The best online newsletter platforms [2025]

If you’ve got your own business or create content that people love, communicating with your audience is key.

There are tons of social media networks and platforms you could use to do this, but email newsletters have been on top of that list for ages — they keep people connected and aware of what’s going with your brand.

As with anything, there are plenty of email newsletter services out there, each catering to a slightly different audience and filling a different niche.

So, this guide is going to help you identify the top newsletter services, and show you how you can maximize newsletter monetization.

9 Best online newsletter platforms

Best newsletter platform for online communities

Whop is much more than just a newsletter platform, which puts it firmly at the top of the class if you've got an online community of any kind.

Customers, social media followers, students, dedicated channel viewers, learners, or fans – whoever your people are, Whop is worth considering.

And here's why.

Whop gives you every feature you need to manage your community just right, within an online hub called a 'whop'. When you sign up, you create a whop, then configure it by adding apps.

These apps are where the magic happens.

For example, the Chat app. Drag it into your whop, and boom, you've given your audience a fully featured chatroom, complete with user colors, moderation, and more.

Apps like chat allow you to bring your newsletter readers into a tight community, but we've not even scratched the surface yet.

The tricky bit with newsletters is monetization, and the biggest benefit of having your own whop is that you can sell anything digital.

Want to sell a course? Add the courses app, and build your course out before offering it to your newsletter readers. Digital download? Same thing.

You can even use your whop to gate your existing Discord or Telegram if creating a premium community tier sounds like the best way to go.

And newsletters themselves? Whop does that too, of course.

All you need to do is add the Forums app, which gives you and your admins the email newsletter function.

Pros: Drag and drop whop builder lets you create your own bespoke online hub where you can sell anything and while keeping your community engaged

Cons: Whop's newsletter feature can be hard to find, but hey, now you know how it works. Just add the Forums app and you're good to go.

Pricing: Whop is completely free to use and there's a transaction fee of just 3% on sales you make.

Best newsletter platform for ecommerce

Mailmodo is one of the best online newsletter platforms, letting you grow your ecommerce business thanks to the variety of features on offer.

We're talking AI integration and templates that can really speed up your email copy, instant automation, and precise segment targeting.

Most exciting of all, Mailmodo's gamification and interactivity can boost conversion, which is a big bonus.

Why? You’re already getting a best-in-class product, and the many extras turn the dial up to 11.

With AMP for email, you're essentially sending your audience a mini-website inside of your newsletter. Odds are, they're going to love it.

Pros: Drag and drop builder for AMP and HTML, full stack campaign manager, AI-powered automations.

Cons: Can get expensive if you have a large contact list thanks to flexible pricing. This means you won’t pay too much for a small mailing list but you may not get all the benefits of scale with a large one.

Pricing: Flexible pricing gives you a rate depending on how many contacts you have. The Lite and Pro plans start at $39 and $79 respectively for up to 2500 subscribers, while Max costs $159 up to the 10k contact mark.

Lite tops out at $199 for 50k contacts, Pro hits its limit at $639 for 200k contacts, and Max has a 250k contact limit priced at $939.

Best free newsletter platform

Smartrmail has plenty of advantages if you go premium, but it’s one of the most generous services that you can use without paying.

You can have up to 250 email subscribers and shoot off 1250 emails a month for free, which is great if you’re just starting off on your newsletter journey.

The platform offers tons of useful features that you can take advantage of too, from various automated workflows to abandoned cart emails.

There's A/B testing of subject lines, product lookups within your newsletters, segmentation, and you can add custom HTML code if you want to.

Pros: You can test out the advanced Pro plan with a free trial, and Smartrmail offers just about every feature a newsletter really needs.

Cons: The number of subscribers you can have on a free plan is limited, but it's definitely better than nothing.

Pricing: The free plan gives you 250 subscribers and 1250 emails per month, without locking off any features.

Once you start to scale beyond the 250 contact mark you can go up to 12 emails per contact with the 'Essential' plan at $9.80 per month, or 24 emails per contact, and 1000 SMS credits plus additional features with the $69.30 Pro plan.

Essential remains around half the price of Pro until 5k contacts, at which point you might be tempted to upgrade.

