Choosing a Newsletter Platform: What to Compare Before You Commit

Your newsletter platform is the infrastructure for your most valuable creator asset: your email list. Choosing well matters, but most comparison articles quickly go out of date because pricing and features change constantly.

This guide focuses on the criteria that matter, with a short overview of how several widely used platforms are generally positioned. It is based on publicly documented features rather than lab testing. Always check each platform's current pricing and terms before deciding.

The criteria that matter most

1. Ownership and export

The single most important question: can you export your full subscriber list, including paid subscribers, at any time? Check:

• Can you export email addresses and subscription dates as a CSV?
• For paid newsletters, can subscriptions be migrated? (Payment data is often held by the payment processor, such as Stripe. Check whether you connect your own Stripe account, which usually makes moving paid subscribers easier.)
• Can you export your archive of past issues?

If you cannot leave easily, you do not truly own the audience.

2. Custom domain

Can you use your own domain for the newsletter's website and sending address? Using your own domain is better for brand, deliverability and portability.

3. Pricing model

Platforms typically charge in one of these ways:

• Free with a revenue share on paid subscriptions.
• Monthly subscription that scales with the number of subscribers.
• Free tier up to a certain number of subscribers, then paid.

Model the cost at your current size and at five or ten times your current size. A revenue-share model can be cheap for small free newsletters and expensive for successful paid ones; flat subscriptions can be the reverse.

4. Monetisation features

• Paid subscriptions and tiers.
• Free trials, discounts and gift subscriptions.
• Built-in ad networks or sponsorship marketplaces.
• Selling digital products.

5. Growth features

• Recommendations networks (where newsletters recommend each other).
• Referral programmes.
• Embeddable sign-up forms and landing pages.
• Discovery within a platform's own app or network.
• SEO for web versions of issues.

6. Editor and design

• Writing experience.
• Templates and customisation.
• Support for images, embeds, footnotes, code or audio.

7. Automation and segmentation

• Welcome sequences and email courses.
• Tags and segments based on behaviour.
• Integrations with other tools.

8. Deliverability and authentication

• Support for SPF, DKIM and DMARC on your sending domain.
• Clear sending practices and reputation management.

9. Analytics

• Click rates, growth sources, subscriber engagement.
• Note that open rates have become less reliable due to privacy features in some email apps.

Platform overview

Positioning of widely used platforms, at the time of writing. Features change frequently; verify current details.

Substack

Free to start; takes a percentage of paid subscription revenue, plus payment processing fees. Strong network effects through its app and recommendations, which can help discovery. Simple editor and podcast support. Custom domains are available. Allows exporting your subscriber list. Good fit for writers who want simplicity and network discovery and are comfortable with a revenue share.

Ghost

Open-source; can be self-hosted or used through Ghost(Pro) managed hosting with subscription pricing. No revenue share on paid memberships beyond payment processing. Combines a website, blog and newsletter in one platform with strong SEO. Good fit for publishers who want ownership, a full website and paid memberships.

beehiiv

Newsletter platform focused on growth and monetisation features, such as a referral programme, recommendations and an ad network, with free and paid tiers. Good fit for creators focused on growing and monetising through sponsorships.

Kit (formerly ConvertKit)

Email marketing platform popular with creators selling products, courses and memberships. Strong automation, tagging and integrations; a free tier for smaller lists and paid plans for more features. Good fit for creators with products and funnels.

Buttondown

Small, independent newsletter tool with Markdown support, an API and a minimal approach. Good fit for writers and technical creators who value simplicity and control.

Mailchimp

Long-established general email marketing platform with many templates and integrations, used by businesses of all sizes. Good fit if you need broad marketing features, though some creators find it more business-oriented than newsletter-oriented.

A decision guide

• "I want to start writing today and grow through a network." Consider Substack.
• "I want my own website and newsletter in one, with paid memberships and no revenue share." Consider Ghost.
• "I want growth tools and to earn from sponsorships." Consider beehiiv.
• "I sell courses or products and want automations." Consider Kit.
• "I want minimal, Markdown-based and developer-friendly." Consider Buttondown.
• "I'm a business needing general email marketing." Consider Mailchimp.

Before you commit: a checklist

• Export: list and archive, any time
• Custom domain for site and sending
• Cost modelled at 1x, 5x and 10x your size
• Paid subscription fees and payment processor
• Sign-up forms embeddable on your own site
• Authentication (SPF/DKIM/DMARC) supported
• Features you need now, not someday

Migrating later

Moving platforms is common and manageable if you can export. Plan for:

• Exporting and importing subscribers with their consent status.
• Moving paid subscriptions, ideally through your own Stripe account.
• Redirecting the old web archive to the new one.
• Warming up deliverability on the new platform by sending to your most engaged subscribers first.

The best platform is the one that fits how you work today and lets you leave tomorrow. Prioritise ownership, model the costs honestly and choose the features you will actually use.

A side-by-side comparison worksheet

Before choosing, fill in a table for your top two or three candidates:

Criterion	Platform A	Platform B
Cost at your current list size
Cost at 5× your list size
Paid subscription fees
Custom domain support
Automations available on your plan
Subscriber export (format)
Web archive and SEO options
Deliverability reputation (from reviews)

Filling in the "5× list size" row often changes the decision, because pricing at scale differs greatly.

Frequently asked questions

Can I switch platforms later? Yes, usually by exporting subscribers as a CSV and importing them, but some features and history may not transfer. Re-confirm consent rules if required.

Do I need a custom sending domain? It helps with branding and deliverability; many platforms guide you through authentication setup.