The Bottom Line
Kit is the best email marketing platform built specifically for creators. It's not the flashiest tool, and it won't win a design award for its email templates. But what it does — deliverability, automation, subscriber management, and creator-first features — it does better than almost anyone. With 587M+ subscribers served and 99.8% deliverability, Kit is the quiet engine behind newsletters from James Clear, Ali Abdaal, and Tim Ferriss.
Why I Started Using Kit
As a VC, my newsletter is one of the most important things I do. It's how I stay top-of-mind with founders, share insights with LPs, and build an audience that compounds over time. I tried Mailchimp first — too bloated for what I needed. Substack was tempting — but I didn't want to give up control of my subscriber list to a platform that could change its terms overnight.
Kit (still ConvertKit back then) was recommended by three different creators I respect. The pitch was simple: it's built for people who write, not for e-commerce marketers who need 47 segmentation rules. I signed up, imported my list, and had my first automated welcome sequence running in about 45 minutes. That was the moment I knew this was the right tool.
Now I use Kit for everything — weekly newsletters, drip campaigns for new subscribers, automated follow-ups after meetings, and segmented updates for founders vs. LPs vs. general audience. It's become the backbone of how I communicate as a VC and content creator.
What Works Really Well
99.8% deliverability is the real killer feature
None of the fancy features matter if your emails land in spam. Kit's deliverability is best-in-class at 99.8%. When I switched from Mailchimp, my open rates jumped 15% almost overnight — not because my content got better, but because my emails were actually reaching inboxes. Kit is obsessive about sender reputation, authentication (DKIM, SPF, DMARC), and keeping bad actors off the platform. For a newsletter that's critical to my business, this alone justifies the price.
Visual automations are incredibly powerful
Kit's visual automation builder is where it really shines for power users. I have automations that tag subscribers based on what links they click, move them into different sequences based on engagement, and automatically segment founders from investors from general readers. The visual builder makes complex logic feel simple — drag, connect, done. I've built automations that would have taken me weeks of custom code on other platforms.
Tag-based subscriber management just makes sense
Unlike Mailchimp's list-based system where subscribers can exist in multiple lists (and you pay for each), Kit uses a single subscriber pool with tags and segments. One subscriber, one record, infinite tags. This means I can slice my audience any way I want — by interest, by how they found me, by engagement level — without duplicate costs. It's a fundamentally better data model for creators.
Creator-first commerce features
Kit has built-in support for paid newsletters, digital product sales, and tip jars — all without needing a third-party tool. I've seen portfolio company founders use Kit to sell courses, e-books, and premium content directly to their email list. The commerce features won't replace Shopify, but for creators selling digital products alongside a newsletter, it's the perfect all-in-one setup. No additional monthly fees, no integration headaches.
Where Kit Stands Out vs. Competitors
The email marketing space is brutally competitive — Mailchimp, Beehiiv, Substack, ActiveCampaign, and MailerLite all fight for the same users. Here's where I think Kit genuinely differentiates:
Deliverability above all
99.8% deliverability rate. Kit prioritizes getting your emails into inboxes over everything else. Most competitors can't match this consistently.
13+ years of creator focus
While Beehiiv is newer and Substack pivots constantly, Kit has been building for creators for over 13 years. 587M+ subscribers served. Battle-tested and stable.
Best automation for non-technical users
ActiveCampaign is more powerful but way more complex. Kit strikes the perfect balance — sophisticated automations without needing a developer to set them up.
You own your audience
Unlike Substack, your subscriber list is yours. You can export it anytime, no questions asked. Your audience is your most valuable asset — never let a platform hold it hostage.
What Could Be Better
No tool is perfect. Here's where Kit has room to improve:
Email template design is limited
Kit intentionally favors plain-text-style emails because they tend to perform better for deliverability and engagement. But if you want beautiful, richly designed emails with custom layouts, columns, and branding — you'll find Kit's editor frustrating. Beehiiv and Mailchimp are miles ahead on visual design. For my VC newsletter, the plain style works great. For a design-forward brand, it might not.
Pricing scales with subscribers and it adds up
Kit's pricing is based on subscriber count, which means your bill grows as your audience grows. At 10K subscribers, you're paying around $100/month on the Creator plan. At 50K, it's significantly more. Beehiiv's flat-rate pricing is more predictable for fast-growing newsletters. If you're bootstrapped and growing quickly, the scaling cost is something to plan for.
Analytics are basic compared to Beehiiv
Kit gives you open rates, click rates, and subscriber growth — the essentials. But if you want detailed analytics like click maps, engagement scoring, revenue attribution, or audience demographics, you'll be disappointed. Beehiiv has built much richer analytics for newsletter operators. I supplement Kit's data with Google Analytics for deeper insights, but I wish I didn't have to.
Who Should Use Kit (And Who Shouldn't)
Great Fit
- Creators, writers, and podcasters building an audience through email
- VCs and founders who want automated nurture sequences and segmentation
- Anyone selling digital products alongside a newsletter
- People who prioritize deliverability and owning their subscriber list
Maybe Not
- E-commerce brands that need advanced transactional emails and product recommendations
- Newsletter operators who want Beehiiv-level analytics and referral programs built in
- Brands that need highly designed, visual email campaigns
Pricing Breakdown
Kit offers a genuinely useful free tier and straightforward paid plans. Pricing scales with subscriber count.
Free plan includes landing pages, forms, and broadcasts. Creator adds automations and integrations. Pro adds advanced reporting, subscriber scoring, and priority support. All prices scale with subscriber count.
Final Verdict: 4.5 / 5
Kit is the email platform I recommend to every creator, founder, and investor who asks me “what should I use for my newsletter?” It's not the most feature-rich tool in the market, and it won't win a design competition. But it does the things that matter most — reliable delivery, smart automation, and subscriber ownership — better than almost anyone.
The template limitations are real, the pricing scales in a way that can surprise you, and the analytics lag behind newer competitors like Beehiiv. But after 13+ years serving 587M+ subscribers with 99.8% deliverability, Kit has earned the trust of the world's best creators — James Clear, Ali Abdaal, Tim Ferriss — and that says everything.
If you're a creator who wants to build an email list you actually own, with automations that work and emails that reach inboxes — Kit should be your first choice. Start with the free plan and you'll see why it's lasted this long.