ChatGPT answers, unedited

For a solo blogger on a tight budget, I’d narrow it to Kit, beehiiv, and Substack. The best fit depends mainly on whether you care more about free subscriber capacity, growth tools, or simplicity.

Current pricing/features vary, but these limits are reflected in 2026 pricing information. Beehiiv MailerLite Field Tested

My practical recommendation: Kit

If you're starting small and want to grow a subscriber list without worrying about the bill, Kit is particularly attractive right now: its free Newsletter plan supports up to 10,000 subscribers, with unlimited broadcasts, landing pages, and basic automation. Field Tested

That means you could potentially grow from 100 → 1,000 → several thousand subscribers without changing platforms or paying simply because your audience grew.

kit.com

When I'd choose beehiiv instead

Choose beehiiv if your blog/newsletter is specifically intended to become a newsletter media business. Its free Launch plan currently supports 2,500 subscribers and includes unlimited sends, analytics, a website, custom domains, and its Recommendation Network. Paid Scale adds features such as referral/recommendation tools, automations, and 0% platform fees on paid subscriptions. Beehiiv

beehiiv.com

When Substack makes sense

Substack is compelling if you want the absolute simplest setup: publish your writing, let readers subscribe, and don't pay a monthly platform fee. The tradeoff is that when you introduce paid subscriptions, Substack takes 10% of that revenue, in addition to payment processing. Newsletter Cost Calculator

So, for a free weekly blog newsletter, Substack can cost $0 indefinitely. For a business you expect to monetize substantially, the percentage fee becomes more important.

Bottom line

For your situation, I'd start with Kit if you want to build an owned email audience, or beehiiv if newsletter growth/monetization is central to the business. I wouldn't pay for Mailchimp or similar software when you're starting from scratch on a tight budget.

If you tell me roughly how many subscribers you have now (0, 100, 500, 1,000+) and whether you plan to sell anything, I can give you the cheapest setup and expected cost as you grow to 1K, 5K, and 10K subscribers.

For a solo blogger on a tight budget, I’d usually narrow it down to three choices: Kit (formerly ConvertKit), beehiiv, and Substack. The “best” depends on whether your priority is owning your audience, growing fast, or keeping costs at absolute zero. Newsletter Cost Calculator UxerWave

My shortlist

Newsletter Cost Calculator Sasanova## My recommendation for a budget solo blogger

1. Start with Kit if your blog is the foundation of a business

Choose this if you might eventually sell:

• ebooks
• courses
• memberships
• consulting
• affiliate products

Why:

• You can build a subscriber list without immediately paying.
• It has creator-focused tools like forms, tagging, and basic automation.
• It’s easier to grow into than switching platforms later. SaaS Match Guide

2. Choose beehiiv if your blog is becoming a newsletter publication

Choose this if your main goal is:

• growing subscribers quickly
• running a weekly “publication”
• adding sponsorships or newsletter monetization later

Its free tier is more newsletter-focused, with growth features built around publishing. Sasanova

3. Choose Substack if you want the least setup possible

Good fit if you mainly want to:

• write
• publish
• let readers subscribe

It has no upfront cost for free newsletters, but if you later charge for subscriptions, Substack takes a percentage of paid revenue. Newsletter Cost Calculator

What I’d avoid on a tight budget

• Mailchimp: fine for businesses, but often not the best value for a solo writer building a newsletter audience.
• Paying for premium automation before you have a meaningful subscriber base.

A practical low-cost setup

For most solo bloggers, I’d do:

1. Use Kit or beehiiv free plan
2. Add a simple signup incentive (“free guide,” checklist, template, etc.)
3. Send one consistent weekly newsletter
4. Don’t upgrade until the platform is saving you time or helping you earn money

If you expect to stay under a few thousand subscribers for a while, either Kit or beehiiv should let you grow without much cost. If your goal is eventually turning the newsletter into a business, I’d lean Kit; if the newsletter itself is the product, I’d lean beehiiv. worklever.co UxerWave

For a solo blogger on a tight budget, I’d pick beehiiv right now.

My ranking

Why beehiiv wins: its free Launch plan currently supports up to 2,500 subscribers with unlimited email sends, plus a newsletter website, analytics, custom domains, and its Recommendation Network. Beehiiv Beehiiv That's unusually generous if you're sending one newsletter every week.

The growth tools are the bigger reason I'd choose it. As your audience grows, beehiiv is designed around recommendations, referrals, and eventually monetization—not just sending emails. Its paid subscriptions have 0% platform commission (you still pay normal payment-processing fees). Beehiiv Beehiiv

When I'd choose Kit instead

Kit is worth considering if your blog is heavily focused on courses, lead magnets, funnels, or automated sequences. Its free tier can accommodate a larger list than beehiiv, but its monetization economics can be less attractive once you're making money. Beehiiv Beehiiv

One I'd avoid for your situation

MailerLite used to be an excellent budget choice, but its free plan was cut in June 2026 from 500 to 250 active subscribers and from 12,000 to 2,500 monthly emails. MailerLite MailerLite For a weekly newsletter, that means you'd outgrow the free tier fairly quickly.

Bottom line: Start with beehiiv, especially if your goal is “grow my subscriber list without paying until I have meaningful traction.” You can send weekly indefinitely on the free plan up to 2,500 subscribers. Beehiiv

beehiiv.com

If you tell me roughly how many subscribers you have now (0, 100, 500, etc.) and whether you want to monetize later, I can tell you which platform is cheapest over the next 1–2 years.

For a solo blogger on a tight budget, I’d pick kit.com.

My ranking

1. Kit — best overall for a growing blog

• $0/month for up to 10,000 subscribers
• Unlimited newsletter broadcasts
• Unlimited landing pages and signup forms
• Subscriber tagging/segmentation
• Its Creator Network can help other creators recommend your newsletter. Kit Kit Help Center
• Catch: the free plan doesn't include automated email sequences, so you'll eventually need the paid plan if you want sophisticated welcome funnels. Kit Help Center
• beehiiv.com — best for newsletter growth/monetization

• Free up to 2,500 subscribers
• Unlimited email sends
• Recommendation Network and newsletter-focused growth tools
• Particularly attractive if you eventually want sponsorships or paid subscriptions. Beehiiv
• Catch: once you pass 2,500 subscribers, the paid plans become considerably more expensive than Kit's free tier.
• substack.com — cheapest/easiest if you want simplicity

• Free to publish regardless of subscriber count.
• Excellent if your newsletter is essentially your blog.
• Catch: if you turn on paid subscriptions, Substack takes 10% of paid subscription revenue, plus payment-processing fees. Substack Support Substack Support
• mailerlite.com — good traditional email marketing, but less compelling now

• Free tier is only 250 subscribers / 2,500 emails per month as of 2026.
• Paid plans start around $12/month. MailerLite MailerLite

What I'd do in your shoes

Start with Kit. For a weekly newsletter, you can send every week without worrying about email-volume charges, and you have a huge amount of room to grow before paying anything. The 10,000-subscriber free ceiling is unusually generous. Kit Help Center

If your main goal is building a media/newsletter business, I'd choose beehiiv instead. If your priority is “I just want to write and collect subscribers with almost zero setup,” choose Substack.

Best budget path: Kit → grow to several thousand subscribers → only pay when you actually need advanced automation.

Best overall for a solo blogger on a tight budget: beehiiv.com — especially if your goal is subscriber growth. Its free plan is designed for newsletters and supports up to about 2,500 subscribers, with growth-focused features. Migma Beehiiv

Other good options:

• kit.com — best if you want a larger free subscriber limit and may later sell courses, ebooks, or products. Sasanova
• substack.com — easiest start for writers; free to publish, but it takes a cut of paid subscriptions. Sasanova
• mailerlite.com — good budget choice for simple newsletters and landing pages. Beehiiv
• Avoid starting with mailchimp.com unless you need business marketing features; its free tier is relatively limited for growing newsletters. Sasanova

For a weekly blog newsletter:

1. 0–2,500 subscribers: Beehiiv free.
2. Selling products soon: Kit.
3. Just writing and building an audience: Substack.

