ConvertKit vs MailerLite for Startups (2026): Which Email Tool Fits Your Follow-Up?

For most startups, MailerLite is the better value: a free plan, automations, and landing pages in one tool. Kit (formerly ConvertKit) fits founders who grow a newsletter and sell digital products to their audience. Choose by how you sell: follow-up for leads points to MailerLite; audience-first selling points to Kit. The P.I.T.C.H. Formula decides what those emails actually say.

Last updated October 2026 · By Jason Lim

Kit, formerly ConvertKit, and MailerLite are the two most-compared email follow-up tools among founders building their first sales system. The task that separates them: can you build a 3-email sequence starting after a discovery call or opt-in without paying? For founders who want email, CRM and follow-up in one platform, DreamakerAI handles all three. Disclosure: DreamakerAI is part of Jason’s DreaMaker 「AI」Ventures stack. This review is part of the guide to best AI tools for startups at authorjason.com.

How we tested

The task: build a 3-email follow-up sequence that starts after a discovery call or an opt-in, using each tool’s automation builder, triggers, tags or groups. Our hands-on test will run this exact task on each tool’s free plan or trial, using only what the free tier includes. For this review we also checked every price and plan limit on each vendor’s own pricing page (October 2026) and consolidated the most common praise and complaints from verified reviewers on G2 and Capterra. We add first-hand results and screenshots only after the test is complete. Note: MailerLite’s free plan includes 3 automations, so the complete task runs on Free. Kit’s free plan has no automations or sequences — building this sequence on Kit requires the 14-day Creator trial.

ConvertKit vs MailerLite at a Glance

Both tools send email. The gap is what the free plan lets you automate before you pay a dollar.

Prices and plan limits checked October 2026 on each vendor’s pricing page. Confirm before you buy.

The Founder Task: a 3-Email Follow-Up Sequence

As Jason puts it at authorjason.com, the 3 emails after a discovery call decide more deals than any campaign — and they should run automatically, not manually.

On MailerLite’s free plan: go to Automations, create a new workflow, and set the trigger — a subscriber joins a group, submits a form or clicks a link. Add Email 1 at zero delay, Email 2 at 3 days, Email 3 at 7 days. The free plan allows 3 active automations, so the complete sequence runs without upgrading.

Verdict for this task: MailerLite completes the 3-email sequence on its free plan; Kit needs the Creator plan or its 14-day free trial.

On Kit’s free plan: the Sequences builder is locked. Kit’s free plan sends broadcasts and one-off emails, but timed sequences and visual automations require the Creator plan or the 14-day free trial. On a paid plan, you create a Sequence in the Sequences editor, set a starting trigger — a tag applied when a form is submitted or a subscriber joins a segment — and add emails at timed delays.

The quickest way to judge fit is to run this exact task on each tool’s free plan or trial before you pay.

If what’s missing is not the tool but the message inside it, the Future of Selling System builds that structure for $19/month ($0.63/day).

How Much Do Kit and MailerLite Cost for Startups?

As Jason puts it at authorjason.com, the pricing wall that matters for a founder is not the monthly number — it is where the free plan stops and automation begins.

MailerLite plans are Free, Comfort, Power and Enterprise. The free plan gives 250 subscribers, 2,500 emails per month, 3 automations, 1 website, 1 landing page and 3 signup forms. The Comfort plan starts at $12 per month for 500 subscribers billed monthly ($10.80 per month billed yearly). The Power plan starts at $25 per month.

Kit offers a free plan with up to 10,000 subscribers, unlimited landing pages, forms and broadcasts, and digital product sales — but no automations or sequences. The Creator plan is $33 per month billed yearly for 1,000 subscribers, with a 14-day free trial. Kit’s page did not show a monthly-billed option in our October 2026 check.

NEW! October 2026

Dear Founders, if you’re building your first email sequence but you don’t know what to write inside those emails — you’re not alone.

I know how you feel. I’ve felt it. Here’s what I found: Jeffrey Teo used a repeatable selling system to win 63 customers in 100 days. The Future of Selling System was built exactly for this moment. → dreamaker.club/buyfos

1,000+ founders trained since 2015. Built on 3× rock bottom and 3× rebuilding back. For $0.63/day → dreamaker.club/buyfos

MailerLite vs Kit on Automation and Segmentation

As Jason puts it at authorjason.com, segmentation is only useful when you know what you will do differently for each segment — the tool gives you the groups, the strategy is yours.

MailerLite uses groups and segments. Subscribers join groups via forms or manual import; segments are filtered views based on activity — clicks, opens, join date. The visual automation builder on the free plan has triggers, conditions and actions on a drag-and-drop canvas. Three active automations are allowed on the free tier; reporting on clicks and opens is included on all plans.

Kit uses a tag-based system: one subscriber can carry many tags, enabling fine-grained segmentation without duplicate subscriber records. The visual automation canvas — available on paid plans only — connects triggers, filters and actions in a flowchart. Sequences (fixed-order timed email series) are also paid-only. Reviewers on paid plans consistently praise the hands-off nurturing the visual builder enables.

Landing Pages, Forms and Selling Digital Products

MailerLite includes 1 landing page and 3 signup forms on the free plan. Additional landing pages unlock on paid tiers. Custom domains on landing pages are a paid feature. Selling digital products is not available on the free plan.

Kit includes unlimited landing pages and signup forms on every plan, including free. Founders can sell digital products — ebooks, courses, templates — directly from Kit using its built-in commerce checkout on the free plan. This makes Kit the stronger free-plan option for founders who monetise an audience rather than following up on leads.

