Kit vs MailerLite
Both are on our shortlist for course creators. They part company on a couple of things that matter more than the monthly price.
Kit 
MailerLite Which one, for whom
- Starting out with no budget MailerLite MailerLite can run an automated welcome sequence on its free plan. Kit cannot, so a new subscriber hears nothing from you until you pay.
- A list already in the thousands Kit Kit stays free to 10,000 subscribers against MailerLite's 250.
Side by side
| Kit | MailerLite | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | 10,000 subscribers | 250 subscribers |
| Free sends | Unlimited broadcasts | 2,500 emails/mo |
| Welcome sequence on free | No | Yes |
| Paid from | $33/mo | $12/mo |
| At 5,000 subscribers | Not published | $44.10 |
| At 25,000 subscribers | Not published | $161.10 |
| The catch | Digital product sales carry a 3.5% + 30c fee on every plan. | Their logo stays on your emails until you pay. |
Figures read off each vendor's own pricing page on 5 September 2026. Where a row says not published, that vendor does not state a price at that list size and we will not invent one.
Getting your list back out
Kit
Deleting the account is self-serve and takes 24 to 48 hours. Export first: their help page says all data is permanently deleted, with no recovery window documented.
MailerLite
Cancel any time without penalty. Their terms describe still being able to log in, export and migrate your data after a plan lapses.
Try either one
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Kit Biggest free list, sells products out of the box
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Start free on Kit Read the full Kit breakdown MailerLite Best free plan for a real welcome sequence
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Start free on MailerLite Read the full MailerLite breakdownKit vs MailerLite, answered
- Is Kit or MailerLite better for an online course?
- Neither is better outright, and anyone who says so is guessing on your behalf. MailerLite if you are starting out with no budget. Kit if you are a list already in the thousands.
- Which of Kit and MailerLite has the better free plan?
- Kit allows more free subscribers (10,000 against 250). A bigger allowance is not automatically the better plan: check the welcome sequence row above, because that is where the two usually part company.
- Can I move from Kit to MailerLite later?
- Yes, and you should assume you will. Export your list before you cancel anything, and keep the tag that says who bought from you. We wrote the order of operations up separately.
Moving between them? Read the switching guide first, or answer four questions to check neither of these is the wrong shortlist.