My pick for a solo blogger starting from zero: Beehiiv first, migrate only if your needs change. Migma

For a solo blogger on a tight budget, my pick is kit.com if your priority is growing a subscriber list as cheaply as possible.

My shortlist

Kit: Its free plan goes up to 10,000 subscribers with unlimited sends, which is unusually generous. The main limitation is that advanced automation is restricted. Sasanova Field Tested

beehiiv: I'd choose this instead if you think of your blog primarily as a newsletter business. Its free Launch plan supports 2,500 subscribers, unlimited sends, a website, custom domains, and newsletter-oriented growth features. Beehiiv

Substack: Excellent if you want the simplest possible setup and expect to monetize through paid subscriptions. There's no monthly platform fee, but Substack takes 10% of paid subscription revenue, so it can become expensive once you're earning meaningful money. Newsletter Calc

What I'd do in your shoes

Start with Kit at $0. Put your weekly newsletter there, create a simple signup form on your blog, and offer a useful freebie ("10 resources," checklist, mini-guide, etc.) to encourage signups.

Once you're approaching 10,000 subscribers or need sophisticated automation, reassess. If your newsletter becomes more publication-oriented, beehiiv may then make more sense.

Bottom line:
$0 budget + blogger + weekly newsletter → Kit.
Newsletter is the main business + growth/monetization → beehiiv.
You want maximum simplicity + paid subscriptions → Substack.

For a solo blogger on a tight budget, I’d pick beehiiv if your priority is growing a newsletter, and Kit if your priority is keeping costs at $0 for as long as possible.

My ranking

*Kit's current free-plan details have changed over time, so I'd verify the exact limits before signing up.

🥇 Why I'd choose beehiiv

beehiiv's free Launch plan currently gives you up to 2,500 subscribers and unlimited email sends, plus a newsletter website, analytics, signup forms, custom domains, and other publishing tools. Beehiiv Beehiiv

More importantly for a blogger, it is designed around audience growth, rather than simply sending marketing emails. Its growth-oriented features include recommendations/referrals and, on paid plans, monetization tools. Beehiiv

So you could realistically start at $0, send your weekly newsletter, and only start paying once you've outgrown the free tier or need advanced features.

🥈 When I'd pick Kit instead

If you're thinking, "I want to build the biggest possible email list before paying anything," Kit is compelling. Current comparisons report a free tier supporting up to 10,000 subscribers with unlimited broadcasts, although some advanced automation features require a paid plan. SaaS Match Guide Sasanova

That's an enormous advantage for a cash-strapped blogger.

What about Substack?

Substack is the simplest zero-cost option: you can publish for free without a subscriber-based monthly fee. But if you eventually charge for subscriptions, Substack takes 10% of paid subscription revenue, plus payment processing. Newsletter Cost Calculator

I'd choose Substack if you want your newsletter to feel primarily like a publication/blog, rather than building a more sophisticated email business.

My recommendation for you

If I were starting a solo blog today with almost no budget:

Start with beehiiv → grow to 2,500 subscribers → reassess.

You get unlimited weekly sends at $0 and a platform specifically built around newsletter growth. Beehiiv

If your overriding goal is "I never want to pay until I absolutely have to," choose Kit instead.

And I wouldn't pay for Mailchimp or another traditional email-marketing platform at the beginning unless you specifically need its business/automation features.

If you tell me roughly how many subscribers you have now (or whether you're starting from zero), I can give you a much more specific recommendation and a $0 → $25/month newsletter stack.

For a solo blogger on a tight budget, I’d pick Kit if your priority is simply growing a subscriber list without paying for a long time. If your priority is newsletter-specific growth tools, I’d pick beehiiv.

🏆 My pick: Kit

Kit's free Newsletter plan currently allows up to 10,000 subscribers with unlimited broadcasts, which is unusually generous. That's a huge advantage if you're starting small and don't want your email bill to suddenly appear as your audience grows. SaaS Match Guide Field Tested

It's particularly suited to a blogger because you can combine newsletters with landing pages, subscriber tagging, and basic automation. The catch is that more advanced automation features require a paid plan. Field Tested

kit.com

🥈 When I'd choose beehiiv instead

If your blog is really becoming a newsletter/media business, beehiiv is arguably better. Its free plan gives you 2,500 subscribers, unlimited sends, a website, analytics, custom domains, and newsletter-oriented growth features. Beehiiv

It's also attractive if you eventually want paid subscriptions or newsletter monetization: beehiiv says it takes 0% of paid subscription revenue on its relevant paid plans. Beehiiv

beehiiv.com

What I'd do in your shoes

• Just starting / <$0 budget: Kit
• Want the biggest free subscriber runway: Kit
• Want built-in newsletter growth/monetization tools: beehiiv
• Want the absolute simplest publishing experience: Substack
• Already know you'll need traditional email automations: MailerLite

Bottom line: For a weekly blog newsletter where keeping costs near zero matters most, start with Kit. You can build all the way to 10,000 subscribers before the basic newsletter plan forces you to pay, giving you considerably more runway than beehiiv's 2,500-subscriber free limit. Beehiiv SaaS Match Guide

Kit's free Newsletter plan currently allows up to 10,000 subscribers with unlimited broadcasts, which is unusually generous. That's a huge advantage if you're starting small and don't want your email bill to suddenly appear as your audience grows. SaaS Match Guide Field Tested

It's particularly suited to a blogger because you can combine newsletters with landing pages, subscriber tagging, and basic automation. The catch is that more advanced automation features require a paid plan. Field Tested

kit.com

🥈 When I'd choose beehiiv instead

If your blog is really becoming a newsletter/media business, beehiiv is arguably better. Its free plan gives you 2,500 subscribers, unlimited sends, a website, analytics, custom domains, and newsletter-oriented growth features.

It's also attractive if you eventually want paid subscriptions or newsletter monetization: beehiiv says it takes 0% of paid subscription revenue on its relevant paid plans.

For a solo blogger on a tight budget, I’d pick Kit (formerly ConvertKit) right now.

My ranking

1. Kit — my top pick.
Kit’s free plan currently supports up to 10,000 subscribers and unlimited email broadcasts, plus unlimited landing pages/forms, tagging/segmentation, and free recommendations through its Creator Network. That combination is unusually good if your main goal is to grow a newsletter without paying as your audience grows. Kit Kit Help Center

The big catch: advanced automations and email sequences require a paid plan. But for a weekly newsletter, you can probably stay on the free plan for quite a while. Kit Help Center

kit.com

2. beehiiv — best if the newsletter itself is the business.
beehiiv gives you 2,500 subscribers free with unlimited sends, a newsletter website, analytics, custom domains, and its recommendation network. It's particularly attractive if you eventually want paid subscriptions, sponsorships, or other newsletter monetization. Beehiiv

beehiiv.com

3. MailerLite — good, but less attractive for your situation.
MailerLite's free tier was reduced in June 2026 to 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails/month. Its paid plan starts around $12/month, so it's still inexpensive, but you'll hit the free ceiling much sooner than with Kit. MailerLite MailerLite

mailerlite.com

What I'd do in your shoes

Start with Kit's free plan. Build a simple signup form, offer a small freebie (checklist, guide, template, etc.), and send your weekly newsletter consistently.

Once you're approaching 10,000 subscribers, you'll have a much better idea of whether it's worth paying for advanced automation—or whether another platform makes more economic sense.

Bottom line:
Kit = best budget choice for a growing solo blog.
beehiiv = best if you're building a newsletter-centric media business.
MailerLite = best if you want conventional email marketing features and don't expect rapid list growth.

