MailerLite vs Kit (formerly ConvertKit) 2026: Free Plans, Pricing and Automations
MailerLite vs Kit compared from each vendor's own pricing page: free-plan subscriber limits (250 vs 10,000), starting prices, automations and selling features for solo creators.
| Feature | MailerLite | Kit |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan subscribers | Up to 250 | Up to 10,000 |
| Free plan limits | 2,500 emails/month, 3 active automations, 1 website + 1 landing page | Unlimited landing pages, forms and broadcasts |
| Entry paid plan | Comfort, starting $12/month | Creator, $33/month at 1,000 subscribers ($390 billed yearly) |
| Next plan | Power, starting $25/month | Pro (see Kit's page; a limited-time offer was shown) |
| Free trial of paid features | 14 days, no card | 14 days, no card |
Affiliate disclosure: Some links here are affiliate links, and we may earn a commission if you sign up, at no extra cost to you.
How this guide was made: Research-based. Every limit and price below comes from the official MailerLite pricing page and Kit pricing page, checked October 14, 2026. We haven’t sent campaigns from either account, so we make no claims about deliverability or open rates.
The short answer
- Kit (formerly ConvertKit) has the bigger free plan: up to 10,000 subscribers. Its paid plans add automations and are built around creators who sell.
- MailerLite has the cheaper paid entry point: Comfort starts at $12/month. But its free plan stops at 250 subscribers.
Start free with MailerLite · Start free with Kit
Free plans compared (as of Oct 2026)
| MailerLite Free | Kit Free | |
|---|---|---|
| Subscribers | Up to 250 | Up to 10,000 |
| Monthly emails | 2,500 | Unlimited broadcasts |
| Automations | 3 active, 5 steps each | Visual Automations on paid plans |
| Landing pages / forms | 1 landing page, 3 active forms | Unlimited |
| Seats | 2 | 1 |
| Sell digital products | 1 product or booking | Yes |
MailerLite says that if a free account goes over 250 active subscribers, sending (campaigns and automations) is locked until you upgrade or remove subscribers. You’ll see other numbers quoted elsewhere, but the official page says 250.
What you’ll pay as your list grows
Both vendors charge by subscriber tier and show exact prices through a slider, so we only list the prices the pages state in text:
| Plan | Price on the official page |
|---|---|
| MailerLite Comfort | Starting $12/month |
| MailerLite Power | Starting $25/month |
| Kit Creator (1,000 subscribers) | $33/month, or $390 billed yearly |
| Kit Pro (1,000 subscribers) | Limited-time offer: $593 billed for the first year |
Prices at 5,000 or 10,000 subscribers depend on the slider, so check both pages with your own list size. MailerLite says annual billing saves 10%; Kit says yearly billing saves 17%.
Compare MailerLite plans · Compare Kit plans
Editor and design
MailerLite’s free plan includes all three editors: drag & drop, custom HTML and a simple editor. Kit offers an email template library, custom HTML/CSS templates and an image library.
Automations and segmentation
Kit: tags and visual automations
Kit organizes subscribers with tags and segments. Its paid plans add unlimited Visual Automations and email sequences, and it lists RSS campaigns for sending new blog posts automatically.
MailerLite: visual workflow builder
MailerLite’s visual automation builder is on every plan. Free allows 3 active automations, Comfort 50, and Power unlimited (up to 100 steps each). Comfort includes 10x your subscriber tier in monthly emails, and Power is unlimited (fair use).
Selling from your list
- Kit lists digital products, paid newsletters, recurring subscriptions and tip jars, with transaction fees of 3.5% + 30¢.
- MailerLite lets you sell digital products, bookings, paid newsletters and recurring subscriptions. Free allows 1 product or booking, Comfort 5 and Power unlimited.
Growth features
Kit lists free Recommendations (other Kit creators recommend your newsletter), paid Recommendations (Kit takes a 23.5% fee) and newsletter sponsorships. MailerLite doesn’t list an equivalent creator network on its pricing page.
Switching from one to the other
Kit lists free migration from another platform, with an in-house team that rebuilds forms, templates and automations. MailerLite has a migration page and a success team for large lists. Both have 14-day free trials of paid features, so you can test before you move.
Which should you choose?
- You have under 250 subscribers and want the cheapest upgrade path: MailerLite.
- You want to grow to thousands of subscribers on a free plan: Kit.
- You plan to sell digital products or a paid newsletter and want creator recommendations: Kit.
- You want more seats and automations for less: MailerLite.
See more options in best email marketing tools. If you’re weighing an email tool against a CRM, read our HubSpot free CRM review. Building a blog first? Start with how to start a blog with AI.
FAQ
Is Kit’s free plan really up to 10,000 subscribers? Yes, Kit’s pricing page says “Free—up to 10,000 subscribers” (October 2026).
How many subscribers does MailerLite free allow? 250 active subscribers and 2,500 emails a month, per MailerLite’s pricing page.
Is MailerLite cheaper than Kit? The paid entry prices are lower: Comfort starts at $12/month, while Kit Creator is $33/month at 1,000 subscribers. Kit’s free plan covers far more subscribers, though.
Can I sell digital products with MailerLite? Yes. Free allows 1 digital product or booking, Comfort 5, and Power unlimited.
Is Kit the same as ConvertKit? Yes. Kit’s site describes itself as “formerly ConvertKit”.
Related
- Claude vs ChatGPT for blog posts, for drafting newsletters with AI
Sources
Checked October 14, 2026; prices change, so confirm before buying:
Affiliate links. Prices and plans change; confirm on the vendor's site.