MailerLite vs Kit (2026): Which Email Tool Fits a Small Creator Business?

Last updated 2026-10-09

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Quick verdict

Best for growing a newsletter for free: Kit. Its free plan covers up to 10,000 subscribers with unlimited broadcasts, which is far more room than most free plans.

Best for small businesses that want automations, a website, and low paid pricing: MailerLite. Its free plan includes 3 automations and a website, and MailerLite lists its paid Comfort plan as starting at $12/mo on monthly billing, or $10/mo billed annually, at the lowest tier (500 subscribers).

In short: pick Kit if your list will grow before you can pay for a tool. Pick MailerLite if you need automations and landing pages from day one.

How we compared

We compared both tools using their public pricing pages, checked on September 28, 2026. We haven't run a business on either tool, so this is a research-based comparison, not a hands-on review. We don't give star ratings. Email tool prices depend on list size, so check the official pricing sliders for your exact number.

Comparison table

MailerLite Kit
Free plan subscribers Up to 250 Up to 10,000
Free plan emails 2,500/month Unlimited broadcasts
Automations on free plan 3 None (sequences and visual automations are paid)
Website / landing pages on free plan 1 website and landing page Unlimited landing pages
Team seats on free plan 2 1
Entry paid plan Comfort: $12/mo monthly or $10/mo annual (500 subscribers, lowest tier) Creator at 1,000 subscribers: $390/yr (about $33/mo), or about $39/mo billed monthly
Top listed plan Power: "starting $25/month" (unlimited emails and seats) Pro at 1,000 subscribers: $790/yr (about $66/mo), or about $79/mo billed monthly
Annual discount 10% About 17% (Creator saves $78/yr; Pro saves $158/yr at 1,000 subscribers)
Free trial of paid features 14 days, no card required 14 days, no card required
Best for Small businesses needing automations and pages Creators growing a newsletter

MailerLite: affordable, with automations built in

MailerLite is an email marketing tool with automations, landing pages, websites, and signup forms. It's known for simple design and low entry pricing.

Pricing

  • Free — $0/mo. Up to 250 subscribers, 2 user seats, and 2,500 monthly emails. It includes 3 automations, 1 website and landing page, 1 digital product or booking, and 3 signup forms. Support is community-only.
  • Comfort — starting at $12/mo (monthly billing) or $10/mo (annual billing). Monthly emails are capped at 10× your subscriber tier. 50 automations, 10 websites and landing pages, 5 digital products or bookings, unlimited templates, and email support.
  • Power — starting at $25/mo. Unlimited monthly emails, user seats, automations, landing pages, and digital products, plus 24/7 live chat support.
  • Enterprise — custom pricing. For lists of 200,000+ subscribers, with a dedicated success manager.

Paid plans save 10% on annual billing. New accounts get a 14-day trial of premium features with no credit card required.

Pros

  • Automations on the free plan. Three automations are enough for a welcome series and a simple sales sequence.
  • A website and landing page included. You can launch a basic site without a separate builder.
  • Low entry price. Comfort starts at $12/mo on monthly billing ($10/mo on annual billing), though your price depends on list size.
  • Two seats on the free plan. Helpful if a partner or assistant helps with email.

Cons

  • Tiny free plan. A 250-subscriber limit fills up fast once you start promoting.
  • Email send cap on Free. 2,500 emails a month means you can email 250 people about 10 times.
  • Community-only support on Free. You need a paid plan for email support.

Pricing gotchas

  • Price rises with list size. "Starting $12/month" is the lowest tier (500 subscribers) on monthly billing. Annual plans take 10% off, which brings Comfort to about $10/month, according to MailerLite's partnerships team (confirmed October 9, 2026). Use the subscriber slider and the monthly/annual toggle on the pricing page to see your real price.
  • Comfort has a monthly email cap. MailerLite says Comfort gives you 10× your subscriber tier in emails each month. Power removes the cap.

Kit: a generous free plan for newsletter creators

Kit (formerly ConvertKit) is an email platform built for creators. It focuses on newsletters, landing pages, and selling digital products.

Pricing

  • Free (Newsletter) — $0/mo. Up to 10,000 subscribers, unlimited email broadcasts, unlimited landing pages and forms, and digital product sales. One team member.
  • Creator — at 1,000 subscribers, $390/yr (about $33/mo). Kit says yearly billing saves $78, which works out to about $39/mo billed monthly. Adds unlimited visual automations and email sequences, 2 team members, and A/B testing of 2 subject lines.
  • Pro — at 1,000 subscribers, $790/yr (about $66/mo). Kit says yearly billing saves $158, which works out to about $79/mo billed monthly. Adds unlimited team members, A/B testing of 5 subject lines, Subscriber Signals, and engagement analytics.

