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
- Botensten MailCreator$27
- ButtondownStandard$29
- MailerLiteComfort$49
- MailchimpEssentials$75
- Ghost(Pro)Publisher$75
- ActiveCampaignStarter$99
- KlaviyoEmail$100
- beehiivLite$109
At 5k subscribers, Botensten Mail costs less than every paid plan here. Free plans come with a catch: ads, a cut of your revenue or missing features. Cheapest plan that fits, billed monthly, from each pricing page on October 19, 2026.
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 | $7Spark | $16Starter | $27Creator | $55Growth | $129Pro | $249Scale | $479Max |
| beehiiv | Free | Free | $109−75% | $139−60% | $199−35% | $299−17% | $469+2% |
| Mailchimp | $26.50−74% | $45−64% | $75−64% | $110−50% | $270−52% | $385−35% | $800−40% |
| Kit | Free | Free | Free | Free | $199−35% | $379−34% | $679−29% |
| Ghost(Pro) | $18−61% | $55−71% | $75−64% | $105−48% | $169−24% | $249same | $329+46% |
| MailerLite | $19−63% | $33−52% | $49−45% | $89−38% | $179−28% | $319−22% | $439+9% |
| Buttondown | $9−22% | $29−45% | $29−7% | $79−30% | $239−46% | $319−22% | $459+4% |
| Klaviyo | $30−77% | $60−73% | $100−73% | $150−63% | $400−68% | $720−65% | $1,380−65% |
| ActiveCampaign | $19−63% | $49−67% | $99−73% | $189−71% | $489−74% | $759−67% | $1,499−68% |
| Substack | Free | Free | Free | Free | Free | Free | Free |
- beehiiv: Free up to 2,500 subscribers, with beehiiv's branding and ads; 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): Publisher plan, which includes a blog and paid memberships.
- MailerLite: Comfort plan; its free plan stops at 500 subscribers.
- Buttondown: Above 20,000 subscribers, prices from its calculator rather than a published plan.
- 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're cheaper on most lists
We bill for sending, which is what costs money. Per-subscriber tools bill for every address you keep, read or not.
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.