MailerLite vs Kit (ConvertKit): Which Wins in 2026?

Both platforms price by subscriber count and bill either monthly or annually. Here are the monthly-billed rates for each vendor's entry paid plan (MailerLite Comfort and Kit Creator) at the three list sizes most solo creators care about.

MailerLite is cheaper at every paid tier, often by close to half. Annual billing narrows that a little: Kit gives roughly two months free (Creator drops to about $33/mo at 1,000 subscribers), and MailerLite takes around 10 percent off (Comfort falls to about $17/mo at the same size).

Step up to the premium plans and the pattern holds. MailerLite Power runs $39 (1k), $69 (5k), and $129 (10k) per month, while Kit Creator Pro runs $79 (1k), $139 (5k), and $189 (10k). Note that both vendors repriced recently: MailerLite raised paid tiers in mid-2026, and Kit lifted Creator prices in late 2025, so older comparisons may quote lower figures.

This is the widest gap between the two, and it runs in Kit's favor. Kit's free Newsletter plan supports up to 10,000 subscribers with unlimited email sends, unlimited forms and landing pages, one automation, one email sequence, and the ability to sell digital products. The trade-offs are Kit branding on emails and that single automation and sequence.

MailerLite's free plan caps at 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails a month. In exchange it unlocks more feature types than Kit's free tier: one website, one landing page, one digital product, up to three automations, and two user seats.

So the choice depends on what "free" needs to do. If you already have a list in the thousands and mostly send broadcasts, Kit's free plan is hard to beat and can carry you a long way at zero cost. If your list is tiny but you want to test websites, forms, and multi-step automations before paying, MailerLite's free plan is the more complete sandbox.

Kit is built around automation. Even judged on spec, its model of tags, segments, visual automations, and email sequences is designed for creator funnels: welcome flows, product launches, and behavior-based tagging. Paid Creator plans include unlimited visual automations and unlimited sequences, which suits creators who run several overlapping funnels at once.

MailerLite covers the same core ground with a visual automation builder, but with guardrails on lower plans. Comfort includes up to 50 active automations, and Power adds multiple triggers per automation plus unlimited automations. For most solo senders that is plenty, and MailerLite's builder is generally described as simpler to learn.

In short: Kit goes deeper for creators who live inside automation, while MailerLite is easier to pick up and enough for typical newsletters, sequences, and light funnels.

MailerLite is the more complete builder here. Alongside email it includes a website builder (up to 10 sites on Comfort, unlimited on Power), landing pages, signup forms, and tools to sell digital products and bookings, all from one dashboard. For a creator who wants a small site and a store without stitching separate tools together, that breadth is the main draw.

Kit keeps landing pages and forms unlimited on every plan, including the free tier, and it sells digital products and paid newsletter subscriptions with a commerce fee of 3.5 percent plus $0.30 per transaction. What Kit does not include is a full website builder, so it expects you to bring your own site.

Kit's distinctive extra is its audience network. The Creator Network and Paid Recommendations let creators recommend each other and grow lists through the platform (Paid Recommendations carry a 23.5 percent Kit fee). MailerLite has no direct equivalent, so if cross-creator growth appeals to you, that is a point for Kit.

Neither vendor is one we operate, so we do not publish our own inbox-placement tests for them. On documented features, both maintain established sender reputations and publish deliverability guidance. MailerLite offers a dedicated IP as a paid add-on on higher plans and stores data in the EU under ISO 27001 certification. Kit's Pro plan adds deliverability reporting and engagement scoring, which help larger senders clean their lists and monitor sending health. For most creators under 10,000 subscribers, either platform's shared sending should perform well when list hygiene is good.

Choose MailerLite if you:

• Want the lowest paid price from 1,000 to 10,000 subscribers.
• Value a website builder, landing pages, and a store in one tool.
• Prefer a simpler interface and a gentle learning curve.
• Are happy with a small free plan while you set things up.

Choose Kit (ConvertKit) if you:

• Have a list up to 10,000 and want to stay free for as long as possible.
• Run multiple automations and sequences and want them unlimited.
• Want to grow through the creator network and recommendations.
• Sell digital products or paid newsletters as a core part of your business.

We score every tool on five criteria (value, free plan, ease of use, features, and documentation) from 1 to 10, then average to one decimal. Because we do not run live accounts on either platform, these are spec-based scores drawn from published 2026 pricing, plan limits, and documentation, not hands-on testing.

Both tools average 8.1 out of 10, for opposite reasons. MailerLite earns its score on value and breadth of features while losing ground on its small free plan. Kit earns its score on an unusually large free plan and deep automation while costing more per subscriber once you pay. The tie is the point: the better tool is the one that matches your list size and how much automation you need.

For 2026, pick MailerLite if you want an affordable, clean all-rounder that bundles a website, landing pages, and selling with your email, especially once you move to paid tiers. Pick Kit if you want the largest free plan on the market and creator-first automation, and you are comfortable bringing your own website.

If your main format is a newsletter you plan to monetize, it is also worth weighing a newsletter-native option like beehiiv before you commit. For most solo creators choosing strictly between these two, though, the rule is simple: MailerLite for price and all-round features, Kit for its free plan and automation depth.