Paid plans come with a 14-day free trial and no credit card required.

Pros

  • Huge free plan. 10,000 subscribers for free gives a new newsletter lots of room to grow.
  • Unlimited broadcasts. You can email your list as often as you like on every plan.
  • Sell digital products on every plan. Useful if you sell templates, guides, or small courses.
  • Clear upgrade path. Creator adds automations; Pro adds deeper analytics and a larger team.

Cons

  • No automations on the free plan. Welcome sequences and visual automations require Creator.
  • Higher paid price at 1,000 subscribers. Creator costs about $33/mo on yearly billing and about $39/mo monthly. MailerLite's Comfort plan starts at $12/mo on monthly billing ($10/mo annual) at its lowest tier.
  • One seat on Free. You'll need Creator (2 seats) or Pro (unlimited) to work with a team.

Pricing gotchas

  • The headline prices assume yearly billing. Kit's page shows yearly billing by default. The $33 and $66 figures are yearly rates at 1,000 subscribers; yearly billing saves about 17% compared with paying monthly.
  • Automation is the main paywall. If you need a welcome sequence on day one, budget for Creator.

Head-to-head

Free plan

Winner: Kit for list size, MailerLite for features. Kit's free plan holds 10,000 subscribers, 40 times as many as MailerLite's 250. MailerLite's free plan includes 3 automations and a website, which Kit's free plan doesn't match.

Automations

Winner: MailerLite. You get 3 automations free and 50 on Comfort. On Kit, automations start on the Creator plan (about $33/mo yearly or $39/mo monthly at 1,000 subscribers).

Price once you pay

Winner: depends on your list size. MailerLite's Comfort plan starts at $12/mo on monthly billing ($10/mo annual) at its lowest tier. Kit's Creator plan is about $33/mo (yearly) at 1,000 subscribers. Because both prices change with list size and billing terms, compare both pricing sliders at your exact subscriber count.

Newsletter growth

Winner: Kit. Unlimited broadcasts and a 10,000-subscriber free plan suit creators whose main product is the newsletter.

Teams

Winner: MailerLite at the low end, tie at the top. MailerLite gives 2 seats free and unlimited seats on Power. Kit gives 1 seat free, 2 on Creator, and unlimited on Pro.

Cost scenarios

These are rough examples based on list prices. Taxes aren't included.

Scenario 1: New newsletter, 200 subscribers, no automations yet

  • MailerLite Free: $0/mo.
  • Kit Free: $0/mo.

Both are free. Kit gives you more room to grow before you pay.

Scenario 2: 1,000 subscribers, and you need a welcome sequence

  • MailerLite: Over the 250-subscriber free limit, so you'd need a paid plan. Check the slider for the Comfort price at 1,000 subscribers.
  • Kit: Free covers 1,000 subscribers, but automations require Creator at about $33/mo (yearly) or $39/mo (monthly).

The cheaper option depends on MailerLite's price at your list size, so compare both sliders.

Scenario 3: 5,000 subscribers, broadcasts only

  • MailerLite: A paid plan is required.
  • Kit Free: $0/mo.

Kit is the clear winner if you only send broadcasts.

Who should choose which

Choose MailerLite if…

  • You need automations or a simple website from the start.
  • You want a low paid entry price and plan to stay at a small list size for a while.
  • You want to share the account with a partner on the free plan.

Choose Kit if…

  • Your main product is a newsletter and you send broadcasts, not sequences.
  • You expect your list to grow past 250 subscribers before you can pay.
  • You sell digital products to your audience.

FAQ

Is MailerLite free?

Yes, for up to 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails a month, with 3 automations and 1 website.

Is Kit free?

Yes. Kit's free plan covers up to 10,000 subscribers with unlimited broadcasts. Automations and sequences need a paid plan.

Which is cheaper, MailerLite or Kit?

For broadcast-only newsletters under 10,000 subscribers, Kit is cheaper because it's free. If you need automations, compare both pricing sliders at your list size: MailerLite's Comfort starts at $12/mo monthly ($10/mo annual), and Kit's Creator is about $33/mo (yearly) at 1,000 subscribers.

Do both offer free trials of paid features?

Yes. Both offer 14-day trials of paid features with no credit card required.

Is Kit the same as ConvertKit?

Yes. ConvertKit rebranded as Kit.

Sources & last updated

Last updated: October 9, 2026 (corrected MailerLite Comfort pricing to show monthly and annual billing).

Prices and features change. Always confirm on the official site before you buy.