ChatGPT answers, unedited

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

My pick: Kit

kit.com has a genuinely useful free plan: up to 10,000 subscribers, unlimited email broadcasts, landing pages/forms, tagging/segmentation, and the ability to sell digital products or subscriptions. Kit Kit Help Center

That makes it particularly attractive when you're starting from zero—you can focus on writing rather than worrying about hosting, plugins, or complicated email infrastructure.

How the main options compare

• Kit: Best fit if you're a creator building a newsletter from scratch. Free up to 10,000 subscribers; very generous for a new publication. Kit Help Center
• beehiiv: Good if you want your newsletter to eventually become a larger media business. Its free Launch plan supports up to 2,500 subscribers with unlimited sends and includes a website. Beehiiv
• MailerLite: Good if you want a more traditional email-marketing tool with drag-and-drop editing and automation. Its current free tier is much smaller—250 subscribers and 2,500 emails/month. MailerLite

For your situation, I'd choose Kit and not overthink it. You can create a signup page, write your first issue, and start collecting subscribers without spending anything.

If you tell me what the newsletter is about and roughly how many subscribers you expect in the first year, I can also tell you which setup I'd use and how I'd configure it.

For your situation—tiny budget + limited tech skills + starting from scratch—I’d start with Kit (formerly ConvertKit).

• $0 to start: Kit’s free plan currently supports up to 10,000 subscribers and unlimited email broadcasts. Kit Kit Help Center
• Beginner-friendly: You can create signup forms and landing pages without building a website, then write newsletters in a visual editor. Kit Kit Help Center
• Room to grow: It also supports tagging/segmentation and selling digital products or paid subscriptions, so you don't necessarily have to migrate later. Kit Help Center
• Main catch: the free plan doesn't include advanced automations/email sequences; those require a paid plan. Kit Help Center

A simple alternative

MailerLite is worth considering if you want a more traditional drag-and-drop email-marketing experience. Its free tier is currently limited to 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails/month, but it includes a website, landing page, signup forms, and basic automations. MailerLite MailerLite

So I'd make the choice like this:

• Want to spend $0 and have lots of room to grow? → Kit
• Want a more traditional marketing/email-builder interface? → MailerLite

For a first newsletter, I wouldn't pay for anything yet. Get the first 100–500 subscribers and establish your publishing routine before worrying about advanced features.

If you’re starting with very little money and limited tech skills, I’d start with kit.com.

Why Kit fits your situation

• $0 to start: Kit’s free plan supports up to 10,000 subscribers and unlimited newsletter broadcasts. Kit Kit Help Center
• No website required: You can create landing pages and signup forms directly in Kit. Kit
• Simple newsletter workflow: You write an email in its Broadcast editor, then send it immediately or schedule it. Kit Help Center
• Room to grow: You can eventually sell digital products or paid subscriptions without moving to another platform. Kit Help Center Kit

Two alternatives worth knowing

• beehiiv.com — also has a $0 plan, currently allowing up to 2,500 subscribers with unlimited sends. It's particularly oriented toward newsletter publishing and growth. Beehiiv
• mailerlite.com — a good option if you want more traditional email-marketing features, but its current free tier is much smaller: 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails/month. MailerLite

My practical starting setup: Kit + its free landing page + one simple signup form + a weekly newsletter. Don't spend money on a custom website or fancy automation until you've proven people actually want the newsletter.

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

If your priorities are tiny budget + limited tech skills + getting started quickly, I’d choose MailerLite.

My pick: MailerLite

It’s built around straightforward newsletters, signup forms, landing pages, and simple automations rather than making you configure a bunch of technical infrastructure. Recent comparisons also rate it particularly highly for beginners. ownletter.com beehiiv.com

One important 2026 caveat: its free plan has recently become much smaller—current reports put it at 250 active subscribers and 2,500 emails/month.

