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Managed newsletter service vs. DIY tools
Beehiiv, Mailchimp, Kit and HubSpot are good tools. They are also exactly that: tools. A managed service is a different thing. Here is the honest difference, and who each one is for.
Schedule a chat| BrightKite (managed) | DIY tools | |
|---|---|---|
| Who writes each issue | We do | You do |
| Who finds the industry news | We do | You do |
| Who reads your case studies | We do | You do |
| Time you spend per issue | Minutes, if anything | Hours |
| Software to learn | None | The whole platform |
| Monthly software cost | Included | Low |
| The real cost | A managed fee | Your team’s hours |
| You own the subscriber list | ✓ | ✓ |
BrightKite (managed)
- › Who writes each issue : We do
- › Who finds the industry news : We do
- › Who reads your case studies : We do
- › Time you spend per issue : Minutes, if anything
- › Software to learn : None
- › Monthly software cost : Included
- › The real cost : A managed fee
- ✓ You own the subscriber list
DIY tools
- › Who writes each issue : You do
- › Who finds the industry news : You do
- › Who reads your case studies : You do
- › Time you spend per issue : Hours
- › Software to learn : The whole platform
- › Monthly software cost : Low
- › The real cost : Your team’s hours
- ✓ You own the subscriber list
A tool gives you a blank page
Beehiiv, Mailchimp, Kit and HubSpot are capable, well-built products. They give you an editor, a list, templates, scheduling and analytics. What they do not give you is the newsletter. That part is still yours to write.
Every one of these tools has added AI features, and they help. But they help the person doing the work. They still assume there is a person, with the time and the skill, sitting down each week to research, write, edit and send. The blank page is smaller now. It is still a blank page.
Where DIY tools win
If you have someone on the team who genuinely has the hours and the writing ability, DIY tools are excellent and you should use one. They are cheap on the invoice, they are flexible, and you keep everything in-house. A capable in-house newsletter, run on a good platform, is a fine outcome. Plenty of companies should do exactly that.
Where BrightKite wins
BrightKite is for the much more common situation: nobody has those hours. The newsletter is everyone's job, so it is no one's job, so it goes out late, or thin, or not at all.
- We write the issue. You do not face a blank page.
- We research the industry news. You do not open twelve tabs.
- We remember what ran last month. You do not keep a spreadsheet.
- There is no software for you to learn or log into.
- It still works on top of your existing tool, if you have one.
The honest test is simple. If you have the hours, buy a tool. If you do not, a tool just gives you a nicer place to not write your newsletter. That is when you want a service.
Questions, answered
Do I still need a tool like Mailchimp if I use BrightKite?
Only if you want one. We push the finished issue into Mailchimp, Beehiiv, Kit or HubSpot if you already have one. If you do not, we send the newsletter for you and you need no tool at all.
Are DIY tools cheaper?
On the invoice, yes. The real cost of a DIY tool is the hours someone on your team spends every week writing, researching and sending. Count those hours and the comparison changes.
What if I already pay for Beehiiv or Kit?
Keep it. BrightKite works on top of it. Your list, your reporting and your platform stay exactly as they are. We just take over producing and delivering the issues.
Is BrightKite a tool or a service?
A service. Internally there is software doing the work, but you never touch it. You get a finished newsletter, not a dashboard. That is the whole point.
See what your newsletter could be
Twenty-five minutes. We'll look at your business and tell you, honestly, whether a BrightKite newsletter is worth it for you.
Schedule a chat