Alternatives · Email Marketing
Curated alternatives
As of Nov 13, 2026, the highest-graded Curated alternative is Substack (3.2 GPA). It's also the best free one.
Curated compared with 8 alternatives: Substack, beehiiv, Buttondown, Kit, Ghost and 3 more.
Curated has a free plan. Paid plans start at $39 per month for up to 2,500 subscribers, billed monthly. 5 of the 8 alternatives are free or have a free plan. One more offers a free trial.
Listings checked up to Nov 13, 2026 · Where the facts come from
Black Friday: is there a Curated sale?
At a glance
| Tool | Price | Free plan | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|
| CuratedThis tool | Free plan · from $39/mo | Yes | Web |
| Substack | Free | Free | Web, iOS, Android |
| beehiiv | Free plan · from $49/mo | Yes | Web |
| Buttondown | Free plan · from $9/mo | Yes | Web |
| Kit | Free plan · from $33/mo | Yes | Web |
| Ghost | Free trial · from $15/mo | Trial only | Web |
| Letterhead | Paid | No | Web |
| Newsletter Glue | From $24/mo | No | Web |
| SparkLoop | Free plan · from $2,000/yr | Yes | Web |
Price against what you get
Curated starts at $39 a month and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. 5 of the 7 alternatives on this chart score higher and start lower: Substack, Buttondown, Kit, Ghost and Newsletter Glue.
beehiiv scores higher without starting lower.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
How each one differs from Curated
Substack
Newsletter, podcast and video publishing with paid subscriptions
- Substack is free.
- Substack also lists iOS and Android apps.
- Substack also covers community.
- Substack does not cover reports, which Curated does.
Suits: Writers who want to start a paid newsletter with no upfront cost
beehiiv
Newsletter platform with paid subscriptions, ads, website and podcast
- beehiiv starts at $49 per month for up to 1,000 subscribers, billed yearly ($59 monthly).
- beehiiv also covers marketing automation and forms.
- beehiiv does not cover reports, which Curated does.
Suits: Writers building a newsletter they plan to charge for
Buttondown
Newsletter software priced by active subscribers, with add-ons
- Buttondown starts at $9 per month for up to 1,000 subscribers.
- Buttondown also covers marketing automation.
- Buttondown does not cover reports, which Curated does.
Suits: Writers and small teams that want to pay only for what they use
Kit
Email marketing and paid newsletters for creators
- Kit starts at $33 per month for up to 1,000 subscribers, billed yearly ($39 monthly).
- Kit also covers marketing automation and forms.
- Kit does not cover reports, which Curated does.
Suits: Writers, podcasters and other creators growing an email list
Ghost
Open source publishing with newsletters and paid memberships
- Ghost starts at $15 per month for up to 1,000 members, billed yearly ($18 billed monthly).
- Ghost has no free plan, only a free trial, unlike Curated.
- Ghost is open source, according to its own site.
- Ghost does not cover reports, which Curated does.
Suits: Publishers who want a website, newsletter and paid memberships in one product
Letterhead
Email platform for teams running several newsletters
- Letterhead has no free plan, unlike Curated.
- Letterhead also covers marketing automation and a/B testing.
- Letterhead does not cover paid newsletters, which Curated does.
Suits: Publishers and media teams that run many newsletters from one account
Newsletter Glue
WordPress plugin for building and sending newsletters
- Newsletter Glue starts at $24 per month for up to 25,000 sends a month, billed yearly ($29 billed monthly).
- Newsletter Glue has no free plan, unlike Curated.
- Newsletter Glue also covers templates.
- Newsletter Glue does not cover reports and paid newsletters, which Curated does.
Suits: Publishers and newsrooms that already produce content in WordPress
SparkLoop
Newsletter growth through recommendations and referrals
- SparkLoop starts at $2,000 per year for the Newsletter Referral Programs add-on.
- SparkLoop also covers partner payouts.
- SparkLoop does not cover email campaigns and paid newsletters, which Curated does.
Suits: Newsletter publishers who want to grow their list through recommendations from other newsletters
Limits worth knowing in Curated
- Price is set by subscriber count across all publications, and the page lists a $399 a month tier at up to 50,000 subscribers.
- Above 50,000 subscribers there is no published price; you contact the vendor.
- Monthly email quota is 31 times the plan's subscriber limit.
- Paying by invoice requires a minimum commitment of $1,000.
Common questions
What are the alternatives to Curated?
The alternatives to Curated in this directory are Substack, beehiiv, Buttondown, Kit, Ghost, Letterhead, Newsletter Glue and SparkLoop. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with Curated.
Is there a free alternative to Curated?
Yes. Substack is free to use. beehiiv, Buttondown, Kit and SparkLoop have a free plan alongside paid ones.
Which Curated alternatives work on Android?
The Curated listing does not include an Android app. Substack lists one.
Which Curated alternatives work on iOS?
The Curated listing does not include an iOS app. Substack lists one.
Is there an open-source alternative to Curated?
Ghost is described as open source on its own site.
When were these prices checked?
Each listing shows its own date. On this page they run from Oct 17, 2026 to Nov 13, 2026. Vendors change prices without notice, so confirm on their site before you buy.