ChatGPT answers, unedited

If your priorities are tiny budget + limited tech skills + just getting a newsletter off the ground, I’d start with mailerlite.com.

My pick: MailerLite

• $0 to start — currently up to 250 active subscribers and 2,500 emails/month. MailerLite MailerLite
• Beginner-friendly editor with drag-and-drop, plus signup forms and landing pages. MailerLite
• You don't need to build a separate website to start collecting subscribers. MailerLite
• When you outgrow free, its entry paid plan starts around $12/month. MailerLite

One caveat: MailerLite changed its free tier in 2026, so older recommendations saying "500 subscribers free" are outdated. MailerLite

Two alternatives worth considering

• beehiiv.com — better if your newsletter itself is the business. Its free Launch plan currently supports 2,500 subscribers with unlimited sends, plus a newsletter website and growth features. Beehiiv
• kit.com — particularly attractive if you're a creator and expect the newsletter to eventually sell products, courses, or memberships. Its free tier is unusually generous, although it has more feature limitations than the headline subscriber number suggests. Worklever

My simple rule:
If you're thinking "I just want to send a good-looking newsletter without figuring out complicated software" → MailerLite.
If you're thinking "I want to build a newsletter business/media brand" → beehiiv.

For your situation, I'd choose MailerLite and spend $0 until you have enough readers to justify paying.

For your situation, I’d start with mailerlite.com.

Why it fits a tiny-budget, low-tech start:

• Free to start: up to 250 active subscribers and 2,500 emails/month. MailerLite MailerLite
• Beginner-friendly editor: drag-and-drop newsletter creation, so you don't need to know HTML. MailerLite
• Signup forms and landing pages are included, so you can start collecting subscribers without building a separate website. MailerLite
• It has basic automations and analytics, giving you room to grow without immediately switching platforms. MailerLite
• When you outgrow free, the current entry paid plan starts around $12/month. MailerLite

One alternative worth considering

If your newsletter is more like a publication/media business and you expect to grow past 250 subscribers quickly, I'd look at beehiiv.com. Its free Launch plan currently allows up to 2,500 subscribers with unlimited email sends, plus a newsletter website. Beehiiv

My pick: MailerLite if you want the easiest all-purpose email tool; beehiiv if the newsletter itself is the main product.

If you tell me roughly how many subscribers you expect in your first year and whether you're planning to monetize the newsletter, I can narrow it down to one.

For your situation, I’d start with beehiiv.

beehiiv currently has a free Launch plan for up to 2,500 subscribers with unlimited email sends. It also gives you a newsletter website, analytics, signup tools, and custom-domain support, so you can get a fairly polished newsletter going without much technical work. www.beehiiv.com

My quick comparison

I'd pick beehiiv if the newsletter itself is the product—especially if you might eventually monetize it. Its free tier is unusually generous on sending volume. www.beehiiv.com

MailerLite is my runner-up if you expect to need more traditional marketing features such as forms, landing pages, automations, and A/B testing. Its current free plan is more restrictive: 250 active subscribers and 2,500 emails/month. www.mailerlite.com

Bottom line: Start with beehiiv, don't pay for anything yet, and focus your first dollars on the newsletter itself rather than fancy tech.

If you tell me what the newsletter is about and roughly how many subscribers you expect in your first 6 months, I can recommend the cheapest setup (including domain, signup page, and email tool) without overcomplicating it.

For a tiny-budget, low-tech newsletter, I’d start with Kit.

Why it’s my top pick right now:

• Free up to 10,000 subscribers on its Newsletter Plan, with unlimited email sends. help.kit.com
• It includes landing pages and signup forms, so you don't need to build a website just to collect subscribers. help.kit.comkit.com
• You get basic automation, tagging/segmentation, and newsletter publishing tools without paying upfront. help.kit.comkit.com
• It's particularly designed around creators and newsletter publishers, rather than requiring you to learn a complicated marketing system. kit.com

My quick comparison

MailerLite is also very beginner-friendly, but its free tier was reduced in 2026 to 250 subscribers and 2,500 monthly emails, making Kit considerably more attractive if you're trying to spend $0 initially. www.mailerlite.com

Bottom line: Start with Kit, keep everything on the free plan, and don't worry about paying for fancy automation until your newsletter actually has an audience.

If you tell me what your newsletter is about and roughly how often you plan to send it, I can also recommend the simplest setup for your first issue.

For your situation, I’d start with MailerLite.

It hits a particularly good balance of cheap + easy + enough room to grow:

• $0 to start, with up to 250 active subscribers and 2,500 emails/month. www.mailerlite.com
• A drag-and-drop editor, signup forms, landing pages, and basic automation are included, so you don't need much technical knowledge. www.mailerlite.combuttondown.com
• When you outgrow the free tier, the entry paid plan currently starts around $12/month. www.mailerlite.com
• You don't need a website to get started. www.mailerlite.combuttondown.com

Two alternatives worth considering

beehiiv is especially compelling if you expect the newsletter itself to become a business: its free tier allows up to 2,500 subscribers with unlimited sends, plus a newsletter website. www.beehiiv.com Buttondown is extremely stripped-down and gives the first 100 subscribers free, with a rich-text/Markdown editor. buttondown.com

My recommendation: Start with MailerLite if you want the least technical learning curve. If your newsletter is more like a creator publication and you expect rapid subscriber growth, I'd choose beehiiv instead.

