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Self-host ConvertKit (Kit)
Creator email marketing ·
Category: email & newsletters
ConvertKit (rebranded Kit in 2024) is creator-focused email marketing — opt-in forms, sequences, tags, broadcast emails, paid newsletter add-on. The self-hostable replacements all do the broadcast + sequence + form triangle; the paid-newsletter monetization side (Stripe + member gating) needs separate glue.
ConvertKit (Kit) pricing anchor: Free up to 10k subscribers; Creator $29/mo; Creator Pro $59/mo (rises with list size).
- GitHub
- ★ 20.0k · last commit 1d ago · 98 open issues
- License
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AGPL-3.0 - Setup time
- 15min docker-compose (Go binary + Postgres)
- Monthly cost
- $5 VPS for the app; SMTP relay (Amazon SES, Postmark, Resend) is the variable cost — SES at ~$0.10/1000 sends.
Migration sketch. Pull `listmonk/listmonk` and `postgres:16`. ConvertKit subscriber export (Settings → Export) gives a CSV with email + tags. Import via Listmonk's Subscribers → Import → CSV; map ConvertKit tags to Listmonk lists (tag-per-list). Sequences port manually as scheduled campaigns. SMTP setup happens in Settings → SMTP — wire up SES/Postmark/Resend credentials and Listmonk handles the send.
Good fit forCreators with large lists who want low-per-email cost — Listmonk + SES is roughly 10x cheaper than ConvertKit at 50k+ subscribers.
Weak atNo native paid-newsletter rails or rich landing-page builder — Listmonk is the send engine, not the funnel UI.
- GitHub
- ★ 9.60k · last commit 4d ago · 294 open issues
- License
-
GPL-3.0 - Setup time
- 30min docker-compose (PHP + MariaDB + Cron)
- Monthly cost
- $10/mo VPS; SMTP relay separately.
Migration sketch. Pull `mautic/mautic:5` with the official compose. ConvertKit CSV export → Mautic Contacts → Import. Mautic's killer feature vs Listmonk is full marketing automation: visual workflow builder, lead scoring, segment-based triggers, landing pages. Heavier UI and learning curve in exchange for ConvertKit-shaped funnels.
Good fit forCreators or small SaaS teams who want full marketing automation (forms → segments → automated sequences → scoring) without HubSpot prices.
Weak atPHP/Symfony stack feels enterprise-y; cron job setup is mandatory and easy to forget on initial install.
- GitHub
- ★ 2.09k · last commit 1d ago · 70 open issues
- License
-
AGPL-3.0 - Setup time
- 20min docker-compose (Elixir + Postgres)
- Monthly cost
- $5 VPS — Elixir is light.
Migration sketch. Pull `pentacent/keila`. ConvertKit CSV export → Keila Contacts → Import. Keila is a newer, lighter alternative to Mautic — focused on newsletters + double-opt-in forms + segments without the full marketing-automation surface. Wire up Amazon SES, Postmark, or any SMTP relay in Project Settings.
Good fit forIndependent creators who want a clean, single-tenant newsletter tool without Mautic's complexity.
Weak atSmaller community; fewer integrations than Mautic; no marketing-automation graph.
In a terminal? npx os-alt convertkit prints this table —
how the CLI works →