For a solo blogger on a tight budget, I’d pick Kit (formerly ConvertKit) right now.

My ranking

Current 2026 pricing makes Kit particularly compelling: its free Newsletter plan allows up to 10,000 subscribers with unlimited broadcasts. The main catch is that more advanced automation is reserved for paid plans. SaaS Match Guide The Data Duel

beehiiv is excellent if your blog is becoming a publication. Its free plan gives you 2,500 subscribers and unlimited sends, plus newsletter-oriented publishing/growth features. Once you exceed that, however, the jump to a paid plan is significant. Beehiiv MailCompared

Substack is the cheapest in terms of upfront cost: you can publish a free newsletter without a subscriber-based fee. But if you eventually charge for subscriptions, Substack takes 10% of paid subscription revenue, so it can become expensive as your business grows. Newsletter Cost Calculator

What I'd do in your shoes

Start with Kit. You can concentrate on writing and list growth without worrying about a monthly bill as your audience grows toward 10,000. Build a simple lead magnet—e.g. a checklist, mini-guide, template, or free resource—and put signup forms throughout your blog.

I'd switch to beehiiv instead if your primary goal is to build a newsletter publication with built-in growth/monetization tools rather than primarily use email to support a blog.

If you tell me roughly how many subscribers you have now (or whether you're starting from zero), I can give you the cheapest setup—including which platform, signup form, lead magnet, and newsletter cadence I'd use.

For a solo blogger on a tight budget, I’d pick beehiiv.com if your main goal is growing a newsletter, rather than running a general-purpose email-marketing operation.

My shortlist

Why beehiiv wins: its free Launch plan includes up to 2,500 subscribers, unlimited email sends, a website, analytics, custom domains, and its Recommendation Network. That combination is unusually good for someone trying to grow from scratch. Beehiiv Beehiiv

Once you're ready to monetize, beehiiv's paid Scale plan currently starts at $43/month when billed annually, and it takes 0% of paid-subscription revenue (Stripe fees still apply). Beehiiv

One important exception: Kit

kit.com is arguably the better deal if you expect to grow beyond 2,500 subscribers before you want to pay. Its free tier reportedly goes to 10,000 subscribers, although the free plan has feature limitations. Field Tested Field Tested

So I'd make the choice this way:

• Starting from 0 and focused on newsletter growth → beehiiv
• Expecting rapid growth toward 10k and want to stay free → Kit
• Want the absolute simplest free publishing setup → Substack
• Want traditional email marketing/automation more than newsletter growth → MailerLite

For your situation, I'd start with beehiiv and stay on the free plan until you hit 2,500 subscribers or genuinely need its paid features. That keeps your fixed costs at $0 while you're validating the blog/newsletter. Beehiiv

If you tell me roughly how many subscribers you have now (0, 100, 1,000, etc.) and whether you plan to monetize, I can tell you which one will be cheapest over the next 1–2 years.

One important exception: Kit

If you're a solo blogger on a tight budget, I'd pick kit.com.

My ranking

Why Kit wins: Its free plan currently allows up to 10,000 subscribers, unlimited broadcasts, unlimited forms/landing pages, tagging/segmentation, and even digital products. It also includes the Creator Network, where other creators can recommend your newsletter—useful for organic list growth. Kit Help Center Kit

beehiiv is my runner-up. Its free Launch plan supports 2,500 subscribers and unlimited sends, plus a built-in Recommendation Network and website tools. It's particularly attractive if you eventually want to turn your newsletter into a standalone media business. Beehiiv Beehiiv

I'd skip MailerLite initially if growth is your priority. Its free plan was reduced in June 2026 to just 250 active subscribers and 2,500 monthly emails. Its paid Comfort plan starts at $12/month, so you can outgrow the free tier quickly. MailerLite MailerLite

What I'd do in your shoes

Start with Kit for $0, put a signup form prominently on your blog, offer a simple freebie/lead magnet, and send your weekly newsletter consistently. You can stay free surprisingly far into your growth journey.

One caveat: Kit's free plan doesn't include full email sequences/automations, so if sophisticated automated funnels become important, you'll eventually need a paid plan. Kit Help Center

If you tell me roughly how many subscribers you have now (or are starting from zero), I can recommend the cheapest setup and a simple subscriber-growth strategy.

For a solo blogger on a tight budget, I’d shortlist Kit and beehiiv—and I’d pick Kit for most people starting from scratch.

🏆 My pick: Kit

Kit's free tier is unusually generous: up to 10,000 subscribers with unlimited sends. The trade-off is that the free plan has restrictions on automations/forms and includes Kit branding. Worklever Sasanova

For a weekly blog newsletter, that's a great deal: you can potentially grow from 0 → 10,000 subscribers without paying a monthly email bill.

When I'd choose beehiiv instead

Pick beehiiv if your newsletter itself is becoming the business. Its free Launch plan supports 2,500 subscribers and unlimited sends, and includes newsletter/website tools plus a recommendation network. Its paid plans add stronger monetization and growth features. Beehiiv

So:

• Just want to grow a blog audience cheaply? → Kit
• Want to build a newsletter/media business? → beehiiv
• Want the absolute simplest writing/publishing experience? → Substack
• Need sophisticated traditional email marketing? → MailerLite

One important 2026 wrinkle: MailerLite's free tier was reduced substantially, making it much less attractive for a blogger who expects the list to grow. Worklever

Bottom line: Start with Kit, build your list aggressively, and don't pay for email until you actually need features beyond the free plan.

When I'd choose beehiiv instead

For a solo blogger on a tight budget, I’d prioritize three things:

1. Low cost as your list grows
2. Easy subscriber growth tools
3. Ownership of your audience (being able to export your list)

My top picks:

My recommendation by situation

If you’re starting from zero and want the longest free runway:

Pick Kit.
It’s a strong fit for a solo blogger because you can collect emails, send weekly posts, create simple automations, and delay paying until your audience is much larger. SaaS Match Guide

If your goal is to build a newsletter business:

Pick beehiiv.
It’s designed around newsletter growth rather than just email delivery: referrals, analytics, publishing tools, and monetization paths are central to the product. Beehiiv

If you only want to write and don’t care about owning a complex email system:

Pick Substack.
It’s the easiest way to start publishing, but I’d be aware of the revenue share if you eventually add paid subscriptions. OwnLetter

What I would avoid as a budget blogger

• Starting with an expensive enterprise email tool
• Choosing based only on the free tier—migration headaches later can cost more time than money
• Building your audience only on a platform where you cannot easily export subscribers

A simple low-budget setup I’d use:

1. Start with Kit or beehiiv
2. Create a simple signup incentive (free checklist, mini-guide, template, resource list)
3. Send one valuable email every week
4. Add a welcome sequence after you reach your first few hundred subscribers
5. Upgrade only when the newsletter is earning money or the free limits become painful

For most solo bloggers, my shortlist would be:

• Best overall budget choice: Kit
• Best for future newsletter business: beehiiv
• Best “just start writing”: Substack Beehiiv OwnLetter

If you tell me your blog niche (food, travel, personal finance, tech, writing, etc.) and whether you plan to monetize with ads, affiliates, products, or paid subscriptions, I can narrow it down.

For a solo blogger on a tight budget, I’d pick Kit (formerly ConvertKit) if your priority is growing a subscriber list, with beehiiv as the best alternative if your newsletter itself is the main product.

