The best tools for creating a newsletter in 2026 are Mailchimp, Brevo, MailerLite, Kit, beehiiv, Substack, Ghost, Buttondown, GetResponse, and HubSpot. The right choice depends primarily on the number of subscribers, sending volume, the monetization and CRM (contact management). For a French small or medium-sized business, Brevo or MailerLite generally cover basic needs; Ghost, Kit, and beehiiv are better suited to publishers.
What are the 10 best tools for creating a newsletter?
The ten tools selected for creating a newsletter in 2026 address four distinct needs: corporate communications, marketing automation, editorial publishing, and paid subscriptions. Brevo, MailerLite, and Mailchimp are versatile; HubSpot and GetResponse focus on marketing; Kit, beehiiv, Substack, Ghost, and Buttondown are geared more toward creators and publishers.
A newsletter platform is a service that lets you manage subscribers, compose emails, schedule sends, and measure results. Some also add forms, signup pages, automated workflows, or a payment system.
| Tool | Offer or pricing documented in 2026 | Main boundary | Suitable use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mailchimp | Free | 250 contacts, 500 sends per month, and 250 per day | Small list and guided setup |
| Brief | Free | 300 sends per day | Small and medium-sized businesses, campaigns, and transactional emails |
| MailerLite | Free; paid plans starting at 12 $ per month | 250 subscribers and 2,500 monthly emails on the free plan | Simple newsletter with lightweight automations |
| Kit | Free; Creator at 33 $ per month for 1,000 subscribers, billed annually | Platform fee of 0.6 % on paid newsletters | Creators and content sales |
| beehiiv | Free | 2,500 subscribers on the free plan | Media, audience, and editorial development |
| Substack | Free to publish | 10 % of subscription revenue, excluding Stripe fees | Quick launch of a paid publication |
| Ghost | Pricing based on the Ghost(Pro) forfait | Managed hosting to include in the budget | Editorial website, members, and newsletter |
| Buttondown | Free for up to 100 subscribers | Advanced features billed as modules | Authors seeking a minimalist interface |
| GetResponse | Starter at 15.58 $ per month, billed annually | 14-day trial | Acquisition and marketing automation |
| HubSpot | Free editor | Sending limits depend on the account | Company already using HubSpot CRM |
This data comes from the official pricing documentation consulted in 2026. It does not make the plans perfectly comparable: a limit may apply to contacts, active subscribers, daily sends, or monthly emails. Therefore, check the cost based on your actual volume, not just the price displayed on the homepage.
Which newsletter tool should a small or medium-sized business choose?
For a small or medium-sized business, Brevo is often the most well-rounded choice in 2026 thanks to its campaigns, transactional emails, and maximum storage of 100,000 contacts on the free plan. MailerLite is suitable for simpler communications, while HubSpot becomes a logical choice when the company already uses its CRM to segment its prospects.
Brevo allows 300 free sends per day in 2026 and offers automations for up to 2,000 contacts. However, the daily limit can be a hindrance for an urgent announcement sent to several thousand recipients. A large database therefore does not necessarily imply an immediate cost, but it does require campaigns to be spread out.
In 2026, MailerLite offers three automations, two users, and a landing page (a page designed to obtain a signup) on its free forfait. At 12 $ per month for the entry-level paid plan, the service remains easy for a small team to understand. Mailchimp, with 250 free contacts and 500 monthly sends in 2026, becomes limited more quickly.
HubSpot connects the newsletter to sales data: industry, interaction history, or stage in the sales cycle. This is useful if that information is actually maintained. Otherwise, you pay for complexity in exchange for segments that will remain empty. To place email within a consistent approach, a structured branded content strategy prevents you from sending campaigns without an editorial direction.
Which platform should you choose for a paid newsletter?
For a paid newsletter, Substack makes it easy to get started but takes 10 % of subscription revenue in 2026, in addition to Stripe fees. Ghost does not charge an additional transaction commission on eligible forfaits. Kit applies a platform commission announced at 0.6 %, excluding payment processing.
The calculation changes with revenue. According to Substack’s official pricing updated on September 29, 2026, 10,000 $ in gross revenue results in 1,000 $ in Substack commission, before Stripe fees. At this level, it is better to compare the annual cost of a paid platform rather than looking only at whether it is free at launch.
Ghost brings together a publishing site, member management, and newsletters. All Ghost(Pro) plans include unlimited sends in 2026. It is a sensible choice for owning a publication with its own domain, but it requires more editorial setup than a Substack account.
Kit offers up to 10,000 subscribers for free, one-off campaigns called “Broadcasts,” forms, and signup pages in 2026. beehiiv supports up to 2,500 subscribers and unlimited sends on its free plan. Since October 1, 2026, beehiiv has organized its plans into Free, Lite, Pro, and Enterprise tiers, with a 14-day Pro trial without a credit card.
