beehiiv vs Kit
Two of the top three newsletter platforms, compared rule by rule on published facts.
In short
- beehiiv has 97 points and Kit 94, 3 apart on our newsletter platforms rules.
- beehiiv earns more on earning; Kit earns more on nothing.
- Cost at 1,000 subscribers: beehiiv $0, Kit $0.
Points by group
| Group | beehiiv | Kit |
|---|---|---|
| Earning of 25 | 25 | 22 |
| Your list of 32 | 29 | 29 |
| Growth of 26 | 26 | 26 |
| Price of 17 | 17 | 17 |
| Total | 97 | 94 |
Rule by rule
What each vendor publishes, and the points it earns. Sources are on each product page.
| Rule (points) | beehiiv | Kit |
|---|---|---|
| Paid subscriptions (8) | Yes 8 | Yes 8 |
| Fee on paid subscriptions (10) | 0 10 | 0.6 7 |
| Built-in sponsorship or ad network (4) | Yes 4 | Yes 4 |
| Sell digital products (3) | Yes 3 | Yes 3 |
| Export your subscriber list (8) | Yes 8 | Yes 8 |
| Import subscribers (5) | Yes 5 | Yes 5 |
| Website on your own domain (7) | Yes 7 | Yes 7 |
| Send from your own domain (5) | Yes 5 | Yes 5 |
| Open source (3) | Not published 0 | Not published 0 |
| Public API (4) | Yes 4 | Yes 4 |
| Recommendation network (6) | Yes 6 | Yes 6 |
| Referral program (4) | Yes 4 | Yes 4 |
| Send to a tag or segment (5) | Yes 5 | Yes 5 |
| Automated email sequences (4) | Yes 4 | Yes 4 |
| Subscriber source reports (4) | Yes 4 | Yes 4 |
| Subject-line A/B tests (3) | Yes 3 | Yes 3 |
| Free plan (8) | Yes 8 | Yes 8 |
| Cost at 1,000 subscribers (9) | $0 9 | $0 9 |
beehiiv
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 subscriptions. Most growth and money tools, including the ad network, referrals, A/B tests and a custom domain, sit behind Lite at $49 a month. Paid subscriptions are not listed on the free plan.
Kit
Kit suits creators who want a free plan that scales to 10,000 subscribers and who sell products or subscriptions, since Kit says it keeps only 0.6% of sales. Your newsletter site can use your own domain. Automations and sponsorships need a paid plan, and referrals and the source breakdown of new subscribers need Pro.
Both products are scored by the same rules: how we score newsletter platforms.