🥇 My pick: Kit

Kit's free plan currently allows up to 10,000 subscribers, unlimited broadcasts, unlimited forms/landing pages, segmentation, and even digital products. It also includes its Creator Network, where other creators can recommend your newsletter—particularly useful when you're starting from zero. Kit Help Center Kit

The main catch is that more sophisticated automations and email sequences require a paid plan. But for a blogger sending one newsletter per week, you can probably stay free for quite a while. Kit Help Center

kit.com

🥈 beehiiv if growth/monetization is the goal

beehiiv is arguably more attractive if you're building a newsletter business rather than simply adding email to an existing blog. Its free Launch plan supports 2,500 subscribers and unlimited sends, plus a recommendation network, website, analytics, and custom domains. beehiiv

That's a very good deal—but the 2,500-subscriber ceiling makes Kit more appealing if your list grows quickly.

beehiiv.com

What I'd avoid for your situation

MailerLite is a good product, but its free plan was reduced in June 2026 to 250 active subscribers and 2,500 monthly emails. That's quite restrictive for a blogger trying to grow. Its paid plan starts at $12/month, so it's still inexpensive, but I'd rather start with Kit's much larger free allowance. MailerLite MailerLite

Bottom line: Start with Kit. You get a huge free subscriber allowance, strong signup/landing-page tools, and built-in creator-to-creator discovery. If your newsletter eventually becomes a standalone media business, beehiiv is worth considering.

If you tell me roughly how many subscribers you have now (0, 100, 500, 1,000+), I can tell you which one is cheapest at your expected size.

For a solo blogger on a tight budget, I’d pick Kit (formerly ConvertKit) right now.

My ranking

1. Kit — my pick.
Kit’s free plan supports up to 10,000 subscribers, unlimited email broadcasts, unlimited landing pages/forms, tagging/segmentation, and built-in creator recommendations. That is an unusually long runway before you have to pay. Kit Kit Help Center

The big catch: the free plan doesn't include advanced automations/email sequences, so if your blog eventually needs sophisticated funnels, you'll need to upgrade. Kit Help Center

kit.com

2. beehiiv — best alternative if the newsletter itself is the business.
The free Launch plan goes to 2,500 subscribers with unlimited sends and includes a website, analytics, custom domains, and its Recommendation Network. Its growth/monetization features become particularly attractive once you're building a newsletter as a standalone business. beehiiv

beehiiv.com

3. MailerLite — good, but no longer my budget pick.
MailerLite changed its free plan in June 2026 from 500 to just 250 active subscribers and from 12,000 to 2,500 monthly emails. Its paid plan starts around $12/month, so it's still inexpensive, but the free runway is dramatically shorter than Kit's. MailerLite MailerLite

mailerlite.com

Bottom line

If your plan is “write one good blog post/newsletter every week and steadily build an audience without spending money”, I'd start with Kit Free.

If your goal is “turn my newsletter into a media business and monetize it through ads/recommendations/paid subscriptions”, I'd seriously consider beehiiv instead.

I would not pay for an email platform yet. At the beginning, your money is generally better spent on producing content and getting subscribers than on advanced email features.

For a solo blogger on a tight budget, I’d pick Kit (formerly ConvertKit) right now.

My ranking

Why Kit wins: its free plan currently supports up to 10,000 subscribers, with unlimited broadcasts, unlimited forms and landing pages, tagging/segmentation, and built-in creator recommendations. Kit Kit Help Center

That is a huge advantage for a blogger who doesn't want their email bill to suddenly become a major expense as the audience grows.

kit.com

When I'd choose beehiiv instead

If your blog is really becoming a newsletter business, I'd seriously consider beehiiv.com. Its free Launch plan allows 2,500 subscribers and unlimited sends, and it has particularly strong newsletter-growth features such as recommendations and referral/growth tools. Beehiiv

So:

• Blog + weekly newsletter + budget-conscious → Kit
• Newsletter is the main product + aggressive audience growth → beehiiv
• Need conventional email marketing/automation → MailerLite
• Want the absolute simplest publishing experience → Substack

One important 2026 change: I wouldn't choose MailerLite primarily for its free tier anymore. In June 2026, it reduced the free allowance to 250 active subscribers and 2,500 emails/month. MailerLite MailerLite

Bottom line: Start with Kit's free plan, build your list there, and don't worry about paying until you're actually benefiting from the more advanced automation features. For a weekly newsletter, 10,000 free subscribers gives you an unusually long runway. Kit Help Center

For a solo blogger on a tight budget, I’d pick Kit (formerly ConvertKit) right now.

My ranking

1. kit.com — my pick

Kit's free plan now allows up to 10,000 subscribers and unlimited broadcasts, plus unlimited forms and landing pages, tagging/segmentation, and a creator recommendation network designed to help newsletters grow. Kit Help Center Kit

The big catch: advanced automations and email sequences require a paid plan, and the free plan includes Kit branding. For a blogger sending one newsletter per week, those limitations probably won't matter initially.

2. beehiiv.com — best alternative

beehiiv's free Launch plan supports 2,500 subscribers with unlimited sends, plus a newsletter website, analytics, custom domains and its recommendation network. Beehiiv

I'd choose beehiiv over Kit if your primary goal is eventually turning the newsletter itself into a media business with referrals, paid subscriptions, sponsorships, and other monetization.

3. mailerlite.com — good, but no longer my budget pick

MailerLite is easy to use and has a nice set of email-marketing features, but its June 2026 free-plan changes reduced the allowance to 250 active subscribers and 2,500 monthly emails. Its paid Comfort plan starts at $12/month. MailerLite MailerLite

What I'd do in your shoes

Start with Kit Free. Build your blog, put a prominent signup form on every relevant post, offer a simple freebie ("5 useful resources," checklist, mini-guide, etc.), and send your weekly newsletter consistently.

You can get to 10,000 subscribers before paying for the email platform, which is unusually generous in 2026. Kit Help Center

Bottom line: Kit for maximum runway; beehiiv if newsletter growth/monetization is the central business.

For a solo blogger on a tight budget, I’d pick kit.com right now.

My ranking

Kit's free plan currently supports up to 10,000 subscribers with unlimited sends, which is unusually generous. The main limitations are that you get only one automation, one form, and one landing page, plus Kit branding. Worklever Sasanova

kit.com

Why I'd choose Kit for you

If you're sending one newsletter per week, you don't need sophisticated email automation yet. Your biggest expense risk is hitting a subscriber limit and suddenly needing to pay.

Kit lets you grow from, say, 100 → 1,000 → 5,000 subscribers without increasing your monthly bill, assuming its free-tier limitations still work for your workflow. Worklever

beehiiv is the alternative I'd seriously consider. Its free Launch plan gives you 2,500 subscribers and unlimited sends, plus a newsletter website, analytics, custom domains and other publishing features. It's particularly attractive if you want to turn the newsletter itself into a media business. Beehiiv

beehiiv.com

I would not start with MailerLite if your goal is aggressive subscriber growth. Its free tier was reduced in July 2026 to 250 subscribers and 2,500 monthly emails, so you'd hit the ceiling relatively quickly. MailerLite

Bottom line

Start with Kit if your priority is "grow my blog audience for $0 for as long as possible."

Choose beehiiv instead if your priority is "build a newsletter business with growth/monetization features."

And if you tell me roughly how many subscribers you have now (0, 100, 500, 1,000+) and whether you plan to monetize with ads, affiliates, or paid subscriptions, I can tell you which one will likely cost you the least over the next 2–3 years.

For a solo blogger on a tight budget, I’d focus less on “the cheapest forever” and more on how long you can grow before paying. The best choice depends on whether your newsletter is just a blog update or the beginning of a media business.

Here are the strongest options:

SaaS Match Guide Beehiiv## My picks for a solo blogger

1. Best overall: Kit (free plan)

Choose this if: you have a blog, want to build an owned audience, and may later sell products, courses, memberships, or sponsorships.

Why it fits:

• Built specifically for creators
• Good signup forms and landing pages
• Strong subscriber tagging/segmentation
• A generous free tier compared with many competitors (limits and features can change, so check current pricing before committing) Sasanova

Best for: “I’m building my blog into a business.”

2. Best for newsletter growth: beehiiv

Choose this if: your newsletter itself is the product.

