# Kit — Email Marketing & Newsletter

Kit by ConvertKit, LLC (d.b.a. Kit) holds a panel rating of 2/5 from 6 AI judges (category median 2.5/5), as of 2026-10-15. Provenance: provenance unknown; sovereignty: not determined.

- Vendor: ConvertKit, LLC (d.b.a. Kit) (https://kit.com)
- Category: [Email Marketing & Newsletter](https://whats-best.ai/software/email-marketing.md)
- Provenance (editorial classification): provenance unknown
- Canonical page: https://whats-best.ai/software/email-marketing/kit
- Alternatives: https://whats-best.ai/software/email-marketing/kit/alternatives ([markdown](https://whats-best.ai/software/email-marketing/kit/alternatives.md))
- Data as of: 2026-10-21 · evaluated 2026-10-15 · oldest source captured 2026-10-13

**AI-generated.** Every score, rationale and verdict here is written by a panel of AI judges from public evidence — an analysis, not a hands-on test. Every fact quotes the vendor page it was read from. No score can be bought. How scores are made: https://whats-best.ai/methodology

## At a glance

- Vendor: ConvertKit, LLC (d.b.a. Kit)
- Headquarters: Not stated on the vendor’s pages as of 13 Oct 2026
- Data hosting: Not stated on the vendor’s pages as of 13 Oct 2026
- Free plan: Not stated on the vendor’s pages as of 13 Oct 2026

## The panel's verdict

Kit, sold by ConvertKit, LLC, is an email marketing and newsletter tool whose strongest judged areas are integrations and list data control; its weakest are deliverability, consent and proof and sovereignty. The integrations case rests on a versioned V4 REST API with API keys and OAuth2 including PKCE, documented rate limits, webhooks with retries and signature verification, and an app store third parties can publish to. List export runs through the same API — custom fields, tags, attribution, unsubscribe state and 90-day engagement aggregates — with bulk create for import. Campaign and automation scored 4-6 on a Visual Automation editor with a template library and Liquid dynamic content, though we found no public information on A/B testing or send-time optimisation. Deliverability evidence stops at bounced and complained as recorded states; consent evidence at an unsubscribe endpoint and sign-up attribution. The vendor named is a US LLC and the sovereignty record is empty; scores cluster within two points on every criterion, and no price, tier or send limit appears in any captured page.

**Speaks for it:**
- Versioned V4 REST API with API keys and OAuth2 including PKCE, documented rate limits, and cursor pagination with bulk and async processing
- Webhooks documented with retries and signature verification
- App store that third parties can publish to, with the previous major version deprecated and its sunset announced
- Subscriber export via the API returning custom fields, tags, attribution, unsubscribe state and 90-day engagement aggregates, with bulk create for import
- Visual Automation editor with an automation template library and per-subscriber dynamic content in Liquid

**Held against it:**
- We found no public information on SPF, DKIM or DMARC setup, custom sending domains or a documented bounce-handling policy
- We found no public information on double opt-in, a stored consent record, or any way to switch off the referrer, campaign and engagement tracking the subscriber record carries
- The documented subscriber endpoints include a delete for a subscriber's location only, and we found no public information on deleting a subscriber across all records
- The documented rate limit of 120 requests over a rolling 60 second period for API keys meters a full export
- The vendor named is a US LLC with no sovereignty attributes on record — we found no public information on hosting region or subprocessors

**Best for:**
- You are building a custom integration or internal tool and want a documented, versioned API with OAuth2, webhooks and bulk processing — integrations scored 6-7
- You want your list portable, with subscriber export carrying custom fields, tags and state plus bulk create for moving in
- You are a creator or third-party developer distributing apps and pre-built automation templates through the Kit App Store
- You run tag- and segment-driven newsletter marketing with sequences, broadcasts and dynamic content in Liquid