The alternatives

• MailerLite — Best if you want a conventional email newsletter with a simple visual editor and signup forms.
• beehiiv — Better if your

It’s built around straightforward newsletters, signup forms, landing pages, and simple automations rather than making you configure a bunch of technical infrastructure. Recent comparisons also rate it particularly highly for beginners.

If you’re starting small, on a tight budget, and don’t want to wrestle with tech, I’d start with **** (formerly ConvertKit).

My pick: Kit

• $0 to start with a

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

My top pick: beehiiv.com

Best if you want to grow a real newsletter business.

Why it fits:

• Free plan to get started (currently supports small newsletters before you need to upgrade). Beehiiv
• Built specifically for newsletters rather than general marketing.
• Easy templates, signup pages, analytics, and growth tools.
• You can start without building a website.

Downside:

• Some advanced growth and monetization features require paid plans. Beehiiv

Simplest possible: substack.com

Best if you just want to write and send.

Good for:

• A personal newsletter
• Essays, commentary, niche writing
• Getting started in an afternoon

Pros:

• No upfront cost.
• Very little setup.
• Built-in publishing page.

Tradeoff:

• If you later charge for subscriptions, Substack takes a percentage of paid revenue. Sasanova

Best if you might sell products later: kit.com

Best for creators, coaches, authors, and businesses.

Good for:

• Growing an email list
• Selling courses, downloads, or services
• More advanced email sequences later

Its free tier is designed to let creators start before paying. SaaS Match Guide

What I would avoid at the beginning

• mailchimp.com — it’s a solid marketing platform, but it can feel more complicated than needed for a simple newsletter, and pricing can become less attractive as your list grows. Sasanova
• Self-hosted options like ghost.org — powerful, but more technical.

My recommendation based on your situation:

• “I just want to start writing this week” → Substack
• “I want this to become a newsletter business” → beehiiv
• “I may sell something later” → Kit

If you’re starting from zero and have no tech background, I’d lean beehiiv or Substack. Pick one, create a signup page, write your first 3–5 issues, and don’t spend time optimizing tools before you have readers. migma.ai

For your situation, I’d start with Kit.

It’s a particularly good fit if your priorities are tiny budget + limited technical skills + room to grow. As of 2026, its free Newsletter plan supports up to 10,000 subscribers with unlimited broadcasts, so you can avoid paying while you’re building your audience. SaaS Match Guide Zapier

My shortlist

• Kit — best overall for you. Simple creator-focused setup, generous free tier, landing pages/forms, and basic automation. SaaS Match Guide
• Substack — easiest possible start. Great if you mainly want to write and publish, with essentially no upfront cost. The catch is that Substack takes 10% of paid-subscription revenue if you eventually charge readers. OwnLetter Sasanova
• beehiiv — best if you already think this could become a media business. Its free tier goes to 2,500 subscribers and includes unlimited sending, with stronger newsletter-growth features. SaaS Match Guide SaaS Compared
• MailerLite — good if you want traditional email marketing. It's beginner-friendly and includes useful automation, but its current free limits are considerably smaller. OwnLetter Stuff Report

What I'd do: Start with Kit, spend $0, and don't worry about sophisticated automations or a custom website yet. Get your signup page live, write consistently, and only pay when you actually hit a limitation you need to overcome.

If you tell me what the newsletter is about and roughly how many subscribers you expect in your first year, I can tell you whether I'd pick Kit, Substack, or beehiiv for your specific case.

If you’re starting very small, have limited tech skills, and want to spend as little as possible, I’d start with Kit (formerly ConvertKit).

• Kit: free plan currently supports up to 10,000 subscribers with unlimited emails, making it unusually generous for a new newsletter. It’s designed for creators and is relatively straightforward to use. Sasanova Zapier
• beehiiv: my second choice if you’re particularly focused on growing the newsletter as a media business. Its free plan goes up to 2,500 subscribers and includes unlimited sends plus newsletter/website features. StackPicks Newsletter Cost Calculator
• Buttondown: excellent if you want an extremely minimalist writing-and-sending experience, but its free tier is only 100 subscribers. Buttondown
• Substack: probably the absolute easiest to start, especially if you want built-in discovery, but it takes 10% of paid-subscription revenue if you eventually monetize. Sasanova

My pick for you

Start with Kit. Don't pay for anything yet. Get your first 100–500 subscribers, learn what people actually want from your newsletter, and only then worry about advanced automation or monetization.

