The Best Newsletter Platforms And Software In 2025: A Complete Guide

Choosing the right newsletter sending tool is both really important and particularly hard.

There are so many options out there it’s tough to figure out which tool is best for you. And to make things worse, most emailing tools have articles that promote their own services as the best which is… biased to say the least.

Good thing we wrote this guide! Our goal: to help you find the best email newsletter platform to fit your use case.

As a newsletter inspiration tool, we have 2 advantages: we know newsletter platforms really well AND we have no skin in the game so we can make our picks exactly how we want to. No strings attached (and no affiliate links).

Sadly, there is no one-size-fits all best newsletter sending software for every person and company.

You won’t want to use the same tool whether you are:

• a content creator or founder looking to strengthen a personal brand
  
  
• an experienced writer looking to sell subscriptions to premium content
  
  
• an SMB looking for an easy, affordable tool with branding and template customization
  
  
• or an Enterprise customer in need of customization, compliance, SLA and 24/7 support
  
  

Which is why in this guide we tell you exactly who these email newsletter tools are meant for and what use cases they serve best.

Let’s get started!

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How to choose the right newsletter software 

Are you just starting your newsletter and you’re not even sure what you need?

Let’s explore which criteria are most important when picking out a newsletter sending platform. But remember: depending on who you are, those criteria might be crucial or insignificant.

Ease of use and simplicity

If you’re not particularly tech savvy or you’re on your own and just want to get simple things done, simplicity should be your priority. Check out these newsletter best practices for tips on starting small and staying effective.

But depending on who you are, "easy to use" could mean different things.

Some people (particularly content creators) want to publish a simple, text-based newsletter with little customization. Others (think SMBs) will want the ability to create a visual template for their newsletter in a few clicks.

Customization

Being able to customize your newsletter template might be a key differentiator for you. Though most softwares will offer some form of personalization, those which are heavily text-based (beehiiv, Substack, Feather, Ghost) will tend to prevent you from creating various columns or to position images in an unconventional way.

That can be a great thing to favor simplicity. But customization can help boost engagement significantly, as noted in email newsletter best practices. Particularly if you’re a company, you’ll often want to bring your own brand identity and you’ll most likely prefer platforms like Mailchimp or ActiveCampaign. 

All-in-one vs. Specialized

Some platforms clearly focus solely on newsletters. They’ll tend to target content creators and people looking to build a personal brand.

Others will position themselves as full-fledged emailing tools that cover everything from newsletters to lead nurturing to client onboarding and transactional emails. Of course these have the favor of SMBs and Enterprise which will prefer to have their employees learn and collaborate in one single tool rather than 5 different ones.

Automations and workflows

Automations, integrations, workflows and APIs are all things you might want to consider, for 2 main reasons:

• Saving yourself time and effort by not having to do everything manually (scheduling, creating content, etc.)
  
  
• Increasing personalization and conversion (segmenting, custom variables, creating scenarios, etc.)
  

In our opinion, this is key both for individuals as it is for companies. Programmatic content and smart automations are becoming more important every year to leverage your email list, and lagging behind on this is most likely a mistake.

Growth opportunities

It’s pretty rare, but some tools offer features which will directly help you grow your subscriber base or newsletter revenue.

Such features can include:

• Ad networks to find sponsors
  
  
• Promoting your newsletter in similar publications
  
  
• Cross-posting to the web to get some organic traffic (SEO)
  

If growing your newsletter email list is your top priority, consider exploring those highlighted in this guide. 

Reputation 

There are dozens of lesser known softwares which allow you to send emails. We recommend steering away from them because you never know who’s using these platforms and how they control and prevent abuse from their own users. 

If a user decides to send millions of spam emails to people he doesn’t know, the sending tool’s reputation might be impacted and the email deliverability for all their clients will suffer.

Using a well known tool increases the odds that they have a good process in place to deal with such cases rapidly to protect the rest of their users.

Pricing & Scalability

Free is great, right? Well… not always. Most newsletter tools which start out free tend to become more expensive than competitors when you start growing your subscriber base.

This isn’t surprising as they have to make money somewhere. After all, they’re providing the tool for free to most of their user base. But you might end up paying more than you should just because you chose to save a few bucks at the beginning.

