In 2025, newsletters have evolved into one of the most powerful tools for building direct, meaningful relationships with audiences. Whether you're a writer, a small business owner, or a content creator, sending regular, engaging newsletters is key to keeping your followers informed, entertained, and connected. But with so many platforms available, how do you choose the right one?
This comprehensive guide will walk you through the top newsletter platforms for 2025, helping you make the best choice based on your specific goals. From building your subscriber list to monetizing your content, here's a breakdown of the best newsletter tools to use this year.
Substack
The Easiest Way to Monetize Your Newsletter
Best For: Simple, monetized newsletters
Substack has rapidly become the go-to platform for writers and creators looking to launch a paid newsletter. Its straightforward, no-fuss approach has made it particularly popular with journalists, bloggers, and independent content creators who want to quickly start publishing, build an audience, and earn money from their work.
Pricing: Free to use, but Substack takes a 10% commission on paid subscriptions.
Key Features:
Ease of Use: Substack offers one of the simplest setups for creating and sending newsletters. You don't need any technical expertise to get started.
Monetization: The platform is designed to help you quickly set up paid subscription models for your newsletter. Whether you want to charge a one-time fee for access to a specific issue or set up ongoing monthly payments, Substack makes it easy.
Discovery & Community: The platform offers a built-in community, where users can discover new writers and newsletters, giving you organic exposure to potential subscribers.
Why Choose Substack?
If you're a writer or content creator looking for a straightforward, no-hassle way to monetize your content, Substack is your best bet. It's an excellent choice if you want to focus more on content creation and less on managing complex email marketing features.
beehiiv
The Ultimate Growth Tool
Best For: Rapid growth and scaling
If you're looking to scale your newsletter quickly, beehiiv is the platform for you. A powerful newsletter tool designed with growing audiences in mind, beehiiv offers a set of features to not only create attractive emails but also help you grow your subscriber list effortlessly.
Pricing: Free for up to 2,500 subscribers; paid plans available for larger audiences.
Key Features:
Drag-and-Drop Email Builder: beehiiv's user-friendly interface makes it simple to design visually appealing emails without any coding experience.
Referral Program: One of its standout features is its referral program. beehiiv allows you to incentivize your subscribers to invite their friends, helping you grow your audience organically.
Advanced Analytics: Detailed reporting tools help you track key metrics like open rates, click-through rates, and growth trends.
Why Choose beehiiv? beehiiv is perfect for those who want to focus on audience growth. With its growth-centric features, you can quickly build your subscriber base while creating and managing engaging content.
MailerLite
Flexibility and Simplicity Combined
Best For: Flexibility, ease of use, and all-around email marketing
MailerLite is an ideal platform for anyone looking to combine simplicity with powerful features. Whether you're a newbie just starting or a seasoned marketer, MailerLite's easy-to-use interface and feature-rich tools make it a top choice.
Pricing: Free for up to 1,000 subscribers; paid plans scale with your audience size.
Key Features:
Drag-and-Drop Editor: No coding required! MailerLite's intuitive email editor lets you create beautiful newsletters with ease.
Advanced Analytics: Real-time tracking helps you understand how your emails are performing, allowing you to optimize your content and strategy.
Landing Pages & Websites: Apart from email marketing, MailerLite also allows you to build simple landing pages or even full websites to capture leads.
Why Choose MailerLite? MailerLite offers an ideal blend of simplicity and flexibility. It's great for those who want an intuitive, easy-to-navigate platform with the option to scale up as your needs grow.
Kit (formerly ConvertKit)
The Creator's Platform
Best For: Creators (musicians, podcasters, bloggers) who want to monetize their newsletters
If you're a content creator looking to engage with your audience and monetize your newsletters, Kit (formerly ConvertKit) is one of the best options available. It provides tools specifically designed to help creators grow their subscriber lists and turn that growth into revenue.
Pricing: Free for up to 10,000 subscribers; paid plans available for larger lists.
Key Features:
Email Automation: Kit allows you to set up advanced email automation workflows, delivering the right content to the right people at the right time.
Paid Newsletters: You can charge your subscribers for exclusive content and manage payments directly through the platform.
Referral System: Kit includes a referral program, which rewards your current subscribers for bringing in new ones, driving further growth.
Why Choose Kit? Kit is perfect for content creators who are looking to build an engaged community and monetize their content. With powerful automation and monetization features, it's a great choice for podcasters, musicians, and bloggers.
Flodesk
The Platform for Beautiful Emails
Best For: Stunning email designs
If you're a designer or marketer who values the visual appeal of your emails, Flodesk is the platform for you. Known for its sleek, stylish templates and ease of use, Flodesk is ideal for brands and businesses that want their newsletters to look professional and polished.
Pricing: Starts at $38/month.
Key Features:
Beautiful Templates: Flodesk's templates are high-quality and customizable, so you can create stunning emails with ease.
E-commerce Integration: It integrates seamlessly with eCommerce platforms, making it perfect for businesses that want to sell products directly through their newsletters.
Subscriber Segmentation: The platform offers advanced segmentation tools to help you tailor your emails to different audience segments.
Why Choose Flodesk? Flodesk is ideal for those who prioritize aesthetics and want to create visually striking email campaigns. If you're running an eCommerce store or a visually driven brand, Flodesk is the best option.
Ghost
Blogging and Newsletter in One
Best For: Combining blogging and newsletters
Ghost is an open-source platform that started as a blogging tool but now offers powerful newsletter capabilities. If you're a writer who wants to combine blogging with email marketing, Ghost offers an all-in-one solution to streamline both efforts.
Pricing: Starts at $11/month for up to 5,000 subscribers.
Key Features:
Blogging + Newsletters: You can create and publish blog posts while managing your newsletters from the same platform.
Monetization: Ghost allows you to charge for your newsletters or accept donations, offering creators a way to monetize their work directly.
Customization: Highly customizable themes and templates allow you to tailor the look and feel of both your blog and newsletters.
Why Choose Ghost? Ghost is perfect for bloggers who want to combine their writing with email marketing. The ability to monetize both blog posts and newsletters in one place makes it an attractive option for creators looking to streamline their content creation and revenue generation.
Which Platform Is Right for You?
With so many options available, the right platform depends on your specific goals. Whether you're focused on monetization, audience growth, or creating visually stunning emails, there's a platform that meets your needs.
Substack is great for easy, monetized newsletters.
beehiiv is perfect for growing your subscriber base quickly.
MailerLite provides flexibility and powerful features with ease of use.
Kit is ideal for content creators who want to monetize their work.
Flodesk is the go-to for beautiful, eCommerce-friendly designs.
Ghost is perfect for bloggers looking to combine content and newsletters.
No matter which platform you choose, remember that consistency and quality content are key to building and retaining an engaged audience. Happy emailing!
Top comments (1)
Been thinking about starting my own newsletter for a while, this helped a lot. Thanks, pal. Keep it up.