MailerLite vs ConvertKit

I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve stared at a growing subscriber list and felt that weird mix of excitement and dread. The list is getting bigger. The open rates look decent. And then the platform bill arrives and suddenly those affiliate commissions or digital product sales don’t feel as profitable anymore. Scaling an email list while trying to actually make money from it is one of the more annoying parts of running a monetized blog. You need something that doesn’t nickle-and-dime you to death, that can send decent-looking emails without a design degree, and that won’t choke when you finally start selling something.

I’ve used both MailerLite and ConvertKit (now often just called Kit) on real blogs that make money. Not toy projects. Actual lists that pay for hosting, tools, and the occasional coffee that keeps me writing. Here’s the unfiltered version of what I learned.

The Short Answer

If your list is still under a few thousand and you’re mostly sending newsletters plus a basic welcome sequence, MailerLite usually wins on pure cost and ease. Once you start selling digital products, running paid newsletters, or leaning hard on advanced tagging and creator-style growth tools, ConvertKit/Kit pulls ahead for a lot of bloggers. And if you’re still on a free plan and your list is growing past a few hundred, Kit’s free tier is almost unfairly generous compared to MailerLite’s.

That’s the quick version. The longer one involves money, frustration, and a few lessons I paid for the hard way.

Pricing Breakdown

This is the part that actually decides things for most monetized blogs. Pretty emails don’t matter if the platform eats half your profit.

MailerLite free plan currently tops out at 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails a month. Once you cross that, you jump to paid. Comfort plan starts around $12 a month at 500 subscribers and climbs with your list. At 5,000 subscribers you’re looking at roughly $49 a month on Comfort. At 10,000 it’s about $89. Power (the higher tier with unlimited sending) costs more but still undercuts the competition for a lot of list sizes.

ConvertKit/Kit free plan lets you go all the way to 10,000 subscribers. That’s not a typo. Ten thousand. Unlimited broadcasts on the free plan. The catch? No real automations or sequences until you pay. Creator plan starts around $39 a month at 1,000 subscribers, jumps to about $89 at 5,000, and $139 at 10,000. Pro costs more still.

Here’s a quick side-by-side at common sizes (approximate monthly pricing as of late 2026, monthly billing):

I remember hitting the 1,000 subscriber mark on an older platform and realizing the monthly bill was starting to feel like a second rent payment. That’s when I moved one of my blogs over and started paying closer attention to these numbers. MailerLite feels cheaper almost every step of the way once you’re past the free tier. Kit’s free plan is the real flex if you’re still growing and mostly just broadcasting. But the second you need proper sequences, the price gap opens up and MailerLite starts looking smarter for pure cost control.

And yes, both charge based on total active subscribers. Delete people if you want, but the billing cycle still counts them in most cases. Classic.

Ease of Use & Automations

MailerLite’s drag-and-drop editor is honestly nicer for most people. You can make emails that look like you hired a designer without actually hiring one. Landing pages and simple websites are built in and surprisingly usable. Setting up a basic welcome sequence is straightforward. You drag, you drop, you add conditions, done.

Kit’s editor is more text-first and functional. It prioritizes the words over the fancy layout, which some creators prefer. Their visual automation builder is excellent once you get the hang of the tag-based system. Tags are the whole philosophy over there. Click a link? Tag them. Buy something? Tag them. Open three emails in a row? Tag them. Then build sequences off those tags. It’s powerful. It’s also the kind of system that makes you feel smart when it works and slightly stupid when you have to untangle a mess you created at 11 p.m.

I set up my first proper product launch sequence in Kit and felt like a genius for about three days. Then I had to go back and fix the branching logic because I got too clever with the tags. MailerLite never made me feel that particular brand of pain. For pure “I just want a welcome series and some segmenting without a headache,” MailerLite is easier to learn. Kit rewards you more once you understand its way of thinking.

Deliverability

Both land in the inbox reliably for well-managed lists. I’ve never had a major deliverability crisis with either when I kept the list clean and avoided spammy tactics. Kit has a strong reputation among creators for inbox placement, partly because a lot of serious newsletter people use it. MailerLite holds its own and the difference is rarely the deciding factor for a normal monetized blog. Clean your list, warm up new domains properly, and either one will do the job.

Monetization Features

This is where Kit starts looking more interesting for people actually trying to make money from the list.

Kit was built with creators in mind. You can sell digital products, run paid newsletters, accept tips, and use their recommendations network for cross-promotion without bolting on a bunch of extra tools. The commerce features feel native. Transaction fees exist (they take a cut), but the workflow is smooth.

MailerLite lets you sell digital products and bookings too. It’s capable. But it feels more like a solid add-on than the core of the platform. For pure affiliate marketing and occasional product launches, either works fine. If your whole model is “build list → sell courses/ebooks/paid newsletter,” Kit makes that path cleaner.

I ran a small digital product launch through both at different times. The Kit version felt less like I was duct-taping tools together. MailerLite still got the emails out and collected the money, but I spent more time jumping between platforms.

The Verdict

For a new monetized blog that’s still finding its feet and watching every dollar, start with MailerLite. The lower paid pricing, better visual editor, and solid all-around tools make it the more practical choice for most people trying to turn traffic into an email list and then into revenue without overcomplicating things.

Switch to (or start with) ConvertKit/Kit if you’re already leaning hard into creator-style monetization — paid newsletters, digital products as a main income stream, or heavy use of tagging and advanced sequences. The free plan is also a gift if your list is growing fast and you don’t need complex automations yet.

Neither is perfect. Both will send your emails and help you make money if you do the actual work of writing useful content and making offers people want. The platform is just the delivery system. Don’t let it become the expensive distraction that keeps you from shipping the next post or product.

I’ve paid both. I’ve made money with both. Right now, for most bloggers in the early-to-mid monetization stage, MailerLite is the one that hurts less when the bill shows up.

FAQ

Which is better for beginners with a small list?
MailerLite if you want automations and nicer designs from the start. Kit if you want to stay free longer while growing past a few hundred subscribers.

Can I sell digital products on both?
Yes. Kit makes it feel more native and creator-focused. MailerLite handles it competently but with fewer built-in growth features around the sales.

Is ConvertKit still called ConvertKit?
Most people still say ConvertKit. Officially it’s Kit now, but the product and the comparison stay the same.