About letterpal

Before diving into newsletter sending platforms, it's worth mentioning letterpal, our unique tool that solves a different but equally important challenge: the content of your newsletter.

While other tools focus on sending and managing newsletters, letterpal helps you write high-quality newsletters quickly.

If you’re always struggling with writing your content, we’ve got you covered. Let us find news and insights from your industry, perform investigative web research on the topic, and create the perfect newsletter to cover it.

It works alongside any newsletter platform you choose below, making it a valuable addition to your newsletter toolkit. And you can try it for free.

Now, let’s dive into the reviews! You’ll notice we categorized each newsletter tool according to the target market it addresses best: creators, SMBs and Enterprise (+ E-commerce).

Feel free to skip to the one that fits you best!

Creator-First Platforms

Our Top Pick: beehiiv

Website: beehiiv.com
Category: Creator-First
Best for: Content creators, newsletter writers, and digital publishers

TLDR: Modern newsletter platform with powerful growth tools and monetization features

Best use case: Perfect for content creators who want to grow and monetize their newsletter while maintaining full ownership of their content and audience. Especially good for those who want advanced features without technical complexity.

Pricing:

• Free plan: Yes (up to 2,500 subscribers)
  
  
• Starting paid plan: $42/mo (Growth plan)
  
  
• Price at scale: Custom pricing for Enterprise
  
  

Key Features:

• Ease of use: Beginner
  
  
• Customization: Moderate
  
  
• Automations: Yes (email sequences, welcome emails)
  
  
• API access: Yes
  
  

Growth Features:

• Ad network: Yes, helping you monetize your newsletter
  
  
• Web publishing: Yes
  
  
• SEO tools: Yes (meta descriptions, custom URLs, canonical tags, automatic XML sitemaps, SEO-optimized article pages)
  
  
• Referral system: Yes
  
  

Notable for:

• Basic but simple text editor
• Built-in monetization tools
  
  
• Advanced analytics and insights
  
  
• Native referral program
  
  
• Clean, modern interface
  
  

Limitations:

• Higher pricing at scale compared to basic alternatives
  
  
• Limited template customization compared to traditional email tools
  
  
• Newer platform with some features still in development
  
  

 Why is beehiiv our top pick for content creators?

Reminder: We have no skin in the game here or affiliate links to make money from, so this is our transparent opinion. If something better comes along, we'll update our article.

Most content creators publish a free newsletter and look to maximize revenue by growing their audience and selling brand sponsorships. If that's your case too, then there's really no better option than beehiiv.

Yes, it's more expensive at scale. Significantly. But combining the fact it's really easy to use and it provides more features to help you grow your audience and revenue than any other competitor makes it our favorite email newsletter software for creators.

But if you're looking for something cheaper or geared towards premium subscriptions, there are better alternatives. Keep on reading!

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Substack

Website: substack.com
Category: Creator-First
Best for: Writers, journalists, and content creators looking to monetize through paid subscriptions to premium content

TLDR: Simple, writer-focused platform with built-in monetization and discovery features

Best use case: Ideal for writers who want to focus purely on content creation and monetization through subscriptions, without dealing with technical complexities. Perfect for those who value being part of a content discovery network.

Pricing:

• Free plan: Yes (10% fee on paid subscriptions)
  
  
• Starting paid plan: Free + 10% of subscription revenue
  
  
• Price at scale: Same model regardless of size
  
  

Key Features:

• Ease of use: Beginner
  
  
• Customization: Basic
  
  
• Automations: Basic (welcome emails)
  
  
• API access: Limited
  
  

Growth Features:

• Ad network: No (but supports direct sponsorships)
  
  
• Discovery: Yes, Substack can suggest your content to its website visitors

• Web publishing: Yes
  
  
• SEO tools: Yes (basic optimization, article pages, archives)
  
  
• Referral system: Yes
  
  

Notable for:

• Basic but simple text editor

• Generous free plan (only commissions on premium subs)
  
  
• Strong writer community
  
  
• Built-in discovery features
  
  
• Simple subscription management
  
  
• Clean reading experience
  
  

Limitations:

• Limited customization options
  
  
• High revenue share (10%)
  
  
• Basic email features compared to dedicated email platforms
  
  

Ghost

Website: ghost.org
Category: Creator-First
Best for: Professional publishers and creators who want full control and ownership

TLDR: Open-source, highly customizable publishing software with built-in newsletter and membership features

Best use case: Perfect for technical users or professional publishers who want complete control over their platform while maintaining a modern tech stack. Ideal for those who value ownership and are willing to handle more technical aspects or pay for managed hosting.

