Kit has the most generous free tier (10,000 subscribers free — 20x more than MailerLite's 500). MailerLite has better value on paid plans ($10/month with automation, landing pages, and website builder included). Choose Kit for free list building at scale. Choose MailerLite for the most features per dollar on paid plans. For newsletter monetization, Beehiiv is better than either.
Kit (ConvertKit) vs MailerLite: Creator Email Compared (2026)
Pricing (March 2026)
| Subscribers | Kit Free | Kit Creator | MailerLite Free | MailerLite Growing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 500 | $0 | $39/mo | $0 | $10/mo |
| 1,000 | $0 | $39/mo | — | $15/mo |
| 5,000 | $0 | ~$79/mo | — | $32/mo |
| 10,000 | $0 | ~$119/mo | — | $54/mo |
Kit free tier is the best in the industry for list building (10K subscribers). But paid plans are expensive after the Sep 2025 price increase. MailerLite paid delivers more features at 50-60% lower cost.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Kit | MailerLite |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier subscribers | 10,000 | 500 |
| Automation (free) | Basic | Yes |
| Automation (paid) | Yes | Yes |
| Landing Pages | Yes | Yes |
| Website Builder | Basic | Yes (full) |
| Digital Product Sales | Kit Commerce | Basic |
| Newsletter Monetization | Paid subscriptions | Paid subscriptions |
| Email Builder | Good | Good |
| A/B Testing | Paid | Paid |
| Tag-based Management | Yes (strong) | Yes |
| 30% Nonprofit Discount | No | Yes |
| Integrations | 100+ | 140+ |
The Verdict
Choose Kit if:
- Building a free list from scratch (10K free subscribers is unbeatable)
- Selling digital products (Kit Commerce is purpose-built)
- Creator ecosystem matters (Creator Network, sponsor marketplace)
- Don't mind paying more for paid plans later
Choose MailerLite if:
- Best value on paid plans (50-60% cheaper)
- Need automation and website builder at lowest cost
- Non-profit (30% discount)
- Don't need 10K free subscribers (already have a list)
Choose Beehiiv if:
- Newsletter monetization is primary (ads, paid subs, referrals, boosts)
- SEO-optimized web hosting matters
Practitioner note: The Kit free tier is a brilliant growth strategy: build to 10K for free, then pay when you're ready. But the Sep 2025 price increase means paid Kit is expensive. Many creators build to 10K on Kit free, then migrate to MailerLite or Beehiiv for paid. It's a valid path.
If you need creator email optimized, schedule a consultation.
Sources
v1.0 · March 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Which free plan is better?
Kit's free plan: 10,000 subscribers with basic email and landing pages. MailerLite's free plan: 500 subscribers (reduced Sep 2025) with 12K emails/month, automation, and landing pages. Kit wins on subscriber limit (20x more). MailerLite wins on features included in free (automation).
Which is cheaper on paid plans?
MailerLite. At 1K subscribers: MailerLite $15/month vs Kit $39/month. At 5K: MailerLite $32/month vs Kit ~$79/month. MailerLite is 50-60% cheaper at every tier and includes more features at base price.
Which is better for selling digital products?
Kit. It's built for creators selling courses, ebooks, and digital downloads. Kit Commerce handles digital product sales natively. MailerLite has basic selling features but Kit's integration is deeper.
Did Kit's pricing change?
Yes. September 2025: Kit (ConvertKit) increased prices up to 4x for some users. The generous free tier (10K subscribers) remains, but paid plan pricing is now higher than before. Verify current pricing at kit.com.
Which has better deliverability?
Comparable. Both support custom domain authentication and maintain shared IP pools. Kit has a slight reputation for good deliverability among creators due to its anti-spam policies. MailerLite similarly enforces strict list quality standards.
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