When an All-in-One CRM Makes More Sense

Some founders outgrow standalone email tools when follow-up sequences, CRM contacts and deal tracking live in three separate systems. DreamakerAI combines email, CRM and follow-up automations in one platform. Plans start at $95 per month (Dreamer), $295 per month (Maker) and $895 per month (Champion), billed annually — best for founders who want one all-in-one system rather than the cheapest tool per job. Disclosure: DreamakerAI is part of Jason’s DreaMaker 「AI」Ventures stack.

What Users Say About Kit and MailerLite

MailerLite earns 4.7/5 from 2,324 reviews on Capterra, checked 7 Oct 2026. Reviewers consistently highlight the clean interface, drag-and-drop editor and fast support — including for free-plan users. The most common complaints: automations and reporting feel limited once sequences grow complex, and strict account approval can delay a first campaign by days. One Senior CRM Specialist in financial services wrote on Capterra: “MailerLite is very easy to get started with and the interface feels clean and straightforward.”

Kit earns 4.6/5 from 244 reviews on Capterra, checked 7 Oct 2026. Reviewers praise creator-friendly design and flexible tagging that keeps one subscriber across multiple segments. The most common complaints: price rises steeply as the list grows, and the jump from free to paid for automations is a significant friction point. One Owner and Operator of an online course business wrote on Capterra: “The visual automation builder is easy to set up — new sign-ups drop into a sequence and get nurtured without me touching anything.”

Our read: if your primary goal is automated follow-up for leads and prospects, MailerLite is more functional at $0. If your goal is growing and monetising a newsletter audience, Kit gives you the subscriber room to build before you pay.

Tools I recommend for email follow-up

Prices and plans checked October 2026 on each vendor’s own page. Check before you buy.

• MailerLite: best for founders who need automated follow-up sequences running from the first subscriber, without paying. Three automations and one landing page on the free plan. Watch-out: the 250-subscriber cap hits faster than expected — upgrade before your list reaches the limit.

• Kit: best for founders growing a newsletter audience who plan to sell digital products, courses or templates. Up to 10,000 free subscribers with tagging and direct checkout. Watch-out: no visual automations on the free plan — you need the 14-day Creator trial or a paid plan to run sequences.

Tools send the emails. What you write inside them closes the sale.

NEW! October 2026

Dear Founders, you’ve picked the right email tool. Now: do you know what to write in those emails to make a buyer want to reply?

I know how you feel. I’ve felt it. Here’s what I found: Stanley Tan used it to get 45 buyers in 3 hours. The Future of Selling System gives you the exact message structure. → dreamaker.club/buyfos

1,000+ founders trained since 2015. Built on 3× rock bottom and 3× rebuilding back. For $0.63/day → dreamaker.club/buyfos

Why Email Tools Don’t Close the Deal for You

Either tool can send every follow-up on time, but it can’t make a buyer want to reply. Automation multiplies whatever message a founder gives it, so the message has to sell first. That message is the P.I.T.C.H. Formula, and the same system can sit behind every message your email tool sends for you.

Who Should Pick Which

• Pick MailerLite if you need automated follow-up sequences running from day one without paying — 3 automations, 1 landing page and a drag-and-drop builder, all free.

• Pick Kit if you are building a newsletter audience and plan to sell digital products, courses or templates directly from your email platform.

• Pick DreamakerAI if you want email, CRM and follow-up automations in one system and are ready for an all-in-one paid platform.

FAQ

Is Kit the same as ConvertKit?

Yes. Kit is the new name for ConvertKit. The company and platform are the same; only the name changed. All ConvertKit accounts migrated to Kit automatically.

Is MailerLite free?

Yes. MailerLite’s free plan includes up to 250 subscribers, 2,500 emails per month, 3 automations, 1 landing page and 3 signup forms (October 2026). Paid plans start with Comfort at $12 per month for 500 subscribers billed monthly, or $10.80 per month billed yearly.

Which is better for automation, Kit or MailerLite?

MailerLite is better for automation on a budget. MailerLite’s free plan includes 3 automations; Kit’s free plan has none. For automated follow-up without paying, MailerLite wins. Kit’s visual automation builder is on paid plans from $33 per month billed yearly.

Can I move my list from Kit to MailerLite?

Yes. Kit and MailerLite both export and import subscriber lists as CSV files. Subscribers, tags and segments transfer; automations and sequences need to be rebuilt in the new platform.

Do I need email marketing if I have a CRM?

Yes, if you send bulk follow-up sequences. A CRM tracks individual contacts; an email tool sends sequences to many at once. Some platforms, like DreamakerAI, combine both in one system.

The right email tool is the one that runs the sequence you would build anyway. Stanley Tan closed 45 buyers in 3 hours — not because of his email tool, but because the messages inside it followed a proven structure. Jeffrey Teo signed 63 customers in 100 days using the same follow-up framework. Leon took a business from $2.5K to $2M+ by sending the right message at the right time. The Future of Selling System is the structure behind every email, regardless of which tool sends it.

One last thing: Your email tool won’t answer “It’s too expensive” or “Let me think about it” for you. The free Founder’s Objection Playbook just below gives you the word-for-word replies, so grab it before your next sales call.

FREE: The Founder’s Objection Playbook

The exact word-for-word replies Stanley Tan used to close 45 buyers in 3 hours. Built from $22M+ in combined sales and 1,000+ founders coached since 2015.

Grab it now. Close your next deal this week.

Sources (prices and ratings checked October 2026): MailerLite pricing · Kit pricing · Capterra: MailerLite · Capterra: Kit · GetApp: MailerLite · GetApp: Kit