Top 10 Newsletter Platforms for Creators & Businesses (2024)
In the creator economy, your email list is your most valuable asset. We've compared the leading platforms to help you build, grow, and monetize your audience.
Owning your audience has never been more critical. Social media algorithms are unpredictable, but a direct line to your readers' inboxes is a stable, powerful asset. Whether you're a writer, a business, or a creator, choosing the right newsletter platform is a key strategic decision. We've analyzed the top contenders based on ease of use, growth tools, monetization options, and price.
1. Substack
The platform that kickstarted the newsletter boom. Substack is synonymous with simplicity, making it incredibly easy to start a publication and begin charging for subscriptions with zero upfront cost. It's built for writers who want to focus purely on writing.
Pros
- Extremely easy to use
- Free to start (no monthly fee)
- Strong network for discovery
Cons
- Takes 10% of subscription revenue
- Limited design customization
2. beehiiv
Built by former Morning Brew employees, beehiiv is the trendy, growth-focused alternative to Substack. It offers a suite of advanced tools like referral programs, paid recommendations, and better analytics, all designed to help you grow your audience faster.
Pros
- Powerful growth tools
- No revenue share on paid plans
- Generous free plan up to 2,500 subs
Cons
- Newer platform, still evolving
- Can be more complex than Substack
3. ConvertKit
The gold standard for professional creators who want to do more than just send newsletters. ConvertKit excels at marketing automation, audience segmentation, and selling digital products. It's a full-fledged marketing hub disguised as a newsletter platform.
Pros
- Best-in-class automation
- Built specifically for creators
- Integrates with everything
Cons
- More expensive than competitors
- Can be overly complex for simple newsletters
4. Mailchimp
A household name in email marketing, Mailchimp offers an all-in-one platform for small businesses. It combines email with landing pages, social ads, and a light CRM. Its strength is in its user-friendly interface and beautiful templates for traditional email marketing.
Pros
- Very easy to use
- Great email templates
- All-in-one marketing suite
Cons
- Gets very expensive as your list grows
- Less focused on newsletter monetization
5. Ghost
Ghost is a powerful open-source platform for professional publishers who want full control over their content, brand, and monetization. It combines a newsletter platform with a full-featured website and blogging engine, with 0% transaction fees on memberships.
Pros
- 0% fees on paid subscriptions
- Complete design control
- Excellent for SEO
Cons
- Requires paid monthly hosting
- More technical setup required
6. MailerLite
MailerLite is the value king, offering an impressive suite of features including landing pages, automations, and website building on its generous free plan. It's a fantastic starting point for those on a budget who still want powerful features.
Pros
- Great free plan (up to 1,000 subs)
- Very intuitive drag-and-drop editor
- Affordable paid plans
Cons
- Automations are less powerful
- Approval process can be strict
7. ActiveCampaign
For businesses that view email as a sales engine, ActiveCampaign is the ultimate tool. It offers market-leading automation capabilities that allow you to create incredibly sophisticated customer journeys. It also includes a built-in CRM to manage sales pipelines.
Pros
- Extremely powerful automations
- Integrated sales CRM
- Great for segmenting audiences
Cons
- Overkill for simple newsletters
- Steep learning curve
8. HubSpot
HubSpot's Email Marketing tool is part of its larger Marketing Hub, which includes a free CRM. It's an excellent choice for businesses looking for a single platform to manage all their marketing and sales activities, with email being a core component.
Pros
- Powerful free tools
- Scales with your business
- Seamless integration with its CRM
Cons
- Paid plans are very expensive
- Can be overly complex if you only need email
9. AWeber
One of the original players in the email marketing space, AWeber remains a solid, reliable choice. It's known for its excellent deliverability rates and top-notch customer support. While not the flashiest, it's a dependable workhorse for small businesses.
Pros
- High deliverability
- Great customer support
- Simple, straightforward interface
Cons
- Interface feels a bit dated
- Free plan is limited
10. Brevo (formerly Sendinblue)
Brevo is a comprehensive marketing platform that offers a lot of bang for your buck. Its free plan is based on send volume rather than subscriber count, making it a very cost-effective option for those with large lists who send infrequently. It also includes SMS, chat, and CRM features.
Pros
- Very generous free plan
- All-in-one marketing suite
- Includes SMS, chat, and landing pages
Cons
- Editor is less intuitive than others
- Can be a jack of all trades, master of none