startbuddi vs Kit: an honest comparison

Kit (formerly ConvertKit) is email marketing for creators, with a free plan for up to 10,000 subscribers, landing pages, forms and digital product sales. startbuddi suits small businesses that want email, SMS and WhatsApp next to their contacts, inbox and invoices, while Kit suits creators growing a newsletter.

We make startbuddi, so we're biased. We've tried to be fair: we list where Kit is stronger, every fact about Kit links to its source, and anything we couldn't confirm on their own site is marked "not published". Checked in September 2026. Spotted something wrong? Tell us and we'll fix it.

startbuddi

startbuddi is best for

Small businesses that want email, SMS and WhatsApp next to their contacts and invoices

Kit

Kit is best for

Creators building a newsletter and selling digital products

At a glance

Best for

startbuddiSmall businesses that want email, SMS and WhatsApp next to their contacts and invoices

KitCreators building a newsletter and selling digital products

Free plan

startbuddiYes, the Free plan

KitYes, Free

First paid plan

startbuddiStarter, $29 a month

KitCreator, $33 USD per month for 1,000 subscribers, billed monthly ($390 per year billed annually)

Checked

startbuddiPrice book, October 2026

KitSeptember 2026

Where each one is stronger

The short version. Kit first, because it does some things better than we do.

Kit is stronger at

Generous free planKit's Free plan covers up to 10,000 subscribers with unlimited landing pages, forms and broadcasts; startbuddi's Marketing hub is not on its Free plan.

Built for creatorsKit offers paid newsletters, paid recommendations, a newsletter referral system and sponsorships.

Unlimited landing pages and formsevery Kit plan includes unlimited landing pages and forms, while startbuddi's Free plan includes one form.

Free migrationsKit's pricing page offers free migrations from another email tool.

startbuddi is stronger at

Customers, inbox and invoices in one placecampaign replies land in the customer inbox, and segments can use deals, bookings and paid or unpaid invoices.

Bring your own SMS providersend on built-in SMS or your own Termii, Africa's Talking, Twilio or Brevo account, with STOP replies handled for you.

WhatsApp in the same hubWhatsApp template campaigns synced with Meta, with replies landing in the shared inbox on the customer record.

Chip across the email flowChip writes the email, builds an audience from plain words and reviews the email before it goes out.

Built for a business, not a newslettercontacts, deals, bookings and invoices share one record, so you can email people who booked or have an unpaid invoice.

Feature by feature

Each Kit value links to where we found it. Anything their site doesn't state is marked "not published".

Show differences only

startbuddi and Kit, feature by feature
Feature	startbuddi	Kit
Send email campaigns for freeFree plan has no Marketing hub; every paid plan has a 30-day trial	No	Yes, up to 10,000 subscribersSource (opens in a new tab)
Landing pagesBuilt in Publish	Yes	Unlimited on every planSource (opens in a new tab)
Sign-up formsThe Free plan includes 1 form	Yes	Unlimited on every planSource (opens in a new tab)
Automated follow-up sequencesEmail, SMS and WhatsApp steps in one flow	Starter plan and up	Creator plan and upSource (opens in a new tab)
A/B testingThe better version is picked by opens or clicks, not conversions	Subject, content or sender	Subject lines; content on ProSource (opens in a new tab)
SMS campaignsTermii, Africa's Talking, Twilio or Brevo; not on Free	Built in, or your own provider	Creator plan and upSource (opens in a new tab)
WhatsApp campaignsChip auto-replies need the Growth plan	Starter plan and up	Not statedSource (opens in a new tab)
Sell digital productsStore checkout; no discount codes yet	Online store	All plans (3.5% + 30c fee)Source (opens in a new tab)
Integrations	Catalogue + Zapier	100+ apps, paid plansSource (opens in a new tab)

What each one looks like

Real screens, captured by us or taken from the official press kit, each dated.

startbuddi: Email campaigns — **startbuddi** · Email campaigns. Captured from our own account, personal details blurred.

startbuddi: Email templates — **startbuddi** · Email templates. Captured from our own account, personal details blurred.

startbuddi: Automations — **startbuddi** · Automations. Captured from our own account, personal details blurred.

Kit's own screens are on Kit's website. We don't show another company's product without a dated capture from a trial or its press kit.

Pricing side by side

List prices as each company publishes them. We never convert currencies.

See startbuddi pricing

startbuddi

FreeFree
Starter$29 a month
Growth$79 a month
Scale$199 a month

Prices in US dollars, billed monthly. From our pricing page, updated 3 Oct 2026.

Kit

FreeFree up to 10,000 subscribersSource (opens in a new tab)
Creator$33 USD per month for 1,000 subscribers, billed monthly ($390 per year billed annually)Source (opens in a new tab)
Pro$66 USD per month for 1,000 subscribers, billed monthly ($790 per year billed annually)Source (opens in a new tab)

Checked in September 2026. Check Kit's site for current plans.

Switching from Kit

What moving across involves.

Export your subscribers from KitIn Kit, go to Subscribers, select all, then choose Export from the menu. Kit emails you a CSV with names, emails, tags, custom fields and status; the link expires after 5 days.
Import them into startbuddiIn Email Marketing, open Subscribers and click Import contacts. Upload the CSV, choose how existing contacts are handled, set their marketing status, map the columns and check the validation report before it runs.
Verify your sending domainAdd your domain under Email Marketing, Settings, Sending domain, copy the DNS records to your registrar and click Check DNS. Until it is verified, marketing email from the shared address is capped.
Rebuild templates and follow-upsThe import does not bring over email templates or automations, so recreate them by hand: start from a starter template, and rebuild Kit automations in Automations, where there are starter flows such as a lead capture welcome.

Sources

Checked in September 2026. startbuddi prices come from our own price book. Kit's website.

Questions people ask

Can I move my subscribers from Kit to startbuddi?

Yes. Export your subscribers from Kit as a CSV, then use Import contacts in startbuddi, mapping tags and custom fields as you go. Sequences and visual automations need rebuilding in startbuddi's Automations.

Is Kit the same as ConvertKit?

Yes. Kit's pricing page says it was formerly ConvertKit.

Does startbuddi have a free plan like Kit?

startbuddi has a Free plan, but the Marketing hub is not on it, so email campaigns start on Starter. Every paid plan has a 30-day trial.

Can I use both?

Yes. Some creators keep their newsletter in Kit and use startbuddi for customers, bookings, invoices and WhatsApp. startbuddi connects to Zapier if you want to pass data between the two.