Best Platforms for Building a Newsletter Business in 2025

Starting a newsletter business is one of the smartest things you can do in 2025—but picking the right platform? That’s where people get stuck.

There’s no shortage of options. But the truth is: not every platform is built for business.

In this post, we’ll break down the top newsletter tools and help you choose the best one based on your goals, experience level, and monetization strategy.

🥇 1. Beehiiv — Best All-Around Platform for Growth + Monetization

Beehiiv was built by ex-Morning Brew folks, and it shows. It’s clean, growth-focused, and powerful—without being overwhelming.

Best for:

  • Finance pros and creators who want to scale

  • Real estate newsletters with local sponsorships

  • Coaches or consultants building a media-style brand

Top Features:
✅ Beautiful native templates
✅ Segmentation + custom fields
✅ Free landing page & newsletter website
✅ Built-in monetization tools (ads, referrals, paid plans)

Limitations:
⚠️ No visual automations yet (but Zapier-friendly)
⚠️ Some design limitations for advanced bloggers

💡 Pro Tip: Beehiiv now supports voice embedding and dynamic content, making it great for “non-writers” too.

🥈 2. Kit — Best for Course Creators and Service Providers

Kit is a great choice for creators who already sell courses, services, or products—and want more control over funnels and email sequences.

Best for:

  • Career coaches or creators selling digital products

  • Freelancers running offers + lead magnets

  • Newsletters that require audience segmentation + automation

Top Features:
✅ Visual automations + tagging
✅ Integrates with Gumroad, Stripe, Shopify, etc.
✅ One-off broadcasts and evergreen sequences
✅ Creator Network for cross-promotion

Limitations:
⚠️ Steeper learning curve than Beehiiv or Substack
⚠️ Landing pages not as customizable

💡 Use this if you already sell something—or plan to build a deeper sales funnel.

🥉 3. Substack — Best for Simplicity + Discoverability

Substack is the most beginner-friendly platform with a built-in community, especially for writers and thinkers. It’s great for getting started, but limited when you want to scale.

Best for:

  • Creators who want to write and not worry about tech

  • Thought leaders and essay-style writers

  • Free and paid subscriber newsletters

Top Features:
✅ Extremely easy to set up
✅ Native podcast and video hosting
✅ Substack Notes for built-in growth
✅ Paid subscriptions built-in (they take 10%)

Limitations:
⚠️ Substack takes 10% of paid subscriptions
⚠️ Limited segmentation or automation
⚠️ Not ideal for affiliate-heavy monetization or sponsors

💡 Start here if you want to build your voice. But consider graduating to Beehiiv or Kit when you're ready to scale.

⚖️ Quick Comparison Table

Feature

Beehiiv

Kit

Substack

Setup Time

✅ Fast

⚠️ Medium

✅ Fastest

Monetization

✅ Sponsors, Affiliates, Paid

✅ Products, Funnels

✅ Paid Subscriptions

Automation

⚠️ Basic (Zapier)

✅ Advanced

❌ None

Templates

✅ Clean, newsletter-style

✅ Functional

⚠️ Basic

Built-in Discovery

⚠️ Manual growth

⚠️ Creator Network

✅ High discoverability

Best For

Growth + Media Style

Funnels + Courses

Writers + Essay Creators

Which One Should You Choose?

✅ Choose Beehiiv if:

  • You want a clean, modern, monetizable newsletter

  • You plan to grow through SEO, referrals, or ads

  • You want a website + newsletter in one place

✅ Choose Kit if:

  • You sell coaching, digital products, or courses

  • You want advanced automations and lead funnels

  • You like deep control over every piece of the journey

✅ Choose Substack if:

  • You’re just starting and want to write right away

  • You don’t want to deal with design or tech

  • You don’t mind giving up 10% of your paid subs

Don’t Let Platform Paralysis Stop You

You can always switch platforms later. What matters most is starting—with consistency, clarity, and content that connects.

👉 Want support choosing, growing, and monetizing the platform that fits you?

Join Publisher Pro—the go-to creator community for newsletter entrepreneurs ready to build serious revenue from email.