If you tell me what the newsletter is about (e.g. local events, investing, a hobby, business advice, personal writing), I can tell you whether I'd choose Kit, beehiiv, or Substack for your specific case.

If you’re starting very small, with little technical experience and almost no budget, I’d pick MailerLite.

My pick: MailerLite

mailerlite.com is probably the best beginner-friendly balance of easy + inexpensive + enough room to grow.

• $0 to start, with up to 250 active subscribers and 2,500 emails/month. MailerLite MailerLite
• Has a drag-and-drop editor, so you don't need to code. MailerLite
• Includes signup forms, a landing page, and basic automations on the free plan. MailerLite
• When you outgrow it, the next plan currently starts at $12/month. MailerLite

One caveat: MailerLite changed its free limits in June 2026, reducing the free tier from 500 to 250 subscribers and from 12,000 to 2,500 monthly emails. MailerLite

Two alternatives

• beehiiv — better if your newsletter is primarily a publication and you expect to grow a large audience. Its free Launch plan supports up to 2,500 subscribers with unlimited sends. Beehiiv
• Buttondown — excellent if you want something extremely simple and writing-focused. The first 100 subscribers are free, with a clean text/Markdown editor. Buttondown

My rule of thumb:
MailerLite if you want a polished newsletter + signup page with minimal fuss.
Buttondown if you mostly want to write and send.
beehiiv if you're thinking, “I want this to become a serious publication.”

For your situation, I'd start with MailerLite's free plan and spend $0 until you actually hit the limit.

If you’re starting a newsletter rather than a full-blown marketing operation, I’d keep it very simple:

My pick: kit.com

Kit is particularly good for beginners and creators. Its free plan currently supports up to 10,000 subscribers, with unlimited email broadcasts, forms, and landing pages. Kit Kit Help Center

The main catch: some more advanced automation features require a paid plan. But for a straightforward newsletter—write an email, collect subscribers, send it—you can stay at $0 for quite a while.

Two good alternatives

• mailerlite.com — probably the easiest choice if you want a more traditional email-marketing tool. Its free plan currently allows 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails/month, plus landing pages, signup forms and basic automation. MailerLite MailerLite
• brevo.com — worth considering if you expect to have lots of contacts but send relatively infrequently. The free plan stores up to 100,000 contacts, but limits you to 300 email sends per day. Brevo Help Brevo Help

For your situation, I'd start with Kit. You don't need to worry about paying as your first few hundred—or even few thousand—readers arrive, and you can build the signup page and newsletter in one place.

If you tell me what the newsletter is about and roughly how often you'll send it, I can also tell you whether Kit, MailerLite, or Brevo is the best fit.

If you’re starting tiny-budget + low-tech, I’d keep it simple:

My pick: Kit

kit.com is probably the best fit if your main goal is “write newsletters, collect subscribers, and grow without worrying about tech.”

• $0 to start, with a free tier currently supporting up to 10,000 subscribers. Newsletter Cost Calculator Beehiiv
• Unlimited email sends on the free tier. Newsletter Cost Calculator
• Designed specifically around creators/newsletters rather than being a general-purpose marketing system.
• You can start without building a complicated website or automation system.

Two alternatives

• beehiiv.com — I'd choose this if you want your newsletter to feel more like a publication/media business, with built-in growth and publishing features. Its free tier goes to 2,500 subscribers. Beehiiv
• mailerlite.com — very beginner-friendly if you want more traditional email-marketing features and landing pages. Its current free tier is smaller: 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails/month. MailerLite

For your situation, I'd start with Kit and spend $0 initially. Don't buy a domain, fancy template, automation tools, or anything else until you've proven that people actually want the newsletter.

