MailerLite vs ConvertKit vs Beehiiv for Newsletter Creators: Pricing, Monetization, Growth Tools and Deliverability
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Three Platforms for Three Types of Creators
The newsletter creator market has exploded, and the tools have specialized. MailerLite, ConvertKit (now rebranded to Kit), and Beehiiv each target a slightly different creator profile. Understanding the difference saves you from choosing a platform that does not match how you plan to grow and monetize.
MailerLite is the value leader. It offers the most generous free plan, the lowest paid pricing at most subscriber counts, and a feature set that competes with platforms charging 2-3x more. MailerLite is built for creators who want a reliable, affordable platform for sending newsletters and building landing pages without paying for features they do not need. It is the Honda Civic of email platforms: not flashy, but everything works and the price is right.
ConvertKit (Kit) is built for creators who sell digital products. Its distinguishing feature is the commerce layer: sell ebooks, courses, coaching sessions, and paid newsletter subscriptions directly through ConvertKit without needing a separate platform like Gumroad or Teachable. ConvertKit's automation is also the most sophisticated of the three, with visual automation builders that handle complex subscriber journeys. It is the platform for creators whose email list is the foundation of a product business.
Beehiiv is built for newsletter publishers who want to build a media business. Its distinguishing features are the built-in ad network (monetize through native ads placed by Beehiiv's sales team), the referral program (incentivize subscribers to share your newsletter), and the analytics dashboard (which provides publisher-grade metrics like open rate by cohort, subscriber quality scores, and growth attribution). Beehiiv is the platform for creators who think of their newsletter as a publication, not a marketing channel.
Pricing at Scale
Pricing matters more for newsletter creators than for most email users because subscriber counts grow quickly, and the cost difference between platforms compounds at scale.
MailerLite free plan: up to 1,000 subscribers, 12,000 emails per month. Growing Business plan: $10/month for up to 500 subscribers, $15/month for 1,000, $25/month for 2,500, $39/month for 5,000, $73/month for 10,000, $139/month for 25,000. MailerLite is the cheapest at almost every subscriber count.
ConvertKit / Kit Newsletter plan (free): up to 10,000 subscribers, but limited features (no automation, no integrations, ConvertKit branding). Creator plan: $25/month for up to 1,000 subscribers, $41/month for 3,000, $66/month for 5,000, $100/month for 10,000, $166/month for 25,000. Creator Pro plan adds advanced features (subscriber scoring, deliverability reporting) at approximately 2x the Creator plan pricing.
Beehiiv free plan: up to 2,500 subscribers, unlimited sends, but limited features and Beehiiv branding. Scale plan: $39/month (up to 10,000 subscribers, custom domains, ad network access, referral program). Max plan: $99/month (up to 100,000 subscribers, priority support, advanced analytics). Enterprise: custom pricing above 100,000.
At 10,000 subscribers, the monthly cost comparison is roughly: MailerLite $73, ConvertKit $100-200, Beehiiv $39. At 25,000 subscribers: MailerLite $139, ConvertKit $166-332, Beehiiv $39 (still on Scale plan). Beehiiv's pricing is the most favorable at scale because the Scale plan covers up to 10,000 and the Max plan covers up to 100,000.
Monetization
This is where the platforms diverge most sharply.
MailerLite does not have built-in monetization tools. You can sell through integrations (connect Stripe for payments, use landing pages to sell, integrate with e-commerce platforms), but there is no native ad network, no built-in paid subscription feature, and no referral program. MailerLite is for creators who monetize elsewhere (their own website, Gumroad, Shopify, consulting) and use email as a marketing and delivery channel.
ConvertKit has a built-in commerce platform (ConvertKit Commerce). Sell digital products (PDFs, videos, templates, courses) directly through ConvertKit with payment processing via Stripe. ConvertKit also supports paid newsletter subscriptions (charge a monthly or annual fee for premium content). There is no ad network. ConvertKit's creator network facilitates cross-promotion between creators (recommend other newsletters to your audience and get recommended in return), which drives subscriber growth but not direct revenue.
Beehiiv has the most comprehensive monetization suite. The ad network matches your newsletter with advertisers and handles the sales process, insertion, and payment. You set your rates and approve (or reject) each ad. Paid subscriptions let you gate premium content behind a paywall. The Boosts program pays you for recommending other Beehiiv newsletters to your audience (and pays other publishers to recommend yours). For creators who want to build a media business, Beehiiv's monetization tools generate revenue from day one without requiring you to build products or sell sponsorships yourself.
Growth Tools
Beehiiv leads here with its built-in referral program (modeled after Morning Brew's program that grew the newsletter to millions of subscribers). Subscribers get a unique referral link and earn rewards (free merchandise, premium content, recognition) for referring new subscribers. Beehiiv also has Boosts (paid cross-promotion with other newsletters) and a website builder optimized for newsletter SEO.
ConvertKit offers the Creator Network for cross-promotion and has landing page and form builders for organic subscriber acquisition. Its automation capabilities allow complex welcome sequences that increase engagement and reduce churn.
MailerLite has landing pages, pop-ups, and embedded forms for subscriber acquisition, plus a website builder. Growth is organic -- there are no built-in referral programs or cross-promotion networks.
Making the Choice
Choose MailerLite if you want the lowest cost, the most generous free plan, and a straightforward platform for sending newsletters and building landing pages. You monetize through your own products or services, not through the email platform itself. You do not need a referral program or ad network.
Choose ConvertKit if you sell digital products (courses, ebooks, templates) and want to manage email, products, and payments in one platform. You need sophisticated automation for complex subscriber journeys (onboarding sequences, product launch sequences, segmented campaigns based on purchase history). You are willing to pay more for a platform purpose-built for creator businesses.
Choose Beehiiv if you are building a newsletter as a media business and want built-in monetization (ads, paid subscriptions, boosts). You want a referral program to accelerate growth. You value publisher-grade analytics. You want the best pricing at scale (10,000+ subscribers).
Migrating Your List
Whichever platform you choose, you will likely import an existing subscriber list from a previous platform, a website signup form, or another source. Before importing, export your current list (CSV), upload to Email Extractor to deduplicate, and run through a verification service to remove invalid addresses. Importing invalid addresses into a new platform hurts deliverability from day one, undermining the fresh start that a platform migration offers.
