Our verdict: spend on the domain, not on tools you have not needed yet
The fixed cost of a newsletter in year one is a domain. Everything else has a free tier that is large enough to find out whether people want to read you: beehiiv Free up to 2,500 subscribers [1], Kit Free up to 10,000 [2], and free email forwarding for a contact address [6][7].
The first thing most writers pay for is automation: a welcome sequence that sends the right first emails to every new subscriber. Kit Free and beehiiv Free do not include it [1][2]. That, not list size, is usually the trigger for a paid plan.
Line items with official prices
| Item | Option | Year-one cost | Source note |
|---|---|---|---|
| .com domain | Porkbun | $11.08 registration; renewal also $11.08 | Porkbun price list [5] |
| .com domain | Namecheap regular price from 1 Nov 2026 | $15.98 plus $0.20 ICANN fee = $16.18; renewal $19.98 plus $0.20 | Namecheap notices [3][4]; sale prices at checkout may differ |
| Newsletter platform | beehiiv Free | $0, up to 2,500 subscribers; no automations | beehiiv pricing [1] |
| Newsletter platform | Kit Free | $0, up to 10,000 subscribers; no automated sequences | Kit pricing [2] |
| Newsletter platform | MailerLite Free | $0, up to 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails per month; 3 active automations | MailerLite pricing [8] |
| Newsletter platform | Kit Creator, 1,000 subscribers | $390 billed yearly | Kit pricing [2] |
| Newsletter platform | beehiiv Lite, up to 1,000 subscribers | $588 billed yearly, or $59 monthly | beehiiv pricing [1] |
| Contact address at your domain | Cloudflare Email Routing or registrar forwarding | $0 | Cloudflare [6]; Namecheap [7] |
Three year-one scenarios
Scenario A, a small list under 250 that needs a welcome sequence: MailerLite Free covers 250 subscribers with 3 active automations of up to 5 steps [8]. Total: the domain only, $11.08 to $16.18.
Scenario B, broadcasts only, up to 2,500 subscribers by month 12: beehiiv Free or Kit Free [1][2]. Total: the domain only, $11.08 to $16.18. If you pass 2,500 on beehiiv you will need a paid plan; Kit Free goes to 10,000 [1][2].
Scenario C, 1,000 subscribers with a welcome sequence and paid features: Kit Creator at $390 a year [2] or beehiiv Lite at $588 a year [1], plus the domain. Total: $401.08 to $406.18 on Kit Creator, or $599.08 to $604.18 on beehiiv Lite.
| Scenario | Platform | Domain | Year-one total |
|---|---|---|---|
| A: under 250, with sequence | MailerLite Free, $0 | $11.08 to $16.18 | $11.08 to $16.18 |
| B: up to 2,500, broadcasts only | beehiiv Free or Kit Free, $0 | $11.08 to $16.18 | $11.08 to $16.18 |
| C: 1,000, with sequence (Kit) | Kit Creator yearly, $390 | $11.08 to $16.18 | $401.08 to $406.18 |
| C: 1,000, with sequence (beehiiv) | beehiiv Lite yearly, $588 | $11.08 to $16.18 | $599.08 to $604.18 |
What these totals leave out
- Paid tiers above 1,000 subscribers: Kit and beehiiv price larger lists on a slider, so price your expected count before budgeting [1][2].
- Promotions: Kit's Pro plan shows an extra 25% off for the first year only, renewing at the standard rate [2].
- A full mailbox at your domain: forwarding is free, but a mailbox you send from is a separate service.
- Taxes and currency conversion at checkout.
- Design, paid growth tools and referral programs: optional, and best added after you know your open rate.
How to get a contact address for $0
You need a reply-to or contact address at your domain. Cloudflare Email Routing is available on Free and Paid plans and forwards incoming mail to a destination address you verify [6]. It requires your domain to use Cloudflare DNS and adds the MX and TXT records for you [9].
If you keep DNS at Namecheap, its free email forwarding supports up to 100 forwarding addresses on Namecheap's own DNS systems [7]. Either option receives mail; sending from the address needs a separate service, so plan replies from your existing inbox at first.
Checklist for a lean year one
- Buy the domain for one year and note the renewal price, not just the first-year price.
- Start on a free plan whose limit covers your 12-month subscriber estimate.
- Decide whether you need a welcome sequence now. If yes, compare MailerLite Free (under 250) with a paid Kit or beehiiv plan.
- Set up a forwarding address for replies and contact.
- Stay on monthly billing until your list growth is predictable, then compare the annual discount.
- Put the domain renewal date in your calendar.
Who should spend more from day one
Pay for a plan in month one only if your launch depends on a feature the free plans lack, such as an automated sequence for a list larger than 250, or paid subscriptions on beehiiv, which beehiiv Free does not include [1]. Otherwise the free path costs $11.08 to $16.18 for the year and lets you learn what your readers want before paying for tools.
Questions before you decide
Do I need a domain to start a newsletter?
Not strictly; platforms such as beehiiv give you a hosted page. A domain lets you move platforms without losing your address, and it is the base for a sending domain and a contact address. It is the one cost we would not skip.
Which free plan suits a newsletter?
For broadcasts only, beehiiv Free covers up to 2,500 subscribers and Kit Free up to 10,000. MailerLite Free stops at 250 subscribers but includes 3 active automations, which helps if you want a short welcome sequence on a small list.
What will year two cost?
Mostly the domain renewal plus the platform. Namecheap lists a regular .com renewal of $19.98 plus the $0.20 ICANN fee from 1 November 2026; Porkbun lists $11.08 for renewal. Paid platform tiers rise with list size, so price your expected count on the live slider.
Sources & verification
Product details and prices can change. Check the linked provider before buying.
- beehiiv pricing Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- Kit pricing Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- Namecheap Knowledgebase: .com price change - November 1, 2026 Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- Namecheap Knowledgebase: What is the ICANN fee? Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- Porkbun pricing API (public price list) Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- Cloudflare Email Routing documentation Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- Namecheap Knowledgebase: How to set up free email forwarding Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- MailerLite pricing Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- Cloudflare Email Routing: Enable Email Routing Accessed 29 Oct 2026
Sources link directly to providers. Product buttons may use separately labeled affiliate links. Read our disclosure.