MailerLite · beehiiv · Buttondown

For your situation, I’d start with Kit.

It’s especially good if the newsletter is primarily your content/voice rather than a company marketing list. As of 2026, Kit’s free Newsletter Plan supports up to 10,000 subscribers, unlimited email sends, unlimited forms/landing pages, and a basic automation. help.kit.com

My quick ranking

Why I'd pick Kit: you won't have to migrate just because your newsletter grows from 250 to 1,000 subscribers. It also gives you landing pages and basic automation without requiring technical knowledge. help.kit.com

When I'd choose MailerLite instead: if you care more about traditional email marketing—beautiful drag-and-drop emails, forms, a simple website, and straightforward automations. Its current free plan is limited to 250 active subscribers and 2,500 emails/month, though paid plans start at $12/month. www.mailerlite.com

Bottom line: Start with Kit, stay on the free plan, and don't pay for anything until your newsletter is actually gaining traction.

If your priorities are tiny budget + limited tech skills, I’d start with beehiiv.

beehiiv offers a free plan for up to 2,500 subscribers with unlimited email sends, plus a built-in newsletter website, signup forms, analytics, and custom-domain support. That gives you plenty of room to experiment without worrying about an email-sending bill right away. www.beehiiv.com

My quick ranking

Why I'd pick beehiiv: You can essentially create the newsletter, give it a simple web presence, collect subscribers, and send emails without stitching together several different services. Its free Launch plan is unusually generous on sending volume. www.beehiiv.com

When I'd choose MailerLite instead: If your newsletter is more like a small business email list—with polished templates, signup forms, automations, and landing pages—MailerLite is very beginner-friendly. Its current free plan is 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails/month, and the next paid tier starts at $12/month. www.mailerlite.com

One important tip: Don't overbuild at the beginning. Pick one platform, use its default signup page, make a simple newsletter template, and focus your effort on publishing consistently. You can worry about fancy branding and automation once you actually have readers.

Bottom line: start with beehiiv unless you specifically want a more traditional email-marketing tool; then choose MailerLite.

For a tiny budget + limited tech skills, I’d avoid anything too “marketing automation” heavy at first. You mainly need:

• a simple signup page/form
• an easy email editor
• reliable delivery
• a way to export your subscribers later

My top picks:

My recommendation based on what you described:

1. Start with Substack if your main goal is “I want to publish a newsletter and not think about technology.” It’s the lowest-friction option. publishinghouse.org
2. Start with beehiiv if you think this could become a serious newsletter business (sponsors, audience growth, analytics). stilllater.com
3. Start with Kit if your newsletter is really a way to build an audience for something you’ll sell later. www.sasanova.com

For a first newsletter, I’d probably choose beehiiv or Substack:

• Personal essays, commentary, community → Substack
• Niche publication, industry newsletter, growth goals → beehiiv

A few things I’d not worry about yet:

• buying a custom domain
• fancy templates
• automation sequences
• a full website

Get your first 100 subscribers before optimizing the machinery. The platform matters much less than having a clear topic and a consistent sending schedule.

For your situation, I’d start with MailerLite.

Why it fits a tiny-budget, low-tech start:

• $0 to begin — the current free plan supports up to 250 active subscribers and 2,500 emails/month. www.mailerlite.com
• Beginner-friendly editor — you can build newsletters with drag-and-drop rather than coding. www.mailerlite.com
• Signup forms + landing page included, so you don't need to build a separate website just to collect subscribers. www.mailerlite.com
• Basic automation is included, useful for an automatic welcome email. www.mailerlite.comwww.mailerlite.com
• When you grow, the first paid tier currently starts at $12/month. www.mailerlite.comwww.mailerlite.com

One alternative worth considering

beehiiv is especially attractive if your newsletter is the business and you eventually want to monetize it. Its free Launch plan currently allows up to 2,500 subscribers with unlimited email sends, plus a website and analytics. www.beehiiv.com

So I'd choose:

My recommendation: start with MailerLite. Don't spend money on a website, fancy design, or complicated automation yet. Get the newsletter running, build your first 100–250 subscribers, and upgrade only when you actually hit a limitation. www.mailerlite.com

Start a free MailerLite account

For your situation, I’d start with MailerLite.

It hits the sweet spot of easy + inexpensive + beginner-friendly:

• $0 to start for up to 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails/month. www.mailerlite.com
• A drag-and-drop editor, so you don't need to know HTML or coding. www.mailerlite.com
• Built-in signup forms, landing pages, and basic automations, meaning you don't have to stitch together several services. www.mailerlite.com
• When you outgrow it, the next plan starts around $12/month. www.mailerlite.com

Two alternatives worth considering

beehiiv — I'd pick this if your newsletter is the business. Its free Launch plan supports up to 2,500 subscribers with unlimited email sends, plus a newsletter website and growth features. www.beehiiv.com

Buttondown — Great if you want an extremely simple, writing-focused newsletter. Your first 100 subscribers are free, with a clean rich-text/Markdown editor and hosted archives. buttondown.com

My recommendation:
👉 MailerLite if you're starting from scratch and want the least technical setup.
👉 beehiiv if you expect to grow past a few hundred subscribers quickly.
👉 Buttondown if you want the simplest possible writing experience.

