Updated March 2026

Kit (ConvertKit) vs MailerLite

Kit vs MailerLite is the classic creators' dilemma. Kit has the best free plan by subscriber count (10,000), unique monetisation tools (paid newsletters, tip jars, digital products), and a Creator Network for organic growth. MailerLite has better deliverability (94.41% vs 88.2%), cheaper paid plans, and more features included at every tier. After Kit's September 2025 price hike to $33/mo, MailerLite's value proposition got even stronger. The decision hinges on whether you need Kit's monetisation features.

Our pick: MailerLite (7.5/10 vs 7.2/10)

MailerLite wins 2 out of 6 categories. Kit (ConvertKit) is better for: solo creators, bloggers, and podcasters who value simplicity and built-in monetisation.

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Kit (ConvertKit)

7.2/10

MailerLite

7.5/10

4/5

Automation

3/5

Deliverability

5/5

Ease of Use

5/5

2/5

Templates & Design

3/5

2/5

Analytics

2/5

3/5

Customer Support

3/5

Pricing Comparison

Kit (ConvertKit)

Free Plan

Paid plans from $33/mo

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MailerLite

Free Plan

Paid plans from $10/mo

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Pros & Cons

Kit (ConvertKit)

Best free plan in the industry — 10,000 subscribers with unlimited broadcasts, landing pages, and forms. No other major platform comes close

Creator Network for mutual cross-promotion is genuinely unique — no other email platform offers built-in list growth through creator recommendations

Built-in monetisation: sell digital products, paid newsletters, subscriptions, and tip jars directly from Kit without third-party tools

September 2025 price hike was brutal — first increase in 12 years. Creator plan jumped from $15/mo to $33/mo starting price. Some legacy users saw 100-400% increases. Trustpilot users report prices 'tripling mid-contract'

Analytics rated just 2/5 by EmailVendorSelection — only basic open rates and click rates. No heatmaps, no geo-tracking, no bot-click filtering, no advanced funnel insights

Only 15-23 email templates (vs Mailchimp's 260+ or Omnisend's 250+). Premium templates cost $19-$39 each from the marketplace. Email builder described as 'clunky'

Full Kit (ConvertKit) review →

MailerLite

94.41% deliverability rate across 5 independent test rounds (EmailToolTester) — highest we found among all platforms tested

76% cheaper than Mailchimp at 2,500 subscribers ($25/mo vs ~$69/mo for equivalent features)

Won 'Best Email Marketing Tool for Ease of Use' every year from 2023-2026 across G2 and Capterra

Account approval/termination is a real problem — 60% of Capterra reviews mentioning it were negative. Users report accounts terminated without warning and no refund

Free plan was cut from 1,000 to 500 subscribers in September 2025, with no templates on free (must design from scratch)

Limited analytics — no heatmaps, no custom reports, no revenue attribution, no bot-click filtering. If data matters to you, this will frustrate you

Full MailerLite review →

The Bottom Line

Choose Kit (ConvertKit) if: you want a tool that is best for solo creators, bloggers, and podcasters who value simplicity and built-in monetisation. It scores highest in automation, ease of use.

Choose MailerLite if: you want a tool that is best for small businesses and creators on a budget who want simplicity. It scores highest in deliverability, ease of use.

Transparency note: We earn affiliate commissions from some tools on this page. This never influences our scores. Our methodology