Our inboxes deserve to house more than just work emails. A great newsletter can brighten your day, help you learn, make the world easier to understand, or empower you to make a difference.
At the same time, we’re all receiving way too many emails as it is. Our email addresses are sacred — and only the best newsletters deserve to get access to our inboxes.
Our team collected and curated the best niche newsletters that are actually worth subscribing to. (Yes, we subscribed to hundreds of newsletters so we could choose the very best to include in this guide.)
Explore this list, subscribe to any of the newsletters that stand out to you, and fill your inbox with a bit of goodness.
Newsletters are organized into the following categories:
- Daily News
- Positive News
- Climate News
- Sustainability
- Inspirational
- Business
- Self Improvement
- Fun
- Travel
- Funny
- Sports
- Creativity
- Pop Culture
- Substack
By the way, some of the links in this article may be from partners or affiliates — which simply means we may get to make money at no cost to you. As always, all our recommendations are genuine, unbiased, and based on our actual experiences. Thanks for your support!
Have a suggestion on newsletters you’d like to see in next year’s update? Make a submission via our contact page.
Explore the best daily and weekly email newsletters to subscribe to:
Daily News Emails:
Vox Sentences
We subscribed to a lot of newsletters as a part of researching this article — and this daily newsletter from Vox is hands-down the easiest news-oriented email to digest. It’s sent in the afternoon/evening as a roundup. A nice bonus: the newsletter doesn’t just link to Vox stories; it points to authoritative articles from across the internet.
The Morning
You’ve heard of The New York Times podcast The Daily? This is, essentially, the newsletter equivalent. Every day you’ll get the day’s top news and analysis from Times journalists — plus other helpful resources from across the NYT universe.
Tangle
This indie non-partisan newsletter chooses one top news story each day and summarizes the best arguments from across the political spectrum. Each email leaves you feeling better informed about the partisan conversations happening around the news — while still avoiding “bothsidesism.”
The 19th
This nonprofit newsroom is already beloved for its reporting at the intersection of gender, politics, and policy — and now their newsletter delivers the same great perspective in deep, yet easy-to-digest email dispatches.
Notable mentions:
- 1440 — They scour hundreds of news sources so you don’t have to
- The Newsette — News and inspiring interviews for badass women
- The Current by RocaNews — We first heard about this newsletter on TikTok
Positive News Emails:
The Goodnewsletter
Of course, we have to toot our own horn: Every morning our team of good news journalists delivers the top good news story of the day — plus a few bonus stories — all to leave you feeling more hopeful about the world.
The Response by The Solutions Journalism Network
The team at The Solutions Journalism Network supports journalists that cover stories about solutions to problems. In their biweekly newsletter, they highlight the best solutions stories revolving around a recent event or an important theme.
Feel Good Newsletter
This newsletter curates positive, feel-good news stories from around the world. Emails are sent each week on Mondays, with a roundup of the previous week’s top stories.
The DONUT
The DONUT stands for “The Dose Of News Useful Today. This newsletter turns anxiety-ridden daily news into a more pleasurable and engaging format. Plus, they have a weekly “Positive DONUT” email filled with all the good news of the week.
Climate News Newsletters:
Grist
Grist is respected for its hard-hitting climate journalism that also maintains a hopeful tone throughout its coverage. They have a number of quality newsletters, but we recommend getting started with The Beacon and The Weekly.
HEATED by Emily Atkin
Anger can be a powerful tool for driving change. Emily Atkin’s accountability journalism helps direct your anger at the systems and people most responsible for the climate crisis — to help you make a more meaningful difference for our planet.
Sustainability Newsletters:
Changeletter by Soapbox Project
Sometimes doing something about climate change feels like too big of a task. For those moments, there’s Changeletter — a weekly newsletter with curated action steps on how to make a difference.
Vox’s Meat/Less Newsletter Course
More and more people are becoming interested in eating less meat — or going vegetarian altogether. Whether it’s for the environment, animal welfare, health, or curiosity, it’s nice to have some support. This short-run newsletter teaches you how to add more plant-based meals to your lifestyle and helps you make it last.
Notable mentions:
- The Daily Good — Ideas and inspiration for thoughtful and sustainable living, from The Good Trade.
→ Explore more of our top picks for sustainability and climate change newsletters
Inspirational Newsletters:
3-2-1 by James Clear
This famous weekly newsletter from the author of Atomic Habits always includes 3 short ideas from James Clear, 2 quotes, and 1 question to think about as you head into the weekend.
Gretchen Rubin’s Moment of Happiness
More than a million people subscribe to this newsletter from acclaimed author and host of the podcast, “Happier”, Gretchen Rubin.
Business Newsletters:
Morning Brew
Start your morning with Morning Brew. (Apparently more than 2.6 million already do.) The free daily email keeps news from Wall Street and Silicon Valley interesting and digestible.
The Assist
Being a professional doesn’t have to be boring! The Assist makes it genuinely fun to learn, grow, and find resources to advance your work life. What’s especially great is that each email feels actionable and helpful for your work week.
(One smart thing that we love — their newsletter comes on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday — because they know that you don’t need another email on Monday or Friday.)
The Daily Upside
Another popular business newsletter, The Daily Upside covers top business news and seems to pride itself on highlighting stories that other outlets miss. Each email feels engaging and insightful.
Notable mentions:
- The Knowledge — Frameworks to help you think deeper, work smarter, and level-up up your decision-making
- Craftsman Creative — Learn how to build your creative business
- Swipe Files — Curated ideas and inspiration for marketers
- Creator Wizard — The perfect resource for content creators and small business owners
Self Improvement Newsletters:
NPR Life Kit
The folks at NPR (and subject matter experts) are creating guides to help you get your life together in a helpful, non-judgmental way. If podcasts are more your thing, check out the audio version as well.
