Curated review (2026): is the free plan enough?
Newsletter platform for link-based, editorial issues
Black Friday: is there a Curated sale?
Curated report card
Fair · out of 4.0 · graded Nov 13, 2026
Best for link-based editorial newsletters
Curated is a newsletter tool built around collecting links and assembling issues, free up to 1,500 subscribers with every feature. A card is needed before the first send, the next step is $39 a month for 2,500, and above 50,000 there's no published price.
Who Curated is for
- Fits if your newsletter is a weekly set of links with notes
- Works for publishers with under 1,500 subscribers who want every feature free
Who Curated is not for
- Not for you if you want a card-free start, as a card is added before the first send
- Pricey if you grow, with $189 at 15,000 and $399 at 50,000 subscribers
- Too light for automation or ordinary marketing email, since it's built for editorial issues
- Watch out: above 50,000 subscribers there is no published price, and invoices need a $1,000 minimum
Why Curated gets a 2.2
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- CValue for money$39 a month for 2,500 subscribers, $69 for 5,000 and $129 for 10,000. Ordinary at first, and in the dearer quarter from 5,000.
- BFree plan and trialFree up to 1,500 subscribers with every feature, sending included, though a card is added before the first issue.
- CFeaturesLink collection, issue assembly, archive, sponsorships, paid subscriptions and analytics. It does that one job fully, which is a smaller job than general email.
- CEase of useNo store rating on record. A web app where you build issues yourself.
- CPlatforms and integrationsWeb with Stripe for payments. No other integrations are listed.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Curated's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
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<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/curated#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/curated.svg" alt="Curated: 2.2 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where Curated stands among email marketing and newsletter tools
Curated's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 42 of the 102 other email marketing and newsletter tools we grade, and level with 24.
It stands best on free plan and trial (B, above 83 of 102) and worst on platforms and integrations (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $39 a month, against a middle price of $19 for the category: 53 of the 78 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.0 out of 4. 47 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 103 email marketing and newsletter tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Curated’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 21 of 102, level with 59
- BFree plan and trialAbove 83 of 102, level with 16
- CFeaturesAbove 4 of 102, level with 42
- CEase of useAbove 11 of 102, level with 86
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 102, level with 30
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 82 email marketing and newsletter tools. Further left costs less, and higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Point at a dot to see which tool it is.
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
Keep Curated, or make your own?
Keep it
To replace Curated you would be making newsletters sent to thousands of people that still reach the inbox. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It costs $468 a year.
What you could make
- Paid newsletters and reports: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- Newsletters sent to thousands of people that still reach the inbox.
What this rests on. Curated’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
What is Curated?
Curated is a newsletter platform built around collecting links and adding commentary to assemble each issue. It also offers an optional public site with searchable back issues, sponsorship handling and paid subscriptions. Pricing follows the total subscriber count across all of a customer's publications.
Worth knowing
- 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.
Key features
- Link collection
- Save links with a bookmarklet or by emailing them to a private address, with team members able to contribute.
- Issue assembly
- Import saved links into the next scheduled issue and add an intro, summaries and commentary.
- Web archive
- An optional publication site with searchable back issues, usable on your own domain at no extra fee.
- Sponsorships
- Handles sponsorship inquiries and a bookings calendar for the publication.
- Paid subscriptions
- Paid newsletters through a connected Stripe account; Curated says it takes 0% commission.
- Analytics
- Subscriber-level stats and per-issue reports on who read what and which links were clicked.
Curated pricing
As of Nov 13, 2026, Curated has a free plan, and paid plans start at $39 per month for up to 2,500 subscribers, billed monthly.
- Starts at
- $39 per month for up to 2,500 subscribers, billed monthly
- Free plan
- Free up to 1,500 subscribers with every feature included, including sending. A card is added before the first issue is sent.
- Free trial
- None listed
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0per month for up to 1,500 subscribers | All features included. You add a card before sending your first issue but are not charged while at or under 1,500 subscribers. |
| Up to 2,500 subscribers | $39per month for up to 2,500 subscribers, billed monthly | Price rises with the list: $69 up to 5,000, $129 up to 10,000 subscribers, and $189 up to 15,000. |
| Up to 25,000 subscribers | $299per month for up to 25,000 subscribers, billed monthly | Steps continue at $399 for 25,001 to 50,000 subscribers; above 50,000 the vendor asks you to get in touch. |
Read from curated.co on Nov 13, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Curated before you buy.
Works with
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Common questions
Does Curated have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Curated is listed for Web.
Does Curated have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Curated is listed for Web.
Is Curated open source?
Curated is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 13, 2026.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 13, 2026.