Advantages:

• Newsletter-first design
• Growth tools like referral features and analytics
• Good fit if you want to eventually monetize through sponsorships or paid subscriptions Beehiiv

The tradeoff: you may not need all those publishing features if you simply send a weekly blog digest.

3. Cheapest/easiest: Substack

Choose this if: you want to start writing today with almost no setup.

Pros:

• Very simple
• Built-in publishing page
• No monthly fee for free newsletters

Cons:

• Less control over branding and website experience
• If you turn on paid subscriptions, Substack takes a percentage of revenue LetterDuck

4. MailerLite

Choose this if: you want a traditional email marketing tool with templates and basic automation.

It’s a good tool, but for a blogger starting from zero, I’d usually pick Kit or beehiiv first because they are more aligned with audience growth. Beehiiv

My recommendation for a tight-budget blogger

• Starting from 0–5,000 subscribers: use Kit or beehiiv
• Just want a simple weekly writing habit: use Substack
• Already have a website and want marketing automation: consider MailerLite

A practical low-cost setup:

1. Keep your blog on your current platform.
2. Add a free email signup form.
3. Send one valuable newsletter every week.
4. Avoid paid upgrades until your list is large enough that email is clearly helping you grow or earn.

If you tell me your blog type (personal, travel, food, tech, finance, fiction, etc.) and whether you plan to monetize with ads/products/paid subscriptions, I can narrow it down to one choice.

If you’re a solo blogger on a tight budget, I’d pick kit.com right now.

My ranking

• 🥇 Kit — best overall for a budget-conscious blogger

• Free up to 10,000 subscribers
• Unlimited email sends, so a weekly newsletter costs nothing as your list grows.
• Built specifically for creators, with landing pages, forms, basic automation, and monetization tools.
• The main catch: the free plan has limited automation/features and includes Kit branding. Kit Help Center Kit Help Center
• 🥈 beehiiv.com — best if the newsletter itself is your business

• Free up to 2,500 subscribers, with unlimited sends.
• Particularly strong for newsletter growth, referrals, recommendations, and eventually monetizing the publication.
• Once you exceed 2,500 subscribers, the paid plans become considerably more expensive than the free tier. Beehiiv Beehiiv
• 🥉 mailerlite.com — good software, but no longer my budget pick

• Its free tier was recently reduced to 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails/month.
• Paid plans start around $12/month, so it's reasonable if you want more traditional email-marketing features, but less attractive for a blogger trying to grow without paying. MailerLite MailerLite

What I'd do in your situation

Start with Kit and don't overthink it. A weekly newsletter to 1,000, 5,000, or even 10,000 people can remain on the free plan, which gives you an unusually long runway before email software becomes an expense. Kit Help Center

The exception is if your primary goal is building a standalone media/newsletter business rather than using email to support your blog. In that case, I'd choose beehiiv because its newsletter-native growth features are more compelling.

Bottom line:
Blog + weekly newsletter + minimal budget → Kit.
Newsletter is the main product → beehiiv.
Small list + more traditional marketing automation → MailerLite.

One important 2026 wrinkle: MailerLite's free plan changed substantially this year, so older comparisons recommending it as the cheapest option are now outdated. MailerLite

For a solo blogger on a tight budget, I’d pick kit.com.

My ranking

Why Kit wins: As of August 2026, its new Newsletter plan lets you manage up to 10,000 subscribers for free, with unlimited email broadcasts, landing pages/forms, audience tagging and segmentation, and tools for selling products/subscriptions. That's an unusually long runway for someone who doesn't want another monthly bill. Kit Kit Kit Help Center

For a weekly newsletter, that means you could theoretically grow from 100 → 1,000 → 5,000 → 10,000 subscribers without paying for the email platform itself. The main downside is that the free plan has limitations around automation and includes Kit branding. Kit

beehiiv is my second choice if your blog is really becoming a newsletter business. Its free Launch plan supports up to 2,500 subscribers with unlimited sends, and it has particularly strong newsletter growth/monetization features. Beehiiv Newsletter Cost Calculator

I would not choose MailerLite specifically for maximum free growth right now. Its free tier was reduced to 250 subscribers and 2,500 monthly emails, although its paid plan starts at $12/month and offers more conventional email-marketing features. MailerLite MailerLite

Bottom line

Start with Kit. It's the best combination of $0 cost + generous subscriber limit + list-building tools for a solo blogger in 2026.

If you tell me roughly how many subscribers you have now (e.g. 0, 500, 2,000, or 10,000+), I can tell you which platform will be cheapest at your actual size and what I'd use for your blog.

For a solo blogger on a tight budget, I’d pick beehiiv.com if your priority is growing a newsletter, with kit.com as the strongest alternative.

🥇 Best overall: beehiiv

beehiiv's free Launch plan currently supports 2,500 subscribers and unlimited email sends. It also includes a website, analytics, signup forms, custom domains, and built-in recommendation/growth features. Beehiiv

That's particularly attractive for a blogger because you can send a weekly newsletter without worrying about hitting a monthly send quota.

The big advantage is growth: beehiiv is designed around newsletters rather than conventional business email marketing, with tools such as its Recommendation Network. Beehiiv

🥈 Best if you want the longest free runway: Kit

kit.com is worth considering if you expect your list to grow beyond 2,500 relatively quickly. Its free tier can accommodate up to 10,000 subscribers with unlimited sends, although the free plan has limitations around automations, forms/landing pages, and includes Kit branding. Worklever

For a simple weekly blog newsletter, those restrictions may not matter much.

🥉 MailerLite

mailerlite.com is a nice traditional email-marketing tool, but its current free tier is only 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails/month. Its paid Comfort plan starts at $12/month. MailerLite MailerLite

So I wouldn't choose it if subscriber growth while staying free is your main objective.

My recommendation

Start with beehiiv if your blog/newsletter itself is the business you're trying to grow.

Start with Kit if you're more of a creator building a broader audience around a blog, courses, products, or services and want the enormous 10,000-subscriber free ceiling.

For your specific situation—one weekly newsletter + tight budget + wanting to grow subscribers—I'd rank them:

1. beehiiv — best balance of free sending + newsletter growth tools
2. Kit — best free subscriber ceiling
3. MailerLite — best if you eventually want conventional email-marketing features, but the free limit is restrictive

One important tip: don't choose based solely on today's free limit. Your migration pain later can matter more than saving $10/month now. If you expect your newsletter to become a major part of your blog, I'd lean beehiiv from day one.

beehiiv's free Launch plan currently supports 2,500 subscribers and unlimited email sends. It also includes a website, analytics, signup forms, custom domains, and built-in recommendation/growth features. Beehiiv

That's particularly attractive for a blogger because you can send a weekly newsletter without worrying about hitting a monthly send quota.

The big advantage is growth: beehiiv is designed around newsletters rather than conventional business email marketing, with tools such as its Recommendation Network. Beehiiv

🥈 Best if you want the longest free runway: Kit

kit.com is worth considering if you expect your list to grow beyond 2,500 relatively quickly. Its free tier can accommodate up to 10,000 subscribers with unlimited sends, although the free plan has limitations around automations, forms/landing pages, and includes Kit branding. worklever.co

For a simple weekly blog newsletter, those restrictions may not matter much.

🥉 MailerLite

mailerlite.com is a nice traditional email-marketing tool, but its current free tier is only 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails/month. Its paid Comfort plan starts at $12/month.

So I wouldn't choose it if subscriber growth while staying free is your main objective.

My recommendation

Start with beehiiv if your blog/newsletter itself is the business you're trying to grow.

For a solo blogger on a tight budget, I’d pick beehiiv right now—especially if your main goal is to grow a newsletter, not just send emails.