If you tell me what the newsletter is about and roughly how many subscribers you expect in year 1, I can recommend the cheapest setup (including signup page + domain + email tool) for you.

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

My recommendation for your situation:

• If your goal is “I just want to start writing and get subscribers” → choose Substack.
• If your goal is “I want to eventually sell products, courses, services, or build a business” → choose Kit.
• If your goal is “I want to grow a publication/newsletter brand” → choose beehiiv.

For most first-time newsletter creators with almost no budget, I’d pick Kit or Substack. You can avoid paying anything until you have traction, and you don’t need coding skills. saasmatchguide.comwww.sasanova.com

A simple starter stack:

1. Newsletter platform: Kit or Substack
2. Signup page: the built-in landing page
3. Writing/design: Google Docs + Canva
4. Growth: share the signup link wherever your audience already exists

I’d avoid starting with heavier email marketing systems like Mailchimp unless you already need things like customer databases, complex campaigns, or business marketing automation; they can be more than a new newsletter needs. www.beehiiv.com

If you tell me what kind of newsletter it is (personal writing, business, local community, paid newsletter, hobby, etc.) and your expected first-year subscriber goal, I can narrow it to one choice.

For a tiny budget + limited tech skills, I’d start with beehiiv or Substack, depending on your goal. Beehiiv Migma

My quick recommendation:

Best overall starter: beehiiv

beehiiv is a strong fit if you want to grow a newsletter as a business. It’s designed around newsletters rather than general email marketing, with signup pages, analytics, and growth features. Its free tier is aimed at getting a small publication off the ground. Beehiiv

Good for:

• A weekly newsletter you hope to grow
• Building an email list you own
• Eventually adding sponsorships, referrals, or paid subscriptions

Downside:

• More features than you may need on day one

Easiest possible start: Substack

Substack is probably the simplest if your main goal is just writing and sending. You can publish without setting up much technology, and it’s popular with writers and creators. Beehiiv

Good for:

• Personal newsletters
• Essays, commentary, niche writing
• Getting started in an afternoon

Downside:

• If you later build paid subscriptions, Substack takes a percentage of revenue. Beehiiv

Also worth considering: Kit

Kit (formerly ConvertKit) is good if your newsletter will eventually sell something—courses, products, memberships, consulting, etc. It’s more of an email business tool than a pure newsletter platform. SaaS Match Guide

I’d avoid starting with:

• Mailchimp — it’s capable, but it can feel like overkill for a first newsletter, and free limits/pricing have become less attractive compared with newsletter-first tools. Beehiiv
• Complex marketing automation platforms — you probably don’t need them until you have a real audience.

My “start this weekend” setup:

1. Pick beehiiv if you want to grow a newsletter business.
2. Pick Substack if you mainly want to write.
3. Create one simple signup page.
4. Send one useful email per week.
5. Don’t worry about branding, fancy templates, or automation until you have your first few hundred subscribers.

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

If you're starting small, want to spend $0 initially, and don't want to wrestle with technology, I'd start with kit.com (formerly ConvertKit).

My pick: Kit

• Free up to 10,000 subscribers with unlimited sends, which gives you a lot of room to grow before paying. Worklever The Data Duel
• It's designed specifically for creators/newsletters, rather than being an overwhelming business marketing suite.
• You can create a signup form/landing page and start sending newsletters without knowing how to code.
• The main catch on free is that some advanced automation and customization features are restricted, and Kit branding appears on emails. Worklever

Two alternatives worth considering

• beehiiv.com — I'd choose this if your newsletter itself is going to be the business. Its free plan supports up to 2,500 subscribers with unlimited sends and is particularly focused on newsletter growth. The Data Duel
• substack.com — probably the absolute simplest option if you're primarily a writer. There's no monthly fee for a free newsletter, but Substack takes a 10% cut of paid subscription revenue if you eventually charge readers. Newsletter Cost Calculator

One thing I'd not automatically choose anymore: MailerLite. It used to be the obvious budget recommendation, but its free allowance was reduced in 2026 to 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails/month, making Kit or beehiiv much more attractive for a newsletter you hope to grow. Worklever

Bottom line: Start with Kit if you want the best combination of easy + free + room to grow. Start with beehiiv if you already know you want to build a newsletter business around growth/monetization.