Pricing:

• Free plan: No (self-hosted option available)
  
  
• Starting paid plan: $9/mo (self-hosted) or $33/mo (Ghost Pro)
  
  
• Price at scale: Based on members/traffic for Ghost Pro
  
  

Key Features:

• Ease of use: Intermediate
  
  
• Customization: Advanced
  
  
• Automations: Yes (member workflows, integrations)
  
  
• API access: Yes (comprehensive)
  
  

Growth Features:

• Ad network: No
  
  
• Web publishing: Yes (primary feature)
  
  
• SEO tools: Yes (advanced SEO features, custom themes, full control)
  
  
• Referral system: Yes (through integrations)
  
  

Notable for:

• Complete ownership and control
  
  
• Modern tech stack
  
  
• Native membership/subscription features
  
  
• Advanced development capabilities
  
  

Limitations:

• Steeper learning curve
  
  
• Requires technical knowledge for self-hosting
  
  
• Less beginner-friendly than alternatives
  
  

Feather

Website: feather.so
Category: Creator-First
Best for: Individual writers and creators who love Notion and are looking for simplicity

TLDR: Minimalist newsletter (and blogging) platform focused on clean design and using Notion as a CMS

Best use case: Perfect for individual writers who want a no-frills, straightforward platform to publish newsletters without complicated features. Ideal for those who prioritize simplicity and clean design. You’ll want to be familiar with Notion if you’re using Feather.

Pricing:

• Free plan: No
  
  
• Starting paid plan: $39/mo
  
  
• Price at scale: Custom pricing for larger lists
  
  

Key Features:

• Ease of use: Beginner
  
  
• Customization: Basic
  
  
• Automations: Basic
  
  
• API access: No
  
  

Growth Features:

• Ad network: No
  
  
• Web publishing: Yes
  
  
• SEO tools: Yes (basic)
  
  
• Referral system: No
  
  

Notable for:

• Integrating directly with Notion

• Clean, minimalist interface
  
  
• Fast setup process
  
  
• Focus on writing experience
  
  
• Simple analytics
  
  

Limitations:

• Limited advanced features
  
  
• Basic customization options
  
  
• Fewer integration options
  
  
• No free plan

Kit

Website: kit.com
Category: Creator-First
Best for: Content creators, writers, and influencers who want to connect with their audience and monetize their work

TLDR: Kit is an email-first platform for creators, offering tools to build a paid newsletter, engage an audience, and sell products

Best use case: Ideal for creators looking to grow and monetize their audience with email newsletters while leveraging automation features and product sales. Perfect for beginners as well as creators who want to start earning through subscriptions.

Pricing:

• Free plan: Yes (up to 1,000 subscribers)
  
  
• Starting paid plan: $15/mo (for more subscribers and advanced tools)
  
  
• Price at scale: Custom pricing for larger lists with advanced needs
  
  

Key Features:

• Ease of use: Beginner
  
  
• Customization: Moderate
  
  
• Automations: Yes (simple and intuitive automation workflows)
  
  
• API access: Yes
  
  

Growth Features:

• Ad network: No
  
  
• Web publishing: Yes
  
  
• SEO tools: Basic (email-first focus)
  
  
• Referral system: No
  
  

Notable for:

• Easy-to-use automation tools
  
  
• Tools to create and monetize paid newsletters
  
  
• Simplified integration for selling products alongside newsletters
  
  
• Affordable entry pricing for new creators
  
  

Limitations:

• No advanced automation capabilities compared to enterprise solutions
  
  
• Primarily focused on email and lacks robust web publishing tools
  
  
• SEO tools are basic and secondary to the email-first approach
  
  

Small-Medium Business (SMB) All-in-One Solutions

Mailchimp

Website: mailchimp.com
Category: SMB All-in-One Solution
Best for: Small to medium businesses needing comprehensive marketing tools

TLDR: Comprehensive marketing software with robust email and automation features

Best use case: Ideal for businesses that need a full-featured marketing platform with email, automation, and CRM capabilities. Perfect for companies wanting to manage all their marketing efforts in one place.

