Are you a content creator looking for the ideal platform for your newsletter?
Whether you’re marketing an ecommerce business, launching a podcast, or just writing about life, finding the best newsletter platform is key to staying connected with your subscribers.
To help you, we’ve compiled a list of the best newsletter platforms for creators in 2023. But before we dive into the list, let’s go through what a newsletter platform is.
What Is a Newsletter Platform?
Shortly, a newsletter platform is software that helps you create and manage email newsletters.
With a newsletter platform, you can easily format your newsletter content, personalize subscriber information and insert different media types into emails, such as images and videos. You can also track the newsletter performance with analytics.
Some essential features of a newsletter platform include:
- Flexible editor. Your newsletter platform should come with an editor that lets you customize your newsletter design.
- Analytics and tracking. To measure the effectiveness of your newsletters, look for tracking features such as open rates, engagement data, click-throughs, etc.
- Integrations. Connecting your newsletters to other apps such as ecommerce stores or payment processors will make it easier to send newsletters and manage campaigns.
- Automations. Automated emails are key for engaging subscribers in the long term, so make sure your platform offers this essential feature.
Now that we’ve discussed the features, let’s take a look at seven of the best email newsletter platforms in 2023.
List of the Best Newsletter Platforms
- Beehiiv
- Substack
- ConvertKit
- Mailchimp
- GetResponse
- ConstantContact
- Mailjet
Let’s dive in and see what each of the best email newsletter platforms offers.
1. Beehiiv
Beehiiv is the ideal platform for bloggers, authors, and entrepreneurs who want to grow their email lists, create engaging newsletter campaigns, and generate more revenue.
It’s an all-in-one newsletter platform that lets you easily manage campaigns, track performance, and automate tasks.
The cool thing about Beehiiv is that its founder’s were previously part of Morning brew, and helped them grow their newsletter. For this reason, they understand the struggles of newsletter creators, and have put together a powerful platform that addresses those needs.
Pros
- Creator-friendly. Beehiiv’s founders were creators previously, so they know the struggles of content creators.
- All-in-one solution. With a flexible newsletter editor, email capturing tools, analytics, and monetizing tools, you have everything you need to scale your newsletter.
- Updated frequently. Beehiiv is quite new platform, and the founder’s update it with new features and functionality every month.
Cons
- Limited integrations. As the platform is still quite new, it doesn’t offer as many integrations as some other platforms on this list. However, they are constantly expanding their list of supported services.
Pricing
Beehiiv has three plans to select from: Launch, Grow, and Scale.
Let’s go through those in more detail:
- Launch – (Free to use) – Good for those just getting started as it allows you to have up to 2500 newsletter subscribers.
- Grow – ($49 a month) – Great for growing newsletters, as it allows you to have up to 10,000 subscribers.
- Scale – ($99 a month) – Allows you to have up to 100,000 email newsletter subscribers, and comes with advanced features such as automated segmentation and A/B testing.
I’ve also made an in-depth Beehiiv review, if you want to learn more about this email marketing tool.
2. Substack
Substack is a popular newsletter platform for creating and publishing newsletters. It’s great for content creators as it allows them to easily create, publish, and monetize newsletters, without any coding knowledge.
Pros
- Unlimited free subscribers. With Substack, you can have an unlimited number of subscribers without having to pay for them.
- Good monetization features. Substack comes with a few monetization options, including paywalls for content and membership subscriptions.
- Easy to use. The platform is quite intuitive, which makes it easy to create and publish newsletters.
Cons
- Lacking analytics. Substack’s analytics are quite basic, so it might not be the best fit for those who need deeper insights.
- Limited design options. Substack does not offer much in terms of design customization.
Pricing
Substack is completely free to use. If you add paid subscriptions, Substack will charge a 10% fee for each transaction.
3. ConvertKit
ConvertKit is a newsletter platform that focuses heavily on email marketing automation and list segmentation. It’s designed for bloggers, authors, and entrepreneurs who want to automate their email campaigns and increase conversions.
Pros
- Ready-to-use templates and an email builder. ConvertKit comes with a drag-and-drop builder and some high-converting email templates.
- Built-in deliverability tools. ConvertKit has built-in tools to ensure your emails land in the main inboxes of your subscribers (and not in the spam box).
- Great list segmentation tools. ConvertKit lets you easily segment your email list into different groups and track their performance.
Cons
- Limited free plan. ConvertKit allows you to have only up to 300 email subscribers on the free plan, while Beehiiv allows you to have up to 2,500 email subscribers.
- No analytics on the Creator plan. If you want to access any analytics, you have to select the most expensive plan Creator Pro.
Pricing
ConvertKit has three different plans to choose from: Free, Creator, and Creator Pro.
Let’s look into more detail about those plans:
- Free – (Free to use) – Lets you send emails to up to 300 email subscribers. Comes with basic newsletter creation tools.
- Creator – (Starts from $9 a month) – Decent newsletter features, including automation tools, email design tools, integrations, and more.
- Creator Pro – (Starts from $25 a month) – Includes advanced newsletter features, including analytics, A/B testing, and more.
4. Mailchimp
Mailchimp is an email marketing software that provides creators with necessary tools to create and send out newsletters.
It’s a great option if your newsletter is more than just an email list, as Mailchimp also provides tools to create landing pages, forms and automated email series.
