monetize on your own terms, head over to beehiiv and start on the free Launch plan; you can grow to 2,500 subscribers before paying a cent, and you’ll never hand over a share of your subscription revenue.

  • Email Marketing, Marketing

    beehiiv vs Kit: Newsletter Platform or Email Platform?

    This post may contain affiliate links, meaning if you decide to make a purchase via my links, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. See my disclosure for more info.

    TL;DR: If the newsletter itself is the business, with sponsors, paid subscriptions and growth as the goals, beehiiv is built for exactly that, and its free plan (up to 2,500 subscribers with unlimited sends) is the most generous starting point in the category. If email is the engine behind a wider creator business of courses, products and funnels, Kit’s automations and integrations serve you better.

    The title question is the real decision here. beehiiv and Kit both send emails, but they grew from different ideas of what an email list is for. beehiiv treats your newsletter as a media property: something with a website, ads, subscribers who might pay, and its own growth engine. Kit treats email as the connective tissue of a creator business: tagging readers, triggering sequences, selling what you make.

    Once you see that split, choosing gets much easier. Let me walk you through the numbers and the trade-offs.

    beehiiv vs Kit at a glance

      beehiiv Kit
    Free plan Launch: up to 2,500 subscribers, unlimited sends Newsletter: up to 10,000 subscribers
    Free plan extras Website, recommendation network, custom domains Unlimited landing pages, forms, broadcasts; 1 basic automation
    Paid entry Scale: $43/month, up to 100k subscribers Creator: from $33/month ($390/year)
    Monetization Ad network, paid recommendations, 0% take on paid subscriptions (Scale) Sell digital products, paid newsletters, deep launch automations
    Automation From Scale plan, simpler Kit’s specialty: visual automations, tagging, sequences
    Best for Newsletter-as-media-business Email behind a creator business

    Free plans: an unusually generous fight

    Both free plans are better than most paid entry tiers were a few years ago. Kit’s Newsletter plan carries you to 10,000 subscribers with unlimited broadcasts, landing pages and forms, though only one basic automation. beehiiv’s Launch plan stops at 2,500 subscribers but includes unlimited sends, a real website, custom domains and access to the recommendation network, which actively grows your list from day one.

    Raw headroom goes to Kit. Useful features while you’re small go to beehiiv. My honest read: a brand-new newsletter grows faster on beehiiv’s free plan because of the recommendation network, and 2,500 subscribers is further away than it sounds when you’re starting from zero.

    Growth: this is beehiiv’s home turf

    beehiiv was built by early Morning Brew people, and it shows in the growth tooling. The recommendation network lets other newsletters send you subscribers (and you them), boosts and paid recommendations let you buy growth from inside the platform on the Scale plan, and the built-in website means your archive ranks in search without a separate blog setup.

    Kit has its own creator network and landing pages, and they work. But growth in Kit-land mostly happens outside the tool, on your blog, your socials, your collabs. beehiiv bakes the growth loop into the product, and for a pure newsletter play that difference compounds.

    I go deeper on the platform in my full beehiiv review if you want the complete picture.

    Monetization: two different theories of money

    beehiiv monetizes the newsletter itself. Its ad network matches sponsors to your audience, paid subscriptions run with a 0% platform take on the Scale plan, and the Max plan ($96/month) adds a sponsorship storefront where advertisers come to you. If your revenue model is “audience pays or sponsors pay,” the machinery is all here.

    Kit monetizes what you sell to the list. Digital products, tip jars and paid newsletters are native, and the automation engine handles evergreen funnels and launches. Paid Kit plans also include Kit’s MCP (launched May 2026), which lets AI assistants like Claude draft broadcasts or analyze your audience from a chat window; a small thing today, but a sign of where the platform invests.

    Deciding factor: where will your first $1,000 come from? Sponsors and subscriptions point to beehiiv; your own products point to Kit.

    Automation and integrations: Kit’s home turf

    Flip the growth argument and you get this section. Kit’s visual automations, tagging and integrations remain the standard for creator businesses: connect your course platform, tag buyers, branch sequences by behavior, and the whole funnel runs itself. beehiiv’s automations arrived later, live on the Scale plan, and cover the common journeys without matching that depth. Integrations show the same gap, since most creator tools built their Kit connection years ago.

    If your roadmap includes courses, memberships or anything resembling a launch, this section outweighs the others. Start on Kit’s free plan and you can grow into all of it without migrating.

    Verdict: who should pick what

    • The newsletter is the product (sponsors, paid subs, media ambitions): beehiiv, without much hesitation.
    • You sell courses, products or services and email supports that: Kit.
    • Starting from zero and want growth help built in: beehiiv’s free Launch plan.
    • You want the longest free ride by subscriber count: Kit’s free plan, to 10,000.
    • Coming from Substack and comparing options: read my Substack vs Kit comparison next; beehiiv usually beats Substack on economics too, since Substack takes 10% of paid subscriptions.

    FAQ

    Is beehiiv free?

    Yes. The Launch plan is free up to 2,500 subscribers with unlimited email sends, and it includes a website, custom domains and the recommendation network. Paid plans start with Scale at $43 a month, which raises the ceiling to 100,000 subscribers and adds monetization and automation features.

    Is beehiiv or Kit better for beginners?

    For a first pure newsletter, beehiiv: the free plan includes growth tools and a website, so you need nothing else. For a first creator business with products in the plan, Kit’s free plan gives you more subscriber headroom and a smoother path into serious automation.

    Does beehiiv take a cut of paid subscriptions?

    On the Scale plan, beehiiv takes 0% of your paid subscription revenue; you pay the platform fee instead. Payment processing fees still apply, and for current details on each plan’s terms, check beehiiv’s pricing page.

    Can I move from Kit to beehiiv later (or the other way)?

    Yes. Both platforms export subscribers as CSV files and both have import flows, so the list itself moves in an afternoon. Automations, forms and templates don’t transfer, which is a real cost once you’ve built a lot, so pick deliberately before you scale.

