What is the best newsletter tool for beginners?
MailerLite is the best tool to start with: the most pleasant editor in the business, free up to 500 subscribers with automation included, and room to grow for years. Substack is even simpler if you just want to write, and beehiiv if you already think about growth.
For a beginner, the tool should get out of the way. MailerLite wins on that: the drag-and-drop editor is the most intuitive we know, templates look good without fiddling, and the free plan includes everything your first year needs, landing pages and a welcome series included. Past 500 subscribers, paid plans start around ten dollars a month.
If your newsletter is pure writing and you want literally zero setup, Substack is the gentlest start: account, name, write, publish. The trade-offs (the 10% fee on paid subscriptions, fewer design and growth options) only start to matter later, and you can always migrate your list.
beehiiv is the pick for beginners with ambition: slightly more interface to learn than Substack, but the free 2,500-subscriber tier and built-in growth tools mean you will not outgrow it for a long time. Whichever you choose: just start; your first ten editions teach you more than any comparison page.