Earning25 of 25
Your list29 of 32
Growth26 of 26
Price17 of 17
newsletter platform · beehiiv
beehiiv
Newsletter platform with a free plan to 2,500 subscribers and a 0% take rate on paid subscriptions.
In short
- The free plan covers up to 2,500 subscribers with unlimited email sends1.
- beehiiv takes 0% of paid-subscription and digital-product revenue; Stripe's 2.9% + $0.30 still applies1.
- Lite costs $49 a month and Pro $95 a month, both billed yearly1.
- Custom domains, the ad network, referrals, A/B tests and automations need a paid plan4,7,8,9,10.
- Subscriber CSV export and import work on every plan5,6.
beehiiv suits writers who want to start free and grow, since the free plan covers 2,500 subscribers and the platform keeps no cut of paid subscriptions1. Most growth and money tools, including the ad network, referrals, A/B tests and a custom domain, sit behind Lite at $49 a month4,7,8,9,10. Paid subscriptions are not listed on the free plan1.
Best for: Writers who want an ad network, referrals and growth tools.
Where the points come from
Earning 25 of 25 points
| Rule | What is published | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Paid subscriptions | YesPaid subscriptions are listed under the Lite plan, with a 0% take rate1. | 8 / 8 |
| Fee on paid subscriptions | 0FAQ: beehiiv takes 0% of paid-subscription and digital-product revenue; Stripe's fee still applies1. | 10 / 10 |
| Built-in sponsorship or ad network | Yesbeehiiv runs an Ad Network marketplace for claiming ad offers; paid plans. Features page lists it too2,7. | 4 / 4 |
| Sell digital products | YesFile and download products are available on all plans; paid products need a Stripe account3. | 3 / 3 |
Your list 29 of 32 points
| Rule | What is published | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Export your subscriber list | YesSettings > General Info > Export Data exports all subscribers to CSV; article lists all plans5. | 8 / 8 |
| Import subscribers | YesImport free subscribers from a CSV file or pasted list; listed for all plans6. | 5 / 5 |
| Website on your own domain | YesCustom domain for the web address of your publication, on all paid plans; free uses a beehiiv subdomain4. | 7 / 7 |
| Send from your own domain | YesCustom domain setup creates SPF and DKIM CNAME records; paid plans only4,13. | 5 / 5 |
| Open source | Not publishedNot published on the vendor's pricing page1. | 0 / 3 |
| Public API | YesDeveloper docs list endpoints to create, list and update subscriptions; free plan lists API access1,11. | 4 / 4 |
Growth 26 of 26 points
| Rule | What is published | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Recommendation network | YesRecommendation network is included in the Free plan1. | 6 / 6 |
| Referral program | YesReferral Program rewards subscribers for referrals; all paid plans8. | 4 / 4 |
| Send to a tag or segment | YesPosts can be sent to a segment from the Audience page; publishing to a segment requires a paid plan12. | 5 / 5 |
| Automated email sequences | YesWelcome automation can include multiple emails, started by the Signed Up trigger; pricing page lists Automations under Lite10,1. | 4 / 4 |
| Subscriber source reports | YesSubscribers Report shows new subscribers by acquisition source, with UTM filters; all paid plans14. | 4 / 4 |
| Subject-line A/B tests | YesTest up to four subject lines on part of the list; winner goes to the rest; paid plans9. | 3 / 3 |
Price 17 of 17 points
The rule behind each line: how we score newsletter platforms.
Plans and prices
As the vendor lists them, before tax. Prices are in US dollars unless the plan shows euros; the points use US dollars, with euros converted at the ECB rate.
| Plan | Price as listed | Per month | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| FreeUp to 2,500 subscribers | Free1 | $0 | Unlimited sends, recommendation network, API |
| LiteUp to 100,000 subscribers | $49/month, billed yearly1 | $49 | Adds paid subscriptions, ad network, automations, A/B tests |
| ProUp to 250,000 subscribers | $95/month, billed yearly1 | $95 | Adds branding removal, webhooks, advanced analytics |
The pricing page shows yearly-billing prices only, and says yearly billing saves up to 20% over monthly1.
Strengths
- Free plan: up to 2,500 subscribers, unlimited sends, a recommendation network and API access1.
- 0% take rate on paid subscriptions and digital products1.
- Runs its own ad network on paid plans and documents a subscriber API with segment and automation endpoints7,11.
- Full subscriber export and CSV import on all plans5,6.
What beehiiv says
Vendor claims. We show them, but they earn no points.
- beehiiv says its ad monetization averages $39 a month on Lite and Pro1.
Other newsletter platforms
- 2
KitCreators who sell products and want a large free plan94/100$0cost at 1,000 subscribers - 3
GhostWriters who want open-source software and no cut of paid-subscription revenue77/100$0cost at 1,000 subscribers - 4
SubstackWriters who want paid subscriptions and reader discovery with no monthly fee71/100$0cost at 1,000 subscribers - 5
ButtondownWriters who want low flat pricing and no cut of paid subscriptions71/100$7.50/mocost at 1,000 subscribers
beehiiv vs Kit · beehiiv vs Ghost · All 12 newsletter platforms
Sources
- beehiiv pricing, beehiiv. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
- beehiiv features, beehiiv. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
- Creating digital products for your website, beehiiv Support. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
- How to use a custom domain for your publication, beehiiv Support. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
- Exporting post content or subscriber data from beehiiv, beehiiv Support. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
- How to import free subscribers and map custom fields or tags, beehiiv Support. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
- Using the beehiiv Ad Network, beehiiv Support. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
- Referral Program: Getting set up, sharing, and monitoring, beehiiv Support. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
- Creating and using A/B tests in your beehiiv posts, beehiiv Support. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
- Welcome email vs. welcome automation, beehiiv Support. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
- beehiiv developer documentation index, beehiiv. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
- Creating and using segments in beehiiv, beehiiv Support. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
- Setting up DMARC for a custom domain, beehiiv Support. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
- Understanding your Subscribers Report, beehiiv Support. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
Website: www.beehiiv.com · Markdown version · We are not affiliated with beehiiv.