    Do I need a separate website with beehiiv?

    Not necessarily. beehiiv includes a website with your archive, custom domain support and basic analytics on every plan, which covers a newsletter-first operation. If you run a content blog with SEO ambitions beyond the newsletter, a separate site still makes sense.

    Both tools are excellent at the job they chose; the mistake is picking the wrong job. If you’re building a newsletter that pays for itself through sponsors, subscriptions and steady growth, start it free on beehiiv and let the recommendation network do some of the early lifting.

  • MailerLite vs Kit: Best Email Platform for Your First 1,000 Subscribers
    Email Marketing, Marketing

    MailerLite vs Kit: Best Email Platform for Your First 1,000 Subscribers

    This post may contain affiliate links, meaning if you decide to make a purchase via my links, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. See my disclosure for more info.

    TL;DR: For your first 1,000 subscribers, MailerLite is the better buy for most bloggers: full automation, a friendlier editor and a lower paid price ($12/month versus $33). Kit wins if you want to stay free the longest, because its free plan covers up to 10,000 subscribers, or if you’re building a creator business around courses and paid products.

    I’ve spent real time inside both platforms, and the “which is best” question has two different answers depending on what you optimize for: the lowest cost with full features, or the longest free ride. This comparison lays out the actual numbers so you can decide in ten minutes and get back to writing.

    One naming note before we start: Kit is the platform formerly known as ConvertKit. Same company, same product, new name. If you’ve read older comparisons like my post on ConvertKit vs Mailchimp for creators, that’s the same tool we’re discussing here.

    MailerLite vs Kit at a glance

      MailerLite Kit
    Free plan Up to 250 subscribers, 2,500 emails/month Up to 10,000 subscribers
    Free plan limits 3 automations, 3 forms, 1 website and 1 landing page 1 basic automation; unlimited landing pages, forms and broadcasts
    Paid entry price Comfort, from $12/month Creator, from $33/month (or $390/year)
    Higher tier Power, from $25/month, unlimited emails Pro, from $66/month
    Editor style Visual drag-and-drop, big template gallery Clean, text-first emails
    Best for Bloggers who want pretty emails and automation on a budget Creators selling products who need deep automations and integrations

    Prices on both platforms scale with list size, so treat these as starting points and run your own numbers through their calculators before committing.

    Pricing for your first 1,000 subscribers

    Here’s the split that surprises people. On free plans, Kit wins outright: its Newsletter plan covers you all the way to 10,000 subscribers, while MailerLite’s free plan caps at 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails a month. You could reach your first 1,000 subscribers on Kit without paying a cent.

    On paid plans, the order flips. MailerLite’s Comfort plan starts at $12 a month, and annual billing takes roughly another 10% off. Kit’s Creator plan starts at $33 a month, or $390 a year. That gap adds up to a couple hundred dollars a year at the exact stage when your blog probably isn’t earning much yet.

    So the honest framing is this: Kit gives you the longest free runway, while MailerLite gives you the cheapest full toolbox once you’re ready to pay.

    Free plan reality check

    Free plans are marketing, and both companies designed theirs to nudge you somewhere. Kit’s free plan is generous on volume but thin on automation: you get a single basic automation, so one welcome flow and that’s it. You also get unlimited landing pages, forms and broadcasts, which is genuinely useful for a new blog.

    MailerLite’s free plan is the mirror image: tiny on volume but fuller on features, with three automations, three forms and the core editor included. Support is the catch. Free users get email and chat support for the first 14 days, and after that you’re on your own with the documentation.

    My take: if your budget is zero and your list is your only project, start free on Kit and enjoy the headroom. If you’re under 250 subscribers and want to practice proper automation from day one, MailerLite’s free plan teaches you more.

    Editors, templates and day-to-day use

    MailerLite feels like a design tool. You drag blocks around, pick from a large template gallery, and build landing pages that look polished without fiddling. If visual newsletters suit your brand, or your audience expects a magazine feel, you’ll work faster here.

    Kit takes the opposite stance: emails are text-first on purpose, built on the theory that a plain email from a person outperforms a glossy one from a brand. Plenty of full-time creators agree with that theory. The editor has grown more flexible over the years, but design is clearly not the heart of the product.

    Neither approach is wrong. Match the tool to your voice: magazine-style content fits MailerLite, letter-from-a-friend fits Kit.

    Automation, integrations and selling

    On paid tiers, both platforms are capable. Kit’s visual automations and tagging system remain the reference point for creators running launches, evergreen funnels and product segmentation. Paid Kit plans also include Kit’s MCP, launched in May 2026, which connects AI assistants like Claude or ChatGPT to your account so you can analyze your audience or draft broadcasts from a chat window.

    MailerLite’s automation builder covers the standard blogger cases well: welcome series, link triggers, segmentation, RSS campaigns. It has less depth in complex edge cases, though for a blog plus a couple of digital products I’ve never hit a wall that mattered.

    Integrations tilt toward Kit. Course platforms, membership tools and commerce apps usually ship their Kit integration first. MailerLite covers the majors (WordPress, Shopify, Zapier) but sits lower on most third-party priority lists.

    One nuance for affiliate-focused bloggers: MailerLite is stricter about affiliate-heavy sending, so read their acceptable use policy before building a list around affiliate promotions. Kit is more relaxed there. If affiliate income is your plan, Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing ($197) is the course I took myself, from Michelle Schroeder-Gardner, who earns over $50,000 a month with affiliate marketing, and it covers email promotion without burning your list.

    Verdict: which one should you pick?

    • Brand-new blog, zero budget: start on Kit’s free Newsletter plan and grow to 10,000 subscribers before paying.
    • You send weekly and want automation, templates and low cost: MailerLite Comfort at $12/month is the value pick.
    • You sell courses or run launches: Kit Creator, for the automations and integrations.
    • You want unlimited sends and 24/7 chat support: MailerLite Power at $25/month.

    And if you’re still figuring out what to actually send, my ultimate guide to email marketing covers list building, deliverability and content that keeps subscribers opening.