How can you compare the true cost of newsletter creation tools?
The true cost of newsletter creation tools includes the subscription, list growth, sending volumes, fees, and features sold separately. A free plan can become expensive after a few months; conversely, a more expensive platform may replace a CRM, a form, and a signup page.
Buttondown illustrates the pitfalls of add-on modules. The service is free for the first 100 subscribers in 2026, but paid subscriptions, analytics, contact tagging, surveys, and RSS-to-email are listed as options at 9 $ per month each. Automations cost 29 $ per month according to its official 2026 pricing.
GetResponse lists its Starter plan at 15.58 $ per month with annual billing in 2026. It includes unlimited newsletters, landing pages, and one automated workflow, after a 14-day trial without a credit card. The provider also advertises more than 200 email templates in 2026.
On the agency side, the standard approach is to model three baseline tiers before choosing: launch, predictable growth, and high-end scenario. The following criteria help avoid misleading comparisons:
- the number of contacts stored and the number of subscribers actually billed;
- the daily or monthly email limit;
- the price after exceeding the free plan;
- the fees applied to paid subscriptions;
- the automations, analytics, and included users;
- the ability to export contacts and content;
- the cost of signup pages, the domain, and the CRM.
Honestly, a difference of a few dollars per month matters less than the ability to properly export your data. A difficult migration, templates that must be rebuilt, or poorly documented consents cost more than a slightly higher plan.
What settings should you plan before the first send?
Before the first send, a professional newsletter requires a verified sending domain, consent collection compliant with the GDPR applicable since 2018, a functional unsubscribe link, and correctly configured analytics. These settings protect deliverability—that is, the ability of messages to reach the inbox rather than the spam folder.
Visit domain name deserves particular attention. SPF, DKIM, and DMARC mechanisms authenticate the sender and help limit impersonation. HubSpot has specified since September 28, 2026, that an unverified sending address uses a domain managed by HubSpot, which reduces control over the sender’s technical identity.
The contact database must also retain proof of consent when required: source, date, and form used. Buying an address list is a bad idea. Beyond the regulatory risk, complaints and invalid addresses quickly damage the domain’s reputation.
On the projects we manage, we often see the graphic design approved before the signup and unsubscribe process. The order should be reversed. A beautiful message cannot compensate for a poorly collected list or incomplete authentication. Collection rules must also align with the requirements relating to cookies and the GDPR if the form uses advertising tracking.
Finally, take care with the editorial substance. Overly generic copy reduces interest, even when the tool performs well. Methods forhumanizing content assisted by artificial intelligence are particularly useful for preserving a credible voice in recurring emails.
Should you prioritize simplicity or automations?
Simplicity should come first when the newsletter is mainly used to publish regular information. Automations become worthwhile when a specific event triggers a message: signup, download, purchase, or inactivity. In 2026, piling on workflows without reliable data mainly increases maintenance time and the risk of sending inappropriate content.
Substack and Buttondown minimize the settings required to publish. Brevo, GetResponse, and HubSpot support more elaborate workflows. Mailchimp and MailerLite occupy an intermediate position, suited to teams that want to progress without immediately deploying a complex marketing architecture.
The obvious choice may be the wrong one. A media site on Ghost may not necessarily need a second newsletter tool, since Ghost already handles publishing, members, and sending. Conversely, a store with a robust CRM will rarely benefit from isolating its newsletter in an editorial platform lacking customer data.
Defining the volume, contact sources, and workflows before selecting a tool avoids most premature migrations. This is often the stage at which an outside perspective helps distinguish a genuinely useful feature from an appealing option that will never be used.
FAQ about creating a newsletter
Can you create a newsletter for free?
A newsletter can be created for free in 2026 with Brevo, Mailchimp, MailerLite, Kit, beehiiv, Substack, Buttondown, or HubSpot’s editor. However, each plan imposes different limits on subscribers, contacts, or sends.
Which tool accepts the most subscribers for free?
Kit accepts up to 10,000 subscribers on its free plan in 2026, with unlimited one-off campaigns, forms, and signup pages. This capacity does not eliminate the need to compare fees and future paid features.
Which newsletter tool offers unlimited sends?
beehiiv includes unlimited sends for up to 2,500 subscribers on its free plan in 2026. All Ghost(Pro) plans also include unlimited sends, according to Ghost’s official documentation in 2026.
Can we switch newsletter platforms later?
A platform change remains possible if contacts, consents, and content are exportable. Automations, templates, and historical statistics are rarely transferred identically, which requires a reconstruction and testing phase.