Issue Mint vs Goodbits

Goodbits is a link curation tool built on the same insight as Issue Mint: the hard part of a roundup is collecting links through the week, not laying out an email. It is frequently recommended as the Curated substitute, and it can hand the finished issue to another service to send.

The short version

Both tools take link collecting seriously. Issue Mint goes further on everything that happens after you press send: sponsorship inventory, links tracked under your own name, an archive website with its own feed, and reporting that tells you which links your readers actually wanted. If all you need is help assembling the issue before pushing it to an email service you already pay for, Goodbits covers that.

Feature by feature

Issue Mint compared with Goodbits
Capability Issue Mint Goodbits
Link library with a browser button Yes Yes
Drag to order and group Yes Yes
Sends the issue itself Yes, nothing to set up Hands off to your email service
Public archive website Yes, on your own domain Limited
Sponsorship slots and a booking calendar Yes No
Per-link click reporting Yes, ranked by readers who clicked Basic
Readers can send you links Yes Limited
Managing your readers Full, with confirmation emails Depends on your email service

Compared on capability rather than price, because Goodbits changes its plans from time to time and a stale figure here would be worse than none. Check their current pricing directly.

When Goodbits is the better choice

  • You already have an email service you are happy with and only want help putting the issue together.
  • You want the lightest possible tool in the chain and are content for sending, readers and reporting to live somewhere else.

When Issue Mint is the better choice

  • You would rather have one tool for the whole job than a curation step bolted onto an email service.
  • You intend to sell sponsorships and want the slots, the bookings and the paper trail handled in one place.
  • You want a real archive and per-issue reporting rather than whatever your email service happens to show you.

Questions about switching

Do I still need a separate email service with Issue Mint?

No. Sending is included and there is nothing to connect, which is the main practical difference between the two: Goodbits assembles the issue and hands it on, we assemble it and send it. If you would rather use your own sending account you can, at no extra cost, but it is a choice rather than a requirement.

Try it against your own next issue.

14 days, no card. Import your list, connect your sending, and see whether the workflow fits before you move anything permanently.

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