    FAQ

    Is MailerLite really free?

    Yes, up to 250 active subscribers and 2,500 emails per month, including 3 automations and 3 signup forms. Beyond that you’ll need the Comfort plan, which starts at $12 a month and removes the feature ceilings.

    Is Kit free for 1,000 subscribers?

    Yes. Kit’s free Newsletter plan covers up to 10,000 subscribers with unlimited broadcasts, landing pages and forms. The trade-off is automation: you get one basic automation until you upgrade to the Creator plan.

    Which is cheaper, MailerLite or Kit?

    On paid plans, MailerLite: Comfort starts at $12 a month against $33 for Kit Creator, and both scale up with list size. On free plans, Kit stays free far longer thanks to its 10,000 subscriber allowance.

    Can I switch email platforms later without losing my list?

    Yes. Both platforms export your subscribers as a CSV and both offer import tools, so moving a small list is an afternoon job. Your forms and automations do need rebuilding, which is why switching early beats switching late.

    Which has better deliverability?

    Both are reputable senders, and your own habits matter more than the platform: an engaged list, a consistent schedule and regular cleaning beat any migration. Choose based on features and price, not on deliverability rumors.

    Bottom line: most bloggers chasing their first 1,000 subscribers will be happiest paying for MailerLite, and it’s the platform I point friends to for their first serious list. Try MailerLite here, or grab Kit’s free plan if a $0 budget is the deciding factor right now.

  • MailerLite Review: The Best Free Email Marketing Plan?
    Email Marketing, Marketing

    MailerLite Review: The Best Free Email Marketing Plan?

    This post may contain affiliate links, meaning if you decide to make a purchase via my links, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. See my disclosure for more info.

    TL;DR: MailerLite offers one of the most complete free email marketing plans available — automation, landing pages, a website builder, and all its email editors are included free, where most competitors lock those behind payment. The free tier’s subscriber cap is modest and MailerLite is strict about what you may send, but for content creators starting a newsletter it is my default recommendation. You can start free on MailerLite and upgrade only when your list outgrows it.

    What is MailerLite?

    MailerLite is an email marketing platform built around a simple idea: keep the interface clean, keep the price low, and include the features small senders actually use. It covers newsletters, automation workflows, signup forms and popups, landing pages, and even simple websites and paid digital products on higher tiers.

    One of my own newsletters runs on MailerLite, so this review comes from regular use rather than a quick trial. It is the tool I suggest first to bloggers and solo creators — with a few honest warnings I will get to below.

    MailerLite pricing

    Here is the lineup at the time of writing. Paid prices scale with subscriber count, so treat these as starting points and check their calculator with your own list size. Annual billing shaves 10% off.

    Plan Price What you get
    Free $0 Up to 250 subscribers, 2,500 emails/month, campaigns, automation, landing page, forms, 2 seats
    Comfort From $12/month More monthly sends, 3 seats, unlimited templates, dynamic emails, AI writing assistant, smart sending
    Power From $25/month Unlimited emails and seats, unlimited automations, landing pages and websites, digital products, bookings
    Enterprise Custom For 200K+ subscribers: dedicated manager, deliverability support

    There is also a 14-day free trial of the premium features, no credit card required, which stacks nicely with the free plan: test everything, then settle into whichever tier fits.

    What MailerLite does well

    The free plan is genuinely useful. This is the headline. Automation workflows, a landing page, signup forms, and the full drag-and-drop editor all work on $0. Most platforms hand you a crippled version and wait for frustration to convert you; MailerLite’s free tier lets you run a real newsletter operation while your list is small.

    It is easy in the way that matters. The editor is uncluttered, campaigns go out without a manual-reading session, and the automation builder is visual and logical. If you have ever opened an enterprise email tool and quietly closed it again, MailerLite will feel like relief.

    Fair pricing as you grow. Starting at $12 a month for small lists, it stays on the affordable end as subscriber counts rise, and the Power tier’s unlimited sends suit frequent mailers.

    Deliverability has a good reputation. Partly because of the strictness I am about to complain about: MailerLite reviews who sends what, which keeps spammers off its servers and inbox rates healthy for the rest of us.

    It quietly grows into a mini business hub. On the Power tier you can sell digital products, take bookings, and run multiple landing pages and websites from the same account. It will not replace a dedicated store, but for a creator selling one ebook or a couple of templates, it removes an entire extra subscription.

    Where MailerLite falls short

    The approval process surprises people. New accounts go through a review before you can send, and MailerLite is picky about affiliate-heavy email. Sending value-first newsletters that link to your blog (where your affiliate links live) is fine; blasting bare affiliate links is the fast way to a suspended account. If your entire model is affiliate broadcasts, this is not your platform — read their content policy before committing.

    The free cap is modest. At the time of writing the free plan covers 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails a month. Perfectly fine for a starting list, but if you are migrating an established one, you are shopping for a paid tier from day one — do that math first.

    Advanced marketers will hit walls. Complex branching, deep e-commerce triggers, and granular reporting are lighter here than on expensive platforms. That is the trade for simplicity, and for most bloggers it is the right trade — but it is a real ceiling.

    Templates and AI tools sit behind paid plans. The free tier includes the editors but limits the template library; the AI writing assistant starts on Comfort.

    Who MailerLite is for — my verdict

    Pick MailerLite if you are a blogger, writer, or small business starting or running a modest list and you want real features without a monthly bill. It is the platform I name in my ultimate guide to email marketing for exactly this situation, and the free plan is the best on-ramp I know: you learn email marketing on the actual tools, not a demo.

    Skip it if your business is affiliate broadcasts, if you need deep e-commerce automation, or if your list already numbers in the tens of thousands and you want enterprise reporting. And if you are so early that the blog itself barely exists, start with my ultimate guide to blogging — the list comes right after the site.

    FAQ

    Is MailerLite really free?

    Yes, up to the limits: at the time of writing that is 250 subscribers and 2,500 monthly emails, including automation, forms, and a landing page. No card required, and the plan does not expire.

