beehiiv vs Mailchimp
beehiiv and Mailchimp are both email marketing tools. beehiiv is aimed at creators and small businesses, while Mailchimp is aimed at small businesses and creators. Mailchimp costs less, from $13/mo versus $59/mo for beehiiv. Both have a free plan.
Newsletter platform with growth tools and ad network
The best-known email marketing platform
| Pricing | Freemium · $59 | Freemium · $13 |
| Starting price | $59/mo | $13/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | 14 days |
| Built for | Creators, Small businesses | Small businesses, Creators |
| Platforms | web | web, ios, android |
| Country | US · 2021 | US · 2001 |
| Rating | — | — |
Choose beehiiv if
Newsletter publishers and media operators who want growth and ad monetization in one platform.
- Best-in-class growth features for newsletters
- Monetization through ads, boosts and paid tiers built in
- Free plan up to 2,500 subscribers
Look elsewhere if: Course creators selling products (Kit), SaaS lifecycle email (Customer.io), or stores (Klaviyo).
Choose Mailchimp if
Small businesses and e-commerce stores that want an easy, well-integrated email tool and send a few campaigns a month.
- Familiar, polished editor and huge template library
- Deep e-commerce integrations and revenue reporting
- Mature deliverability infrastructure
Look elsewhere if: Newsletter creators (Kit, beehiiv), high-volume senders on a budget (Brevo), or SaaS lifecycle messaging (Customer.io, Loops).
beehiiv vs Mailchimp pricing
beehiiv
- Free$0Up to 2,500 subscribers, no credit card
- Lite$59/mo$49/mo billed annually; price at 1,000 subs, scales with list
- Pro$109/mo$95/mo billed annually; at 1,000 subs; removes beehiiv branding
- EnterpriseCustom
Mailchimp
- Free$0Up to 250 contacts, 1 audience
- Essentials$13/moStarting price; 14-day free trial, 3 audiences
- Standard$20/mo6,000 emails/mo; 14-day free trial, 5 audiences
- Premium$350/mo150,000 emails/mo, advanced tools, priority support
beehiiv · Key features
- Referral program and Boosts to grow subscribers
- Ad Network connecting sponsors with publications
- Hosted website with archive, custom domain and SEO controls
- Polls, surveys and segmentation
- Paid subscriptions and premium tiers via Stripe
- Automations, A/B subject tests and 3D analytics
Cons
- Paid plans needed for most growth and monetization features
- Not an e-commerce or lifecycle marketing tool
- Fewer integrations than mature email platforms
Mailchimp · Key features
- Drag-and-drop email builder with templates and brand kit
- Customer journeys (automation) with branching and triggers
- Audience segmentation, tags and predictive demographics
- Landing pages, signup forms, pop-ups and SMS marketing (US)
- Reporting with revenue attribution for connected stores
- Creative Assistant and generative AI for copy and images
Cons
- Contact-based pricing gets expensive fast; unsubscribed contacts can still count
- Free plan is now very limited
- Automation builder lags Klaviyo and ActiveCampaign
beehiiv vs Mailchimp: FAQ
Which is cheaper, beehiiv or Mailchimp?
Mailchimp starts at $13/mo and beehiiv at $59/mo. Both prices are checked on the vendors' own pricing pages.
Do beehiiv and Mailchimp have a free plan?
Yes, both beehiiv and Mailchimp have a free plan; paid plans add more usage and features.