Pricing:

• Free plan: Yes (up to 2,000 contacts)
  
  
• Starting paid plan: $13/mo
  
  
• Price at scale: Increases significantly with contact count
  
  

Key Features:

• Ease of use: Intermediate
  
  
• Customization: Advanced
  
  
• Automations: Advanced
  
  
• API access: Yes
  
  

Growth Features:

• Ad network: No
  
  
• Web publishing: Yes (landing pages)
  
  
• SEO tools: Yes (website builder)
  
  
• Referral system: Through integrations
  
  

Notable for:

• Easy to use editor

• Comprehensive marketing features
  
  
• Advanced segmentation
  
  
• Strong automation capabilities
  
  
• Extensive integration options
  
  
• Lots and lots of email templates

Limitations:

• Can be expensive at scale
  
  
• Complex interface
  
  
• Steep learning curve for advanced features
  
  

Brevo (formerly Sendinblue)

Website: brevo.com
Category: SMB All-in-One Solution
Best for: Growing businesses needing marketing automation

TLDR: Affordable all-in-one marketing platform with strong automation features

Best use case: Perfect for growing businesses that need comprehensive marketing tools including email, SMS, and chat capabilities at a reasonable price point. Ideal for companies with multi-channel communication needs.

Pricing:

• Free plan: Yes (300 emails per day)
  
  
• Starting paid plan: $25/mo
  
  
• Price at scale: More affordable than competitors at higher volumes
  
  

Key Features:

• Ease of use: Intermediate
  
  
• Customization: Advanced
  
  
• Automations: Advanced
  
  
• API access: Yes
  
  

Growth Features:

• Ad network: No
  
  
• Web publishing: Yes (landing pages)
  
  
• SEO tools: Basic
  
  
• Referral system: Through integrations
  
  

Notable for:

• Multi-channel marketing capabilities
  
  
• Competitive pricing
  
  
• Strong automation features
  
  
• SMS marketing integration
  
  

Limitations:

• Interface can be confusing
  
  
• Limited template designs
  
  
• Basic reporting features
  
  

MailerLite

Website: mailerlite.com
Category: SMB All-in-One Solution
Best for: Small businesses and creators looking for simplicity

TLDR: User-friendly email marketing software with essential features at affordable prices

Best use case: Excellent for small businesses and entrepreneurs who want a straightforward email marketing tool without overwhelming features. Great balance of functionality and simplicity.

Pricing:

• Free plan: Yes (up to 1,000 subscribers)
  
  
• Starting paid plan: $10/mo
  
  
• Price at scale: Competitive pricing for larger lists
  
  

Key Features:

• Ease of use: Beginner
  
  
• Customization: Moderate
  
  
• Automations: Yes
  
  
• API access: Yes
  
  

Growth Features:

• Ad network: No
  
  
• Web publishing: Yes (websites & landing pages)
  
  
• SEO tools: Yes (basic)
  
  
• Referral system: No
  
  

Notable for:

• Intuitive interface
  
  
• Good value for money
  
  
• Website builder included
  
  
• Solid deliverability rates
  
  
• Good email templates

Limitations:

• Limited advanced features
  
  
• Basic automation capabilities
  
  
• Less sophisticated than enterprise solutions
  
  

GetResponse

Website: getresponse.com
Category: SMB All-in-One Solution
Best for: Small to medium businesses needing marketing automation

TLDR: Versatile marketing platform with strong automation and webinar features

Best use case: Great for businesses that want to combine email marketing with webinar hosting and advanced automation. Particularly suited for businesses with educational or training content.