    What happens when I outgrow the free plan?

    You upgrade to a paid tier priced by subscriber count — Comfort starts around $12 a month for small lists. Nothing breaks or gets deleted; your automations and forms carry straight over.

    Is MailerLite good for affiliate marketing?

    With care. MailerLite prohibits affiliate marketing as the primary purpose of your emails, but newsletters that link to your own content — where affiliate recommendations live — are standard practice. Keep the value in the email and the selling on your site.

    How is MailerLite different from Mailchimp?

    MailerLite is simpler and generally cheaper, and its free plan includes automation features Mailchimp reserves for paid tiers. Mailchimp offers more integrations and heavier reporting. For a first newsletter, I would start with MailerLite; compare both with your list size if you are switching.

    Does MailerLite have a trial of the paid features?

    Yes — a 14-day premium trial with no credit card needed. Run it alongside the free plan to see whether the paid extras (unlimited templates, AI assistant, more sends) matter for your workflow.

    If you have been putting off starting your email list because every tool wants money before you have readers, this is the one that does not. Head over to MailerLite and open a free account, set up one signup form and one welcome automation, and let the list start growing while you write.

  • GetResponse Review: Email, Funnels & Webinars Under One Roof
    Email Marketing, Marketing

    GetResponse Review: Email, Funnels & Webinars Under One Roof

    This post may contain affiliate links, meaning if you decide to make a purchase via my links, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. See my disclosure for more info.

    TL;DR: GetResponse is one of the few platforms where newsletters, automation, landing pages, sales funnels, and webinars genuinely live under one login, with plans from $15.58 a month billed annually and unlimited email sends on every tier. It is a smart pick if you want to replace three or four separate subscriptions with one bill — and overkill if all you send is a weekly newsletter. You can try GetResponse free without entering a card to see which camp you are in.

    What is GetResponse?

    GetResponse is an email marketing platform that has been around since the late nineties, which makes it a veteran in an industry where tools appear and vanish monthly. Over the years it has grown from a newsletter tool into a full marketing suite: email, automation workflows, landing pages, signup forms, sales funnels, webinars, and even a course builder.

    That breadth is the whole pitch. Where most email tools do one thing and integrate with the rest, GetResponse tries to be the rest. Whether that is a strength or a liability depends entirely on how you work — and that is what this review digs into.

    I will say upfront: this is not the tool I recommend to someone sending their first newsletter. It is the tool I point people to when they are juggling an email tool, a funnel builder, and a webinar platform, and the invoices are stacking up.

    GetResponse pricing

    Here is the lineup at the time of writing, using annual billing (18% cheaper than month-to-month). Prices are for entry-level contact tiers and rise as your list grows.

    Plan Price (annual billing) What you get
    Starter $15.58/month ($19 month-to-month) Unlimited sends, welcome series, 1 automation workflow, landing pages, forms and popups
    Marketer $48.38/month ($59 month-to-month) Unlimited automation, advanced segmentation, sales funnels, abandoned cart, promo codes, web push
    Creator $56.58/month ($69 month-to-month) Everything in Marketer plus webinars, course creator (up to 500 students), website builder, premium newsletters
    Enterprise Custom Dedicated IP and sending domain, SMS, SSO, priority support

    Two details worth noting. Every plan includes unlimited monthly email sends, which is rarer than it should be — plenty of competitors cap sends and charge overages. And there is a free trial on every plan with no payment details required, so testing it costs you nothing but an afternoon.

    What GetResponse does well

    The all-in-one promise mostly holds. I have watched creators run an entire launch — landing page, automated email sequence, sales funnel, live webinar — inside a single GetResponse account, without duct-taping five tools together. For a solo business, removing integration headaches is worth real money.

    The automation builder is genuinely good. It is visual, flexible, and handles the if-this-then-that logic (tagging, scoring, branching) that beginners grow into rather than out of.

    Webinars are the standout differentiator. Almost no email platform includes them, and dedicated webinar software is expensive on its own. If you run workshops or live trainings to sell a product, having registration, reminders, the webinar room, and the follow-up sequence in one system is the feature that justifies the Creator plan.

    Unlimited sends deserve a second mention. If you mail your list often — daily newsletters, launch weeks — send-based pricing punishes you. GetResponse’s contact-based model does not.

    Where GetResponse falls short

    No honest review skips this part, so here is mine.

    Depth versus breadth. A platform that does everything does few things best-in-class. The webinar tool is solid for standard workshops but lighter on production features than dedicated webinar software. The website and course builders are functional rather than beautiful. If any single feature is the heart of your business, a specialist tool will probably serve that feature better.

    The good stuff sits on higher tiers. The “under one roof” promise really starts at Marketer, and webinars require Creator. Starter’s single automation workflow runs out fast the moment you want a welcome sequence plus anything else.

    Contact-based pricing climbs. The prices above are for small lists. As you pass a few thousand subscribers, recalculate — the math can change which tool is cheapest for you.

    The interface can feel busy. With this many features, menus get crowded. It is manageable, but expect a learning curve that simpler newsletter tools do not have.

    Who should not buy it: if you only want to write and send a newsletter, this is too much tool — something minimal (Substack, or Mailchimp’s basic tier) will do. And if you already love your funnel or webinar software, switching everything for the sake of consolidation rarely pays off mid-year.

    Who GetResponse is for — my verdict

    GetResponse makes the most sense for creators and small businesses that actively sell: digital products, courses, services, workshops. If your marketing involves landing pages, an email sequence, and the occasional live webinar, consolidating on GetResponse replaces several subscriptions and keeps your data in one place.

    If you are earlier in the journey — still building the list, still figuring out the offer — start simpler and cheaper, and read my ultimate guide to email marketing first. The fundamentals there apply to every platform, this one included. And if the blog itself is still young, my ultimate guide to blogging is the better starting point.

    FAQ

    Is GetResponse good for beginners?

    It is beginner-friendly in setup, but its value shows once you use automation, funnels, or webinars. A complete beginner sending simple newsletters will pay for features they do not touch yet. Start on Starter, or start simpler elsewhere and switch when you need more.