My ranking

1. beehiiv.com — Best overall

• $0/month up to 2,500 subscribers
• Unlimited email sends
• Built-in website/newsletter publishing
• Recommendation Network and other growth tools
• Custom domains are included
• You can eventually monetize with paid subscriptions without beehiiv taking a percentage. Beehiiv Beehiiv

Best for: A blogger who wants the newsletter itself to become a growing media asset.

2. kit.com — Best if you expect rapid growth

• Kit's free tier is unusually generous, reportedly allowing up to 10,000 subscribers with unlimited sends.
• The tradeoff is fewer advanced features on the free plan. Worklever Sasanova

Best for: Someone who expects to build a large email list before wanting to pay.

3. mailerlite.com — Best for simplicity

• Free up to 250 subscribers
• 2,500 emails/month
• Landing pages, signup forms, automations and newsletter tools included
• Paid plans start at $12/month. MailerLite MailerLite

The big downside for a budget-conscious blogger is that its free limit was reduced to 250 subscribers in 2026. MailerLite

4. substack.com — Best if you want zero upfront cost

• You can publish a free newsletter without paying a monthly platform fee.
• But if you eventually charge for subscriptions, Substack takes 10% of paid subscription revenue, so it can become expensive once you're making meaningful money. Newsletter Cost Calculator

What I'd choose

Start with beehiiv. Its free 2,500-subscriber / unlimited-send plan gives you a lot of runway, and its growth-oriented features are particularly well suited to a blogger trying to turn readers into subscribers. Beehiiv

If you're primarily building a personal creator brand and think you could reach thousands of subscribers quickly, I'd seriously consider Kit instead.

If you tell me roughly how many monthly blog visitors you have now (e.g. 500, 5,000, 50,000), I can tell you which one is likely to be cheapest for you over the next 1–2 years.

For a solo blogger on a tight budget, I’d pick beehiiv.com right now.

My ranking

1. beehiiv — best overall for a growing newsletter

• Free up to 2,500 subscribers
• Unlimited email sends
• Built specifically around newsletters and audience growth
• Includes a website, analytics, recommendations, custom domains, and other creator-focused tools on the free plan. Beehiiv Beehiiv
• Particularly attractive if you eventually want to monetize the newsletter.
• kit.com — best if your priority is building a large list for free

• Its free tier reportedly goes up to 10,000 subscribers with unlimited sends, which is exceptionally generous.
• The tradeoff is fewer advanced features on the free tier and Kit branding. Worklever Sasanova
• I'd choose this if subscriber growth matters more than having a newsletter-publication feel.
• mailerlite.com — best for simple email marketing

• Very user-friendly and has landing pages, forms, automations, A/B testing, etc.
• But its free plan was cut in 2026 to 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails/month, making it much less compelling for a blogger expecting rapid growth. Paid plans start around $12/month. MailerLite MailerLite

What I'd do in your situation

Start with beehiiv if you're building a newsletter as part of your blog/business. You can send a weekly newsletter without paying while you're under 2,500 subscribers, and you won't have to worry about your weekly sends eating into a monthly email allowance. Beehiiv

If you're primarily thinking “I want to build the biggest possible email list before spending anything,” choose Kit instead.

One important caveat: free-plan limits and pricing are changing frequently in 2026, so I'd avoid choosing based on old comparisons—MailerLite's recent change is a good example. MailerLite

If you tell me roughly whether you're starting with 0, 500, 1,000, or 2,500+ subscribers, I can tell you which one is cheapest at your expected size and what I'd choose.

For a solo blogger on a tight budget, I’d pick Kit (formerly ConvertKit) right now.

My ranking

• 🥇 Kit — best overall for a growing blog

• Free up to 10,000 subscribers with unlimited email sends. Worklever
• Built specifically around creators, newsletters, forms, landing pages, and subscriber growth.
• The big catch: the free plan has limited automation and includes Kit branding. Worklever
• Best if: your priority is growing a subscriber list without worrying about the bill as you grow.
• 🥈 beehiiv — best if your newsletter is becoming the product

• Free up to 2,500 subscribers with unlimited sends. Beehiiv Beehiiv
• Particularly strong for newsletter-native growth and eventually monetizing your publication.
• Best if: you want referrals, newsletter growth tools, and potentially paid subscriptions/advertising down the road.
• 🥉 MailerLite — best for a traditional email-marketing setup

• Free up to 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails/month. MailerLite
• Nice drag-and-drop editor, landing pages, forms, and automations.
• Paid Comfort starts at $12/month. MailerLite
• Best if: you expect to pay relatively soon and want more conventional marketing automation.

What I'd do in your shoes

Start with Kit's free plan, put a simple signup form on your blog, and send your weekly newsletter consistently. You can get surprisingly far before needing to pay.

The main exception: if you're thinking “my blog's newsletter could eventually become a standalone media business,” I'd seriously consider beehiiv instead.

One important 2026 change: MailerLite's free tier is now only 250 subscribers, so I wouldn't choose it specifically for a budget-conscious blog that you expect to grow. MailerLite MailerLite

kit.com · beehiiv.com · mailerlite.com

For a solo blogger on a tight budget, I’d pick Kit (formerly ConvertKit) if your priority is growing a subscriber list without paying for a long time.

Kit's current free tier goes up to 10,000 subscribers with unlimited sends, although it limits some advanced features and includes Kit branding. worklever.co

My recommendation: Kit

For a weekly blog newsletter, you probably don't need sophisticated automation initially. You mainly need:

• A signup form for your blog
• Attractive weekly emails
• Subscriber management
• Basic automation
• Room to grow without immediately hitting a paywall

Kit gives you an unusually long runway at $0, which is especially valuable when you're starting small. Its paid Creator plan is reported at about $33/month when billed annually once you need more functionality. worklever.cowww.mailerlite.com

When I'd choose beehiiv instead

Pick beehiiv if your blog/newsletter is intended to become a publication business and subscriber growth is your main obsession. Its free Launch plan supports 2,500 subscribers with unlimited sends, and it has more newsletter-specific growth/publishing features. www.beehiiv.com

The tradeoff is that you'll hit the free subscriber ceiling much sooner than with Kit.

One I'd skip for your situation

MailerLite used to be an obvious budget recommendation, but its free plan was reduced in July 2026 to 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails/month. That's pretty restrictive for someone explicitly trying to grow a list. worklever.cowww.mailerlite.com

Bottom line:
Starting from zero → Kit.
Building a newsletter-first media business → beehiiv.
Want the simplest possible publishing experience → Substack.

If you tell me roughly how many subscribers you have now (e.g. 0, 100, 500, 2,000), I can also compare the actual monthly cost as you grow to 10,000 subscribers.

For a solo blogger on a tight budget, I’d pick beehiiv if your priority is growing a newsletter, and Kit if your priority is keeping costs at $0 for as long as possible.

🥇 My pick: beehiiv

For a blogger specifically, beehiiv's free Launch plan currently supports up to 2,500 subscribers with unlimited sends. It also gives you newsletter-focused publishing and growth tools rather than just being an email-sending service. www.beehiiv.com

That's particularly useful if your plan is:

blog → signup form → weekly newsletter → grow audience → eventually monetize.

The downside is the free-plan ceiling: once you pass 2,500 subscribers, the paid jump is substantial. mailcompared.com

🥈 If you want to spend $0 for years: Kit

Kit's free plan is unusually generous at up to 10,000 subscribers, although its free tier has limitations around automation. www.sasanova.com

So if you're expecting to grow slowly and want to avoid paying based on subscriber count, Kit may actually be the better financial choice.

What I'd do in your situation

• Starting from 0–500 subscribers: beehiiv
• Expecting rapid newsletter growth: beehiiv
• Want to stay free until ~10,000 subscribers: Kit
• Just want extremely simple blogging + email: Substack
• Need traditional marketing emails, forms and automations: MailerLite

I wouldn't start with Mailchimp for this use case. Its current free allowance is much more restrictive than the creator-focused alternatives. www.beehiiv.com

Bottom line: Start with beehiiv if subscriber growth is your main goal. If your overriding goal is “I don't want an email bill for as long as possible,” choose Kit.

