Botensten Mail next to the platforms you know
The cheapest plan on each that fits a newsletter sent once a week, billed monthly, from each pricing page on October 19, 2026. No asterisks hidden in the math: where someone is cheaper, the table says so.
Start sendingWhat a list costs a monthone issue a week
- KitFreeFree
- SubstackFreeFree
- Buttondown$29
- MailerLiteComfort$49
- Botensten MailGrowth$55
- MailchimpEssentials$75
- Ghost(Pro)Publisher$75
- ActiveCampaignStarter$99
- KlaviyoEmail$100
- beehiivLite$109
At 5k subscribers, Botensten Mail costs less than 5 of the 7 paid plans here. Free plans come with a catch: their branding, a cut of your revenue or missing features. Cheapest plan that fits, billed monthly, from each pricing page on October 19, 2026. Names are trademarks of their owners; Botensten Mail isn't affiliated with any of them.
Every platform, every list size
A month’s price in US dollars. A weekly issue is about 4.3 emails per subscriber a month. The percentage is what Botensten Mail saves; a red one means that platform costs less.
| Subscribers | 1,000 | 2,500 | 5,000 | 10,000 | 25,000 | 50,000 | 100,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Botensten Mail | $16Starter | $27Creator | $55Growth | $129Pro | $479Max | Ask uspast Max | Ask uspast Max |
| beehiiv | Free | Free | $109−50% | $139−7% | $199+141% | $299 | $469 |
| Mailchimp | $26.50−40% | $45−40% | $75−27% | $110+17% | $270+77% | $385 | $800 |
| Kit | Free | Free | Free | Free | $199+141% | $379 | $679 |
| Ghost(Pro) | $18−11% | $55−51% | $75−27% | $105+23% | $169+183% | $249 | $329 |
| MailerLite | $19−16% | $33−18% | $49+12% | $89+45% | $179+168% | $319 | $439 |
| Buttondown | $9+78% | $29−7% | $29+90% | $79+63% | $239+100% | $319 | $459 |
| Klaviyo | $30−47% | $60−55% | $100−45% | $150−14% | $400+20% | $720 | $1,380 |
| ActiveCampaign | $19−16% | $49−45% | $99−44% | $189−32% | $489−2% | $759 | $1,499 |
| Substack | Free | Free | Free | Free | Free | Free | Free |
- beehiiv: Free up to 2,500 subscribers, with beehiiv's branding; Lite above that.
- Mailchimp: Unsubscribed contacts count toward the bill unless you archive them. Essentials stops at 50,000.
- Kit: Free up to 10,000 subscribers without automations or integrations; Creator above that.
- Ghost(Pro): Starter up to 1,000 members, Publisher above; both include a blog and paid memberships.
- MailerLite: Comfort plan; its free plan stops at 250 subscribers.
- Buttondown: Prices from its pricing calculator, which shows no plan names.
- Klaviyo: Email plan. Every active profile counts, engaged or not.
- ActiveCampaign: Starter up to 25,000 contacts, Plus above.
- Substack: No monthly fee: Substack keeps 10% of every paid subscription, plus card fees.
Why we bill by the email
Sending is what costs money, so that's what we charge for. Per-subscriber tools bill for every address you keep, read or not: a list that sends less often, or keeps many quiet readers, costs less here.
Where we aren't
Free plans, and very large lists sent every week, can cost less elsewhere. The table shows exactly where.
What you don't pay for
No per-subscriber fee, no cut of your revenue, no “powered by” badge, and every feature on every plan.
Every name here is a trademark of its owner, shown only to name the product compared. Botensten Mail isn’t affiliated with any of them. Prices come from their own pricing pages on October 19, 2026 and may have changed since.