    Does GetResponse have a free plan?

    At the time of writing, GetResponse advertises a free trial on every plan with no credit card required, rather than a prominent forever-free tier. Check their pricing page for current offers, and budget for at least the Starter plan if you stay.

    Can you really run webinars inside GetResponse?

    Yes — registration pages, reminder emails, the live webinar room, and follow-up sequences all run natively on the Creator plan. It covers standard workshops and trainings well, though heavy webinar producers may still prefer dedicated software.

    What is the difference between the Marketer and Creator plans?

    Marketer adds unlimited automation, segmentation, sales funnels, and e-commerce features like abandoned cart emails. Creator includes all of that plus webinars, the course builder, the website builder, and premium (paid) newsletters. Choose based on whether you teach live or sell content.

    Is GetResponse cheaper than Mailchimp?

    Often, especially if you send frequently, because GetResponse includes unlimited sends on every plan. But totals depend on your list size and the features you need, so run both pricing calculators with your actual contact count before deciding.

    If you are consolidating your marketing stack this year, this is one of the few platforms that can genuinely hold all of it. Head over to GetResponse and start the free trial — no card needed — and rebuild one real campaign in it before you commit to anything.

  • AI Meets Email: What an MCP Means for Your Newsletter
    Email Marketing, Marketing

    AI Meets Email: What an MCP Means for Your Newsletter

    This post may contain affiliate links, meaning if you decide to make a purchase via my links, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. See my disclosure for more info.

    For years, “AI email marketing” mostly meant a subject-line generator bolted onto your dashboard. That changed quietly in May 2026, when Kit launched its MCP — a direct connection between your email platform and AI assistants like Claude and ChatGPT. Suddenly the assistant is not guessing about your newsletter; it can look at your actual audience and help you act on it.

    In this guide I will explain what an MCP is in plain language, what Kit’s version actually does, where it genuinely saves time, and where the hype outruns reality. If you want to follow along, a free Kit account is the starting point — the MCP itself lives on Kit’s paid plans.

    No jargon panic required. If you can write an email, you can follow this.

    What is an MCP, in plain English?

    MCP stands for Model Context Protocol, an open standard introduced by Anthropic in late 2024. Think of it as a standardized plug: on one side sits an AI assistant, on the other sits a tool you use — your email platform, your calendar, your database. Once connected, the assistant can read from and act on that tool, with your permission, instead of only talking about it from memory.

    Without an MCP, asking an AI about your newsletter is like asking a consultant who has never seen your account. You paste in stats, describe your segments, copy the reply back out. With an MCP, the assistant can check the real numbers itself and do part of the work inside the tool.

    That is the whole concept. The interesting part is what it makes possible for a newsletter.

    What Kit’s MCP actually does

    Kit (formerly ConvertKit) launched its MCP on May 19, 2026 — one of the first major email platforms to ship this properly. Connected to an AI assistant, it can, at the time of writing:

    • Analyze your audience. Ask questions about your subscribers, tags, and segments in normal language and get answers pulled from your real account.
    • Draft broadcasts. Have the assistant write or rework an email directly in Kit, ready for your review, instead of pasting text between windows.
    • Trigger workflows. Kick off automations from a chat conversation rather than clicking through the dashboard.

    It is available on paid Kit plans. If you are still deciding on an email platform and this direction matters to you, that is a real differentiator right now — you can start on Kit free and upgrade into the MCP when the workflow earns it.

    What this looks like in practice

    Some concrete ways I would put an assistant with Kit access to work:

    • The Monday audience check. “Which segments have gone quiet in the last 90 days?” Then have it draft a re-engagement email for exactly those people — one conversation instead of an hour of exports and filters.
    • Blog post to broadcast. Paste your new post link, ask for a newsletter draft in your voice announcing it, edit the draft inside Kit, send. The drafting step shrinks from an evening to minutes.
    • Pre-launch recon. Before selling anything, ask which tags overlap with past buyers and how big the warm audience really is. Better decisions, fewer guesses.
    • Chat-triggered housekeeping. Finish a freebie, tell the assistant to start the associated workflow. Small, but these clicks add up across a year.

    Notice what all four have in common: the AI handles lookups and first drafts, you keep judgment and the send button. That division of labor is the entire trick. Email income still comes from strategy — list building, trust, offers — which is why I keep pointing people to my ultimate guide to email marketing before any tool advice.

    The honest limits

    Now the part the launch posts skip.

    AI drafts default to generic. An assistant with account access still does not have your stories, opinions, or the reason subscribers opened your emails in the first place. Treat every draft as scaffolding and rewrite the voice, or your open rates will tell you what your readers think of robot prose.

    You remain responsible for every send. Review drafts, check segments before anything triggers, and keep a human between the AI and the send button. A wrong email to the wrong segment is a trust problem no protocol fixes.

    It is new. The Kit MCP shipped in May 2026; expect rough edges, evolving features, and documentation that lags behind reality. Early adopters trade polish for advantage — know which trade you are making.

    Small lists gain less. Under a few hundred subscribers, your bottleneck is growth and consistency, not analysis speed. Spend your energy on publishing and list building first — I wrote about how I use Kit to grow blog income, and none of that foundation requires AI.

    How to try it yourself

    The practical path: start a Kit account (free covers up to 10,000 subscribers), get your foundation running — one form, one welcome email, a regular send — and upgrade to a paid plan when you want the MCP. From there, Kit’s documentation walks you through connecting your assistant of choice.

    Then start small. One audience question, one draft. Judge the output against your own standard, keep what saves time, and ignore the rest. That is how every good tool earns its place.

    FAQ

    What is an MCP in email marketing?

    An MCP (Model Context Protocol) is an open standard that lets AI assistants connect securely to your email platform. Instead of pasting data back and forth, the assistant can read your audience data, draft emails, and start workflows directly — with your permission and review.

    What can AI actually do for my newsletter?