→ Explore more of our favorite mental health newsletters
The Nerdletter
Every week the “Hell Yeah Group” sends out an almost-spiritual newsletter about personal finance, helping readers think better about earning, saving, investing, and spending.
Extra Focus
If you have ADHD or love someone with ADHD, this simple newsletter will help you understand ADHD brains. Each email includes ideas and strategies on time management, energy, and motivation.
→ Explore more of our favorite ADHD newsletters, blogs, podcasts, and other resources
Notable mentions:
- The Boonly — This newsletter has a philosophy we can get behind: self-growth should be enjoyable, not stressful
- Finny — Another personal finance newsletter, this one offers 5-minute breakdowns on money trends, personal finance, and investing tips
- Android Intelligence — For the nerds: Get three tips to help you optimize Gmail, Chrome, or your Android
Fun Free Newsletters:
Everything Is Amazing
Curiosity makes everything better — and this science newsletter celebrates the everyday curiosities that make the world awe-inspiring. Self-described as a “good source of those ‘wow!’ moments that make you feel more wide-eyed and hopeful about everything,” this newsletter is absolutely a solid addition to your inbox.
Making Humans Smile Club
A newsletter for humans who want to make the world around them brighter. The sign-up form may seem a bit out of place compared to some of these other newsletters, asking for your mailing address, birthday, and more. Why? Because this newsletter goes beyond their delightful emails and sometimes includes surprise gifts in the mail.
Girls’ Night In (Now Downtime)
The coziest newsletter on this whole list, Girls’ Night In focuses on comfort for your downtime. Each newsletter includes product recommendations, ideas, and sometimes cute spreadsheets.
→ Explore more of our favorite wellness newsletters
Notable mentions:
- Haley Wrote This — Webcomics about anxiety from artist Haley Weaver
- Refind — Seven awesome links, curated to your personal interests, every day
- Weekly Filet — A serendipitous selection of great things to read, watch, and listen to
Travel Newsletters:
Going
If you don’t already use Going (formerly Scott’s Cheap Flights) you’re missing out. Just choose your local airports and get ridiculously cheap flight alerts anytime prices drop to somewhere cool around the world. While Going has a free option, you’re essentially guaranteed to cover the cost of a premium subscription with the savings from your first flight deal you take advantage of.
Atlas Obscura
This newsletter helps you discover the world without ever leaving your inbox. (But of course, it’ll inspire you to take your PTO, turn on your OOO auto-reply, and chase some adventures of your own.)
Funny Newsletters:
What You Need to Know
Comedian Geoff Plitt curates the best standup, jokes, late night clips, and sketches from the week so you’re always in the know on comedy.
Memes of the Week
From the team at Know Your Meme, this weekly newsletter will keep you up-to-date on the meaning of trending memes (including wholesome memes) and reminders of memes of the past.
Sports:
The GIST
This women-founded newsletter addresses the gender gap in sports coverage by providing equal coverage of men’s and women’s sports. We also recommend subsribing to their additional newsletters specifically for college sports and sports business!
The Athletic Pulse
This newsletter from The Athletic allows you to choose your favorite teams and leagues during sign-up, and delivers the top stories in sports every day, Sunday through Friday.
Hreal Sports
Sports intersects with so many other areas of life: politics, social justice, business, education, etc. This newsletter focuses on the non-athletics parts of the sports world.
Notable mentions:
- Front Office Sports — Learn about the influence of sports on business and culture
For Creatives:
Dense Discovery
Artists, writers, and newsletter creators hold this beautiful and artistic newsletter in high esteem. Come for the thought-provoking ideas and recommendations — stay for the creative design and attention to detail. (Or vice versa!)
CreativeMornings
From the team that hosts monthly creative meetups all over the world, the CreativeMornings newsletter is an incredible source of inspiration, ideas, and even job opportunities for artists and creatives.
Austin Kleon’s Weekly Newsletter
From the author of Steal Like An Artist, this weekly newsletter simply highlights 10 recommendations — as well as art, writing, and probably some blackout poetry.
Entertainment & Pop Culture:
The Sunday Stream
What do I want to watch this week? Now you never need to scroll endlessly through your streaming platforms. The Sunday Stream delivers all the best recommendations for TV and movies every Sunday.
Pop Culture Happy Hour
Your guide to the best TV shows, movies, books, video games, music, award shows, and so much more. Delivered with personality from the team behind the Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast at NPR.
Please Like Me
This Buzzfeed newsletter focuses on internet culture, influencers, and the cool online trends that shape our world. While many of us think of movies and music when we think of the entertainment industry, the reality is that social media plays a bigger role in creating culture than anything else.
Substack Newsletters:
There are so many incredible Substack newsletters worth subscribing to, so we’re just going to list a few to get you started:
- Culture Study by Anne Helen Petersen
- My Sweet Dumb Brain
- Wonder Tools
- Explore more on Substack’s discovery tool…
More Popular Newsletters We Recommend:
The Sample
Still not sure what newsletter to subscribe to? Sign up for The Sample and read curated articles from dozens of leading newsletters. Subscribe to the ones you love as you discover them.
Ground News
If you’re a long-time listener to our podcast, you’re familiar with Ground News — a startup that helps identify and eliminate media bias. They have several newsletters; we especially recommend their paid newsletter, Burst Your Bubble, which delivers the top news stories that people outside of your bubble are consuming right now.
Have more recommendations for the best daily and weekly newsletters?
Send them our way via our contact page! We'll consider them for future updates to this article. Thanks for reading!
One final note: If you want to unplug from digital communication (or just want good news) — subscribe to our monthly print Goodnewspaper. We’ve been featured by The New York Times, Mashable, and Forbes — and thousands of subscribers love getting our snail mail every month.
