Interactive newsletter cost model · 2026
Newsletter Cost Calculator (2026): Compare Plans
Calculate annual newsletter software cost, cost per 1,000 emails, and how many paid subscribers would cover a plan using your actual checkout quote.
Editable inputs based on official entry prices checked 20 Aug 2026.
Turn a monthly plan card into a business decision.
Select a starting preset, then replace the price with the exact quote from your checkout. The calculator shows annual software cost, cost per 1,000 delivered emails, and a simple paid-subscriber break-even.
Read the result correctly
The calculator is deliberately editable because “starts at” is not a quote. beehiiv, Kit, and MailerLite all use subscriber-related tiers on paid plans. MailerLite also varies sending allowance by plan. The price that matters is the one attached to your list size and billing cadence at checkout.
The break-even output answers a narrow question: how many people paying the entered monthly price for the selected paid period would equal the software bill? It does not subtract card processing, platform transaction fees, refunds, taxes, discounts, failed payments, or churn. Use it as a screening number, not a forecast.
Three numbers to collect before choosing
Verified entry prices used by the presets
| Plan | Monthly entry price | Annual effective monthly price | Important limit or distinction |
|---|---|---|---|
| beehiiv Launch | US$0 | US$0 | Up to 2,500 active subscribers; unlimited sends |
| beehiiv Scale | US$49 | US$43 | Paid plans scale by active-subscriber tier |
| beehiiv Max | US$109 | US$96 | Adds brand removal, more publications and advanced features |
| Kit Newsletter | US$0 | US$0 | Up to 10,000 active unique subscribers; managed Recommendation slot required |
| Kit Creator | US$39 | US$33 | Entry figures shown for 1,000 subscribers |
| Kit Pro | US$79 | US$66 | Entry figures shown for 1,000 subscribers |
| MailerLite Comfort | From US$12 | Annual billing saves 10% | Subscriber tiers and monthly sending limits apply |
| MailerLite Power | From US$25 | Annual billing saves 10% | Unlimited monthly sends, subject to fair use |
Prices were checked on 20 August 2026 in US dollars. Annual prices are effective monthly amounts tied to an annual commitment, not month-to-month invoices. Taxes, currency conversion, and future pricing changes are outside the estimate.
Free is not automatically cheaper
A free plan can cost more when it forces manual work, blocks a revenue feature, inserts a recommendation you do not control, or delays a necessary automation. A paid plan can also be pure waste when the newsletter has no consistent publishing habit or clear audience promise.
Use this upgrade rule:
value of time saved + conservative gross profit unlocked > annual plan cost
If you cannot name the workflow or revenue path, remain free. If the paid feature saves several hours every month, measure those hours rather than arguing about a US$6 difference between plan cards.
Subscriber count is only one cost driver
- Billing cadence: annual pricing lowers the effective monthly price but removes flexibility.
- Payment fees: paid newsletters and digital products create per-transaction costs.
- Recommendations: a free-plan recommendation slot can have an opportunity cost.
- Seats: collaboration can require a higher tier even with a small list.
- Migration: rebuilding forms, automations, domains, archives, and analytics consumes time.
- Currency and tax: the card statement can differ from the US-dollar marketing page.
Which preset should you try first?
- Try beehiiv Launch if you are building a media-style newsletter and still proving the format.
- Try beehiiv Scale when its ads, paid recommendations, automations, or subscription economics have a concrete use.
- Try Kit Newsletter when you want maximum free list headroom and one basic automation is enough.
- Try Kit Creator when sequences, integrations, RSS campaigns, and brand removal save real work.
- Try MailerLite Comfort when a lean small-business email stack matters more than a creator network.
For product fit, read beehiiv vs Kit or start with the newsletter platforms for creators guide.
Verify your number at the source
Set the same subscriber count and billing cadence on the vendor page, then paste the checkout quote back into the calculator.
beehiiv pricing → Kit pricing → MailerLite pricing →Official sources
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