If you're picking a home for your newsletter, this beehiiv review gives you the short version.
You can launch free, grow to 2,500 subscribers without paying, and upgrade only when a specific feature earns its price. I publish Bizziology AI on beehiiv.
Below you'll see what the free plan covers, the moments it makes sense to pay, the downsides, and how beehiiv compares with Substack and Kit.
Quick verdict
Best for: solo creators and small teams who want to grow a list, then earn from ads, paid subscriptions or digital products.
Skip it if: you need heavy email automation or phone support from day one.
Price: free up to 2,500 subscribers. Lite starts at $49 a month and Pro at $95 a month, billed annually.
My take: if you're starting a newsletter, start here.
What beehiiv is
beehiiv is an all-in-one newsletter platform. One account gives you the email editor, a no-code website, podcast hosting, audience growth tools, analytics and an ad network. Instead of piecing together a sending tool, a landing page builder and a payment tool, you work in one place. That matters when you're a team of one.
What the free plan gives you
The free plan covers up to 2,500 subscribers, and email sends are unlimited. You also get:
A no-code website and an AI website builder. Your newsletter archive and signup page live in the same account.
Custom domains. Your newsletter lives at your own address.
Podcast hosting. Add audio later without a new tool.
Campaign analytics. See how each send performs.
The recommendation network. Newsletters can promote each other to their readers.
API access (excluding the Send API) for connecting other tools.
Unlimited sends means you can publish as often as you like without watching a counter. And you can build a real audience before spending a dollar.
How beehiiv helps you grow
Referrals and recommendations are the growth engine reviewers mention most. Readers can share your newsletter and earn rewards, and other newsletters can recommend yours to their audiences. Boosts and the ad network come with paid plans. Capterra reviewers also praise the clean interface and the steady stream of new features.
The beehiiv dashboard tracks subscriber growth, open rate and click-through rate in one view.
How you get paid
This is where beehiiv separates from most free tools. On paid plans you can:
sell paid subscriptions with a 0% platform cut (Stripe's standard processing fees still apply)
run ads through the built-in ad network
sell digital products
A sample beehiiv Ad Network payout report.
Here's the math. Say you charge $5 a month and have 200 paying readers. That's $1,000 a month. A platform that takes 10% of subscription revenue, as Substack does, would keep $100 of it. On beehiiv, that $100 stays with you.
Who beehiiv is for, and who should skip it
It fits you if:
you're starting a newsletter and want room to grow without switching tools
you plan to earn through ads, paid subscriptions or digital products
you want your site, email and podcast in one login
Skip it if:
your main need is complex email marketing, like e-commerce flows or detailed automation triggers
you need phone support from the start
you want SMS built in. beehiiv doesn't support it natively, though you can connect it through the API or webhooks
Pros and cons
Pros
A free plan with unlimited sends up to 2,500 subscribers
Growth tools built into the platform
0% platform cut on paid subscriptions
Website, newsletter and podcast in one account
A 4.4 out of 5 rating across 16 Capterra reviews
Cons
beehiiv branding can appear on the free plan, and removing it takes Pro.
The step from free to paid can feel steep, and costs rise as your list grows.
Automation is lighter than a dedicated email marketing platform. Capterra reviewers mention limited automation and a learning curve with advanced features.
Human support starts on paid plans. Free is self-serve.
What it costs
Plan | Price | Who it's for |
|---|---|---|
Free | $0, up to 2,500 subscribers | Launching and growing your first audience |
Lite | From $49/month, billed annually | Adding automations, ads, digital products and paid subscriptions |
Pro | From $95/month, billed annually | Removing beehiiv branding, running several publications, adding audio newsletters, priority support |
Enterprise | Custom | Lists over 250,000 and large teams |
Prices step up as your subscriber count grows.
When to upgrade
Pay when a feature earns more than it costs. Three moments are worth watching:
You pass 2,500 subscribers. That's the free plan's ceiling, and a good problem to have.
You want to earn. Ads, digital products and paid subscriptions come with Lite. About ten paying readers at $5 a month roughly covers the $49 Lite price.
You want your own branding. Removing the beehiiv badge is a Pro feature.
Until one of those happens, stay on free.
The three doubts most readers have
"I don't want to pay before I know it works." You don't have to. Sign-up is free and needs no credit card. You pay only if you upgrade.
"I already have a list somewhere else." beehiiv offers migration resources for importing subscribers from other platforms, so you don't start from zero.
"Will it hold up as I grow?" The platform scales from free to an enterprise option for lists over 250,000. Capterra reviewers rate it 4.4 out of 5.
beehiiv vs the alternatives
Platform | What stands out | Tradeoff |
|---|---|---|
Substack | Simple to start, with a built-in reader network | Takes 10% of paid subscription revenue, plus processing fees, and offers less control over design |
Kit | Free plan up to 10,000 subscribers; strong for automations and selling digital products | More of an email marketing tool than a publishing home; paid plans start around $39/month |
Ghost | Full control of your site, no platform fees on subscriptions | No free plan, and more setup and upkeep |
MailerLite | Free for up to 500 subscribers; low cost for email and landing pages | Fewer growth and monetization tools built for newsletters |
Choose Kit if automations and product sales matter most. Choose Substack if you want the simplest start and don't mind the fee. Choose beehiiv if you want growth tools and monetization in one place.
Decide in a minute
Say yes to beehiiv if most of these are true:
You're launching a newsletter or growing one under 2,500 subscribers.
You want to earn from your audience within a year.
You prefer one login over five.
You can live without built-in SMS and heavy automation.
FAQ
Is beehiiv free?
Yes. The free plan covers up to 2,500 subscribers with unlimited email sends, a website, podcast hosting and campaign analytics.
Does beehiiv take a cut of paid subscriptions?
On paid plans, the platform takes 0%. Stripe's standard processing fees still apply.
Is beehiiv better than Substack?
It depends on your goal. Substack is simpler to start and has a reader network. beehiiv gives you more growth and monetization tools and doesn't take a share of subscription revenue.
Can I import my existing subscribers?
Yes. beehiiv offers migration resources for moving subscribers from other platforms.
Does beehiiv support SMS?
Not natively. You can connect SMS tools through the API or webhooks.
What's the difference between Lite and Pro?
Lite adds ads, digital products, automations and paid subscriptions. Pro adds branding removal, up to 10 publications, audio newsletters and priority support.
Final verdict
If you're building a newsletter alone, beehiiv gives you a free place to grow and a clear path to earn once you've got an audience. You start at $0, watch for the three upgrade moments, and pay only when a feature pays you back. That's a low-risk way to begin.
P.S. The best time to start building your list is before you feel ready. Your first 2,500 subscribers cost nothing to host. Open your free beehiiv account and send your first issue this week.
Disclosure: I may earn a commission if you sign up through the links on this page, at no extra cost to you.