    Today: audience analysis in plain language, first drafts of broadcasts, subject line variants, and workflow triggers. What it cannot do is replace your voice, your relationship with readers, or your judgment about what to send and when.

    Does Kit have AI features?

    Yes. Kit launched its MCP in May 2026, letting assistants like Claude and ChatGPT analyze your audience, draft broadcasts, and trigger automations. It is available on paid Kit plans; the free Newsletter plan covers the email basics.

    Is it safe to connect an AI assistant to my email list?

    Reasonably, if you stay deliberate: use the official MCP rather than workarounds, understand what access you grant, review everything before it sends, and never let automations run unsupervised on day one. Your list is an asset — treat access to it accordingly.

    Will AI replace email marketers?

    It replaces the tedious parts: lookups, first drafts, repetitive clicks. The parts that make a newsletter earn — positioning, trust, offers, taste — get more valuable, not less, because everyone’s generic email just got easier to send.

    The newsletters that win with AI will be the ones where a human still clearly writes the last draft — the machine just clears the desk. If you want your email setup ready for that future, open a free Kit account today, build the basics, and grow into the MCP on a paid plan when your list justifies it.

  • Kit Review: Why Creators Swear By It (Formerly ConvertKit)
    Email Marketing, Marketing

    Kit Review: Why Creators Swear By It (Formerly ConvertKit)

    This post may contain affiliate links, meaning if you decide to make a purchase via my links, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. See my disclosure for more info.

    TL;DR: Kit (formerly ConvertKit) is the email platform I use for my own newsletter, and it remains my default recommendation for creators who treat email as a business channel. The free Newsletter plan covers up to 10,000 subscribers, the automation and tagging tools are excellent, and the new Kit MCP connects your account to AI assistants. It is not for people who want elaborate, image-heavy email designs — but if you sell with words, Kit’s free plan is the strongest starting point in email right now.

    What is Kit?

    Kit is the email marketing platform formerly known as ConvertKit — same company, same product line, new name since the 2024 rebrand. It was built specifically for creators: bloggers, writers, podcasters, and course sellers, rather than retail brands blasting product grids.

    That origin shows everywhere. Emails default to clean, personal-looking text. Subscribers are managed with tags and segments instead of clunky separate lists. Landing pages and sign-up forms are included even on the free plan, so you can start collecting subscribers before your website is finished.

    For this kit review I am not working from a demo account: my own newsletter runs on it, so the praise and the complaints below both come from regular use.

    Kit pricing in 2026

    Kit prices by subscriber count. The numbers below are for up to 1,000 subscribers, verified on Kit’s pricing page at the time of writing — the paid tiers step up as your list grows, so check their site for your exact list size.

    Plan Price What you get
    Newsletter Free up to 10,000 subscribers Unlimited broadcasts, landing pages and forms, tagging, 1 basic automation
    Creator $33/month (or $390/year) Unlimited automations and sequences, Kit MCP, A/B testing, 2 team users, 24/7 support
    Pro $66/month (or $790/year) Everything in Creator plus Subscriber Signals, engagement analytics, deliverability reporting, unlimited users, a newsletter referral system

    A free plan that stretches to 10,000 subscribers is genuinely unusual — most competitors cut you off at a few hundred or a couple thousand. The catch is what the free plan leaves out, which I will get to. Paid plans come with a 14-day free trial, no card required.

    What Kit does well

    Automations that normal people can build. The visual automation builder is the best I have used at this price: welcome sequences, tag-based funnels, and product follow-ups come together in minutes, and you can actually see the logic on screen instead of guessing.

    Tagging instead of lists. One subscriber, many tags. Readers who clicked your affiliate links, bought a product, or joined from a specific landing page can each get different emails without duplicate contacts inflating your bill.

    Deliverability-first design. Kit nudges you toward simple, personal emails, and that is not a limitation — plain emails tend to land in inboxes and read like they came from a person. For creators who sell through trust, that is the whole game.

    The Kit MCP. Since May 2026, Kit offers an MCP that connects AI assistants like Claude and ChatGPT to your account: you can analyze your audience, draft broadcasts, and trigger workflows from a chat conversation. It is available on paid Kit plans, and it points at where email tools are heading. Start free with Kit and you can grow into it when you upgrade.

    A generous runway. Free to 10,000 subscribers means the tool costs nothing during the exact phase when your blog earns the least. That alignment matters more than any single feature.

    Where Kit falls short (and who shouldn’t use it)

    • The free plan has one basic automation and no sequences. Serious funnels — welcome series, evergreen pitches — need the Creator plan. Free is a real start, not the full product.
    • Design flexibility is deliberately thin. If your brand depends on magazine-style, image-heavy emails, Kit will frustrate you; that crowd is usually happier with Mailchimp-style template builders. I compared the two in detail in my ConvertKit vs Mailchimp breakdown.
    • Costs scale with your list. $33/month covers 1,000 subscribers; a growing list means a growing bill, so clean your list regularly and expect the price to rise with success.
    • Deeper analytics live on Pro. Engagement scoring and deliverability reporting are locked behind the $66 tier, which stings if you are data-curious but budget-conscious.
    • Pure writers may not need it. If you only want to publish a paid newsletter and never build funnels or sell products, a simpler publishing platform might do — I weighed that trade-off in Substack vs Kit.

    Who Kit is for — my verdict

    Kit is for creators who want email to do commercial work: selling digital products, recommending tools, launching courses, nurturing readers into customers. For that job, the combination of tagging, automations, and clean deliverability is hard to beat, and the free plan removes every excuse to postpone list-building.

    It is the wrong tool if you want ornate email design, and overkill if you will never automate anything. Everyone in between — which is most bloggers I talk to — will be well served.

    My advice is boringly practical: open a free Kit account, set up one landing page and one form today, and upgrade only when your first automation idea shows up on its own.

    FAQ

    Is Kit the same as ConvertKit?

    Yes. ConvertKit rebranded to Kit in 2024. The product, team, and platform are the same — existing ConvertKit accounts simply became Kit accounts, and the tool has kept evolving under the new name.

