Pick Kit if you are a creator building a list from zero, since its free plan covers up to 10,000 subscribers and its recommendation network helps you grow. Pick MailerLite if you run a small business or online store and want automations, a website builder and Shopify or WooCommerce links at a lower paid price, from $12 a month. MailerLite's free plan now stops at 250 subscribers, so plan to pay early.
Which should you pick?
- Best free planKit
Kit's free plan allows up to 10,000 subscribers with unlimited broadcasts, forms and landing pages Kit pricing ↗. MailerLite's free plan is capped at 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails a month MailerLite pricing ↗ Free plan change ↗.
- Lowest paid priceMailerLite
MailerLite Comfort starts at $12 a month MailerLite pricing ↗. Kit Creator is $33 a month at 1,000 subscribers Kit pricing ↗.
- Best for growing a creator newsletterKit
Kit offers a Creator Network, newsletter recommendations and sponsorships, and calls itself the email platform for creator business owners Kit features ↗.
- Best for online storesMailerLite
MailerLite integrates with Shopify and WooCommerce for purchase triggered emails and revenue tracking MailerLite features ↗. Kit lists Shopify in its app store but is aimed at creators Kit features ↗.
- Best for automations on a budgetMailerLite
MailerLite's free plan includes three automations and Comfort includes 50 MailerLite pricing ↗. Kit's free plan has no automations or sequences; they start on Creator Kit pricing ↗.
- Best supportTie
Kit Creator includes 24/7 email and chat support Kit pricing ↗. MailerLite Power includes 24/7 live chat and email support MailerLite pricing ↗.
- Best built in AIMailerLite
MailerLite includes an AI writing assistant, AI landing page builder and AI powered A/B testing MailerLite features ↗. Kit offers an MCP connection so outside assistants can draft emails Kit features ↗.
Side by side
| Feature | Kit | MailerLite |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan subscribers | Up to 10,000 Kit pricing ↗ | Up to 250 MailerLite pricing ↗ |
| Free plan emails | Unlimited broadcasts Kit pricing ↗ | 2,500 a month MailerLite pricing ↗ |
| Paid entry price | $33/month at 1,000 subscribers (Creator) Kit pricing ↗ | From $12/month (Comfort) MailerLite pricing ↗ |
| Yearly discount | Creator saves $78 a year at 1,000 subscribers Kit pricing ↗ | 10% MailerLite pricing ↗ |
| Free trial | 14 days, no card Kit pricing ↗ | 14 days, no card MailerLite pricing ↗ |
| Automations on free plan | No Kit pricing ↗ | 3 MailerLite pricing ↗ |
| Users | 1 free, 2 Creator, unlimited Pro Kit pricing ↗ | 2 free, 3 Comfort, unlimited Power MailerLite pricing ↗ |
| Paid newsletters | All plans Kit pricing ↗ | Comfort and above MailerLite features ↗ |
| Selling fees | 3.5% + 30c listed on all plans Kit pricing ↗ | Not stated |
| Website builder | Landing pages only Kit pricing ↗ | Yes; 1 site free, 10 on Comfort MailerLite pricing ↗ |
| Store integrations | Shopify in app store Kit features ↗ | Shopify, WooCommerce, Stripe MailerLite features ↗ |
| Users claimed | 550,000+ creators Kit features ↗ | 1M+ users MailerLite overview ↗ |
From each vendor’s own pages, checked Oct 9, 2026. Prices change often.
Pricing compared
Kit has three plans. Free costs nothing for up to 10,000 subscribers and includes unlimited landing pages, forms and broadcasts, plus tagging and selling digital products Kit pricing ↗. Creator is $33 a month at 1,000 subscribers, or $390 billed yearly, and adds automations, sequences, a second user and 24/7 support Kit pricing ↗. Pro is listed at $66 a month at that tier, with a first year promotional price of $50 Kit pricing ↗.
MailerLite's paid plans start lower. Comfort starts at $12 a month and Power at $25, with prices rising as your list grows MailerLite pricing ↗. Yearly billing saves 10% MailerLite pricing ↗. Comfort includes three seats, 50 automations and an AI writing assistant, while Power removes most limits and adds 24/7 live chat MailerLite pricing ↗.
The free plans have moved in opposite directions. MailerLite cut its free plan to 250 active subscribers and 2,500 emails a month, down from 500 subscribers and 12,000 emails, effective June 16, 2026 for new signups Free plan change ↗. Kit's free plan still covers up to 10,000 subscribers but leaves out automations Kit pricing ↗.
Both offer a 14 day trial of paid features with no credit card Kit pricing ↗ MailerLite pricing ↗.
What Kit is built for
Kit is aimed at creators: authors, coaches, course creators, podcasters, YouTubers and newsletter writers Kit features ↗. Its growth tools are the main draw. The Creator Network and Recommendations let creators recommend each other's newsletters, and Kit says this can double list growth Kit features ↗. Sponsorships and Paid Recommendations let you earn from your list Kit features ↗.
You can sell digital products and paid newsletters on every plan Kit pricing ↗. Kit's pricing page lists transaction fees of 3.5% plus 30 cents on every plan, while its home page describes the charge as 0.6% plus card processing Kit pricing ↗ Kit features ↗. Ask Kit which applies before you launch a product.