Pros
- Advanced features. If price is not a problem for you, Mailchimp offers some of the most advanced newsletter creation tools out there.
- Scalable option. If you think you might need more features down the line, such as CRM, A/B testing, and more, Mailchimp can provide them.
Cons
- Overkill for only newsletter. If you are just starting out and don’t need other features such as forms or landing pages, then Mailchimp might be too much for your needs.
- Not the cheapest option. Mailchimp is one of the more expensive options out there. The free plan also only allows you to send 1,000 emails a month, or have up to 500 contacts.
Pricing
Mailchimp has four different plans to choose from: Free, Essentials, Standard and Premium.
- Free – (Free to use) – Lets you send up to 10,000 emails per month and have up to 500 contacts on your list.
- Essentials – (Starts from $9 a month) – Includes contact segmentation, basic automation, and other features.
- Standard – (Starts from $20 a month) – Includes advanced automation tools, audience insights, and more.
- Premium – (Starts from $350 a month) – Includes CRM, advanced segmentation and targeting, predictive content and more.
5. GetResponse
GetResponse is an email marketing platform that comes with a wide range of features that allows users to create and send out newsletters, automated email series, and more. It’s ideal for smaller creators as well as large enterprises.
Pros
- Decent free plan. It comes with quite a generous free plan, allowing you to send up to 2,500 newsletter emails a month. The free plan also allows you to connect your own domain, build one landing page, and an easy-to-use drag and drop editor.
- More than just newsletters. GetResponse offers more than just newsletter creation tools. You can also use it to create ecommerce websites, landing pages and forms, and more.
- AI tools. GetResponse has joined the rise of AI tools by offering an AI subject line generator tool for their users.
Cons
- The more expensive option. Even though it has a decent free plan, GetResponse is one of the more expensive options out there compared to other newsletter platforms.
Pricing
GetResponse has four different plans to choose from: Free, Email Marketing, Marketing Automation, and Ecommerce Marketing.
Free – (Free to use) – Lets you send up to 2,500 emails a month and have up to 500 contacts on your list.
Email Marketing – (Starts from $19 a month) – Comes with an AI subject line generator, the ability to make unlimited newsletters, and basic segmentation tools.
Marketing Automation – (Starts from $59 a month) – Includes advanced automation, email A/B testing, and more.
Ecommerce Marketing – (Starts from $119 a month) – Comes with abandoned cart recovery, advanced segmentation and targeting, and more.
6. Constant Contact
Constant Contact is one of the most popular email marketing platforms out there, and offers a wide range of features to help you create and send out newsletters.
Again, like GetResponse and Mailchimp, Constant Contact offers more than just newsletter creation tools, but also features such as automated email series, forms, and landing pages.
Pros
- User-friendly interface. Constant Contact is known for its user-friendly interface, making it easy to use even for beginners.
- Good audience segmentation. Constant Contact has four default segments for your subscribers, Most engaged, Somewhat engaged, Least engaged, and Everyone else. You can also create your own segments.
- Multiple different templates. Comes with hundreds of different email templates, that can be used as they are, or customized further.
Cons
- No free plan available. ConstantContact does not offer a free plan, which is something many of its competitors offer.
- Outdated templates. While ConstantContact has many templates to offer, users have reported some of them looking quite dated and outdated.
Pricing
Constant Contact has two different email marketing plans to choose from: Core, and Plus.
Let’s take a look at those plans:
- Core – (Starts from $9.99 a month) – Comes with basic features such as email marketing and automation, contact segmentation, and more.
- Plus – (Starts from $45 a month) – Includes more advanced features such as A/B testing, real-time reporting, and more.
7. Mailjet
Last but not least on the list is Mailjet.
Mailjet is an email marketing platform for designing and sending emails, and comes with a range of features to help you create powerful email campaigns.
Pros
- A quite an affordable option. Mailjet offers a good free plan (allows to send 6,000 emails a month), and affordable paid plans with good features.
- Good templates. Mailjet offers a wide range of customizable templates that can be used for your emails.
- Team collaboration tools. Mailjet also offers team collaboration tools, allowing multiple users to collaborate on the same project.
Cons
- Lacks some segmentation features. When compared to other platforms, Mailjet has less segmentation features available.
Pricing
Mailjet comes with four different plans to choose from: Free, Essential, Premium and Custom.
Let’s look into those in more detail:
- Free – (Free to use) – Allows you to send up to 6,000 emails a month, and comes with a drag and drop email editor, as well as basic analytics.
- Essential – (Starts from $15 a month) – Everything that is in the Free plan plus, no Mailjet logo and basic segmentation tools.
- Premium – (Starts from $25 a month) – Comes with advanced analytics, A/B testing, automation tools, and team collaboration tools.
- Custom – (Contact Mailjet for pricing) – Comes with custom features such as multiple domains, white-labeling and more.
Conclusion
Choosing the right newsletter software for your needs can be a daunting task. However, by understanding what features you need and how much you are willing to invest, you can make an informed decision.
The most important thing to remember is that there’s no one-size-fits-all solution, and the perfect platform for you may vary depending on your needs and budget. Some people want more robust email marketing service, and for some, the basic tools are enough.
Consider your preferences carefully and do your research before committing to a platform.
