Apps with Paid newsletters
6 apps
Top Paid newsletters apps ranked by the community
Ghost is an open source platform for independent publishers that combines a website, a newsletter and paid memberships in one product. Writers publish in a clean editor, send posts by email and charge for subscriptions through Stripe, with no revenue share taken by Ghost. It can be self-hosted for free or run on the managed Ghost(Pro) service, and is maintained by a non-profit foundation.
9 Ghost alternativesPros
- Website, newsletter and paid memberships in one product
- No revenue share taken on subscriptions
- Open source and free to self-host
Cons
- Fewer themes and integrations than WordPress
- Self-hosting needs technical skills and an email delivery service
- Ghost(Pro) gets expensive as your member list grows
Cost / LicenseFreemiumOpen sourcePlatformsKit, previously called ConvertKit, is an email marketing platform designed for creators such as writers, podcasters and course authors. It combines landing pages and forms, visual automations, subscriber tagging and paid newsletters, and lets you sell digital products directly to your list. A recommendations network helps creators grow by promoting each other's newsletters.
12 Kit alternativesPros
- Tag-based subscriber management suited to creators
- Sell digital products and paid newsletters to your list
- Recommendations network helps newsletters grow
Cons
- Email design options are deliberately simple
- Gets expensive as the subscriber count grows
- Advanced automations are reserved for paid plans
Cost / LicenseFreemiumProprietaryCategoriesMailerLite is an email marketing tool with an uncluttered drag-and-drop editor and an approachable automation builder. Besides campaigns, it can create landing pages, signup forms and simple websites, sell digital products and paid newsletter subscriptions, and run A/B tests. Small businesses and creators often choose it as a lighter alternative to larger marketing suites.
11 MailerLite alternativesPros
- Clean drag-and-drop editor that is easy to learn
- Landing pages, websites and paid newsletters included
- Approachable automation builder for small businesses
Cons
- Account approval process can delay your first campaigns
- Fewer advanced automation and reporting options than larger suites
Cost / LicenseFreemiumProprietaryCategoriesPlatformsbeehiiv is a newsletter platform created by former Morning Brew team members, combining an editor, a hosted website and email delivery. It focuses on growth and monetization, with a referral program, recommendations between newsletters, an ad network and paid subscriptions. Publishers also get detailed analytics, A/B testing of subject lines and AI writing tools.
6 beehiiv alternativesPros
- Growth tools like referrals and cross-newsletter recommendations
- Monetization through an ad network and paid subscriptions
- Hosted website and detailed analytics included
Cons
- Most monetization and growth features sit on paid plans
- Less suited to advanced marketing automation or e-commerce
Cost / LicenseFreemiumProprietaryCategoriesPlatformsSubstack lets writers start a newsletter with a web archive, podcast and video hosting, and turn on paid subscriptions when they are ready. Publishing is free: Substack takes a share of subscription revenue instead of charging for a plan. Its reader app, Notes feed and cross-recommendations connect publications into a network that helps writers find readers.
7 Substack alternativesPros
- Free to publish, with no setup or hosting to manage
- Built-in paid subscriptions, podcasts and video
- Notes and cross-recommendations help writers find readers
Cons
- Takes a share of revenue from paid subscriptions
- Limited design and branding customization
- Your audience lives inside Substack’s network rather than your own brand
Cost / LicenseFreeProprietaryCategoriesButtondown is a small, independent newsletter service for writers and developers who prefer a lightweight tool. You write in Markdown or a rich text editor, publish an archive on the web and can charge for subscriptions through Stripe. It offers a complete API, custom domains and RSS-to-email, and is built by a very small team.
6 Buttondown alternativesPros
- Write in Markdown or a rich text editor
- Complete API and RSS-to-email for developers
- Paid subscriptions through Stripe and custom domains
Cons
- Templates and design options are minimal
- Few audience growth tools compared with beehiiv or Substack
Cost / LicenseFreemiumProprietaryCategoriesPlatforms