**Avoid if:**
- Your procurement requires a named hosting region, subprocessor list or EU safeguard — sovereignty scored 0-1 and the vendor named is ConvertKit, LLC
- You need documented deletion of a subscriber across all records — the documented endpoints cover deleting a subscriber's location only
- Your programme depends on documented SPF, DKIM or DMARC setup and bounce handling — deliverability scored 1-2, with the captured pages evidencing only recorded bounce and complaint states
- You must be able to limit or switch off per-subscriber tracking — attribution and engagement data are documented on the subscriber record and we found no public information on switching tracking off

## Scores by judge and criterion

Scores out of 5, each judge scoring independently against the published rubric (v1). "n/r" = not rated: the vendor publishes no price.

| Criterion | The CRM Manager | The Deliverability Engineer | The Data Protection Officer | The Shop Owner | The Integrator | The Skeptic |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Campaigns & automation | 2/5 | 3/5 | 2.5/5 | 3/5 | 2.5/5 | 2/5 |
| Deliverability infrastructure | 0.5/5 | 1/5 | 1/5 | 1/5 | 1/5 | 0.5/5 |
| Consent, proof & tracking limits | 0.5/5 | 0.5/5 | 1.5/5 | 1/5 | 1/5 | 0.5/5 |
| List ownership, import & exit | 2.5/5 | 3/5 | 2.5/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 | 2.5/5 |
| Integrations & API | 3.5/5 | 3.5/5 | 3.5/5 | 3/5 | 3.5/5 | 3/5 |
| European sovereignty | 0/5 | 0.5/5 | 0/5 | 0/5 | 0/5 | 0.5/5 |
| Pricing transparency | n/r | n/r | n/r | n/r | n/r | n/r |
| **Weighted verdict** | **2/5** | **1.5/5** | **1.5/5** | **2.5/5** | **2.5/5** | **1.5/5** |

### The judges

- **The CRM Manager** (v1.0): Owns the lifecycle programme and measures it. Wants segmentation on real behaviour, journeys that branch, and testing that reports significance rather than a bigger number. Treats a tool that can only broadcast as a mailing list with invoicing.
- **The Deliverability Engineer** (v1.0): Cares about one number nobody publishes honestly: what reaches the inbox. Reads for authentication, IP and domain reputation, bounce discipline and sunsetting. Ignores every advertised delivery rate on principle — the infrastructure either is documented or it is not.
- **The Data Protection Officer** (v1.0): Signs off the tool that holds named people and records what each of them opened. Wants double opt-in with a proof that survives a complaint, tracking that can be switched off, and an answer to where the behavioural data lives that does not require a Schrems II argument.
- **The Shop Owner** (v1.0): Runs a shop where the newsletter is a revenue channel. Wants the shop connected properly — orders, carts, products flowing in, abandoned-cart and post-purchase flows out — and revenue attributed per campaign. Judges price against contribution, not against a competitor's tier.
- **The Integrator** (v1.0): Has to wire this into a stack that already exists. Wants a documented API with rate limits, webhooks that retry, a sandbox and a deprecation policy. Treats a partner-form integration page as a missing API, and reads "Zapier supported" as an outsourced one.
- **The Skeptic** (v1.0): Has seen every vendor claim 99% deliverability and GDPR compliance on the same page. Reads for the contact-tier staircase, the overage rate, the feature that begins two tiers up, and whether "EU hosting" covers the sending infrastructure or only the database.

## European sovereignty — proven facts

No sovereignty finding yet.

## Key facts

Each fact is the vendor's own statement, cited to the source page it was read from ([S*n*] → Sources).

