A creator newsletter stack is the combination of email platform, growth tools, and monetization layer a creator uses to publish, grow, and earn from a paid audience. In 2026, four platforms dominate the category: Substack, Beehiiv, Kit, and Ghost. The decision between them comes down to one number, how much of your subscription revenue you want to keep, and what you are willing to trade for built-in audience growth.
⚡ Key Takeaways
- Substack's 10% revenue cut breaks even against Beehiiv Scale ($49/month flat) around $500 in monthly subscription revenue.
- Beehiiv's Ad Network paid creators ~$1M/month in 2025 and targets $3M/month in 2026, with a 1,000-subscriber and 20% open-rate floor.
- Kit's free Newsletter plan covers 10,000 subscribers, the most generous free tier in the category.
- Ghost Publisher is $29/month flat with 0% revenue share; self-hosted Ghost is the zero-platform-fee option for developer-creators.
- SparkLoop is the cross-platform recommendation default: free Partner Program, 20% commission on paid recommendations.
- Skip Mailchimp, Constant Contact, and AWeber. None of them speak the creator monetization vocabulary.
Which newsletter platforms should creators actually compare in 2026?
The 2026 short list is small. Substack hit 8.4 million paid subscriptions in Q1, up 68% year over year, and still owns the discovery layer for writers. Beehiiv matches Substack's social features and adds a flat-fee pricing model: free up to 2,500 subscribers, $49/month at Scale, and 0% of subscription revenue. Kit (formerly ConvertKit) covers up to 10,000 free subscribers and bundles tip jars, digital products, and paid newsletters into one account. Ghost is the ownership pick: $29/month on Publisher unlocks paid memberships with zero platform cut, and the self-hosted version costs only your infrastructure bill.
Treat the four as different business models, not different feature lists. Substack rents you a 44% open rate and an app full of readers in exchange for 10% of your revenue. The other three sell you infrastructure at a flat fee and leave audience growth to you. The right pick depends on whether you want to ship a great newsletter or build an audience, and how you would rather pay for the gap.
What does each platform actually cost at $2,000/month in subscription revenue?
The fee math is where the stack decision gets made. At $2,000/month in paid subscriptions, Substack's 10% cut plus Stripe's ~3.6% per transaction lands around $272/month to the platform. Beehiiv Scale charges $49/month flat plus the same Stripe fee. Ghost Publisher charges $29/month. Kit Creator at the 1,000-subscriber tier starts at $39/month.
| Platform | Monthly platform cost at $2K MRR | Revenue share | Free tier cap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Substack | ~$200 (10% cut) | 10% | Unlimited (free until paid) |
| Beehiiv Scale | $49 flat | 0% | 2,500 subscribers |
| Kit Creator | $39 to $139 by list size | 0% | 10,000 subscribers |
| Ghost Publisher | $29 flat | 0% | No free tier |
The breakeven point against Substack hits around $300 to $500/month in paid revenue. Above that, every flat-fee platform pays for itself within the first month. The remaining question is whether Substack's app and recommendations layer drives more growth than you would lose to the 10% fee.
Which growth tools belong in a 2026 newsletter stack?
Cross-newsletter recommendations are the dominant new growth lever. SparkLoop is the cross-platform default: its Partner Program is free to join and pays per qualified signup, with SparkLoop keeping a 20% commission on paid recommendations. Solo creator growth tools start at $99/month, and the media-brand tier runs $299/month.
Beehiiv bundles Boosts and native Recommendations into Scale ($49/month and up), which is a real reason creators consolidate there. Kit's Creator Network plays the same role inside Kit. The Beehiiv Ad Network paid out roughly $1M/month to creators in 2025 and targets $3M/month in 2026, with a floor of 1,000 active subscribers and a 20% open rate. The catch: Beehiiv Boosts only swap traffic with other Beehiiv newsletters, and Kit's Creator Network only with other Kit users. SparkLoop is the only growth layer that spans every platform.
Which tools should you skip in 2026?
Mailchimp is the most common migration source for a reason. It bills per subscriber, has no creator monetization layer, and is built for ecommerce teams. One Beehiiv migrator grew from 3,200 to 8,400 subscribers after switching, partly on the strength of native recommendations Mailchimp does not offer.
Constant Contact and AWeber do not speak creator vocabulary at all (no paid subs, no tip jars, no referrals). MailerLite is the one budget generalist worth considering, $10/month Growing Business plan, drag-and-drop design that Kit lacks, but it is better suited for small businesses than for creators planning to charge for content. Its free plan also caps at 500 subscribers, which most creators outgrow inside a quarter.
What does a starter stack under $50/month look like?
Start free, then layer in growth and monetization as revenue justifies it. The path most creators take in 2026:
| Stage | Email platform | Growth layer | Monthly cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 to 1,000 subscribers (free) | Beehiiv Launch or Kit Newsletter | SparkLoop Partner Program | $0 |
| 1,000 to 5,000 (monetizing) | Beehiiv Scale or Ghost Publisher | Native Boosts or Recommendations | $29 to $49 |
| 5,000+ (multi-product) | Kit Creator or Ghost self-hosted | SparkLoop Solo Creator plus native | $99 to $140 |
Newsletters monetize best as the entry point of a wider creator stack. A paid list works because subscribers already opted into recurring billing. The harder margin lift comes from layering on storefronts, drops, and memorabilia. Fanvault handles that side at an 8% platform fee, with creators keeping 92% of every auction or buy-it-now sale, while the newsletter platform keeps doing what it does best: delivering email to a list that already trusts you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I start a newsletter on Substack or Beehiiv in 2026?
Pick Substack if you are a writer who wants the in-app reader audience and
How much does it cost to run a paid newsletter at 1,000 paying subscribers?
At 1,000 paid subs averaging $5/month (
What's the best newsletter platform for a creator who also sells other products?
Kit is built for multi-product creators. The same account handles a paid newsletter, tip jars, and digital product sales, with the Creator Network handling cross-newsletter referrals. Pair Kit with Fanvault if you want to add a storefront with auctions and authenticated memorabilia; Fanvault takes
Can I really run a newsletter for free in 2026?
Yes, up to a point. Beehiiv Launch is free forever for up to 2,500 subscribers with unlimited sends. Kit's free Newsletter plan covers up to 10,000 subscribers with one automation. Substack is free until you turn on paid subscriptions, at which point the 10% cut kicks in. Free tiers do not include the paid-newsletter features you will eventually want (tiers, premium-only posts, native recommendations), but they are a fine place to validate that anyone wants to read what you are writing.
Is Ghost worth self-hosting in 2026?
Self-hosted Ghost costs roughly $5 to $20/month in infrastructure plus a transactional email provider like Mailgun or Sender. You pay zero platform fees and own every line of code and HTML in your theme. The trade-off is real: you give up the recommendations, ads, and app distribution that Beehiiv and Substack hand you for free. Pick self-hosted Ghost if you are a developer-creator who would rather build the growth layer yourself than rent it.