    Is Kit really free?

    The Newsletter plan is free for up to 10,000 subscribers, including unlimited broadcasts, landing pages, and forms. The main limits: one basic automation and no email sequences. Paid plans add those, with a 14-day trial.

    How much does Kit cost?

    At the time of writing, Creator starts at $33/month and Pro at $66/month for up to 1,000 subscribers, with discounts for annual billing. Prices increase with list size, so check Kit’s pricing page for your subscriber count.

    What is the Kit MCP?

    Launched in May 2026, the Kit MCP lets AI assistants such as Claude and ChatGPT connect securely to your Kit account. You can ask an assistant to analyze your audience, draft broadcasts, or trigger workflows. It is available on paid Kit plans.

    Is Kit good for beginners?

    Yes — with a caveat. The interface is clean and the free plan is generous, but Kit rewards people who will eventually use tags and automations. If you only ever want to send one newsletter to one list, simpler tools exist.

    If you take one thing from this review, make it this: the best day to start your list was before today, and the second-best day involves zero cost. Head over to Kit and set up your free account — future you, with 10,000 subscribers still on the free plan, will be glad you did.

  • Kit MCP Tutorial: Connect Claude & ChatGPT to Your Email List
    Email Marketing, Marketing

    Kit MCP Tutorial: Connect Claude & ChatGPT to Your Email List

    This post may contain affiliate links, meaning if you decide to make a purchase via my links, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. See my disclosure for more info.

    On May 19, 2026, Kit quietly shipped one of the more interesting email features I have seen in a while: Kit MCP. In plain language, it connects AI assistants like Claude and ChatGPT directly to your Kit account, so you can analyze your audience, draft broadcasts, and trigger automations from a chat window instead of clicking through dashboards.

    I run my own newsletter on Kit, and this is the first AI integration from an email platform that feels genuinely useful rather than bolted on. It is also brand new, only available on paid plans, and easy to misuse if you let an assistant loose on a real subscriber list without guardrails.

    This tutorial walks you through the setup, the first prompts worth trying, and the mistakes to skip.

    What you need

    • A Kit account on a paid plan. Kit MCP is available on paid Kit plans — the free Newsletter plan (up to 10,000 subscribers) does not include it. Creator is $33 per month for up to 1,000 subscribers at the time of writing, with a discount on annual billing.
    • A Claude or ChatGPT account. Connector-style integrations generally sit on the paid tiers of those tools as well.
    • About 15 minutes, plus a healthy respect for the fact that the AI will be touching your real email list.

    New to email marketing entirely? Skim my ultimate guide to email marketing first. MCP makes an existing workflow faster; it does not replace knowing the basics.

    How to set up Kit MCP, step by step

    Step 1: Set up your Kit account (or upgrade it)

    If you do not have a list yet, start with Kit’s free Newsletter plan — it covers up to 10,000 subscribers with unlimited broadcasts, forms, and landing pages, which is unusually generous. To use MCP you will need a paid plan like Creator, so factor that in. If you are just starting out, my honest advice is to build the list first and add the AI layer once there is actually data worth analyzing.

    Step 2: Enable MCP in your Kit account

    Log into Kit and look for the MCP or AI assistants option in your account settings. Kit is actively building here, so the exact menu placement can shift — searching “MCP” in Kit’s help center gets you the current path fastest. Enabling it gives you the connection details that AI assistants use to talk to your account.

    Step 3: Connect Claude

    In Claude, add Kit as a connector: open the settings area, choose to add a connector or integration, and use the Kit option or the connection URL from step 2. You will be sent through an authorization screen on Kit’s side where you explicitly approve access to your account. That approval step matters — you are granting a tool permission to read and act on your list, and you can revoke it from Kit whenever you want.

    Step 4: Connect ChatGPT (same idea)

    ChatGPT handles this under its connectors and apps settings as well: add a new connection, point it at Kit, and approve access. You only need one assistant connected to get the value here — I would pick whichever one you already pay for rather than subscribing to both for this feature.

    Step 5: Start with read-only questions

    Before you let the AI change anything, ask questions that only read data:

    • “Which of my last ten broadcasts had the highest click-through rate, and what do they have in common?”
    • “Which tags or segments grew fastest in the past month?”
    • “Which subscribers have not opened anything in 90 days?”

    This is where Kit MCP shines first. The audience analysis that used to mean exporting CSVs and squinting at spreadsheets now takes one question in plain English.

    Step 6: Draft a broadcast — but send it from Kit

    Next, ask the assistant to draft your newsletter: “Based on the tone of my recent broadcasts, draft a 400-word email for my list about [topic], with one clear call to action.” Then review it inside Kit and send it from there. AI drafts are a strong starting point and a mediocre finished product — your subscribers signed up for you, not for default chatbot prose.

    Step 7: Automate the boring, not the important

    You can also trigger Kit workflows from chat. My rule: automate housekeeping — tagging, moving subscribers between sequences, cleaning up segments — and keep anything subscriber-facing, like actual sends, as a manual and reviewed step. One careless instruction against a live list is very hard to undo.

    Pro tips (and the mistakes to skip)

    • Teach it your voice. Paste two or three of your best past emails into the chat and ask for drafts that match that tone.
    • Prompt specifically. “Draft a broadcast” produces generic filler; a topic, a length, a segment, and one CTA produce something usable.
    • Never auto-send. Every draft gets human eyes in Kit before it reaches an inbox.
    • Mind the data. You are connecting subscriber data to a third-party AI tool. If you serve EU readers, think GDPR: read how both sides handle data before connecting.
    • Skip it if you only want drafting help. You can copy-paste stats and drafts into any AI tool without granting account access at all — MCP earns its place when you use the analysis and workflow side too.

    FAQ

    What is Kit MCP?

    MCP (Model Context Protocol) is an open standard that lets AI assistants connect securely to other software. Kit MCP, launched on May 19, 2026, applies that to your email list: Claude or ChatGPT can analyze your Kit audience, draft broadcasts, and trigger workflows on your behalf.

