Kit (the platform formerly known as ConvertKit) has become the go-to email tool for creators. Bloggers, YouTubers, podcasters, course builders. Walk into any online creator community and you'll hear Kit mentioned within five minutes.
But does the hype match reality? I've been using Kit for my own newsletter for eight months, and I have some honest thoughts about what it does brilliantly, where it falls short, and who it's actually built for.
Why They Changed the Name
Let's get this out of the way. ConvertKit rebranded to Kit in late 2024. Same team, same product, simpler name. If you see "ConvertKit" and "Kit" used interchangeably around the internet, they're talking about the same platform. The rebrand was cleaner than most, and the product hasn't changed direction. It's still all about serving creators.
The Free Plan Is Absurdly Generous
Kit's free plan supports up to 10,000 subscribers with unlimited emails. Let me repeat that. Ten thousand subscribers. For free.
Most email platforms cap their free tier at 500 or maybe 1,000 subscribers. Kit giving you 10,000 is a serious statement. You also get unlimited landing pages and forms, which means you can start building your list from scratch without spending a dime.
The limitation? One automation sequence. That means you can set up a welcome email series, but you can't create multiple automated workflows for different segments. For a lot of creators just starting out, that single automation is enough for months. But eventually, you'll want more, and that's when Kit starts charging.
What Kit Does Best: Automations
Kit's visual automation builder is genuinely a pleasure to use. You drag and drop triggers, actions, and conditions onto a canvas, and you can see the entire subscriber journey at a glance. When someone signs up, send this email. Wait three days. If they clicked the link, send this. If they didn't, send that. Tag them. Move them to a new sequence.
I've used automation builders in Mailchimp, Brevo, ActiveCampaign, and Mailerlite. Kit's is the most intuitive of the bunch. It strikes that rare balance between powerful and approachable. You don't need to watch a tutorial to figure it out. You just start building.
The tagging system is also excellent. Instead of managing separate lists, Kit uses tags to segment subscribers. One subscriber can have multiple tags, and you build automations and broadcasts based on those tags. It's flexible, clean, and avoids the "multiple lists" headache that plagues other platforms.
The Writing Experience
Kit emails are intentionally plain-text styled. They look like personal emails, not marketing blasts. This is a deliberate design philosophy, not a limitation. The idea is that a simple, text-forward email from a creator feels more personal and gets higher engagement than a heavily designed newsletter.
And the data backs this up. Plain-text style emails consistently see higher open and click rates for individual creators compared to heavily designed templates. Your subscribers signed up to hear from you, not to admire your graphic design.
That said, if you want visual emails with images, buttons, and branded layouts, Kit's options are limited. You can add images and basic formatting, but it's not a drag-and-drop visual builder like Mailchimp. If visual email design is important to your brand, this could be a dealbreaker.
Pricing: Where It Gets Real
The free plan covers you up to 10,000 subscribers. But once you need more than one automation (which happens fast), you're looking at the Creator plan:
Up to 1,000 subscribers: $39/month. Up to 3,000 subscribers: $59/month. Up to 5,000 subscribers: $89/month.
Creator Pro adds subscriber scoring, advanced reporting, and Facebook custom audiences. For 3,000 subscribers, that's $79/month.
Annual billing saves you about 16% (two months free), which is worth doing if you're committed.
Is this expensive? Compared to Brevo or Mailerlite, yes. Brevo can handle 5,000 contacts for under $30/month. But Kit's pricing includes unlimited emails at every tier, and the automation quality is noticeably better. You're paying for a premium experience, and whether that's worth it depends on how central email is to your business.
What I Wish Were Better
Reporting is basic on the lower plans. You get open rates, click rates, and subscriber growth. But detailed analytics about which links perform best, which emails drive revenue, and how subscribers move through your funnels require Creator Pro. For the price you're already paying, basic revenue tracking should be standard.
The landing page builder is functional but limited. If you need high-converting, beautifully designed landing pages, you'll probably want a dedicated tool. Kit's pages get the job done for simple opt-ins, but they won't replace a purpose-built landing page platform.
And the jump from free to paid is steep. Going from $0 to $39/month the moment you need a second automation feels abrupt. A mid-tier plan around $15-20/month with 3-5 automations would bridge that gap nicely.
Who Is Kit For?
Kit is built for creators who want email to be the backbone of their business. If you're a blogger who sends a weekly newsletter, a course creator who sells through email sequences, or a YouTuber who wants to own the relationship with your audience beyond the algorithm, Kit is designed for exactly how you work.
It's not the best fit for e-commerce stores (Klaviyo or Shopify Email are better there), large enterprises (look at HubSpot or ActiveCampaign), or anyone who needs visual email templates as a core feature. One notable exception: if your focus is specifically newsletter publishing with built-in monetization — paid subscriptions, referral programs, and an ad network — beehiiv is purpose-built for exactly that and worth comparing before you commit.
The Verdict
Kit earns its reputation. The automation builder is best-in-class for creator businesses. The free plan gives you room to grow without pressure. And the plain-text email philosophy, while not for everyone, genuinely drives better engagement for personal brands.
If email is how you connect with your audience and sell your work, Kit is one of the best platforms you can use. Start with the free plan. Build your list. Create your first automation. You'll know pretty quickly whether it's the right fit.