**Integrations**
- API base URL: https://api.kit.com/v4 [S3]
- API base URL: v4 · https://api.kit.com/v4/account [S6]
- API broadcast features: yes · yes [S5]
- API endpoints: Accounts · Broadcasts · Custom Fields · Email Templates · Forms · Posts · Purchases · Segments · Sequence Emails · Sequences · Snippets · Subscribers · Tags · Webhooks [S5]
- API key creation: Developer tab in account settings [S6]
- API key header: X-Kit-Api-Key [S6]
- API key rate limit: 600 · 120 · 60 [S6]
- API key reset delete: yes · yes [S6]
- API key visibility: yes [S6]
- API latest version: V4 · deprecated, will be sunset [S5]
- API pagination: cursor-based · yes · yes [S5]
- API v4 endpoint: /v4/subscribers · GET · Returns a cursor-paginated list of subscribers in the account [S3]
- API version: 4.0 [S2]
- App store publishing: Kit App Store · yes [S5]
- Attribution tracking: referrer · utm_source · utm_medium · utm_campaign · utm_term · utm_content · source_type · source_name · source_mechanism · source_mechanism_id [S3]
- Auth API key: X-Kit-Api-Key · API Key · OAuth2 [S2]
- Auth mechanisms: 2 · oauth2 · api_key [S6]
- Bulk async processing: yes · yes [S4]
- Custom fields auth: API key via X-Kit-Api-Key header · OAuth2 [S4]
- Custom fields pagination: yes · 1000 · 500 [S4]
- Custom fields total count param: yes [S4]
- Date filters: yyyy-mm-dd · created_after · created_before · updated_after · updated_before [S3]
- Docs platform: Mintlify [S5]
- Include options: attribution · tags · location · canceled_at · canceled_at requires status=cancelled [S3]
- List custom fields endpoint: /v4/custom_fields · GET · https://api.kit.com/v4/custom_fields [S4]
- Mcp: yes [S5]
- Oauth: yes [S5]
- Oauth app settings: 3 · authorization_url · redirect_uris · secure_application [S6]
- Oauth grant flows: authorization_code · pkce · refresh_token_flow [S6]
- Oauth required endpoints: bulk · purchase creation · yes [S6]
- Pagination cursors: after · before · yes [S2]
- Pagination limits: cursor · 1000 · 500 [S3]
- Pagination per page: 500 · 1000 [S2]
- Post install redirect: Redirect URL after install · yes [S6]
- Slim mode: yes [S3]
- Sort options: id · created_at · updated_at · cancelled_at · canceled_at · engagement__sent · engagement__opens · engagement__clicks · engagement__open_rate · engagement__click_rate · 90 [S3]
- Subscriber endpoints: bulk_create · list · create · filter_by_engagement · get · update · unsubscribe · pin_location · delete_location · update_pinned_location · list_stats · list_tags [S3]
- Subscriber fields: active · cancelled · bounced · complained · inactive · id · first_name · email_address · state · created_at · fields · attribution · tags · location · canceled_at [S3]
- Subscriber statuses: active · active · inactive · bounced · complained · cancelled · all [S3]
- Template use in broadcasts: Template id used as email_template_id in broadcast create/update [S2]
- Total count option: yes · yes [S3]
- Webhooks available: Webhooks documented with delivery format, event types, signature verification, retries [S2]
- Webhooks features: yes · yes · yes [S5]
- Webhooks supported: yes [S4]

**Pricing**
- Visual automations: Visual Automations are a paid Kit feature; authoring VA templates requires that access [S1]

**Product**
- API access eligibility: account plan must be eligible for API use · create and send broadcasts · manage email list via tags and custom fields · import purchase data [S5]
- App bound: Templates are bound to the app and surfaced when the app is installed or on the app details page [S1]
- Creator cards: App details page can show template cards with preview/install/adopt actions depending on creator plan and install state [S1]
- Custom fields crud: yes · yes · yes · yes · yes · yes [S4]
- Custom fields definition: Custom fields collect subscriber information beyond standard fields like first name and email address, usable in forms or emails [S4]
- Delete keeps adoptions: Deleting a template does not remove adopted automations from creator accounts [S1]
- Dynamic content guides: Templates using dynamic content should follow Dynamic content blocks guides (configuration, Liquid, plugin flow) [S1]
- Node notes: Node notes can explain non-obvious steps for creators after copying [S1]
- Preview: Preview opens the creator-facing template view in a new browser tab [S1]
- Re review: Substantive changes to a template trigger re-review [S1]
- Review states: Templates go through review; after approval they publish automatically [S1]
- Template library: App templates can appear in the Visual Automation template library with ordering/eligibility rules favoring apps the creator uses [S1]
- Template management UI: Templates are managed in the Kit product UI under Build → your app → Templates tab [S1]
- Unpublish delete: Approved templates can be unpublished to pause discovery [S1]
- Unpublished app review: If app not yet published, template is reviewed together with the app [S1]
- Va templates: VA templates let app developers attach pre-built automations that creators can discover, preview and copy into their account [S1]