If you tell me what the newsletter is about and roughly how many subscribers you expect in your first year, I can narrow it down to one.

For a tiny budget + limited tech skills, I’d start with MailerLite.

MailerLite has a particularly beginner-friendly setup: its free plan currently supports up to 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails/month, with a drag-and-drop editor, signup forms, a landing page, basic automations, and analytics. www.mailerlite.com

My quick ranking

One important wrinkle: Kit's free Newsletter plan is now remarkably generous—up to 10,000 subscribers, unlimited broadcasts, landing pages/forms, and audience tagging. help.kit.com If your newsletter is primarily your personal content/creator business, I'd seriously consider Kit instead.

beehiiv's free Launch plan allows 2,500 subscribers and unlimited email sends, plus a website and newsletter analytics. www.beehiiv.com

My recommendation:

• Just want something simple: MailerLite
• Building a creator/personal newsletter: Kit
• Want to eventually monetize the newsletter with ads/subscriptions: beehiiv

If you tell me what the newsletter is about and roughly how many subscribers you expect in year one, I can pick the cheapest/best option for your specific situation.

For a tiny budget + limited tech skills, I’d start with one of these:

My recommendation based on your situation:

• If you just want to start sending a newsletter this week: choose Substack. You can be writing your first issue within minutes.
• If you think this could become a serious newsletter business: choose beehiiv. It gives you more room to grow without needing to rebuild later. www.beehiiv.com
• If your newsletter will support a business, course, coaching, or products: choose Kit. www.sasanova.com

I would avoid starting with more complex tools like full marketing platforms unless you already need things like CRM features, ecommerce flows, or lots of automation. They can add unnecessary setup work when your main job is getting your first readers.

A simple starter stack:

1. Pick Substack or beehiiv
2. Create a signup page
3. Import any existing contacts who have given permission to receive emails
4. Send once a week (consistency matters more than fancy design)
5. Revisit tools after you reach a few hundred subscribers

If you tell me what kind of newsletter it is (personal writing, local news, business, hobby, paid newsletter, etc.), I can narrow it down to one choice.

For a tiny-budget newsletter and limited tech skills, I’d start with MailerLite.

MailerLite is probably the best balance of easy + inexpensive + room to grow right now:

• $0 to start — the free plan supports up to 250 active subscribers and 2,500 emails/month. www.mailerlite.comwww.mailerlite.combuttondown.com
• Beginner-friendly editor — you can build newsletters with drag-and-drop rather than coding. www.mailerlite.com
• Signup forms and landing pages are included, so you don't need to build a separate website just to collect subscribers. www.mailerlite.comwww.mailerlite.combuttondown.com
• It has basic automation and analytics, so you won't immediately outgrow it if your newsletter starts gaining traction. www.mailerlite.comwww.mailerlite.combuttondown.com
• When you outgrow the free tier, the current paid plans start at $12/month. www.mailerlite.comwww.mailerlite.combuttondown.com

One alternative worth considering

If your newsletter is primarily writing, rather than marketing/business emails, Buttondown is especially appealing. It costs nothing for the first 100 subscribers, has a simple rich-text/Markdown editor, and is deliberately lightweight. buttondown.com

My pick:
👉 MailerLite if you want the easiest all-around setup.
👉 Buttondown if you want an extremely simple, writer-focused newsletter and don't need lots of marketing features.

If you tell me roughly how many subscribers you expect in your first 6–12 months and whether the newsletter is personal, business, or paid, I can narrow it down to one.

If you’re starting small, on a tiny budget, and don’t want a technical project, I’d pick Kit.

My recommendation: Kit

Kit

Its free Newsletter plan currently supports up to 10,000 subscribers, with unlimited broadcasts, unlimited landing pages/forms, audience tagging, and a basic automation. That’s unusually generous for a free plan. help.kit.com

Why I’d choose it for you:

• $0 to start
• You don't need to build a website first
• Easy landing pages/forms for collecting subscribers
• Good fit if the newsletter is primarily about your ideas, expertise, or content
• You can eventually sell subscriptions or digital products without migrating platforms. kit.com

Two alternatives worth considering

MailerLite — probably the easiest traditional email-marketing tool. Its free plan includes a drag-and-drop editor, landing page, forms, automations and A/B testing, but it's limited to 250 active subscribers and 2,500 emails/month. Paid plans start at $12/month. www.mailerlite.com

MailerLite

beehiiv — excellent if you think of this as a newsletter business and eventually want advertising or paid subscriptions. Its free Launch plan supports 2,500 subscribers and unlimited sends. www.beehiiv.com

beehiiv

Bottom line

For your situation, I'd start with Kit and spend $0 until you have a reason to pay. Don't over-engineer it: set up one signup page, one welcome email, and start publishing.