Disclosure (#ad): We earn a commission if you sign up through links marked “paid link” (beehiiv), at no extra cost to you. Links marked “not a paid link” earn us nothing. Commissions never change a score or a fact on this page. How this works.
Quick verdict
Pick it if you want to earn from your newsletter and keep all your subscription revenue: 0% platform cut on paid plans.[B1] Skip it if you want the biggest free list (Kit Free goes to 10,000 subscribers[K2]) or never want a monthly bill (Substack). It meets 8 of 10 points on our newsletter checklist (how it's scored). That's a checklist score, not a test.
What beehiiv is
beehiiv is a newsletter platform: an email editor, a hosted website for your posts, and tools to earn money from your list through paid subscriptions, an ad network and digital products. It also hosts podcasts (5,000 downloads a month on Free).[B1] Prices are in USD.
Pros and cons
What's good
- Free up to 2,500 subscribers with unlimited sends and a website included [B1]
- 0% cut of paid subscriptions on Lite and Pro. You pay Stripe's 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction [B1]
- Built-in Ad Network and paid recommendations from Lite [B1]
- Automations, A/B testing and custom domains on Lite [B1]
- Official Substack import for posts, free and paid subscribers [B3]
What's not
- Lite starts at $59/mo (≈$49/mo billed annually) at 1,000 subscribers, more than Kit's Creator plan at $33/mo billed yearly [B1][K1]
- “Built with beehiiv” branding stays until Pro (≈$95/mo annually) [B1]
- The free plan can't sell paid subscriptions [B1]
- Ad Network isn't in all regions or in the trial. beehiiv doesn't list which regions, so check for Australia before you count on it [B1]
- Custom domain on Free is unclear: the Free feature list says “Custom Domains”, but the comparison table marks it Lite and up [B1]
Who it's for
Newsletter-first writers who plan to earn from paid subscriptions, sponsors or the Ad Network, and want to keep 100% of subscription revenue (minus Stripe). Also anyone with fewer than 2,500 subscribers who wants a free start with a website.
beehiiv pricing in 2026
Free is $0 up to 2,500 subscribers. Lite is sold up to 100,000 subscribers and Pro up to 250,000.[B1]
| Subscribers | Lite, monthly | Lite, annual (≈/mo) | Pro, monthly | Pro, annual (≈/mo) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 1,000 | $59 | $588 (≈$49) | $109 | $1,140 (≈$95) |
| Up to 2,500 | $79 | $828 (≈$69) | $149 | $1,548 (≈$129) |
| Up to 5,000 | $109 | $1,140 (≈$95) | $199 | $2,028 (≈$169) |
| Up to 10,000 | $139 | $1,428 (≈$119) | $239 | $2,388 (≈$199) |
| Up to 25,000 | $199 | $2,028 (≈$169) | $349 | $3,588 (≈$299) |
| Up to 50,000 | $299 | $2,988 (≈$249) | $469 | $4,788 (≈$399) |
| Up to 100,000 | $469 | $4,788 (≈$399) | $699 | $7,188 (≈$599) |
USD, from beehiiv's pricing page on 31 Oct 2026.[B1] Tax may apply. Prices change, so check the page before you buy.
Start on Free, move to Lite when you monetise
Free covers 2,500 subscribers. Lite is the cheapest plan with paid subscriptions, the Ad Network and automations.[B1]
What each plan adds
| Feature | Free | Lite | Pro |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subscribers | 2,500 | 100,000 | 250,000 |
| Publications / team seats | 1 / 1 | 3 / 2 | 10 / 10 |
| Paid subscriptions (0% take rate) | — | Yes (1 tier) | Yes (unlimited tiers) |
| Ad Network | — | Yes* | Yes* |
| Live automations | — | 10 | Unlimited |
| Custom domains | — (see note) | Yes | Yes |
| A/B testing, custom HTML | — | Yes | Yes |
| Digital products | 1 | 3 | Unlimited |
| Remove beehiiv branding | — | — | Yes |
| Sponsorship storefront, RSS-to-send, audio newsletters | — | — | Yes |
| Podcast downloads / month | 5,000 | 15,000 | 50,000 |
All rows from beehiiv's plan comparison.[B1] *Not in all regions, and not during the trial. The Free feature list mentions custom domains, but the table marks them Lite and up.
