How to start a newsletter for free in 2026 (step by step)

Facts checked 21 October 2026 on each platform's own pages · source keys at the bottom

Disclosure: links to beehiiv and systeme.io on this page are affiliate links; if you sign up for a paid plan through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Kit links are plain links for now. Commissions never change the facts below. Details.

You can launch a real newsletter for $0 in 2026. Free plans differ mainly in how many subscribers they allow, whether automations (like a welcome sequence) are included, and how you can earn before paying. Here is a simple seven-step plan using only what the free plans include.

Step 1: Pick a free plan that matches your goal

Checked 21 October 2026. Prices in USD as shown on each platform's page; they vary with list size, billing period and promotions.

Rule of thumb: if you expect a large free list, Kit's 10,000-subscriber cap goes furthest. If you want a newsletter website and a later path to paid subscriptions with 0% platform take rate, beehiiv fits. If you plan to sell a course from a funnel, systeme.io bundles that. Substack is free until you charge, then takes 10%. MailerLite's Free plan suits very small lists: its pricing FAQ says sending locks once a free account passes 250 active subscribers. For more detail, see our free plan limits cheat sheet and beehiiv Free vs Kit Free.

Step 2: Set up an honest sender identity

Use a sender name readers recognise and a reply-to address you actually read. For commercial email, the US CAN-SPAM Act requires accurate "From" and routing information and subject lines that are not deceptive [ftc].

Step 3: Collect subscribers with clear consent and an easy way out

• Say on the signup form what you will send and how often.
• If you have readers in the EU, the GDPR defines consent as freely given, specific, informed and unambiguous (Art. 4(11)), and you must be able to show that people agreed (Art. 7) [gdpr].
• For commercial email, CAN-SPAM requires a valid physical postal address in the message and a clear opt-out that you honour within 10 business days [ftc]. Check what your platform's email footer shows before your first send.
• Never import addresses of people who did not sign up. Buying lists breaks both the consent rules above and most platforms' terms.

This is general information, not legal advice. Rules depend on where you and your readers are.

Step 4: Write one welcome email

On a free plan you usually get one automatic welcome, not a sequence. beehiiv lists a welcome email on its Free plan [bh]. On Kit, email sequences and visual automations need a paid plan [kh]. systeme.io Free includes 1 automation rule [sy]. Keep it short: what readers will get, how often, and one link to your best piece.

Step 5: Send issue #1 and pick a cadence you can keep

A short, regular issue beats an ambitious one you abandon. Pick a weekly or fortnightly slot, write a few issues ahead, and use the same structure each time so readers know what to expect.

Step 6: Grow with the free tools first

• beehiiv: the Recommendation Network is included on Free; paid recommendations and the referral program need Lite [bh].
• Kit: Free accounts are enrolled in the Creator Network with five Smart Recommendation slots; earning from Paid Recommendations needs a paid plan [kh].
• Everywhere: link your signup page from your social profiles, your website and your email signature.

Step 7: Keep an exit

Export your subscriber list every so often, so you can switch platforms later. beehiiv lists data exports on every plan, Free included [bh], and Kit's help page explains how to import an existing list [kh]. When you start hitting limits, read when you will outgrow a free plan.

What we use ourselves: we publish NewsletterBench Weekly on beehiiv's Free plan (since 17 October 2026) and also have an account on Kit's Free plan. That is too little sending history to judge deliverability or support, so this page compares published limits only.

How this page was made: facts come from each platform's own pricing and help pages, read on 21 October 2026 (sources numbered in every row). We have not yet run a newsletter on each of these platforms, so we make no claims about deliverability or ease of use. We plan to run our own newsletter on a free plan and will report what we actually observe, with dates.

Source keys: [bh] www.beehiiv.com · [kh] help.kit.com · [kp] kit.com · [sy] systeme.io · [ml] www.mailerlite.com · [ss] support.substack.com · [ftc] www.ftc.gov · [gdpr] eur-lex.europa.eu