In short
The best cheaper alternatives to Kit (ConvertKit) in 2026 are MailerLite (from $12/month), beehiiv (free), Buttondown (free), EmailOctopus (free) and Sender (from $7/month). Kit (ConvertKit) itself starts at $33 a month, so most teams can cut the cost substantially without losing the features they actually use.
Kit — the company formerly called ConvertKit — is the email platform many creators use for newsletters, courses and digital products. Its free Newsletter plan now covers up to 10,000 subscribers, which is generous, but it lacks automated sequences and visual automations, the features that turn subscribers into customers. Creator costs $39 a month at 1,000 subscribers ($33 billed yearly) and Pro $79 ($66 billed yearly). Prices rise with your list: around $139 a month on Creator at 10,000 subscribers. A creator with 10,000 subscribers who needs automations pays roughly $1,400–1,700 a year.
The alternatives below include automations at lower prices, bigger free plans or newsletter-specific growth tools.
Kit (ConvertKit)vs
MailerLite
beehiiv
Buttondown
EmailOctopus
SenderWhat Kit actually costs in 2026
| Plan | 1,000 subscribers | 10,000 subscribers | Key features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newsletter (free) | $0 | $0 | Unlimited emails, landing pages, forms; no sequences |
| Creator | $39/mo ($33 yearly) | ~$139/mo | Automations, sequences, integrations |
| Pro | $79/mo ($66 yearly) | Higher | Subscriber scoring, advanced reporting, Facebook audiences |
Kit offers a 14-day free trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee on paid plans. The current tiers are listed on ConvertKit's official pricing page.
The 5 cheaper alternatives at a glance
| Tool | Starts at | Model | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kit (ConvertKit) | $33/mo | subscription | The benchmark |
| MailerLite | $12/mo | subscription | Creators who want automations and landing pages for less |
| beehiiv | Free tier | free | Newsletter businesses chasing growth and ad revenue |
| Buttondown | Free tier | free | Writers and developers who want a simple, clean newsletter |
| EmailOctopus | Free tier | free | Creators who want the biggest free plan |
| Sender | $7/mo | subscription | Creators on a tight budget who need automation |
How we picked these alternatives
We compared automations and sequences, landing pages and forms, paid newsletters, growth tools (referrals, recommendations), deliverability and the monthly cost at 1,000 and 10,000 subscribers. Prices checked 28 October 2026.
1. MailerLite
Price: Free (250 subscribers, 2,500 emails a month); paid plans from about $10–12 a month for 500 subscribers; about 10% off with annual billing. See MailerLite's official pricing page for current plans.
MailerLite offers most of what creators use Kit for — visual automations, sequences, landing pages, forms, pop-ups and even selling digital products and paid newsletters — at a noticeably lower price. Its editor is clean and fast, and its deliverability is strong thanks to a strict account review process.
MailerLite pricing in detail
| Plan | 1,000 subscribers | 10,000 subscribers | Key features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | — (up to 250) | — | Basic automation, forms |
| Growing / Comfort | ~$15/mo | ~$73/mo | Unlimited emails, templates, automations |
| Advanced / Power | ~$30/mo | ~$110+/mo | Custom HTML, AI tools, advanced automation |
What you get
- Visual automation builder with sequences.
- Landing pages, forms and pop-ups.
- Paid newsletters and digital products.
- Clean drag-and-drop editor.
- Good deliverability.
Where it falls short
- Free plan is now small (250 subscribers).
- No creator recommendation network like Kit's.
- Strict account approval.
Good to know
MailerLite supports selling digital products and paid newsletters through Stripe, which can replace Kit's commerce features for many creators. Its automation builder includes conditions, delays and A/B splits. Plan prices step up by subscriber count, so clean your list regularly.
Who it's best for
Creators who need automations and landing pages for less than Kit. Skip it if you rely on Kit's Creator Network for growth.
