Editorial
Best Free Newsletter Platform FAQ
Substack and Beehiiv free starts compared.
SiteBartar Research · Updated June 2026
Not sure between Beehiiv and Substack? Read our Beehiiv vs Substack comparison →
Direct answer
Substack: $0 monthly for free newsletter; pay on paid subs.
Beehiiv: free tier with caps — growth features partially gated.
Ghost self-host: software free, hosting/server not — is-ghost-worth-self-hosting.
ConvertKit free tier limited — usually not 'best free' for pure newsletter start.
Why this question matters
'Free' hides monetization and migration costs later.
Beginners optimize signup friction over year-2 portability.
Deliverability still requires domain auth on any platform.
Quiz prevents one-size-fits-all 'Substack because free'.
Get your personalized match
Answer a few questions — get a personalized match with reasons.
Take the Find Your Newsletter Platform quiz (~2 min)What changes the answer
Expected paid revenue flips Substack vs Beehiiv math — is-substack-free vs how-much-does-beehiiv-cost.
Need website + newsletter changes Ghost calculus.
Automation day-one pushes Kit paid tiers.
List size projections pick tier.
Compare your options
Substack vs Beehiiv free — best-free comparison via quiz.
newsletter-without-website if no site needed.
Mailchimp free tier legacy — beehiiv-vs-mailchimp.
best-newsletter-platform matcher.
Related questions
what-is-best-newsletter-platform meta FAQ.
editorial-standards.
Verify each platform free tier docs.
Paid upgrade path planning.
Tools mentioned
Get your personalized match
Answer a few questions — get a personalized match with reasons.
Take the Find Your Newsletter Platform quiz (~2 min)Frequently asked questions
Best free newsletter platform?
Substack or Beehiiv for most creators; Ghost if ownership + dev; quiz for fit.
100% free forever?
Free publishing yes; scale/monetize triggers costs somewhere.
Free vs paid tier trap?
Model 12-month growth before picking.
Mailchimp free?
Exists but creators rarely stay — beehiiv-vs-mailchimp.
Free custom domain?
Usually paid feature — substack-custom-domain.
Quiz?
best-newsletter-platform with budget constraint.
Sources
- Official platform pricing pages
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