Best newsletter platform for small businesses

Mailchimp started out as an email newsletter platform for small businesses but is now very much an all-in-one marketing platform.

That’s good news for because it offers lots of advantages no matter what stage of your business or content creation journey you're in.

As a platform, it's easy to use, and can help manage your website, landing pages, socials, and even SMS campaigns alongside your newsletters. 

Mailchimp also features a drag-and-drop email builder that can really help minimize the time you need to perfect design.

It's also kinda fun to play around with, and helps unlock your creative side!

Pros: Mailchimp is really easy to use and intuitive in its design, and it serves as an all-in-one marketing platform. That helps small businesses since you can conserve your time and budget.

Cons: The free plan is very limited, and you’ll have to buy templates if you really want your newsletters to look good.

Pricing: Mailchimp’s full-featured Premium plan starts at $350 per month for 10k contacts, Standard starts at $20 per month for 500 contacts, and Essentials drops down to just $13 per month for 500 subscribers.

The Standard plan has most of the tools you’ll need to scale, featuring advanced automations and data-driven optimization, and it scales well — at a maximum of 100k contacts and 1.2 million monthly email sends, it only goes up to $800.

Best platform for creative newsletters

Kit — formerly known as ConvertKit — is all about creators and creativity. What does that mean? For starters, maximum automation and a super easy-to-use set of features.

Platforms that are tough to work with really kill creativity, and Kit is totally aware of that — even the UI design is clean and pleasant, giving you a canvas to express yourself.

On top of that, it also offers several monetization options right from the inside your newsletter.

That's a big one, since you can unlock premium conversion, list your digital products, and offer subscriptions without your readers needing to click away.

Pros: Provides plenty of monetization options and growth-related features to go alongside engagement boosts.

Cons: Design is text-forward, which can suit some types of content better than others.

Pricing: Kit’s free plan covers 1000 subscribers and does allow you to sell digital products and subscriptions.

Paid options start with the Creator plan at $9 per month for 300 contacts, going up to a three-figure cost at 10k subscribers.

If you’re growing to those numbers though, you should consider Creator Pro ($140 for 10k contacts) which unlocks features like newsletter referrals and an insights dashboard.

Best platform for AI-powered newsletters

Benchmark is an email newsletter platform that's chock-full of features, with AI leading the charge.

The platform’s “Smart Design AI” is a companion that helps you whip up professional emails featuring your own logos, images, colors, and messaging with minimal input.

That sounds good, but how it does that is the cool bit – it pulls all of that data straight from your website, then whips up copy for you.

All that remains is for you to do the editing.

And, as it happens, there are tools to help you out here too. There's a drag-and-drop editor, HTML code editor, or a plain text editor to choose from in order to get the job done.

Pros: Benchmark's flagship is its Smart Design AI, but also has all of the automations and other options that you need from an email newsletter platform.

Cons: The free plan is very limited, basically just giving you a single sign-up form and basic segmentation and automations.

Pricing: Benchmark’s free plan lets you send 3,500 emails per month to 500 contacts, but you can double that count and start unlocking a powerful feature list if you switch to Pro for just $13 per month.

That goes up to $144 per month at 25k contacts, which is about when you should get in touch with Benchmark to talk about send-based pricing or some other bespoke plan.

Best newsletter platform for influencers

Substack. Of course it had to be Substack.

This service has been a gamechanger for a lot of influencers, combining power with reach.

And, what do you want from a newsletter platform? To get your message out to your audience directly, of course.

Substack does that, does it it well, and does it for free to boot.

As far how things are beneath the hood? Substack is a blog, webside, content platform and payment processor all rolled into one.

It's also important to add that there aren't any editorial restrictions when you use Substack, and you retain full ownership of all of your content.

Plus, there's also a network effect to take advantage of — Substack visitors can happen upon your content when they're browsing, so the platform can help you grow.

Pros: Substack is free to use, and it gets the job done by sending your content to the inboxes of your audience. Importantly, site viewers can organically find your content, which sets it apart from many other platforms.

Cons: Substack isn’t a specialist newsletter platform so you don’t have as many features and design options as other services.

Pricing: Free to use, but the platform takes 10% of your revenues when you turn on paid subscriptions.

