Nov 4, 2026
6 min read
theSkimm made a simple promise: tell me what is going on in the world, in the time it takes to drink a coffee, and make it feel like a friend is telling me.
It worked. The Daily Skimm now says it has more than 10 million readers, and it has grown into a family of newsletters covering wellness, money, shopping and sports.
But one newsletter cannot be everything to everyone. Maybe you want more depth on the news. Maybe you want the wellness bits without the shopping links. Maybe you just want a different voice in your inbox.
Whatever the reason, there are some excellent options. Here are ten newsletters like theSkimm, grouped by what you want more of.
For daily news
1. 1440 Daily Digest
If what you like about theSkimm is the morning catch-up, but you could do without the jokes, try 1440. It is a five-minute briefing that lands every morning and says it reaches more than 4.5 million readers.
Its selling point is restraint. 1440 sticks to facts and keeps opinion out, so it reads more like a well-edited wire service than a chat with a friend. It is free.
Best for: people who want the news straight, fast and calm.
2. Morning Brew
Morning Brew is the closest match to theSkimm in tone. It is witty, conversational and built to be read in about five minutes.
The difference is focus. Morning Brew leans into business, markets and tech, so it is a good swap if you want to understand what is happening to the economy as well as the headlines. It also has a daily podcast and puzzles if you like a break with your coffee.
Best for: readers who want theSkimm's energy with a business angle.
3. Tangle
Tangle takes one big political debate each day and shows you what the left, the right and the centre are saying, before adding its own take. It says it has more than 500,000 subscribers.
It is a good antidote to news that tells you what to think. Four issues a week are free, and members get extra posts and an ad-free podcast.
Best for: anyone tired of feeling that every news source has a side.
4. The Current by RocaNews
The Current goes out on weekdays and promises to cover the day "in 5 min or less". Its pitch is that it will make you "the most interesting person at Happy Hour", and the tone matches: light, quick and mixing world news with entertainment.
Best for: younger readers who want the headlines without the doom.
For wellness, without the medical jargon
theSkimm's own wellness newsletter, Skimm Well + Good, comes out weekly. If you want more, or a different take, these two are worth a look.
5. 10 Almonds
10 Almonds is a daily health email aimed at women who want to take control of their health and ageing. It says it has more than 98,000 readers and describes itself as "100% free".
Expect nutrition, fitness and brain health, explained in a friendly way with curated links and expert interviews.
Best for: a small daily dose of practical health advice.
6. Wellness Wire by Healthline
Healthline is one of the biggest health websites in the world, and Wellness Wire is its newsletter. It arrives three times a week with expert advice on trending health topics and notes on how its editors look after their own health.
Best for: readers who want medical reliability in plain language.
For career and money
7. The Newsette
The Newsette calls itself a "free mini magazine delivered to your inbox", with a promise to help you start each day "happier, healthier, wealthier, and just better".
It covers everything from beauty to business, with interviews with women who have built interesting careers. If theSkimm's work and money sections are your favourite parts, this is a natural next step.
Best for: ambitious readers who want inspiration with their morning coffee.
8. The Assist
The Assist is written for women professionals and lands four times a week. It mixes practical career tips, wellness advice, motivational quotes and the odd meme, so self-improvement feels less like homework.
Best for: early and mid-career professionals who want useful advice in a light format.
9. CNBC Make It
CNBC Make It is a weekly newsletter about money, careers and how people actually build a good working life. It covers habits, side hustles, salaries and the latest workplace trends, with the reliability of a major business newsroom.
Best for: readers who want career and money advice grounded in real numbers.
For pop culture
10. Hung Up by Hunter Harris
If the entertainment section is the first thing you read in theSkimm, Hung Up is for you. Hunter Harris writes about movies, TV and what she calls "the celebrity industrial complex", twice a week, to more than 189,000 subscribers.
It is sharp, funny and opinionated in a way most news newsletters are not allowed to be.
Best for: readers who want pop culture with a strong point of view.
How to choose
Start with the part of theSkimm you would miss most.
The morning catch-up: 1440 for calm, Morning Brew for wit, The Current for speed.
Making sense of politics: Tangle.
Health and wellness: 10 Almonds or Wellness Wire.
Career and money: The Newsette, The Assist or CNBC Make It.
Entertainment: Hung Up.
You do not have to replace theSkimm to try these. Many readers keep it and add one or two specialists.
The catch is that it adds up fast. Three or four daily newsletters on top of work email is how inboxes become unmanageable. Bilig gives your newsletters a home of their own, away from your inbox, so you can read them when you want to, not when they arrive. You can find all ten of these in the Bilig directory.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best alternative to theSkimm?
It depends on what you want more of. For the closest match in tone, try Morning Brew. For straight news, try 1440.
Is there a theSkimm for wellness?
theSkimm has its own weekly wellness newsletter, Skimm Well + Good. For more, try 10 Almonds (daily) or Healthline's Wellness Wire (three times a week).
Are these newsletters free?
Yes, all ten can be read for free. Tangle offers a paid membership with extra posts.
Which newsletter is like theSkimm but less biased?
1440 avoids opinion altogether, and Tangle shows the left, right and centre view of each story side by side.
Is there a theSkimm for careers?
The Assist and The Newsette both focus on women's careers, and CNBC Make It covers careers and money for everyone.
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