Quick Verdict

I tried six email tools this year because my newsletter got stuck in spam folders twice and I accidentally emailed my entire list with the subject line "test." Most tools are fine until you outgrow them, then they either get expensive or annoying. Here’s what actually works for creators who aren’t running a six-figure launch every month.

Mailchimp *** (3/5) – decent for free, but they keep moving buttons
ConvertKit **** (4/5) – best for building audience, but price hurts
Beehiiv ***** (4.5/5) – best for newsletters + monetization
Flodesk **** (4/5) – beautiful templates, painful setup
Substack *** (3.5/5) – simple but takes 10% of everything
MailerLite *** (3/5) – works fine, feels like 2015
AWeber ** (2/5) – please let it die

Last week I sat down at 11pm to send a quick update to my 400 subscribers. Hit send. Opened my inbox. Saw the email with subject "Test – ignore." My whole list saw it. I’m not proud. The worst part? My current tool had just changed its entire navigation layout that morning and I clicked the wrong button. So yeah. I spent the next three nights trying every email tool you can think of.

First up: Mailchimp. God, it’s like that friend who peaked in high school. They were the first tool I ever used – free for 2,000 subscribers, which is cute. But they keep changing the logo, the pricing tiers shift every six months, and I swear they hide the unsubscribe report on purpose. I accidentally sent a campaign to my entire list instead of a segment because their UI is now organized like a hedge maze. If you have under 500 subscribers and zero expectations, go for it. Otherwise… run.

ConvertKit is what everyone tells you to use when you start getting serious. And yeah, it’s good. Clean interface, tagging system that actually works, and you can build complex automations without crying. I used it for six months and my open rates jumped 12%. But here’s the thing – it costs $49/month for up to 1,000 subscribers. That’s more than I spend on coffee. And I order a double espresso with oat milk every single day. The free plan only lets you have 1,000 contacts, which feels stingy. Also, the forms are ugly unless you customize them with CSS, which I don’t know how to do.

I tried Beehiiv after hearing every creator I respect rave about it. Honestly? It’s the best tool for newsletters specifically. They handle growth features – like recommending other newsletters and letting you run ads – way better than anyone else. The editor is fast, analytics are actually useful, and they have a neat "boosts" feature. But the templates are limited. You’re basically picking from 5 designs and hoping your subscribers don’t notice. I spent two hours trying to make a two-column layout work and gave up. Also, the free plan includes their branding, which is fine for a side project but not for a professional look.

Flodesk is the pretty one. Every template looks like it was designed by someone with a Pinterest board. They do one thing really well – make emails that don’t look like spam. But setting up automations is a nightmare. I had a workflow that just… stopped sending emails. No error message. No support response for 48 hours. The pricing is flat $38/month for unlimited subscribers, which is good if you have a big list. But if you’re starting, you’re just paying for visuals you might not need.

Substack is the "I don’t want to learn anything" option. You write, hit publish, done. But they take 10% of your subscription revenue, plus stripe fees. If you’re building a paid newsletter, that’s a lot. Also, you can’t export your subscribers easily. I know someone who switched from Substack to ConvertKit and lost 200 subscribers in the transfer. The platform locks you in. But for pure writing? It’s dead simple. Just don’t expect to customize anything.

I also tried MailerLite because it’s cheap. $10/month for up to 1,000 subscribers. The interface makes me feel like I’m using internet Explorer. It works, but it’s joyless. Everything takes three clicks that should take one. Their drag-and-drop editor is like playing with blocks that keep snapping wrong. Honestly, the worst part is how boringly reliable it is – you’ll never get excited about it.

(Oh, and AWeber. I signed up for a trial because they kept emailing me. The UI looks like 2012. Their support tried to upsell me during the live chat. I uninstalled after 20 minutes. Avoid.)

Now I’m using a mix – Beehiiv for my main newsletter, ConvertKit for my course funnel. It’s not elegant, but it works. The coffee order? Still a double espresso with oat milk, but I finally found a barista who gets it right every time. That’s worth more than any email tool.