Lanternbee vs Kit

Lanternbee as a Kit alternative

An email tool for creators, with simple selling built in. Its prices and features sit next to Lanternbee’s below, including where Kit does better.

What Kit is

Kit, once called ConvertKit, is a newsletter tool. Kit Commerce lets you sell ebooks, downloads and paid newsletters to your subscribers.

Who it suits

Authors whose newsletter is the center of everything, who sell a few ebooks to their list.

What Kit costs

US prices, checked against the sources at the bottom of this page.

PlanPriceFee on sales
FreeFree. Up to 10,000 subscribers3.5% + 30¢ per sale, card fees included
Creator$33 a month. For 1,000 subscribers; $390 billed yearly3.5% + 30¢ per sale, card fees included

Kit and Lanternbee side by side

Kit and Lanternbee, feature by feature
What you needKitLanternbee
One book with several editionsNot listedYes. Ebook, audiobook, paperback and hardcover live on one book page.
Series with a reading orderNot listedYes, with the reading order you set.
Bundles and box setsNot listedYes. Readers who own book one pay less for the rest.
Ebook and audiobook deliveryPartlyDigital products land in the buyer’s inbox.Yes. Download links by email, and a reader library.
Send to KindleNot listedYes, from the reader library.
Print on demand for booksNot listedPartly. Print editions are set up for BookVault or Lulu; sending orders to the printer is being built.
Your reader listYesIt is an email tool first.Yes. Every buyer lands on your list, with tags.
Your own domainNot listedYes. yourname.lanternbee.shop or shop.yourname.com.
Monthly costFree: Free. Up to 10,000 subscribersCreator: $33 a month. For 1,000 subscribers; $390 billed yearlyFree: nothing a month. Author: $45 a month, or $35 paid yearly.
Fee on salesFree: 3.5% + 30¢ per sale, card fees includedCreator: 3.5% + 30¢ per sale, card fees includedFree: 5%, only when you sell. Author: none.

US prices. “Not listed” means we could not find it on Kit’s own pages or in the sources below, so check with them. Card fees apply everywhere; on Lanternbee they are Stripe’s, with nothing added.

What Kit does better

Fair reasons to stay where you are.

  • Newsletters. Sequences, automations, landing pages and sign-up forms are what Kit is for.
  • Paid newsletters with gated content.
  • A free plan for up to 10,000 subscribers.

Moving from Kit

There’s no importer for Kit. Moving by hand takes these steps.

  1. Keep Kit for your newsletter. Lanternbee does not replace it.
  2. Add your books on Lanternbee and link to them from your emails.
  3. Lanternbee does not connect to Kit yet. It connects to MailerLite and Klaviyo, so for now add Lanternbee buyers to Kit by downloading your reader list.

Questions about Kit and Lanternbee

Do I need Kit if I use Lanternbee?

Lanternbee has its own reader list, newsletters and automated emails, so some authors won’t. If Kit runs your sequences and landing pages, keep it.

Does Lanternbee sync buyers to Kit?

Not yet. Lanternbee sends new buyers to MailerLite or Klaviyo. For Kit, download your reader list from Lanternbee and add it to Kit.

What does Kit charge on sales?

3.5% plus 30¢ per sale on every plan, with card processing included. On Lanternbee Free the fee is 5% plus Stripe’s card fees; on Author there is no fee.