Cluster · Newsletter
Newsletter platforms, side-by-side and tested.
Email is the only platform you actually own. Beehiiv, Kit, Substack, Ghost, MailerLite. Each one tested on a real list, with real send volume, before the review goes up. No Senja-style 5-star theater. Honest weakness lists, deliverability checks, monetization angles.
For operators who treat the list as the asset. Not the side hustle.
Top picks
If you only read three reviews.
The email API I would pick for any new project in 2026. Best ergonomics in the category, free tier covers indie scale.
Beehiiv fits operators laddering paid newsletters toward $10k/mo MRR. KIT wins for course-creators. Substack wins for cold-traffic discovery.
Email + creator tooling that grew up. Automations that actually hold up at scale.
By use-case
Pick by what you're actually trying to do.
Full set
Every newsletter tool we've reviewed.
| Tool | Starting | VTS |
|---|---|---|
| R Resend | Free (3,000 emails/mo) + $20/mo Pro | 89/100 |
| | Free + $43/mo Scale | 84/100 |
| | Free up to 10K subs · $25/mo Creator | 84/100 |
| | ~$15/mo Starter (quote-gated 2026) | 79/100 |
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Coming up
What's queued in this cluster.
- →Beehiiv vs Kit: when the recommendation engine actually matters
- →How we migrated 8,000 subscribers off Substack without losing 12%
- →Newsletter sponsorship math: when to take the deal and when to walk
Working drafts. Each one ships with a real test, real numbers, dated update log. No "10 best in 2026" filler.