For AI, Kit's MCP connects Claude, ChatGPT or Gemini to your account to look up data and draft or schedule emails, and nothing is sent until you approve it Kit features ↗. Kit claims 550,000 creator business owners use it Kit features ↗.
Kit Pro is for creators who are scaling. It adds Subscriber Signals, engagement analytics and scoring, Facebook custom audiences, a newsletter referral system, five subject line A/B tests instead of two, and unlimited users Kit pricing ↗. Kit also says creators on its platform see a 99.8% delivery rate and 40% average open rates Kit features ↗. Those are Kit's own figures, and your results depend on your list and content.
What MailerLite is built for
MailerLite pitches itself to solopreneurs, small businesses, online stores, creators, agencies and nonprofits MailerLite overview ↗. Beyond email, it includes a website builder, blog builder, landing pages, signup forms, appointment booking and digital product sales MailerLite overview ↗.
Its AI tools sit under the HeyLite name: an AI writing assistant, an AI landing page builder, AI powered A/B testing and smart sending MailerLite features ↗. An MCP server lets Claude and ChatGPT manage your email marketing MailerLite features ↗.
For stores, the Shopify integration sends personalized emails and tracks revenue per campaign, and the WooCommerce integration syncs customers and sends purchase triggered emails MailerLite features ↗. MailerLite claims more than one million users and 24/7 support with a five minute average live chat response, which are vendor figures MailerLite overview ↗.
The plan limits are clear. Comfort allows 50 automations, 10 websites and landing pages, 10 signup forms and five digital products or bookings, and it removes the MailerLite logo MailerLite pricing ↗. Power lifts those to unlimited, adds multiple automation triggers and unlimited seats MailerLite pricing ↗. Lists above 200,000 subscribers move to a custom Enterprise plan MailerLite pricing ↗.
Who should pick which
Pick Kit if your email list is the business: you write a newsletter, sell courses or ebooks, and want other creators to send subscribers your way Kit features ↗. The large free plan lets you grow for a long time before paying Kit pricing ↗.
Pick MailerLite if email supports a business that sells services or products. Bookings, websites and store integrations mean fewer separate tools MailerLite features ↗ MailerLite overview ↗, and paid plans start at a lower price MailerLite pricing ↗.
If you are just starting and have no budget, Kit's free plan lasts longer Kit pricing ↗. If you need welcome sequences from day one, MailerLite's free automations help, but expect to upgrade once you pass 250 subscribers MailerLite pricing ↗.
- Newsletter or course creator: Kit
- Shopify or WooCommerce store: MailerLite
- Service business with bookings: MailerLite
- Free list up to 10,000 subscribers: Kit
What to check before you buy
Price both tools at the list size you expect in a year, not today. Both charge more as subscribers grow Kit pricing ↗ MailerLite pricing ↗, and the gap between them changes at each tier.
Check selling fees if you plan to sell. Kit's fees apply on every plan Kit pricing ↗. MailerLite takes payments through Stripe for products, subscriptions and paid newsletters MailerLite features ↗, but its pricing page does not list a platform fee.
Plan the move. Kit says migration from other platforms is included with paid plans Kit features ↗. Whichever you pick, set up domain authentication before your first send, and use the 14 day trial to build one real automation Kit pricing ↗ MailerLite pricing ↗.
How we compared them
We used Kit's and MailerLite's own pricing, feature and home pages, plus an independent report on MailerLite's free plan change, all checked October 9, 2026 Kit pricing ↗ MailerLite pricing ↗ Free plan change ↗. We have not tested these tools hands on for this comparison yet. Hands on testing is in progress; we'll update this page with results.
Try them
MailerLite
Affordable email marketing with an AI writing assistant, AI subject lines and smart sending.
We may earn a commission when you sign up through links on this page. It never changes our picks. How we pick
Questions people ask
Is Kit better than MailerLite?
For creators who sell newsletters and digital products, Kit has more growth tools Kit features ↗. For small businesses and stores that want lower prices and websites, MailerLite fits better MailerLite pricing ↗ MailerLite features ↗.
Is MailerLite still free?
Yes, but the free plan now allows 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails a month MailerLite pricing ↗. The cut took effect June 16, 2026 for new signups and July 1 for existing free accounts Free plan change ↗.
How many subscribers can I have on Kit for free?
Up to 10,000, with unlimited broadcasts, forms and landing pages. Automations need a paid plan Kit pricing ↗.
How much does Kit cost?
Kit Creator is $33 a month at 1,000 subscribers, or $390 billed yearly. Pro is $66 a month at that tier, with a first year offer of $50 Kit pricing ↗.
Is Kit the same as ConvertKit?
Yes. Kit is the new name of ConvertKit Kit features ↗.
Which has better AI features?
MailerLite has more built in AI, including a writing assistant and AI landing page builder MailerLite features ↗. Both offer MCP connections for outside assistants MailerLite features ↗ Kit features ↗.
Where this comes from
Checked Oct 9, 2026. Vendor pages describe their own products; independent sources add outside views. We have not tested these tools hands on yet.
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