Best free newsletter platforms in 2026
Last updated and prices verified: 30 August 2026
Starting a newsletter mostly means picking where it lives. The right platform depends on what you're sending, who it's for, and, just as much, what it costs.
So we compared the free plans of the newsletter platforms people actually choose between in 2026. Some include the whole product for free, some hold the good parts for the paid plans. Every price and limit on this page was checked against each company's own pricing page.
How we reviewed these newsletter platforms
- The free plan: What do you actually get for free? We're looking at real free plans, not trials.
- Ease of use: Can you just write and send, or is there a system to learn first?
- What's included: Which features are free, and which ones sit behind an upgrade?
- Your revenue: Does the platform take a cut of paid subscriptions?
- Your list: Can you take your subscribers and posts with you when you leave?
No single platform wins at everything, so we say where each one shines and where it falls short.
TLDR? Here are our top picks for free newsletter platforms
- Rumicat: The simplest way to send a newsletter for free. Just the newsletter, everything included up to 300 subscribers.
- Kit: The biggest free tier, up to 10,000 subscribers, built for creators selling products.
- beehiiv: Free to 2,500 subscribers with growth tools, for newsletters that want to become publications.
- Substack: Free to publish with no cap, with a network attached and a 10% cut when you charge.
- MailerLite: A marketing tool with a real free tier, for business emails.
- Buttondown: Minimal and writer-first, free for your first 100 subscribers.
All free newsletter platforms at a quick glance
| Platform | Free subscribers | Free sends | Cut of revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rumicat | 300 | Unlimited | None |
| Kit | 10,000 | Unlimited broadcasts | None |
| beehiiv | 2,500 | Unlimited | None |
| Substack | No cap | Unlimited | 10% of paid subscriptions |
| MailerLite | 250 | 2,500 per month | None |
| Buttondown | 100 | Not stated | None |
Prices and limits were checked directly against each company's pricing page on 30 August 2026. Free tiers change often in this category. If you spot something that's moved, tell us and we'll fix it.
Sources: kit.com/pricing, beehiiv.com/pricing, substack.com/about, mailerlite.com/pricing, buttondown.com/pricing
Rumicat
Rumicat is a newsletter platform for personal newsletters. You get a page, a plain editor and a send button: you write, people who signed up get an email. No feed, no algorithm around it.
Rumicat's free plan
| Free subscribers | Free sends | Cut of revenue |
|---|---|---|
| 300 | Unlimited | None |
Our free plan is the whole product, just smaller. Everything is included up to 300 subscribers, with no trial and no card. Past 300, Pro is $6.99 per month flat for up to 5,000 subscribers, and adds a custom footer and the option to hide Rumi the cat from your page.
Ease of use
There's nothing to configure before you can write. Pick a color for your page, write what you have to say, send yourself a preview and hit send.
What's included
The free plan includes the public web archive and RSS feed, welcome emails, an embeddable subscribe form, scheduling, co-authors, donations from readers without fees, and open and click stats you can turn off entirely. One-click Substack import brings subscribers and past posts over together.
Your revenue and your list
We don't sell paid subscriptions, so there's nothing to take a cut of. Your list is yours: full import and export, any time.
Kit
Kit is built for creators who run a business around their audience: automations, funnels and digital product sales.
Kit's free plan
| Free subscribers | Free sends | Cut of revenue |
|---|---|---|
| 10,000 | Unlimited broadcasts | None |
The free tier runs to 10,000 subscribers, the biggest cap on this page. Paid starts at $33 per month for the automation and selling tools it's known for.
Ease of use
It's an email marketing tool at heart, so there's more between you and the send button than on the writing-first platforms.
What's included
Landing pages, unlimited broadcasts and segmentation are on the free tier. The deeper automation sits on the paid plans.
Your revenue and your list
Kit sells tools to your list rather than taking a percentage of it. No cut of your revenue.
beehiiv
beehiiv is made for growing a newsletter into a publication: referrals, analytics, an ad network and a website come with it.
beehiiv's free plan
| Free subscribers | Free sends | Cut of revenue |
|---|---|---|
| 2,500 | Unlimited | None |
Free up to 2,500 subscribers with unlimited sends. Paid starts at $43 per month, priced for newsletters that earn money back.
Ease of use
The editor is friendly, but the product is a dashboard first, with growth tooling everywhere you look.
What's included
The free plan includes the newsletter website, analytics, recommendations and custom domains.
Your revenue and your list
Paid plans take no cut of paid subscriptions, which is part of the pitch for publications that monetize.
Substack
Substack is the easiest start there is: free to publish, with a built-in network that can bring readers to you.
Substack's free plan
| Free subscribers | Free sends | Cut of revenue |
|---|---|---|
| No cap | Unlimited | 10% of paid subscriptions |
Free to publish at any list size. When you turn on paid subscriptions, Substack keeps 10% of the revenue on top of payment fees.
Ease of use
Zero setup: write and publish. The tradeoff is that your writing lives in Substack's feed and app, next to everyone else's.
What's included
A web archive, the app, and discovery through recommendations come with every account.
Your revenue and your list
The 10% cut applies for as long as you charge. Subscriber export exists, and our comparison page covers the migration.
MailerLite
MailerLite is a proper email marketing tool: forms, automations and landing pages, aimed at businesses more than letter writers.
MailerLite's free plan
| Free subscribers | Free sends | Cut of revenue |
|---|---|---|
| 250 | 2,500 per month | None |
Free up to 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails per month. Paid starts at $12 per month.
Ease of use
Drag and drop editors and templates. It's made for campaigns, and it shows.
What's included
Forms, basic automations and landing pages are already on the free plan.
Your revenue and your list
No cut of your revenue. Pricing steps up with subscriber count instead.
Buttondown
Buttondown is minimal and writer-first: Markdown in, email out, an API underneath.
Buttondown's free plan
| Free subscribers | Free sends | Cut of revenue |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | Not stated | None |
Free for your first 100 subscribers, then from $9 per month. Analytics, tagging and automations are paid add-ons, so the real bill depends on what you switch on.
Ease of use
If you like writing in Markdown, this is the one that feels like a text editor.
What's included
The base product sends email and hosts an archive on a custom domain. Much of the rest is add-ons.
Your revenue and your list
No percentage cut, and the API makes your data easy to reach.