Quick verdict
TL;DR: Kit (formerly ConvertKit) is still strong for creators who sell, but after its 2025 price rise plenty of lists are cheaper elsewhere. MailerLite is the closest cheaper swap, beehiiv wins for newsletter growth and ads, and Brevo wins if you email a big list only occasionally. Pick by how you make money — products, ads, or paid subscriptions.
Why are people looking for Kit (ConvertKit) alternatives in 2026?
Kit raised prices in late 2025 for the first time in 12 years, and existing customers moved to the new rates from their first billing date after October 15, 2025. Creator now starts at $39/month for 1,000 subscribers, and the bill climbs in tiers as your list grows, whether or not those subscribers open anything. At the same time, rivals have added the automations and landing pages that used to be Kit’s edge. Our own Kit review and best email marketing tools comparison cover where Kit still earns its price.
What the pricing page doesn’t make obvious
Two details matter. First, Kit’s free Newsletter plan looks huge — up to 10,000 subscribers for $0 — but it is a sending plan, not an automation plan: the visual automations and sequences that make Kit valuable sit on Creator ($39/month, or $390/year, at 1,000 subscribers) and Pro ($79/month at 1,000). Second, Kit charges 3.5% + $0.30 per transaction on paid newsletters and digital products on every plan, including free. That fee includes card processing, but on a product-heavy list it can quietly exceed the subscription itself — most roundups quote only the monthly price.
Best Kit alternatives compared
| Tool | Best for | Free plan | Price at 1,000 subs | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MailerLite | Closest cheaper swap | 250 subscribers | $19/mo Comfort | Best like-for-like value |
| beehiiv | Newsletter growth & ads | 2,500 subscribers | $59/mo Lite ($49 annual) | Best for publishers |
| Brevo | Big list, occasional sends | 300 emails/day | From $9/mo by sends | Best send-based pricing |
| ActiveCampaign | Deep automation & CRM | 14-day trial | From $15/mo annual | Best automation depth |
| Flodesk | Design-first creators | List-building only | $25/mo Lite | Best-looking emails |
| Substack | Paid writing & discovery | Free at any size | $0 + 10% of paid subs | Best free start |
| Ghost | Owning your publication | Self-host free; trial | $35/mo Publisher | Best ownership, 0% cut |
| Buttondown | Simple writing-first email | First 100 subscribers | $9/mo | Best minimalist pick |
1. MailerLite — the closest cheaper swap
MailerLite gives you Kit-style tag segmentation, automations, forms and landing pages for about half the money: Comfort is $19/month at 1,000 subscribers and $89/month at 10,000. Its free plan was cut in June 2026 to 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails a month, so treat free as a trial. It lacks Kit’s native creator commerce depth, but for straightforward campaigns and sequences it is the easiest migration on this list.
2. beehiiv — best for growing a newsletter as a business
beehiiv was built by former Morning Brew staff around growth: a free plan covering 2,500 subscribers with unlimited sends, plus a recommendation network, paid subscriptions and an ad network on paid plans. Lite is $59/month ($49/month billed annually) at 1,000 subscribers. If your newsletter itself — not a course behind it — is the product, beehiiv’s tooling points the right way. Compare it with the other publisher picks in our Mailchimp alternatives guide.
3. Brevo — best if you email a big list rarely
Brevo bills by emails sent, not subscribers stored, which flips Kit’s math. Its free plan stores up to 100,000 contacts but sends at most 300 emails a day, and Starter begins at $9/month for 5,000 emails. A 10,000-person list you email twice a month can cost far less here than on any per-subscriber plan. The catch is that same daily cap on free, and automation depth grows on higher tiers.
4. ActiveCampaign — best for demanding automations
When Kit’s automations feel too simple, ActiveCampaign is the step up: multi-branch workflows, lead scoring, a built-in CRM and hundreds of integrations. There is no free plan, only a 14-day trial, and entry pricing starts around $15/month billed annually at 1,000 contacts, rising with tiers and add-ons. It is built for businesses with a sales pipeline, so solo writers may find it heavier than they need.
5. Flodesk — best for design-first brands
Flodesk’s emails simply look better, with designer templates that need no HTML workarounds. Note the change most older reviews miss: Flodesk retired its flat-rate plan for new members in December 2025, so Lite is now $25/month at 1,000 subscribers ($19/month billed annually) and rises with your list. Its free tier builds forms and landing pages but does not send email, and there is still no A/B testing.
6. Substack — best free start for paid writing
Substack costs nothing to publish at any list size and its app and recommendation network can bring you readers Kit never will. In exchange it keeps 10% of paid subscription revenue, plus Stripe fees — cheap at $200/month of revenue, painful at $4,000. There are no real automations or product funnels, so treat it as a publishing home, not a marketing platform.
7. Ghost — best for owning the whole publication
Ghost gives you a real website with memberships and newsletters built in, and takes 0% of subscription revenue on paid plans. Publisher, the first tier with paid subscriptions, is $35/month at 1,000 members ($29/month billed annually). You can also self-host the open-source software for free if you are technical. What you give up is Kit’s commerce and automation polish.
8. Buttondown — best simple, writing-first tool
Buttondown is the minimalist option: clean archives, Markdown-friendly writing, and pricing that starts free for the first 100 subscribers, then $9/month up to 1,000, with paid subscriptions as a small add-on and no percentage cut. It will not run a product launch funnel, but for a writer who just wants to send good email cheaply, that restraint is the point.
Verdict: which Kit alternative should you pick?
Choose MailerLite for the same job at a lower bill, beehiiv if the newsletter is a media business, Brevo for a large list emailed occasionally, and Ghost or Substack if paid writing is the model. Stay on Kit if its sequences and native commerce are already selling for you — at that point the 2025 rise is annoying, not decisive, and migration will cost you more than it saves.
FAQ
Is Kit still ConvertKit?
Yes. ConvertKit rebranded to Kit in 2024; it is the same company and platform, at kit.com. Older guides and prices under the ConvertKit name may be stale.
What is the cheapest Kit alternative with automations?
MailerLite Comfort, at $19/month for 1,000 subscribers, includes automations and sequences. Brevo can be cheaper if you send infrequently, since it bills by sends.
Does Kit have a free plan?
Yes — up to 10,000 subscribers for broadcasts and forms. Automations, sequences and integrations require Creator, from $39/month at 1,000 subscribers.
What fees does Kit take on sales?
3.5% + $0.30 per transaction on paid newsletters and digital products, on every plan including free. Ghost, beehiiv (paid plans) and Buttondown take 0% platform cut, with Stripe fees on top.