The scenario
A course creator starts with 1,000 subscribers and grows steadily to 5,000 by month 12, about 364 a month. They send a weekly newsletter, run an evergreen welcome sequence, and run one launch in month 11: an eight-email sequence to the whole list. The course costs $199 and sells 50 copies. Prices are US dollars before tax and payment fees are shown separately. Each month is priced at the tier that covers the list at the end of that month, on monthly billing.
Kit's Free plan is out for this scenario. It covers up to 10,000 subscribers, but email sequences and visual automations need a paid plan. [4] The comparison is Kit Creator against MailerLite Comfort, with MailerLite Power shown as the higher option.
Month by month: the months the cost jumps
Kit Creator, from Kit's pricing page and help center: $39 a month for up to 1,000 subscribers, $59 up to 3,000 and $89 up to 5,000. [1] [2] MailerLite Comfort: $19 up to 1,000, $33 up to 2,500 and $49 up to 5,000. Power: $39, $49 and $69 at the same tiers. [6]
Both vendors jump in month 2, when the list passes 1,000. Kit's second jump comes in month 7, at 3,001 subscribers. MailerLite's comes a month earlier, in month 6, at 2,501, but it is smaller: $16 versus Kit's $30.
| Month | Subscribers | Kit Creator | MailerLite Comfort | MailerLite Power |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1,000 | $39 | $19 | $39 |
| 2 | 1,364 | $59 | $33 | $49 |
| 3 | 1,727 | $59 | $33 | $49 |
| 4 | 2,091 | $59 | $33 | $49 |
| 5 | 2,455 | $59 | $33 | $49 |
| 6 | 2,818 | $59 | $49 | $69 |
| 7 | 3,182 | $89 | $49 | $69 |
| 8 | 3,545 | $89 | $49 | $69 |
| 9 | 3,909 | $89 | $49 | $69 |
| 10 | 4,273 | $89 | $49 | $69 |
| 11 | 4,636 | $89 | $49 | $69 |
| 12 | 5,000 | $89 | $49 | $69 |
| Year total | $868 | $494 | $718 |
How the upgrades are billed
Kit upgrades you automatically when you pass a tier. On monthly billing, the next bill includes the new tier price plus a prorated charge for the rest of the period. Kit's example: a creator on $39 who reaches 1,001 subscribers on October 21 pays $66 on November 1, which is $59 plus a $7 prorated difference. [2] Proration moves a few dollars between months, but the year's total stays close to the $868 in the table.
Kit's annual plans charge 12 months for the price of 10. [3] On the 1,000-subscriber tier that is $390 a year, against $39 a month. [1] On an annual plan, a tier change is charged immediately as a prorated difference. [2] If you buy annual at 1,000 subscribers, you pay that upgrade charge within weeks. Annual billing makes most sense once growth slows.
MailerLite also upgrades paid accounts automatically and charges the next tier. [6] Its annual billing saves 10%. [6]
The launch month: MailerLite's sending cap
Kit bills on subscribers, not emails sent. [3] MailerLite Comfort limits monthly emails to 10 times the top of your subscriber tier. On the up-to-5,000 tier that is 50,000 emails. If you hit the cap, MailerLite says you can upgrade to Power for unlimited sending under fair use, or wait for the next cycle. [6]
In month 11 the list is about 4,636. Eight launch emails to everyone is 37,088 sends. Four weekly newsletters add 18,544, for 55,632 in total, which is over the 50,000 cap. Either send the later launch emails only to subscribers who opened or clicked earlier ones, skip one newsletter during the launch, or upgrade to Power for that month: $69 instead of $49 at this tier.
Selling the course: per-sale fees
Kit Commerce is available on every plan. Selling in USD costs 3.5% plus $0.30 per transaction. Kit calls that the only cost of selling through Kit, with no monthly fee, and Stripe processes the payments. [5] MailerLite advertises 0% MailerLite commission on digital products, with only Stripe's processing fee. [7] Stripe's standard US rate is 2.9% plus 30 cents for domestic cards, plus 1.5% for international cards. [9]
MailerLite's plan limits matter for sellers. Comfort includes 5 digital products and bookings and Power unlimited, while its features page says Free includes one product. [6] [7] MailerLite's Stripe help article says Comfort and Power accounts can sell digital products, recurring subscriptions and paid newsletters, and sets a minimum product price of $0.50. [8] Neither budget includes course hosting. Kit lets you sell access to a link, such as a members-only page or a hosted course, so check where your lessons will live. [5]
The full-year totals and who each fits
Software plus fees for 50 sales: Kit Creator comes to about $868 + $363.25 = $1,231.25. MailerLite Comfort comes to $494 + $303.55 = $797.55, or $817.55 with one launch month on Power. MailerLite Power for the whole year is $718 + $303.55 = $1,021.55.
Kit fits creators who want sequences and product sales in one place, and who value billing that does not depend on email volume during launches. MailerLite fits creators who are price-sensitive, send moderately, and are happy to manage Comfort's sending cap in launch months. Either way, the subscriber tier crossings, not the launch itself, drive most of the year's cost.
- Project your list month by month and mark each tier crossing for both vendors.
- Count launch sends: emails in the sequence times list size, plus newsletters that month.
- Price the per-sale fee at your real course price and expected sales.
- Avoid prepaying a year at your starting tier if you expect to cross a tier soon.
- Prune non-openers before the launch; it reduces both the tier and the sends.
Questions before you decide
Can I run a launch sequence on Kit's Free plan?
No. Kit's Free plan covers up to 10,000 subscribers and includes selling digital products, but email sequences and visual automations need the Creator or Creator Pro plan. If you downgrade to Free later, sequences stop running until you upgrade again.
What does Kit charge when I sell a course?
Kit's help center says selling in USD costs 3.5% plus $0.30 per transaction, with no monthly fee for Commerce, and calls that the only cost of selling through Kit. Stripe processes the payments and is the only payment platform Kit supports.
What does MailerLite charge on digital product sales?
MailerLite advertises 0% MailerLite commission, with only a Stripe processing fee. Stripe's standard US rate is 2.9% plus 30 cents for domestic cards, with 1.5% extra for international cards.
Is Kit's annual plan worth it while my list is growing?
Kit's annual plans charge 12 months for the price of 10. If you move up a tier mid-year, Kit charges the prorated difference immediately and the full new annual price at renewal, so the saving shrinks as you grow.
Sources & verification
Product details and prices can change. Check the linked provider before buying.
- Kit pricing Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Kit Help Center: Account upgrade and downgrade FAQs Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Kit Help Center: Billing at Kit Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Kit Help Center: The Kit Free plan Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Kit Help Center: Sell digital products with Kit, overview and FAQs Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- MailerLite pricing Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- MailerLite: Sell digital products Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- MailerLite Help: How to sell digital products through MailerLite using Stripe Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Stripe pricing Accessed 30 Oct 2026
Sources link directly to providers. Product buttons may use separately labeled affiliate links. Read our disclosure.