For a solo blogger on a tight budget, I’d pick Kit (formerly ConvertKit) if your main goal is to grow a subscriber list while sending a weekly newsletter.

My ranking

\*Free-plan limits can change, so verify before signing up. Current 2026 comparisons put Kit at 10,000 subscribers with unlimited sends, beehiiv at 2,500, and Substack at unlimited. www.sasanova.com

🥇 Why I'd choose Kit

Kit is unusually generous for a new blogger: its free Newsletter plan supports up to 10,000 subscribers, so you can potentially grow for a long time without paying a monthly fee. www.sasanova.com

It's particularly good if you eventually want to:

• create a welcome sequence,
• tag/segment subscribers,
• sell ebooks, courses, or other products,
• move beyond simply sending a weekly email.

The downside is that the free plan limits some of the more advanced automation features. www.sasanova.com

🥈 When I'd choose beehiiv instead

If you're thinking of your blog/newsletter as a media business, I'd seriously consider beehiiv.

Its free plan currently goes to 2,500 subscribers, with unlimited sending, a website/newsletter setup, and growth-oriented publishing features. Its paid plans add things such as referrals, recommendations, and advertising/monetization tools. www.beehiiv.com

So:

Kit = maximize free subscriber growth.
beehiiv = maximize newsletter growth/monetization tools.

What about Substack?

Substack is probably the easiest place to start: unlimited subscribers and no monthly platform fee. It also has a built-in network that can help writers get discovered. www.demilked.com

But if you eventually turn on paid subscriptions, Substack takes 10% of your paid-subscription revenue, plus payment processing. That can become significant as your audience grows. www.demilked.com

Bottom line: If you're starting from scratch, publishing once a week, and every dollar matters, start with Kit's free plan. If your ambition is specifically to build a newsletter business with built-in growth and monetization mechanisms, start with beehiiv instead.

For a solo blogger on a tight budget, I’d narrow it down to three choices:

www.beehiiv.com

My recommendation by situation

1. If you’re just starting (0–1,000 subscribers): → Kit

• Best balance of “free now” and “won’t trap you later.”
• Good if you eventually want to sell ebooks, courses, memberships, or products.
• Lets you build a subscriber list you can export and move if needed. www.beehiiv.comwww.sasanova.com

2. If your goal is “grow a newsletter business”: → beehiiv

• Better if your blog is becoming a publication.
• Useful growth features include referral tools, analytics, and newsletter-specific monetization options. www.techradar.com
• A good fit if you care about subscriber growth more than fancy email automation.

3. If you mainly want to write and hit send: → Substack

• The easiest setup: blog + newsletter in one place.
• Great if you don’t want to manage a website/email stack.
• Less ideal if you want a highly customized brand experience. www.beehiiv.com

Platforms I’d probably avoid on a shoestring budget

• Mailchimp: powerful, but its free tier is less attractive for many small creators compared with creator-focused options. www.beehiiv.comwww.sasanova.com
• Expensive enterprise email tools: unnecessary until you have a sizable list or complex automation needs.

A simple low-cost setup I’d choose

1. Use Kit or beehiiv for email.
2. Add a simple signup form to your blog.
3. Offer a small free incentive (checklist, guide, template, resource list).
4. Send one genuinely useful newsletter every week.
5. Don’t pay until your list growth or revenue justifies it.

If you expect to stay a writer/blogger, I’d lean Kit. If you’re trying to build a newsletter brand/media business, I’d lean beehiiv. www.beehiiv.com

For a solo blogger on a tight budget, I’d narrow it down to three strong choices depending on what you care about most:

My pick for most solo bloggers: beehiiv

If your main goal is grow subscribers from zero and eventually make money, I’d start with beehiiv. It is built specifically around newsletters rather than general email marketing, with tools focused on audience growth and monetization. www.beehiiv.comwww.techradar.com

Pick Kit if you plan to sell things later

Choose Kit if your blog may eventually include:

• ebooks
• courses
• paid communities
• affiliate funnels
• automated email sequences

It is more creator-business oriented than a pure newsletter tool. www.sasanova.combenjaminpreston.com

Pick Substack if you just want to write

If your priority is:

• publish weekly posts
• avoid technical setup
• build a simple audience

Substack is hard to beat. The tradeoff is that you are building inside their ecosystem, and paid subscriptions come with revenue sharing. www.sasanova.com

What I would avoid on a tight budget

I would generally skip Mailchimp for a new solo newsletter unless you already use it. It is a capable marketing platform, but its free tier is less attractive for a growing creator compared with newsletter-focused alternatives. www.sasanova.com

Simple recommendation:

• 0–5,000 subscribers + want growth → beehiiv
• Blog + products/services later → Kit
• Just writing and building a following → Substack

For a weekly blog newsletter, I’d also make sure whichever platform you choose gives you:

1. easy signup forms for your website,
2. subscriber export (so you own your list),
3. basic analytics (opens, clicks, growth),
4. a clean welcome email sequence.

For a solo blogger on a tight budget, I’d pick Kit (formerly ConvertKit) right now.

Kit's free plan is unusually generous: up to 10,000 subscribers and unlimited email sends, although more advanced automation features require a paid plan. www.sasanova.com

Why I'd choose Kit for you: weekly newsletters don't generate huge sending costs, so the important thing is avoiding a subscriber-based bill while you're growing. You can concentrate on writing and list-building rather than worrying about hitting a 500- or 1,000-subscriber paywall.

Runner-up: beehiiv. If your blog is becoming primarily a newsletter business, beehiiv is compelling because its free plan supports 2,500 subscribers with unlimited sends and is particularly focused on newsletter growth and monetization. www.beehiiv.com

One option I'd skip for a new budget blog: MailerLite. Its free plan changed on June 16, 2026, dropping from 500 to 250 active subscribers and from 12,000 to 2,500 monthly emails. www.mailerlite.com

My ranking for your situation:

1. 🥇 Kit — best if keeping costs at $0 while growing is priority #1.
2. 🥈 beehiiv — best if subscriber growth/monetization is priority #1.
3. 🥉 Substack — best if you want the absolute simplest writing/publishing experience.
4. MailerLite — worthwhile if you specifically need its marketing/automation features.

If you tell me roughly how many subscribers you have now (or are starting from zero) and whether you want to monetize later, I can tell you which one I'd choose and why.

For a solo blogger on a tight budget, I’d pick Kit (formerly ConvertKit) if your main goal is growing an email list, with beehiiv as the best alternative if you’re especially focused on newsletter growth and eventual monetization.

🥇 My pick: Kit

Kit pricing

Kit's free Newsletter plan is unusually generous: up to 10,000 subscribers, unlimited email broadcasts, unlimited landing pages/forms, tagging and segmentation, and a basic automation. help.kit.comkit.com

That makes it particularly attractive for a blogger who doesn't want the platform bill to rise every time the audience grows.

The catch: the free plan has limited automation. Once you need more sophisticated sequences and automation, the paid Creator plan starts at $33/month for 1,000 subscribers. help.kit.comkit.com

🥈 beehiiv — best if your newsletter is the product

beehiiv

beehiiv's free Launch plan gives you 2,500 subscribers and unlimited sends, plus a website, analytics, custom domains and its recommendation network. www.beehiiv.com

I'd choose it over Kit if you're thinking of your blog/newsletter as a media business and eventually want paid subscriptions, referrals, ads, etc. The downside is the much lower free subscriber ceiling and the jump to paid plans when you need advanced features.

