Quick answer: Kit (formerly ConvertKit) is built for creators — its standout perks are a genuinely generous free plan (up to 10,000 subscribers) and built-in monetization like paid newsletters and digital products. But its paid Creator plan is per subscriber: 10,000 subscribers costs $139/mo (EmailTooltester), versus ~$14 on Bluey (Spark), because Bluey bills by emails sent with unlimited contacts. Choose Kit if you are a creator monetizing an audience; choose Bluey Email for predictable send-based pricing plus a built-in CRM and transactional email on one bill. Full disclosure: Bluey is my own product — reviewed on the same criteria, and I will say plainly where Kit wins.
Kit and Bluey serve overlapping buyers from different angles — Kit optimizes for creators who sell to their audience, Bluey for senders who want all-inclusive, send-based pricing.
The 30-second verdict
- Choose Kit if you are a blogger, newsletter writer, or creator who wants to sell paid subscriptions and digital products, and your list is small enough to ride its free plan.
- Choose Bluey if you want predictable pricing that does not climb with list size, plus a built-in CRM, landing pages, and transactional email on one bill.
Pricing: per subscriber vs per send
Kit’s paid Creator plan is priced by subscriber count: $39/mo at 1,000, $89 at 5,000, $139 at 10,000, and $199 at 25,000 subscribers; Creator Pro runs higher ($189 at 10,000) (EmailTooltester). Kit’s big draw is its free Newsletter plan, which allows up to 10,000 subscribers and unlimited emails — but limits you to a single automation, adds Kit branding, and requires you to promote other newsletters via Kit’s Creator Network.
Bluey bills by send, with unlimited contacts on Grow and above: Free (500 contacts/500 sends), Spark from $7/mo (~$14 at 10,000 sends), Grow $30/mo (unlimited contacts, ~50,000 sends; scaling to $84 at 250k and $180 at 1M sends), Business $300/mo. The practical gap once you are on Kit’s paid plan — emailing 10,000 contacts once a month: about $139 on Kit Creator versus ~$14 on Bluey. Kit charges for how many people you store; Bluey charges for how much you send.
Where Kit genuinely wins (said honestly)
- Creator monetization built in — sell paid newsletters, digital products, subscriptions, and tip jars natively (3.5% + 30c transaction fee) (EmailTooltester). If your email list is your business, this is a real edge.
- A very generous free plan — up to 10,000 subscribers and unlimited sends. As EmailTooltester notes, you could comfortably stay on this plan if your list is on the smaller side.
- Free list migration — Kit migrates your list from another tool at no cost on paid plans.
- Simple, easy-to-understand pricing and a creator-first ecosystem (Creator Network, Recommendations).
If you are a creator monetizing an audience, Kit is a strong pick. For the wider field, see the best email marketing software of 2026.
Where Bluey wins
- Predictable cost that does not punish list growth — send-based pricing means storing subscribers is free; you pay for activity.
- Built-in CRM — deeper contact management than Kit’s creator-focused core.
- Marketing + transactional email on one bill — Kit is a newsletter tool, not a transactional sender.
- Better design flexibility — EmailTooltester dings Kit for poor design options, noting it ships only 3 email templates.
Feature comparison at a glance
| Feature | Bluey Email | Kit (ConvertKit) |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Per send (unlimited contacts) | Per subscriber |
| Cost at 10k (monthly send) | ~$14 | $139 (Creator) |
| Free plan | Yes (500/500) | Yes (up to 10k subscribers) |
| Creator monetization | Basic | Best-in-class |
| Built-in CRM | Yes | Limited |
| Email design options | Flexible | Limited (3 templates) |
| Transactional email | Same bill | Not offered |
What reviewers actually say
EmailTooltester’s Roberta Phillips, a marketing manager who has tested dozens of these tools, is candid about Kit’s cost: “Considering they target solopreneurs or really small teams, it shocks me to see that their prices are much higher than alternatives like MailerLite and Brevo” (EmailTooltester). She and researcher Inka Wibowo — who uses Kit for her own personal newsletter — praise its free plan and monetization while flagging that Kit is not what they would consider a cheap email marketing platform. That tension — great free tier, pricey paid tiers — is exactly why send-based pricing appeals once you scale. The broader creator options live in Mailchimp alternatives.
How to choose
- Are you monetizing an audience? Kit’s paid newsletters and product sales are its reason to exist.
- How big is your list vs how much do you send? A large list emailed selectively is where per-subscriber pricing hurts and send-based pricing wins.
- Do you need a CRM or transactional email on the same bill? Those are Bluey advantages Kit does not offer.
- Model 12 months, not month one — Kit’s free plan is great until you cross into paid, where the bill jumps.
Frequently asked questions
Is Bluey cheaper than Kit? Once you are on Kit’s paid plan, usually yes — ~$14 on Bluey vs $139 on Kit Creator to email 10,000 contacts monthly, because Kit bills subscribers and Bluey bills sends (EmailTooltester).
Does Kit have a free plan? Yes — up to 10,000 subscribers with unlimited emails, but limited to one automation, with Kit branding and required Creator Network recommendations.
Is Kit better for creators? For selling paid newsletters and digital products, Kit’s native monetization is a genuine strength.
Can I switch from Kit to Bluey? Yes — export subscribers and rebuild automations. The gain is cost predictability and an all-in-one bundle; the trade-off is Kit’s creator-monetization ecosystem.
The verdict
Kit is the right call if you are a creator monetizing an audience and your list fits its free plan. For senders who want predictable, send-based pricing plus a built-in CRM, landing pages, and transactional email on one bill, Bluey Email is the more complete and economical choice at scale — the reason I built it on send-based pricing. New to the basics? Start with the complete email marketing guide; comparing the field? See Best Email Marketing Software in 2026 and Bluey vs MailerLite.
— Shivam