2. beehiiv
Price: Launch free (up to 2,500 subscribers); Scale from about $43 a month billed yearly; Max and Enterprise higher. See beehiiv's official pricing page for current plans.
beehiiv is built for newsletters as businesses. It includes a newsletter website with SEO-friendly posts, a referral programme, Boosts (paid recommendations), an ad network that pays you to run sponsorships, paid subscriptions and detailed growth analytics. For writers whose goal is audience growth and ad revenue, it can earn more than it costs.
beehiiv pricing in detail
| Plan | Price (annual) | Subscribers | Key features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Launch | Free | Up to 2,500 | Website, unlimited sends |
| Scale | From ~$43/mo | Up to 100,000 (priced by tier) | Ad network, referrals, paid subs, automations |
| Max | Higher | Higher | Remove branding, more publications |
| Enterprise | Custom | — | Custom features |
What you get
- Newsletter website with archive and SEO.
- Referral programme and recommendations.
- Ad network for sponsorship revenue.
- Paid subscriptions.
- Growth analytics.
Where it falls short
- Automations are simpler than Kit's.
- Less suited to selling courses and products.
- Free plan is smaller than Kit's.
Good to know
beehiiv's website builder hosts your newsletter archive with SEO-friendly posts, which can bring readers from search. Its referral programme rewards subscribers for sharing. The ad network matches newsletters with sponsors and pays per click or impression.
Who it's best for
Writers building a newsletter business around growth and ads. Skip it if your business runs on product funnels and sequences.
3. Buttondown
Price: Free (up to 100 subscribers); Basic $9 a month (up to 1,000 subscribers); higher tiers as you grow. See Buttondown's official pricing page for current plans.
Buttondown is a small, independent newsletter tool loved by writers and developers. You write in Markdown or a rich editor, publish to email and a web archive, and charge for paid subscriptions through Stripe. It has an API, RSS-to-email, custom domains and a privacy-friendly approach with minimal tracking.
Buttondown pricing in detail
| Plan | Price | Subscribers | Key features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Up to 100 | Core newsletter features |
| Basic | $9/mo | Up to 1,000 | Custom domain, paid subscriptions |
| Higher tiers | Higher | More | API, team features, more automation |
What you get
- Markdown-first writing.
- Paid newsletters via Stripe.
- Web archive and RSS.
- API for developers.
- Privacy-friendly tracking options.
Where it falls short
- Few visual automations.
- Small free plan.
- Fewer landing page tools.
Good to know
Buttondown supports importing subscribers from Kit, Substack and Mailchimp. Its API and webhooks make it popular with developers who want to automate publishing. Paid newsletters run through Stripe, and Buttondown does not take a cut of subscription revenue on paid plans.
Who it's best for
Writers and developers who want a simple, clean newsletter. Skip it if you need complex funnels.
4. EmailOctopus
Price: Free (2,500 subscribers, 10,000 emails a month); Pro from about $9–10 a month. See EmailOctopus' official pricing page for current plans.
EmailOctopus has one of the largest free plans among email tools — 2,500 subscribers and 10,000 emails a month — plus landing pages, forms and automations. Its paid plans remove branding and add more automation and reporting at low prices. It is a simple, reliable choice for creators and small businesses.
EmailOctopus pricing in detail
| Plan | Price | Subscribers | Key features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | Free | 2,500 | 10,000 emails/month, automations, landing pages |
| Pro | From ~$9–10/mo | Scales | No branding, more data retention, advanced features |
What you get
- Large free plan.
- Landing pages and forms.
- Automations.
- Simple editor.
- Integrations with popular tools.
Where it falls short
- Free plan shows EmailOctopus branding.
- Fewer creator-specific features.
- Basic reporting.
Good to know
EmailOctopus is built on Amazon SES, which keeps its costs and prices low while maintaining good deliverability. Its automations cover welcome series and simple sequences. Landing pages and forms are included on the free plan. The free plan includes up to 2,500 subscribers, so many creators can run a growing newsletter for a year or more before paying anything, and paid plans remove the footer branding.
Who it's best for
Creators who want the biggest free plan with automations. Skip it if you sell many digital products from your email tool.
5. Sender
Price: Free (2,500 subscribers, 15,000 emails a month); Standard about $7 a month for 1,000 contacts and about $23 at 5,000. See Sender's official pricing page for current plans.