🥉 MailerLite — great, but less compelling now

MailerLite

MailerLite is very easy to use and has landing pages, signup forms, automations and A/B testing. But as of June/August 2026, its free plan is only 250 active subscribers and 2,500 emails/month. Its paid Comfort plan starts at $12/month. www.mailerlite.com

Bottom line

Starting from zero → Kit. You can grow a surprisingly large list before paying anything.

Newsletter itself is the business → beehiiv. Its growth and monetization ecosystem is more compelling.

You want a conventional, beginner-friendly email marketing tool → MailerLite.

For your specific situation—solo blogger + weekly newsletter + tight budget + subscriber growth—I'd start with Kit and stay on the free plan as long as possible. help.kit.comkit.com

For a solo blogger on a tight budget, I’d pick Kit (formerly ConvertKit) if your priority is growing a subscriber list without getting hit by fees too early.

Kit's unusually generous free tier is the biggest advantage: you can grow to 10,000 subscribers without paying for the basic newsletter service. The tradeoff is that more sophisticated automation features require upgrading. www.sasanova.com

beehiiv is the alternative I'd seriously consider. Its free plan goes to 2,500 subscribers with unlimited sends and is more oriented toward newsletter growth, publishing, and eventually monetization. www.beehiiv.com

I wouldn't choose MailerLite solely for the free plan right now. Its June 2026 changes reduced the free allowance to 250 active subscribers and 2,500 monthly emails, although it still provides useful landing pages, forms, and automation. www.mailerlite.com

My recommendation

Start with Kit if you're primarily a blogger building an email audience. It gives you enormous room to grow before subscription costs become an issue.

Choose beehiiv instead if you envision your blog becoming a newsletter/media business and want growth and monetization features to be central from the beginning.

One important distinction: don't choose based solely on today's free limit. Look at what happens when you reach 2,500, 5,000, and 10,000 subscribers—that's where platform pricing can become dramatically different. newsletterinsight.com

For a solo blogger on a tight budget, I’d pick Kit (formerly ConvertKit) if your priority is building a subscriber list cheaply. Its free plan is unusually generous: up to 10,000 subscribers with unlimited email sends and core creator features. zapier.comwww.sasanova.com

My shortlist

MailerLite's current official free plan includes 250 subscribers and 2,500 monthly emails, plus landing pages, forms and automations. www.mailerlite.com

Why I'd choose Kit for you

If you're publishing a blog and sending one newsletter every week, you don't need a huge marketing stack. Kit gives you a lot of room to grow without the platform becoming a monthly expense. Its free tier is particularly attractive if you expect to eventually reach several thousand subscribers. zapier.comwww.sasanova.com

Choose beehiiv instead if you specifically want to turn your newsletter into a media business—its free plan supports 2,500 subscribers and unlimited sends, and its ecosystem is more focused on newsletter growth and monetization. www.beehiiv.com

Bottom line:
Start with Kit at $0 → build your list → don't upgrade until you actually need its paid features. For a cash-strapped solo blogger, that's hard to beat.

If you tell me roughly whether you're starting with 0, 500, 2,000, or 5,000 subscribers, I can tell you which one will be cheapest over the next 1–2 years.

For a solo blogger on a tight budget, I’d pick Kit (formerly ConvertKit) in most cases.

My ranking

Kit's current free Newsletter plan is unusually generous: up to 10,000 subscribers with unlimited email sends, plus landing pages and basic audience tools. www.sasanova.comwww.sasanova.com

Kit's pricing

Why I'd choose Kit: You can start at $0 and keep sending your weekly newsletter as your list grows substantially. That's particularly attractive when you're trying to build an audience before you have meaningful revenue.

beehiiv is the alternative I'd choose if you want your newsletter to become more of a standalone media business. Its free tier goes to 2,500 subscribers and focuses heavily on newsletter growth and monetization. www.sasanova.com

beehiiv's pricing

Substack wins for absolute simplicity: free newsletters have no subscriber limit, but once you turn on paid subscriptions, Substack takes 10% of subscription revenue (plus payment processing). www.sasanova.comwww.mailerlite.com

Substack

I'd skip Mailchimp for a new solo blog unless you have a specific reason to use it. Its free tier is only 250 contacts, making it easy to hit the ceiling quickly. www.sasanova.com

One caveat: MailerLite changed its free plan in June 2026, reducing the limit from 500 to 250 active subscribers and from 12,000 to 2,500 monthly emails. www.mailerlite.com

Bottom line

Start with Kit. It's the best combination of $0 cost + room to grow + creator-friendly tools for a weekly blogger newsletter.

If you tell me roughly how many subscribers you have now (e.g. 0, 500, 2,000, or 10,000) and whether you eventually want paid subscriptions/sponsorships, I can narrow it down to the cheapest option for your specific situation.

For a solo blogger on a tight budget, I’d shortlist Kit, beehiiv, and Substack—but my pick depends on what “growing subscribers” means for you.

Kit's free plan is unusually generous: up to 10,000 subscribers and unlimited sends, although advanced automation is restricted. www.sasanova.comzapier.com

beehiiv is particularly attractive if your newsletter itself is becoming the business. Its free tier supports 2,500 subscribers and unlimited sends, and it is built around newsletter publishing, growth, and monetization. www.beehiiv.com

MailerLite is a nice, inexpensive conventional email-marketing tool, but its current free plan is only 250 subscribers and 2,500 monthly emails, so a weekly blogger could outgrow it relatively quickly. www.mailerlite.com

My recommendation

Start with Kit if your priority is:

• keeping costs at $0 for as long as possible
• publishing a weekly newsletter
• building a subscriber list you can eventually monetize
• having landing pages/forms without stitching together several services

Choose beehiiv instead if you specifically want your newsletter to become a media business and care about built-in growth/monetization tools. www.beehiiv.com

One important distinction: Substack looks free, but if you eventually introduce paid subscriptions, it takes a percentage of that revenue, so “free” isn't necessarily the cheapest long-term option. www.sasanova.com

Bottom line: I'd start with Kit for a solo blog on a shoestring budget. You can grow to 10,000 subscribers before the basic sending cost becomes the problem, which gives you a lot of runway. www.sasanova.comzapier.com

Kit · beehiiv · Substack · MailerLite

For a solo blogger on a tight budget, I’d pick beehiiv if your main goal is growing a newsletter, and Kit if your priority is keeping costs at $0 for as long as possible.

🥇 My pick: beehiiv

beehiiv

beehiiv's free Launch plan currently supports 2,500 subscribers and unlimited email sends, plus a website, custom domains, analytics, and its recommendation network. That's unusually good if your goal is actively growing a publication rather than merely sending emails. www.beehiiv.com

The catch: once you need advanced automations and monetization features, the paid plan jumps substantially—to around $43/month on the current pricing page. www.beehiiv.com

🥈 Best if you want to stay free: Kit

Kit

Kit's free tier is exceptionally generous: up to 10,000 subscribers with unlimited emails and core creator features. www.sasanova.com

For a blogger who expects to grow past 2,500 subscribers without wanting a sudden paid-plan jump, I'd seriously consider Kit over beehiiv.

🥉 Best for basic email marketing: MailerLite

MailerLite

MailerLite is very beginner-friendly and includes landing pages, signup forms, automations, and newsletter tools. But its current free tier is only 250 subscribers and 2,500 monthly emails, so you'll hit the ceiling much sooner. www.mailerlite.com

What I'd do in your shoes

Starting from zero → Kit or beehiiv.

• Want maximum free subscriber capacity → Kit
• Want newsletter-specific growth tools and publishing features → beehiiv
• Want simple traditional email marketing → MailerLite
• Want the absolute simplest writing-first experience → Substack, but remember it takes a percentage of paid-subscription revenue. www.beehiiv.com

For a weekly newsletter specifically, I'd start with beehiiv if you expect to monetize the newsletter eventually; otherwise, Kit is probably the better tight-budget choice.