Best newsletter platform for scalability and growth

Just about every newsletter platform we've covered so far uses contact-based pricing.

That means one simple thing: the more you grow, so does the amount you pay them.

Let's be straight here. Props to them for figuring out an effective way of pricing for their own services.

Still, you're not here for their top line — you want to grow yours.

Enter Flodesk, an excellent newsletter platform that welcomes growing creators and businesses by offering flat-rate pricing.

So, your contact list gets bigger, but you pay them the same old fee. End result? More profit for you.

Flodesk has all of the features you might want as you scale, too. Automation, analytics, advanced segmentation? It's all there, along with a pricing model that's perfect for growth.

Pros: Flodesk is a simple, feature rich platform that includes plenty of monetization options within your newsletters.

Cons: Starting price can be considered high if you have few or no subs, so you don't want to start here unless you're confident of rapid growth.

Pricing: Flodesk charges a flat $35 per month for email marketing irrespective of how many subscribers you have or how many emails you want to send.

Best newsletter platform for monetization

Sometimes, the best platform are put together by users who just can't find the perfect option — so they just pick up tools and build it themselves.

Developed by the team behind the Morning Brew, beehiiv is a newsletter platform that lets you build an epic newsletter without needing to know any code.

It’s easy to work with and packed with tons of familiar features, but it's a standout option because of its monetization.

So, how can you make money with beehiiv?

First of all, beehiiv allows monetization via its ad network — this feels like a surprisingly obvious addition given that you can monetize most other types of content through ads.

And if that's not cool enough, you can also earn by recommending other newsletters or converting readers into premium subscribers.

Pros: Modern, intuitive design and extremely powerful tools to help you put out your newsletter, including automations and generative AI that help you save time.

Cons: Slightly lacking in terms of visual customization compared to some of its competitors.

Pricing: beehiiv has a free plan supporting up to 2500 subscribers that’s appealing since you get unlimited email sends and several important features such as custom domains and audience segmentation.

The main premium plan is called Scale, starting at $39 per month for 1000 subscribers and unlocking access to all beehiiv’s key features including full monetization.

Finally, the Max plan at $99 for 1000 subscribers lets you get rid of beehiiv branding, giving you a white label option.

One last point in beehiiv's favor is that these premium options are competitive as you grow, with Scale and Max costing just $299 and $399 for 100k subscribers respectively.

Discover more email newsletter software in this guide

Best email newsletter platforms: A comparison

What to look for in an email newsletter platform

With so much choice out there, how do you pick between platforms? Well, there are a few things to keep in mind.

Here are some of the most important things to consider:

Ease of use

This one's big, because what's worse than spending ages trying to even learn how to use a new service you sign up for?

The best newsletter platforms let you build attractive, professional-looking newsletters without knowing a single line of code.

Some knowledge in this regard can help, of course, but you shouldn’t need any sort of extra skills to be able to communicate with your audience.

After all, you’ve got other things to put all that time and effort into, so to minimize headaches in the long run, find a platform that's easy to use.

Pricing

The next thing to look at is pricing. Thanks, Captain Obvious!

Actually, hang on a moment. Like many online services, the newsletter industry does have a few special ways of doing things.

Most newsletter services operate on some sort of flexible pricing system. Some have plans that ramp up when you have a bigger audience. Others, like Substack, will take a percentage across the board.

Beyond your subscriber count, different feature sets can cost a different amount. So, you may have to decide between a more basic tier and a pricier one that differ based on feature selection.

So, look for services that let you ‘cheat’ a little bit.

For example, Flodesk’s flat rate is awesome if you've got tons of subs since all of the other services will jack their prices up for those numbers.

On the other hand, we chose Smartrmail as our top free pick because it doesn’t gate off any features — which is great if you're just starting off.

Segmentation

Segmentation is important to any marketer, and being able to do that via your newsletter is a pretty powerful feature.

If you were wondering, segmentation is when you divide your audience based on things like demographics and behavioral traits.

It's crucial for building strategies around marketing and sales, so it's something to look for if you're getting really serious about your business.

That said, super niche newsletters or really new ones can probably ignore this feature.

Analytics and reporting

Analytics and reporting are another important part of running a business, or keeping an online community growing.

