beehiiv alternatives
By Joris van Huët · each comparison from the vendors' own pricing and help pages, prices dated on the page
The short answer: 4 tools are compared with beehiiv on this site, and the line under each one is the verdict from its comparison: who should pick which, with the figures that decide it on the comparison itself. Read the one that names your job. What beehiiv costs and who it suits is in its entry, and how to use beehiiv walks through one job with it.
Disclosure: I may earn a commission through some links on this site. It does not change what this page says.
Ghost
Under 2,500 subscribers, beehiiv costs nothing and Ghost's cheapest plan with paid subscriptions costs $29 to $46 a month billed yearly, so start on beehiiv if growth tools matter more than design control (beehiiv pricing, Ghost pricing).
Kit
When the newsletter is the product, sold to readers and sponsors and grown through recommendations, beehiiv is the stronger fit: it is free up to 2,500 subscribers, and its Lite plan takes a 0% cut of paid subscriptions for $59 a month at 1,000 subscribers on monthly billing (beehiiv pricing).
Mailchimp
If the newsletter is what you sell, or what earns you attention, beehiiv fits better: nobody pays until the list passes 2,500 subscribers, sends are never rationed, paid subscriptions start on Lite with a 0% take rate, and from 25,000 subscribers its Lite plan costs less than Mailchimp Standard, $199 against $310 a.
Substack
If your newsletter is free to read and will pass 2,500 subscribers, Substack costs nothing at any size, while beehiiv's Free plan stops at 2,500 and Lite costs $95 a month billed yearly at 5,000 (Substack cost article, beehiiv pricing).
A senior operator doing the work: campaigns, channels, CRM and AI agents, live from day one.
With Joris van Huët, interim and fractional CMO in Utrecht. From EUR 5,000 a month, monthly cycles, a 30-day exit.