Alternatives
Kit
Free up to 10,000 subscribers.[K2] Creator is $390 billed yearly (≈$33/mo) for 1,000 subscribers.[K1] Kit vs beehiiv vs systeme.io
See Kit plans(not a paid link)
Substack
Free to publish at any size. It keeps 10% of paid subscriptions, plus Stripe fees.[S1] beehiiv vs Substack, with a calculator
Visit Substack(not a paid link)
MailerLite
Free up to 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails a month. Comfort starts at $12/month.[M1]
See MailerLite plans(not a paid link)
systeme.io
Email plus funnels and courses. Free up to 2,000 contacts. Startup is $17/mo.[Y1]
See systeme.io plans(not a paid link)
See all our picks: the best newsletter platforms in 2026 →
How the Rundown score works
One point for each item on our published checklist that the official pages confirm. Anything we couldn't confirm scores 0. Full method.
| Checklist item | Points | Result and source |
|---|---|---|
| Has a free plan | 1 | 1 ✓ Free, $0 [B1] |
| Free plan covers at least 1,000 subscribers | 1 | 1 ✓ up to 2,500 [B1] |
| Unlimited email sends on the free plan | 1 | 1 ✓ unlimited on all plans [B1] |
| Entry paid plan can sell paid subscriptions | 1 | 1 ✓ Lite and up [B1] |
| 0% platform cut on paid subscriptions | 1 | 1 ✓ 0% on paid plans; Stripe 2.9% + $0.30 still applies [B1] |
| Built-in ad network | 1 | 1 ✓ Lite and up, not in all regions [B1] |
| Email automations on the entry paid plan | 1 | 1 ✓ 10 live automations on Lite [B1] |
| Entry paid plan ≤ US$40/mo at 1,000 subscribers (annual billing) | 1 | 0 ✕ Lite is ≈$49/mo billed annually [B1] |
| Can remove platform branding on the entry paid plan | 1 | 0 ✕ Pro and up only [B1] |
| Free trial of paid plans | 1 | 1 ✓ 14-day trial [B2] |
| Total | 10 | 8 → 8.0 / 10 |
This checklist is the same one we use for every newsletter platform. It scores what the official pages promise, not deliverability, support or how the editor feels to use, which we haven't tested.
FAQ
Is beehiiv really free?
Yes. The Free plan is $0 for up to 2,500 subscribers, with unlimited sends. It can't sell paid subscriptions.[B1]
Does beehiiv take a cut of my paid subscriptions?
No, 0% on Lite and Pro. Stripe still charges 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction.[B1]
Is there a free trial of the paid plans?
beehiiv says every plan starts with a 14-day trial.[B2] Some features aren't included during the trial, such as the Ad Network, the 0% take rate and branding removal.[B1]
Can I move from Substack?
Yes. beehiiv's guide covers posts, free subscribers and paid subscribers through Stripe. You pause Substack billing yourself.[B3] Our step-by-step summary.
Is the Ad Network available in Australia?
Unverified. beehiiv says the Ad Network is “not in all regions” but doesn't list them on the pricing page.[B1] Ask beehiiv before you rely on it.
Did The Rundowns test beehiiv?
No. This review summarises beehiiv's own published plans and help pages, all linked below. We haven't measured deliverability or support. If we test it hands-on, we'll say so on this page.
Sources
- [B1] beehiiv, pricing page and plan comparison (USD): beehiiv.com/pricing (checked 31 Oct 2026)
- [B2] beehiiv, Partner Program FAQ (updated 27 Oct 2026; states every plan starts with a 14-day trial): beehiiv.com/support (checked 31 Oct 2026)
- [B3] beehiiv, “How to migrate from Substack to beehiiv” (updated 22 Jun 2026): beehiiv.com/support (checked 31 Oct 2026)
- [K1] Kit pricing page: kit.com/pricing (checked 29 Oct 2026)
- [K2] Kit Help Center, “The Kit Free plan” (updated 23 Sep 2026): help.kit.com (checked 29 Oct 2026)
- [S1] Substack, “How much does Substack cost?” (updated 29 Sep 2026): support.substack.com (checked 30 Oct 2026)
- [M1] MailerLite pricing page and pricing FAQ: mailerlite.com/pricing (checked 31 Oct 2026)
- [Y1] systeme.io pricing page (states “Last updated: April 2026”): systeme.io/pricing (checked 29 Oct 2026)