    Does Kit MCP work on the free plan?

    No. Kit MCP is available on paid Kit plans. The free Newsletter plan still covers up to 10,000 subscribers with unlimited broadcasts, so starting free and upgrading once the AI features would genuinely save you time is a sensible path.

    Is it safe to connect an AI assistant to my email list?

    Reasonably, if you treat it like any integration: you approve access explicitly, you can revoke it in Kit at any time, and you keep sends manual. In practice the bigger risk is a careless instruction, not the connection itself — which is why I recommend starting with read-only questions.

    What should I try first with Kit MCP?

    Audience analysis. Ask which broadcasts performed best and why, and which segments are growing or going quiet. Those answers immediately improve what you write next, and they carry zero risk to your list.

    Do I still need to log into Kit?

    Yes. Final reviews, sends, forms, landing pages, and deliverability settings still live in the Kit dashboard. MCP removes busywork; it does not replace the platform. And if the newsletter is part of a bigger content plan, my ultimate guide to blogging covers where email fits into the whole picture.

    Give your list an assistant

    Kit MCP will not write a beloved newsletter for you, but it genuinely shrinks the gap between “I should look at my stats” and actually doing it. Head over to Kit to set up your account for free, build the list, and let the AI handle the busywork once there is something worth analyzing.

  • Beehiiv Review Pricing, Features & Is It Worth It
    Blogging, Business, blogging & Money, Email Marketing, Marketing

    Beehiiv Review 2026: Pricing, Features & Is It Worth It?

    TL;DR: beehiiv is one of the best newsletter platforms in 2026 if growth and monetization are your priority — built-in referral programs, an ad network, and a genuinely useful free plan for up to 2,500 subscribers. It’s less of an all-in-one “email + funnels” tool than Kit (formerly ConvertKit), so your pick comes down to whether you’re building a media brand (beehiiv) or a creator business with products to sell (Kit).

    This post contains affiliate links. If you sign up through them I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend tools I’d genuinely use myself.

    What is beehiiv?

    beehiiv was built by former Morning Brew operators, and it shows: everything is designed around growing and monetizing a newsletter rather than running a whole business off it. You get a clean editor, a website for your posts (great for SEO and AI search visibility), a built-in referral program, audience polls, and access to beehiiv’s own ad network so brands can sponsor your sends. If your goal is “grow the list and get paid for the audience,” this is the tool the big newsletters actually use.

    beehiiv pricing in 2026

    Here’s what each plan actually costs right now. The important thing to understand: beehiiv’s paid plans scale with your subscriber count, so the headline price is the starting price for a small list, not what you’ll pay at 50,000 subscribers.

    PlanPrice (monthly)SubscribersBest for
    Launch (free)$0Up to 2,500Testing the platform, small lists
    ScaleFrom $49 (from $43 annual)Scales with list size (to ~$329 at 100k)Monetization, referrals, AI, up to 3 publications
    MaxFrom $109Scales with list size (to ~$419)No beehiiv branding, priority support, up to 10 publications
    beehiiv pricing verified July 2026. Paid tiers scale with your subscriber count.

    Two details worth knowing. First, beehiiv takes 0% of your paid subscription revenue — you keep everything minus Stripe’s standard 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction. Second, the free Launch plan is genuinely usable (unlimited sends up to 2,500 subscribers), which is rare. Most “free” newsletter plans cap your sends hard; beehiiv doesn’t.

    What beehiiv does really well

    The referral program is the headline feature — it’s the same mechanic that grew Morning Brew, and on beehiiv it’s a few clicks to set up instead of a custom build. The ad network is the other big one: once you hit a certain size, beehiiv matches you with sponsors and handles the logistics, which turns your newsletter into income without you cold-emailing brands. Add the SEO-friendly web version of every post and the built-in analytics, and it’s a strong package for anyone treating their newsletter as a media property.

    Where beehiiv falls short (and when to pick Kit instead)

    beehiiv is a newsletter platform, not a full creator-business platform. If you sell digital products, run automated welcome-and-sales sequences, tag subscribers by behavior, and want your email tool to double as a lightweight CRM, Kit (formerly ConvertKit) is the better fit — it’s built around selling to your list, not just publishing to it. My honest rule of thumb: pick beehiiv if the newsletter is the product and you want ad + referral growth; pick Kit if the newsletter is how you sell courses, coaching, or products. I break the whole comparison down in Substack vs Kit and in how to monetize a newsletter.

    Is beehiiv worth it in 2026?

    Yes — if your priority is growing an audience and earning from it directly. The free plan makes it a no-risk test, and the referral + ad tools genuinely move the needle at scale. If you’re earlier in the journey and still figuring out the newsletter itself, start with my guide on how to start a newsletter first, then choose your platform once you know what you’re building.

    👉 Reader offer: sign up through my beehiiv link and you get a 14-day free trial + 20% off for 3 months. Same platform either way — this just gets you a better deal while you test it.

    Is beehiiv really free?

    Yes. The Launch plan is free for up to 2,500 subscribers with unlimited email sends. You only pay once you outgrow it or want monetization and AI features.

    How much does beehiiv cost after the free plan?

    The Scale plan starts at $49/month (or about $43/month billed annually) for a small list and rises with your subscriber count up to roughly $329/month at 100,000 subscribers. The Max plan starts at $109/month and removes beehiiv branding.

    Does beehiiv take a cut of my subscription revenue?

    No. beehiiv takes 0% of your paid newsletter subscriptions. You only pay Stripe’s standard processing fee of 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction.

    beehiiv vs Kit — which should I choose?

    Choose beehiiv if the newsletter itself is your product and you want built-in referral and ad-network growth. Choose Kit if you sell courses, coaching, or digital products and need automations and tagging to sell to your list.

    Can I move my existing newsletter to beehiiv?

    Yes. beehiiv supports importing your subscriber list and offers migration help from most major platforms, so switching doesn’t mean starting your audience from zero.