All verdicts
One dated pick per situation. Prices are checked on the vendor’s own pricing page on the date shown.
Starting a free newsletter
Pick: Kit. It stays free up to 10,000 subscribers, the longest free runway of the tools we checked.
Checked on 5 October 2026
Paid newsletter under 1,000 subscribers
Pick: Kit. You can sell paid subscriptions on its free plan while the list is still small.
Checked on 5 October 2026
Selling digital products to a small list
Pick: MailerLite. Its paid plans include unlimited digital products and bookings, from $10.80 a month.
Checked on 5 October 2026
Outgrowing a free plan
Pick: Kit. Its free tier runs to 10,000 subscribers, the longest runway of the tools we checked.
Checked on 5 October 2026
A podcaster’s companion newsletter
Pick: Beehiiv. Podcast publishing is included on every plan, free up to 2,500 subscribers.
Checked on 5 October 2026
More verdicts are being written. If your situation is not here, check back soon — new rulings are added as they are checked.