They can help you evaluate how your email campaigns are doing and adjust strategy, allowing you to get real business value out of your newsletter.

Without robust analytics and reporting features? Well, you’ll have no understanding of how one email campaign did great while another fell flat.

Monetization

Let's be honest here: monetization is a critical piece of the puzzle when it comes to running a newsletter.

Sure, you may not be running yours for the sole purpose of making bank, but that's the end goal, right?

Even if you're committed to keeping your newsletter free, the reason you're sending it out may be to alert people about your new product.

Rather than link to it, some services let you sell that product right from within the newsletter. It's convenient, saves a click, and could earn you thousands.

Besides, many businesses have found that a smaller, highly connected audience has the potential to be far more profitable than a larger, less-invested one.

And a newsletter? It's all about connection and engagement.

Newsletters: 3 successful examples for a little inspiration

1. Morning Brew

We've mentioned them already so let's start here — these are the folks who started beehiiv. And, today, they're probably more of a content network than a mere newsletter.

The Morning Brew has always been known for being on the humorous side, and are always good for a grin to go with your first sip of the day.

(The quip about weddings in the image is probably going to be a head-scratcher by the time you read this, but on June the 9th, it was relevant!)

Despite being acquired by Business Insider, the newsletter still has plenty of email subscribers. And by plenty, we mean millions.

How did they get to the point where they could be profitably taken over?

Monetization, and lots of it. Native ads, branded content, sponsorships, the Morning Brew did all of that while also being a comforting, daily wake-up for its loyal readers.

Key takeaway: Figuring out a niche and then staying consistent can really help. The Morning Brew has always given readers a peek at current affairs to wake up to. It's even right there in the name.

2. Product Habits

Hiten Shah's Product Habits newsletter is a good source of the sort of insights that are driving the world of ecommerce forward at any given point.

It's not just theory either — readers get plenty of case studies that show innovative principles put to the test, and how companies tackle the problems put to them.

Complex topics made accessible, actionable tips delivered right into your inbox, and, wait for it... a free ebook for subscribing?

The incentives to bang your email address in are laid out loud and clear.

Key takeaway: Something like a free ebook or PDF document can be enough of an incentive to get people to subscribe. Once you've got them on your newsletter, you've got a chance to demonstrate your value, engage, and ultimately convert.

3. Distance Covered

Distance Covered is a newsletter published by author, podcaster, and football statistician Josh Williams.

It's currently #42 in the Sports category on Substack, which isn't bad at all — certainly not when you consider that Josh's work, which is focused on stats and data, is pretty niche.

That said, he's covering the sport with the most global appeal, and focuses on a club, Liverpool FC, which is highly successful and widely supported.

Josh is well known for his podcasting, and he mixes in a significant amount of this form of content if you become a paid subscriber.

Top tier subscribers also get a signed copy of his book, so there's tons of value to be had for those who do take the plunge.

Key takeaway: Giving your audience multiple forms of content if possible is definitely the way to go, and platforms that offer many types of digital products are worth consider.

Make the most out of your newsletter with Whop

Newsletters are just the beginning.

Whether you're sharing content, launching products, or building a community, your newsletter is the heartbeat of your audience.

So why stop at just sending emails?

With Whop, you can send newsletters and turn your audience into a revenue stream, all in one place.

Start by adding apps to your whop:

• Send newsletters (via the Forums app)
• Sell premium content like eBooks, downloads, and courses
• Run paid communities (with Chat, Discord, Telegram access)
• Offer exclusive perks or subscriptions
• Gate content by tier, topic, or member type

Rather than sending your readers to external marketplaces, funnel them all to your own whop, where you can offer them everything in one place:

Let's say you have a newsletter about beekeeping. Super niche, but a very rewarding hobby, right?

All you need to do is funnel your customers to your beekeeping whop, where you have:

• a subscriber-only beekeeping chat
• beekeeping courses
• ebooks on how to manage a hive
• downloadable files on best beekeeping practices
• and much, much more

With Whop, your newsletters can lead to subscriptions, premium content, courses, workshops, paid communities, and many other revenue streams.

Ready for the sauce?

There are no fees to get started, and Whop charges just a 3% fee on the sales you make.

So, check out Whop today to start scaling, growing, and monetizing your email newsletter.