If you’re starting from $0–$20/month and don’t want a technical project, I’d start with Kit (formerly ConvertKit).

My pick: Kit

kit.com

• Free up to 10,000 subscribers with unlimited email sends, which is unusually generous. Worklever Sasanova
• The interface is designed around creators/newsletters rather than complicated marketing campaigns.
• You get landing pages and forms, so you can start collecting subscribers without building a website.
• The main free-plan limitation is one automation, one form, and one landing page, plus Kit branding. Worklever
• You can start free and worry about paying only when you actually need more sophisticated automation.

Two alternatives worth considering

• beehiiv.com — My choice if you think of the newsletter itself as a media business. Its free plan currently goes to 2,500 subscribers with unlimited sends and has stronger newsletter/publishing and growth features. Beehiiv
• substack.com — Probably the absolute easiest if you just want to write and hit Publish. It's free to start, but takes a percentage of paid-subscription revenue, and you get less control over marketing/automation. OwnLetter

I wouldn't choose Mailchimp or MailerLite first for your situation. MailerLite is genuinely beginner-friendly, but its free limits have become much less attractive in 2026; current reporting puts the free tier at 250 subscribers/2,500 monthly sends. Worklever

Bottom line:
Kit = best all-around starting point.
Substack = easiest possible start.
beehiiv = best if you're building a newsletter business.

If you tell me what the newsletter is about and roughly how many subscribers you expect in year one, I can tell you which of the three I'd personally pick for you.

If you’re starting from scratch with a tiny budget and limited tech skills, I’d pick kit.com (formerly ConvertKit).

My pick: Kit

• $0/month to start, with up to 10,000 subscribers on the free plan. Kit Kit Help Center
• Unlimited email broadcasts, so a weekly newsletter won’t eat into a sending quota. Kit Help Center
• You can build signup forms and landing pages without having a website. Kit
• It has built-in tools for growing and eventually selling subscriptions/digital products, so you don't necessarily need to migrate later. Kit Help Center

How I'd compare the alternatives

beehiiv.com has an excellent free plan too—2,500 subscribers and unlimited sends—but I'd choose it over Kit mainly if you already know you want sophisticated newsletter-growth/monetization features. Beehiiv

mailerlite.com is beginner-friendly, but its free tier was reduced in 2026 to 250 active subscribers and 2,500 monthly emails, making it less attractive for a tiny-budget newsletter. MailerLite MailerLite

Bottom line: Start with Kit's free plan. Don't spend money on a website, fancy templates, or automation yet. Get your signup page live, send consistently, and upgrade only when you actually hit a limitation.

If you tell me what your newsletter is about and roughly how many subscribers you expect in the first year, I can recommend the simplest setup and walk you through it step-by-step.

If you're starting a newsletter with very little money and limited technical skills, I'd start with MailerLite.

It's particularly beginner-friendly: the editor is drag-and-drop, and you can create signup forms, landing pages, and newsletters without coding. Recent 2026 comparisons consistently rate it among the easiest platforms to learn. Mr. Review Ai InboxArmy

My shortlist

• MailerLite — best for you if simplicity is #1. The interface is clean and you can get a professional-looking newsletter running without much technical knowledge. The catch: its free tier was reduced in 2026, so check the current subscriber limit before committing. Mr. Review Ai Toolradar
• Kit — best if you're primarily a writer/creator. Its free plan can accommodate up to 10,000 subscribers and is designed specifically around newsletters and audience growth. SaaS Match Guide Toolradar
• Brevo — best if you expect a bigger list but send infrequently. Its free plan is based on daily sending rather than number of contacts, with up to 300 emails/day according to recent comparisons. Toolradar Picktool
• beehiiv — worth considering if the newsletter itself is the business. It's more publisher-focused, with tools for growing and eventually monetizing a newsletter. SaaS Match Guide

My pick: Start with MailerLite if you're expecting a small list initially and want the least technical hassle. If you're building a personal/content-creator newsletter and expect rapid subscriber growth, I'd choose Kit instead.