Pricing:

• Free plan: Yes (up to 500 contacts)
  
  
• Starting paid plan: $19/mo
  
  
• Price at scale: Competitive mid-market pricing
  
  

Key Features:

• Ease of use: Intermediate
  
  
• Customization: Advanced
  
  
• Automations: Advanced
  
  
• API access: Yes
  
  

Growth Features:

• Ad network: No
  
  
• Web publishing: Yes
  
  
• SEO tools: Yes (website builder)
  
  
• Referral system: Through integrations
  
  

Notable for:

• Built-in webinar functionality
  
  
• Strong automation builder
  
  
• Conversion funnels
  
  
• Website builder included
  
  

Limitations:

• Can be overwhelming for beginners
  
  
• More expensive than basic alternatives
  
  
• Some features feel dated
  
  

Enterprise & E-commerce Focused Platforms

Klaviyo

Website: klaviyo.com
Category: Enterprise & E-commerce
Best for: E-commerce businesses needing advanced marketing automation

TLDR: Powerful e-commerce focused marketing platform with deep integration capabilities

Best use case: Perfect for e-commerce businesses that need sophisticated customer segmentation and personalized marketing automation. Ideal for companies wanting to leverage their customer data for advanced email marketing campaigns.

Pricing:

• Free plan: Yes (up to 250 contacts)
  
  
• Starting paid plan: $45/mo
  
  
• Price at scale: Premium pricing, scales with contacts/email volume
  
  

Key Features:

• Ease of use: Advanced
  
  
• Customization: Advanced
  
  
• Automations: Advanced (predictive analytics, complex flows)
  
  
• API access: Yes (comprehensive)
  
  

Growth Features:

• Ad network: No
  
  
• Web publishing: No
  
  
• SEO tools: No
  
  
• Referral system: Through integrations
  
  

Notable for:

• Deep e-commerce integrations
  
  
• Advanced segmentation capabilities
  
  
• Powerful predictive analytics
  
  
• Rich customer data platform
  
  

Limitations:

• Expensive compared to general-purpose tools
  
  
• Steep learning curve
  
  
• Primarily focused on e-commerce use cases
  
  

ActiveCampaign

Website: activecampaign.com
Category: Enterprise & E-commerce
Best for: Businesses needing sophisticated marketing automation and CRM

TLDR: Advanced marketing automation platform with powerful CRM capabilities

Best use case: Ideal for businesses that need a combination of sophisticated marketing automation, sales automation, and CRM features. Perfect for companies with complex sales processes and marketing workflows.

Pricing:

• Free plan: No
  
  
• Starting paid plan: $29/mo
  
  
• Price at scale: Enterprise pricing based on features and contacts
  
  

Key Features:

• Ease of use: Advanced
  
  
• Customization: Advanced
  
  
• Automations: Advanced (machine learning, complex workflows)
  
  
• API access: Yes
  
  

Growth Features:

• Ad network: No
  
  
• Web publishing: Yes (landing pages)
  
  
• SEO tools: Through integrations
  
  
• Referral system: Through integrations
  
  

Notable for:

• Sophisticated automation builder
  
  
• Built-in CRM functionality
  
  
• Machine learning capabilities
  
  
• Advanced segmentation
  
  

Limitations:

• Complex interface
  
  
• Higher learning curve
  
  
• Can be expensive for small businesses
  
  
• Requires technical expertise to fully leverage
  
  

Conclusion

Choosing the right newsletter sending software is a crucial step in building and growing your newsletter audience. As we've explored, there's no one-size-fits-all solution—the best platform for you depends on your specific needs, goals, and resources.

• If you're a content creator or individual writer, platforms like beehiiv, Substack, Ghost, Feather, and Kit offer simplicity and features tailored to help you focus on your content and audience engagement.
  
  
• For small to medium businesses, all-in-one solutions like Mailchimp, Brevo, MailerLite, and GetResponse provide robust marketing tools to manage not just your newsletters, but broader marketing efforts.
  
  
• Enterprise and e-commerce-focused platforms like Klaviyo and ActiveCampaign deliver advanced automation, segmentation, and integrations, ideal for larger organizations with complex needs.
  
  

Consider factors such as ease of use, customization options, automation capabilities, growth features, and pricing at scale. It's important to evaluate not just what you need now, but also what you'll need as your newsletter grows.

Remember, while the sending platform is important, the heart of your newsletter is its content.

In the end, the best newsletter platform is the one that aligns with your objectives and helps you connect effectively with your audience.

We recommend taking advantage of free trials and exploring each platform's features firsthand to see which one feels right for you.

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