## Questions

### Is Kit European?

Not determined: the vendor’s pages as captured do not say where Kit is based.

### Where does Kit store data?

Not stated on the vendor’s pages as of 13 Oct 2026.

### Does Kit have a free plan?

Not stated on the vendor’s pages as of 13 Oct 2026.

### What are the best alternatives to Kit?

As of 21 Oct 2026, the panel rates [Brevo (3/5)](https://whats-best.ai/software/email-marketing/brevo), [CleverReach (3/5)](https://whats-best.ai/software/email-marketing/cleverreach) and [Mailchimp (3/5)](https://whats-best.ai/software/email-marketing/mailchimp) highest among the other 27 Email Marketing & Newsletter products evaluated. Ratings that look equal are rounded to half stars; the order uses the unrounded rating, then the name. The highest-rated European alternative is [Brevo](https://whats-best.ai/software/email-marketing/brevo) (EU-Made). Ratings are the AI panel’s opinion, formed from public evidence: [how scores are made](https://whats-best.ai/methodology#ordering). The full list, with European products first: [Kit alternatives](https://whats-best.ai/software/email-marketing/kit/alternatives).

## What this page leaves out

- We found no public information on compliance on the pages we read (developers.kit.com/kit-app-store/va-templates, developers.kit.com/api-reference/email-templates/list-email-templates, developers.kit.com/api-reference/subscribers/list-subscribers, developers.kit.com/api-reference/custom-fields/list-custom-fields, developers.kit.com/api-reference/overview, developers.kit.com/api-reference/authentication). If the vendor publishes it somewhere else, send us the page.
- 5 integrations facts could not be confirmed on the vendor’s page as captured and were left out of this page and of the panel’s material.
- 1 product fact could not be confirmed on the vendor’s page as captured and was left out of this page and of the panel’s material.
- 1 support fact could not be confirmed on the vendor’s page as captured and was left out of this page and of the panel’s material.
- 6 of the readings below were written against an earlier fact sheet — a fact has been corrected, added or pulled since. Until the panel next runs on this product you are reading the older judgement.

## Sources

- [S1] Campaigns & automation — found from sitemap: https://developers.kit.com/kit-app-store/va-templates (checked 2026-10-13)
- [S2] Campaigns & automation — found from sitemap: https://developers.kit.com/api-reference/email-templates/list-email-templates (checked 2026-10-13)
- [S3] List ownership, import & exit — found from sitemap: https://developers.kit.com/api-reference/subscribers/list-subscribers (checked 2026-10-13)
- [S4] List ownership, import & exit — found from sitemap: https://developers.kit.com/api-reference/custom-fields/list-custom-fields (checked 2026-10-13)
- [S5] Integrations & API — found from sitemap: https://developers.kit.com/api-reference/overview (checked 2026-10-13)
- [S6] Integrations & API — found from sitemap: https://developers.kit.com/api-reference/authentication (checked 2026-10-13)

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Cite as: whats-best.ai, "Kit — Email Marketing & Newsletter", AI panel analysis, as of 2026-10-21. https://whats-best.ai/software/email-marketing/kit

Corrections: https://whats-best.ai/correct/704?target=page