I wouldn't spend money on a website, custom email infrastructure, or complicated automation yet. Get your first 100–500 subscribers and establish a sending routine first.

If you’re starting very small, with limited tech skills and almost no budget, I’d pick MailerLite.

My recommendation: MailerLite

Its free plan is particularly beginner-friendly: you get a drag-and-drop email editor, signup forms, a landing page, basic automations, and up to 250 active subscribers / 2,500 emails per month. There’s no credit card required. www.mailerlite.com

Why I’d choose it for you:

• 🟢 Easy to use — visual editor rather than technical setup.
• 🟢 $0 to start — plenty for validating a newsletter idea.
• 🟢 Signup page included — you don't need to build a website first.
• 🟢 Basic automation included — useful for welcome emails.
• 🟢 Cheap when you outgrow it — paid plans currently start at $12/month. www.mailerlite.com

One caveat: MailerLite changed its free plan in June 2026, reducing the limit from 500 to 250 subscribers, so keep that in mind as your audience grows. www.mailerlite.com

Two alternatives worth considering

beehiiv has a surprisingly generous free plan: up to 2,500 subscribers and unlimited sends, plus a website and newsletter analytics. www.beehiiv.com If your main goal is specifically building a media/newsletter business, I'd seriously consider it.

Buttondown is wonderfully minimalist and free for your first 100 subscribers, but some features are paid add-ons. www.buttondown.com

Bottom line: Start with MailerLite if you want the easiest all-purpose setup. Choose beehiiv instead if you're thinking, “This newsletter could eventually become a business.”

If you’re starting from scratch with very little money and limited technical experience, I’d choose kit.com.

Why:

• $0 to start: Kit’s free plan currently supports up to 10,000 subscribers with unlimited email broadcasts, which gives you a huge amount of room to grow before paying. Worklever The Data Duel
• Beginner-friendly: It’s designed around creators and newsletters rather than requiring you to build a complicated email-marketing system.
• Good long-term option: You can start simple and later add automations, products, and monetization rather than migrating your audience to another platform.
• Main catch: The free plan has limitations around advanced automation and includes Kit branding. Worklever

My quick ranking for you

1. Kit — best overall for a tiny-budget beginner.
2. beehiiv — excellent if your newsletter itself is the business; free up to 2,500 subscribers and particularly strong for newsletter growth. Beehiiv
3. Substack — arguably the simplest possible start if you mainly want to write and publish. It's free to publish, but takes 10% of paid-subscription revenue if you eventually charge readers. Newsletter Calc
4. MailerLite — formerly a strong budget recommendation, but its free tier was reduced in July 2026 to 250 subscribers / 2,500 emails per month, making it less attractive for a newsletter you hope will grow. Worklever

Bottom line: Start with Kit unless you specifically want the built-in newsletter-publishing/growth ecosystem of beehiiv or the extreme simplicity of Substack.

If you tell me what your newsletter is about and whether you expect 100, 1,000, or 10,000+ readers, I can narrow it down to one choice and tell you exactly how I'd set it up.

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

My top pick: beehiiv

Best if you think of this as a newsletter business you might grow.

• Free plan is designed specifically for newsletters and includes tools like publishing pages and growth features. Sasanova
• Easy editor: write, add images, send.
• Better if you may later want sponsorships, referrals, or monetization. Beehiiv
• Slight downside: the free subscriber limit is lower than some competitors. Sasanova

Choose this if: “I want to build an audience and maybe turn this into something bigger.”

Simplest option: Substack

Best if you just want to start writing today.

• $0 to start.
• Very little setup: create a publication, write posts, collect subscribers.
• Good for writers, personal newsletters, essays, commentary, and community-building. PainPointMap
• If you eventually charge for subscriptions, Substack takes a percentage of paid subscription revenue. Sasanova

Choose this if: “I don’t want to learn software; I just want to publish.”

