Free plans only

8 Best Free Newsletter Platforms of 2026

By the Rankozo research desk · Updated November 12, 2026

8 of the 9 tools in our best newsletter platforms ranking offer a permanent free plan. beehiiv scores highest among them at 8.7 out of 10.

1. 01

   beehiiv

   Growth-focused writers who want ads, referrals and paid subscriptions in one tool

   Free plan up to 2,500 subscribers; Lite from $49 per month billed yearly with paid subscriptions at a 0% take rate; Pro from $95 per month billed yearly

   Full entry, No. 2 overall

   Paid from

   $49

   Score 8.7

2. 02

   Kit

   Creators with large free lists who sell newsletters and digital products

   Free plan up to 10,000 subscribers; Creator from $33 per month billed yearly for 1,000 subscribers; commerce fee 3.5% + 30c per sale including card processing

   Full entry, No. 3 overall

   Paid from

   $33

   Score 8.7

3. 03

   Buttondown

   Independent writers who want a simple editor and no revenue share

   See vendor pricing (USD check pending); free for the first 100 subscribers; paid subscriptions add-on +$9 per month

   Full entry, No. 4 overall

   Paid from

   Free plan

   Score 8.6

4. 04

   MailerLite

   Writers who also want a website, automations and digital products at a low plan price

   Free plan up to 250 subscribers; Comfort from $12 per month; Power from $25 per month; 0% sales fee on paid newsletters

   Full entry, No. 5 overall

   Paid from

   $12

   Score 8.5

5. 05

   Substack

   New writers with no budget who want built-in reader discovery

   Free to publish at any size; Substack keeps 10% of paid subscription revenue, plus Stripe fees

   Full entry, No. 6 overall

   Paid from

   Free

   Score 8.5

6. 06

   EmailOctopus

   Writers who send free newsletters and want the lowest monthly bill

   Free Starter plan up to 2,500 subscribers and 10,000 emails a month; Pro from $9 per month billed yearly

   Full entry, No. 7 overall

   Paid from

   $9

   Score 8.0

7. 07

   Flodesk

   Writers with large or fast-growing lists who want a fixed monthly price

   Free plan; Email from $38 per month billed yearly or $46 monthly with unlimited subscribers; Everything with subscriptions from $79 per month billed yearly

   Full entry, No. 8 overall

   Paid from

   $38

   Score 7.7

8. 08

   Patreon

   Creators who publish more than writing and want payments and taxes handled

   Free to start; Patreon keeps 10% of income plus payment processing, currency conversion and payout fees

   Full entry, No. 9 overall

   Paid from

   Free

   Score 7.7

Scores and prices come from our Best Newsletter Platforms ranking, which uses one method for every tool. Questions or corrections: editorial@rankozo.com