Sender combines a generous free plan with low paid prices, automations, landing pages, pop-ups and SMS. For creators who want Kit-style sequences without Kit's price, it is one of the cheapest serious options.
Sender pricing in detail
| Plan | Price | Contacts | Emails/month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 2,500 | 15,000 |
| Standard | ~$7/mo (1,000) | Scales | 12× contacts |
| Professional | Higher | Scales | Unlimited, advanced features |
What you get
- Generous free plan.
- Automations and sequences.
- Landing pages and pop-ups.
- SMS campaigns.
- Clean editor.
Where it falls short
- Smaller creator community and integrations.
- Fewer commerce features.
- Less known brand.
Good to know
Sender's automation workflows support conditions and delays for welcome and nurture sequences. Its free plan includes landing pages and pop-ups. For creators selling products, connect Sender to your store or checkout tool through its integrations. Sender also includes SMS campaigns on the same account, so creators who sell products can send launch reminders by text as well as email without adding another tool.
Who it's best for
Creators on a tight budget who need automation. Skip it if you rely on many third-party integrations.
What a creator with 10,000 subscribers pays per year
| Option | Annual cost (approx.) |
|---|---|
| Kit Creator (~$139 × 12) | ~$1,668 |
| MailerLite Growing (~$73 × 12) | ~$876 |
| beehiiv Scale | ~$516+ |
| Sender Standard (10,000) | ~$500 |
| EmailOctopus Pro (10,000) | ~$400–500 |
| Buttondown (10,000 tier) | Varies |
| Kit Newsletter (free, no automations) | $0 |
How to switch without losing your work
- Export subscribers with tags and custom fields from Kit as CSV.
- Keep consent records — export sign-up source and date where available.
- Rebuild your welcome sequence and key automations first.
- Recreate forms and landing pages, then update them on your website.
- Authenticate your domain (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) and warm up sending with engaged subscribers.
Which one should you choose?
- You want Kit-style automations for less: MailerLite.
- You are building a newsletter business with ads: beehiiv.
- You want a simple, clean newsletter: Buttondown.
- You want the biggest free plan with automations: EmailOctopus.
- You want the cheapest serious option: Sender.
Hidden costs and gotchas
- Subscriber-based pricing. Costs rise with list size; clean inactive subscribers regularly.
- Free plan limits. Kit's free plan excludes sequences; others limit subscribers or emails.
- Paid newsletter fees. Stripe fees apply, and some platforms add their own percentage.
- Deliverability during migration. Warm up gradually after switching.
- Commerce features. Kit's product sales may need a separate tool elsewhere.
Our verdict
MailerLite is the best Kit alternative for creators who need automations and landing pages for less. beehiiv is best for newsletter growth and ads, Buttondown for simple writing-first newsletters, EmailOctopus for the biggest free plan, and Sender for the tightest budgets.
More cheaper alternatives: see our breakdowns of the cheaper options to Mailchimp, Klaviyo and Kajabi.
Related reading: Is a Newsletter Worth It?, Why Your Emails Go to Spam and How to Design a Landing Page That Converts.
Planning a switch, or not sure which tool fits the way your team works? Book a free call and we will look at your stack with you.
Prices are US list prices in USD unless marked, checked on 27 October 2026. "Annual" means the per-month price when billed yearly. Vendors change pricing often, so confirm on the vendor's site before buying. Product names and logos are trademarks of their respective owners and are used here for identification only.
Common questions
Is Kit free?
Yes, for up to 10,000 subscribers on the Newsletter plan, but without automated sequences.
What is the cheapest alternative to Kit with automations?
Sender and EmailOctopus, both with free plans that include automations.
Is beehiiv better than Kit?
For newsletter growth and ad revenue, often yes. For product funnels and sequences, Kit is stronger.
Can I import my Kit subscribers?
Yes. Export a CSV with tags and import it into the new platform.
Do I need to tell subscribers I am switching?
Not usually, but sending from the same domain and name keeps the change invisible.
