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FlockStack

Is it for you

Who FlockStack is for, and who it is not for

FlockStack suits people who send a newsletter on a schedule and want to pay for the emails they send, people who want an AI agent to run it through an API or MCP server, creators who sell to their readers and keep all of it, and people who want to run the software themselves. It does not suit everyone: it has no SMS and no mobile app, and FlockStack currently does not offer team-role management. This page says which is which.

Updated

The short answer

FlockStack is for people who send a newsletter and want to pay for the emails they send, not for every subscriber. It is also for people who want an AI agent to run the newsletter, and for people who want to read the code and run it themselves. If you need SMS, a mobile app, team roles or an ad network, another platform fits better, and the comparison pages say which.

It suits you if

  • You send on a schedule a plan holds. A weekly issue to a list of any size fits a plan's allowance, and readers who stop opening are set aside as dormant, so they don't count. How FlockStack is priced explains the plans.
  • You want an agent to run it. Everything in the dashboard is also in the REST API and the MCP server, with the same checks. The newsletter API and the MCP server describe them, and both are on every plan.
  • You sell to your readers. FlockStack takes 0% of subscriptions, gifts and products, through your own Stripe account, on every plan including Free. The paid newsletter platform page has the details.
  • You want the code. FlockStack is open source under the AGPL-3.0 at github.com/ankurmans/flockstack. Self-hosted newsletter software covers running it, and sending with Amazon SES covers the email.
  • You are leaving another platform. FlockStack has one contact import that recognizes the column names in the CSV exports of beehiiv, Substack, Mailchimp, Kit and others, and imports past posts from Substack, beehiiv, WordPress and Ghost. The guides: beehiiv, Substack, Mailchimp and Kit.
  • You want to start free. The Free plan holds 2,500 subscribers and 10,000 emails a month with 2 automations, and needs no card.

It does not suit you if

  • You need SMS, a mobile app or team-role management. FlockStack has no SMS and no mobile app. FlockStack currently does not offer team-role management; an account has one owner.
  • You need enterprise security reports or single sign-on. FlockStack does not have them, and its Custom plan page says so.
  • You earn from advertising or sponsors inside your platform. FlockStack has no ad network or sponsorship marketplace. FlockStack vs beehiiv compares the two.
  • You email a very large list every day. A daily send uses a plan's emails quickly, and a platform priced by subscribers can come out lower.
  • You want a large free plan. Kit's holds up to 10,000 subscribers, per FlockStack vs Kit.
  • You want a big reader network. FlockStack's recommendations directory is small, and Substack brings readers with it. See FlockStack vs Substack.

What it is good at, in one line each

  • Pricing you can predict: a plan, extra emails at $0.15 per 1,000, and a dedicated IP at cost.
  • Getting out: account export on every plan, and open-source code.
  • Honest limits: a Free plan that says what it limits, and comparison pages that say where FlockStack is behind.

Not sure

Put your own numbers into the newsletter cost calculator, which compares FlockStack with beehiiv, Substack, Kit and Mailchimp for your list, your sends and your paying readers, or read the comparisons. FlockStack is not affiliated with any platform it is compared with.

Sources

  • FlockStack's README: the REST API, the MCP server, imports from other platforms, selling with no cut, and the Free plan: github.com, checked
  • FlockStack's moving guide: which archives can be imported, and that paid subscriptions don't move: flockstack.io, checked
  • Kit's pricing page, for the size of its Free plan: kit.com, checked

Questions

Who is FlockStack for?
Writers and publishers who send on a schedule and want the price to follow the emails they send, people who want an AI agent to run a newsletter through the REST API or MCP server, creators who sell subscriptions or products and want to keep all of it apart from Stripe's fees, and people who want to self-host open-source software.
Who should not use FlockStack?
People who need SMS, a mobile app, team-role management, or the enterprise security reports and single sign-on that some buyers require. People who email a very large list every day may also pay less on a platform priced by subscribers, and people who earn from ads or sponsors inside their platform will find FlockStack has no ad network.
Is FlockStack good for a small newsletter?
The Free plan holds 2,500 subscribers and 10,000 emails a month with no card, so a small list can start there. A platform whose free plan holds more subscribers, such as Kit's, costs nothing for a larger list, so compare at your own size.
Can an AI agent really run my newsletter on FlockStack?
Yes. The REST API has 234 endpoints, and the MCP server exposes the same actions to ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor and Codex, with write access on every plan. Sending is marked as an action that can't be undone, so agents are expected to ask you first.
Can I move my list to FlockStack?
Yes, from beehiiv, Substack, Mailchimp, Kit and others whose CSV column names FlockStack's one contact import recognizes (it is not a separate importer for each platform, so import a few rows first). Past posts can be imported from Substack, beehiiv, WordPress and Ghost. Paying subscribers cannot be moved across yet; they subscribe again.

Try it on the Free plan

Create your account, import your list and send a first issue. No card is needed.

Create your account