Best free list-building value: Kit (formerly ConvertKit)

Best if your newsletter supports a creator business.

• Strong free tier for growing an email list. Sasanova
• Good if you later sell courses, downloads, consulting, memberships, etc.
• More “email marketing” oriented than Substack, so there’s a little more to learn.

Choose this if: “My newsletter is part of a business.”

I’d avoid starting with Mailchimp for this specific situation

It’s a familiar tool, but for a brand-new tiny newsletter it can be more complicated than necessary, and its free tier is relatively limited compared with newsletter-focused tools. Sasanova

My recommendation for you

Given tiny budget + limited tech skills:

1. Start with Substack if you want the fastest, easiest launch.
2. Start with beehiiv if you’re serious about growing a newsletter brand.
3. Start with Kit if you already know you’ll sell something later.

A simple starter stack:

• Newsletter platform: beehiiv or Substack
• Signup page: built into the platform
• Design: one simple logo/banner made in Canva
• Schedule: one email per week
• Cost: $0/month at the beginning

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

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

• kit.com — best overall for a beginner newsletter. Its free plan currently supports up to 10,000 subscribers, unlimited email broadcasts, forms, landing pages, tagging/segmentation, and even selling digital products. Kit Help Center Kit
• beehiiv.com — best if the newsletter itself is the business. Its free Launch plan supports 2,500 subscribers and unlimited sends, plus a newsletter website and growth features. Beehiiv
• mailerlite.com — very beginner-friendly, but its free tier is now much smaller: 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails/month. MailerLite MailerLite

My pick

Start with Kit if you mainly want to write a newsletter, grow an audience, and avoid worrying about the software for a while. The 10,000-subscriber free ceiling is unusually generous. Kit Help Center

If your goal is more specifically “build a newsletter business and eventually make money from it,” I'd choose beehiiv instead.

If you tell me what your newsletter is about and roughly how many subscribers you expect in year one, I can recommend the cheapest setup (including domain + signup page) and keep it under a specific monthly budget.

If you’re starting tiny, want to spend $0, and don’t want much technical setup, I’d pick Kit (formerly ConvertKit).

My pick: Kit

kit.com

• $0/month on its current free newsletter plan.
• Supports up to 10,000 subscribers on the free tier.
• Unlimited email broadcasts, forms, and landing pages.
• Built specifically with creators/newsletters in mind, so you don't need to build a website first. Kit Help Center Kit
• The main catch: advanced automations and email sequences require a paid plan. Kit Help Center

That makes it unusually good for someone who wants to start simple and avoid hitting a tiny subscriber ceiling immediately.

One alternative worth considering

MailerLite is probably the easier choice if you want a more traditional drag-and-drop email-marketing interface and don't mind upgrading sooner. Its free plan currently allows 250 active subscribers and 2,500 emails/month; paid plans start at $12/month. mailerlite.com mailerlite.com

So I'd choose:

• Kit → best for a personal/creator newsletter and keeping costs at $0 as you grow.
• MailerLite → best if you want more conventional marketing tools and visual editors.

For your situation, I'd start with Kit. Don't overbuild it: create one signup page, one welcome email, and start publishing. You can worry about automations, custom domains, and fancy templates after you actually have readers.

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

It’s especially good if your newsletter is creator/content-focused and you want to keep costs at $0 while you figure things out. Kit’s free Newsletter plan currently supports up to 10,000 subscribers, unlimited email broadcasts, unlimited forms and landing pages, tagging/segmentation, and a basic automation. Kit Help Center Kit

My quick comparison

• 🥇 Kit — best overall for you: Very generous free plan and built specifically around newsletters/creators. Kit Help Center
• 🥈 beehiiv.com — best if growth is the priority: Free up to 2,500 subscribers with unlimited sends, a newsletter website, analytics, and built-in recommendation tools. beehiiv.com
• 🥉 mailerlite.com — best if you want traditional email marketing: Its free plan is quite easy to use and includes drag-and-drop editing, forms, landing pages and automations, but it's limited to 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails/month. mailerlite.com mailerlite.com

My recommendation: Start with Kit, don't pay for anything yet, and spend your effort on getting the first 100 subscribers rather than building a complicated email setup.

