Last updated: July 19, 2026 · Reading time: ~16 minutes
Quick verdict: Substack wins for zero monthly fees and built-in discovery — until paid subscription revenue makes the 10% cut expensive. Beehiiv wins when you want a growth + monetization stack (ads, boosts, 0% take on paid subs) and you’re willing to pay a platform fee that scales with list size. Kit (formerly ConvertKit) wins for creator funnels — tags, sequences, digital products, and automations — when email is a business system, not only a newsletter. Most solopreneurs should pick one home list; cross-posting forever usually means owning nothing.
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