18 rules in 4 groups, worth 100 points in all. They were set before any product was scored and apply the same way to all 12.
Version 1, published 9 Oct 2026
In short
Each rule is a yes-or-no fact, a list (such as the systems with an app) or a number with published thresholds, read from the vendor's own pages.
A fact the vendor does not publish earns nothing. A feature in beta or preview does not count.
The list follows the points. A tie goes to the lower price on "cost at 1,000 subscribers", then to the name.
Tools for writers and creators who publish a newsletter. General email marketing suites and podcast hosts are left out. Browser-based or self-hosted tools count. A line that reads "on at least one plan" counts any plan open to an individual, including a free plan or the free self-hosted software.
Earning 25 points
Rule
What it takes
Points
Paid subscriptions
Readers can pay for a subscription to your newsletter through payments built into the platform, on at least one plan. Selling one-off files or courses does not count.
8
Fee on paid subscriptions
The percentage the platform itself keeps from paid-subscription revenue, taken from the plan with the lowest fee (any plan, including a free plan), not counting the card processor's own fees. 0% earns 10 points, up to 5% earns 7, up to 10% earns 3. A platform with no built-in paid subscriptions, or one that does not publish the percentage, records null.
10
Built-in sponsorship or ad network
The vendor itself runs an ad network or sponsor marketplace that places paid ads or sponsorships in your issues, on at least one plan. Pasting in a third-party ad network's code, or a footer link to a sales team, does not count.
4
Sell digital products
You can sell one-off digital products, such as files or guides, with checkout built into the platform, on at least one plan.
3
Your list 32 points
Rule
What it takes
Points
Export your subscriber list
A help page documents exporting the full subscriber list to CSV, on at least one plan.
8
Import subscribers
A help page documents importing a subscriber list from a CSV file or another platform, on at least one plan.
5
Website on your own domain
The newsletter's public website and archive can run on your own domain, on at least one plan.
7
Send from your own domain
The From address of your emails can be on your own domain, with SPF or DKIM setup documented by the vendor, on at least one plan. A reply-to address alone does not count.
5
Open source
The source code of the platform is public under an open-source licence.
3
Public API
The vendor publishes API documentation for reading or writing subscribers, on at least one plan.
4
Growth 26 points
Rule
What it takes
Points
Recommendation network
A built-in feature lets publications recommend each other to their readers, on at least one plan.
6
Referral program
Built-in tools reward readers for referring new subscribers, on at least one plan.
4
Send to a tag or segment
You can tag subscribers or filter them into a segment (a saved filter or query) and send an issue to just that group, on at least one plan. Separate subscriber lists do not count unless an issue can also be sent to a tag or segment.
5
Automated email sequences
A multi-step automated sequence, such as a welcome series of two or more emails started by a sign-up, can be built inside the platform, on at least one plan. A single automatic welcome email does not count.
4
Subscriber source reports
A built-in report breaks down new subscribers by where they came from (for example a referring site, UTM tag, recommendation or referral), on at least one plan.
4
Subject-line A/B tests
You can test two subject lines on part of the list and send the winner, on at least one plan.
3
Price 17 points
Rule
What it takes
Points
Free plan
A free plan (not a trial) that can send a newsletter to at least 100 subscribers. Free self-hosted software counts.
8
Cost at 1,000 subscribers
Cheapest plan that sends a weekly newsletter (about 4,400 emails a month) to 1,000 subscribers, for one person, in US dollars a month, billed yearly at the regular price (no first-year offer). A plan with a lower subscriber or email cap does not qualify. Payment fees and add-ons are left out. Self-hosted software counts only its licence: yearly licence divided by 12, one-time licence by 36; hosting is left out.