If you tell me what your newsletter is about, I can also recommend the simplest setup (signup page + newsletter template + first-email workflow) for it.

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

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

• $0 to start — the free Launch plan supports up to 2,500 subscribers.
• Unlimited email sends, so you don't have to worry about a weekly newsletter eating into a tiny send allowance. Beehiiv Beehiiv
• It includes the newsletter, website, signup tools, analytics, and recommendation/growth features, so you can avoid piecing together several services. Beehiiv
• It's particularly designed around publishing a newsletter as a standalone business, rather than feeling like traditional marketing software.

My quick comparison

MailerLite is still a good tool, but its current free plan is only 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails/month, so I'd be less inclined to start there if you expect the newsletter to grow. MailerLite

Bottom line: Start with beehiiv free, don't pay for anything yet, and spend your money on the newsletter itself rather than software. You can always switch platforms later if your needs become more sophisticated.

beehiiv.com

For your situation, I’d start with kit.com (formerly ConvertKit).

Why it’s a particularly good fit right now:

• $0 to start: Kit’s current free Newsletter plan supports up to 10,000 subscribers and unlimited email broadcasts. Kit Kit
• Beginner-friendly: You can make signup forms and landing pages without needing a separate website. Kit
• Good for a newsletter-first business: It includes subscriber tagging/segmentation and basic automation, so you won't immediately outgrow it if your newsletter gains traction. Kit Help Center
• Room to monetize: You can eventually sell digital products or paid subscriptions directly through Kit. Kit

My runner-up: MailerLite

mailerlite.com is arguably a little more traditional and straightforward for general business email marketing. Its free plan currently allows 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails/month, with a drag-and-drop editor, forms, landing pages, and automations. MailerLite MailerLite

So I'd choose:

Kit → if the newsletter/content itself is the business.
MailerLite → if the newsletter is mainly marketing for a business, service, or store.

Given that you're starting with a tiny budget and limited tech skills, I'd pick Kit and stay on the free plan until you have a reason to pay. You can get your first signup page and first newsletter running without buying a website or other software. Kit

For a tiny budget + limited tech skills, I’d narrow it to three choices:

www.beehiiv.comwww.sasanova.com

My recommendation:

Start with Substack if:

• you just want to publish quickly
• you don’t have a website
• you’re mainly writing (essays, updates, commentary, personal newsletter)
• you don’t want to learn marketing tools

It’s probably the least intimidating first step. The tradeoff is that if you later charge for subscriptions, Substack takes a percentage of paid subscription revenue. newslettercalc.com

Start with beehiiv if:

• you think this could become a serious newsletter business
• you care about growth features, referrals, analytics, or monetization later
• you want more “newsletter company” tools from day one

Its free tier is designed for small newsletters and includes more growth-oriented features than many traditional email tools. www.beehiiv.comwww.sasanova.com

Start with Kit if:

• your newsletter supports a business, course, coaching service, or digital product
• you want to eventually build email sequences and automations

Kit’s free plan is generous for creators, though some advanced automation features require paid plans. www.beehiiv.comwww.sasanova.com

I’d avoid starting with Mailchimp for this specific situation. It’s familiar, but its free tier is relatively limited compared with newsletter-focused tools. www.beehiiv.com

A simple path:

1. Pick Substack if your priority is “send my first newsletter this week.”
2. Pick beehiiv if your priority is “build an audience and maybe make money later.”
3. Pick Kit if your newsletter is part of a broader creator/business plan.

If you tell me what kind of newsletter it is (personal, local news, business, paid subscription, hobby, etc.) and your expected first-year subscriber count, I can recommend one more precisely.

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.