saasrankedSoftware, ranked on the facts

newsletter platform · beehiiv

beehiiv

Newsletter platform with a free plan to 2,500 subscribers and a 0% take rate on paid subscriptions.

97/100

#1 of 12 newsletter platforms
Facts checked 9 Oct 2026

In short

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

Earning25 of 25
Your list29 of 32
Growth26 of 26
Price17 of 17

Earning 25 of 25 points

RuleWhat is publishedPoints
Paid subscriptionsYesPaid subscriptions are listed under the Lite plan, with a 0% take rate1.8 / 8
Fee on paid subscriptions0FAQ: beehiiv takes 0% of paid-subscription and digital-product revenue; Stripe's fee still applies1.10 / 10
Built-in sponsorship or ad networkYesbeehiiv runs an Ad Network marketplace for claiming ad offers; paid plans. Features page lists it too2,7.4 / 4
Sell digital productsYesFile and download products are available on all plans; paid products need a Stripe account3.3 / 3

Your list 29 of 32 points

RuleWhat is publishedPoints
Export your subscriber listYesSettings > General Info > Export Data exports all subscribers to CSV; article lists all plans5.8 / 8
Import subscribersYesImport free subscribers from a CSV file or pasted list; listed for all plans6.5 / 5
Website on your own domainYesCustom domain for the web address of your publication, on all paid plans; free uses a beehiiv subdomain4.7 / 7
Send from your own domainYesCustom domain setup creates SPF and DKIM CNAME records; paid plans only4,13.5 / 5
Open sourceNot publishedNot published on the vendor's pricing page1.0 / 3
Public APIYesDeveloper docs list endpoints to create, list and update subscriptions; free plan lists API access1,11.4 / 4

Growth 26 of 26 points

RuleWhat is publishedPoints
Recommendation networkYesRecommendation network is included in the Free plan1.6 / 6
Referral programYesReferral Program rewards subscribers for referrals; all paid plans8.4 / 4
Send to a tag or segmentYesPosts can be sent to a segment from the Audience page; publishing to a segment requires a paid plan12.5 / 5
Automated email sequencesYesWelcome automation can include multiple emails, started by the Signed Up trigger; pricing page lists Automations under Lite10,1.4 / 4
Subscriber source reportsYesSubscribers Report shows new subscribers by acquisition source, with UTM filters; all paid plans14.4 / 4
Subject-line A/B testsYesTest up to four subject lines on part of the list; winner goes to the rest; paid plans9.3 / 3

Price 17 of 17 points

RuleWhat is publishedPoints
Free planYesFree plan covers up to 2,500 subscribers with unlimited sends1.8 / 8
Cost at 1,000 subscribers$0Free plan sends unlimited emails to up to 2,500 subscribers, so 1,000 subscribers cost nothing1.9 / 9

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.

PlanPrice as listedPer monthNotes
FreeUp to 2,500 subscribersFree1$0Unlimited sends, recommendation network, API
LiteUp to 100,000 subscribers$49/month, billed yearly1$49Adds paid subscriptions, ad network, automations, A/B tests
ProUp to 250,000 subscribers$95/month, billed yearly1$95Adds 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.

Limits

  • Paid subscriptions, custom domain, ad network, referrals and A/B tests need a paid plan, from $49 a month billed yearly1,4,7,8,9.
  • Sending to a segment requires a paid plan12.
  • The pricing page shows only yearly-billing prices for Lite and Pro1.

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

  1. 2
    KitCreators who sell products and want a large free plan
    94/100
    $0cost at 1,000 subscribers
  2. 3
    GhostWriters who want open-source software and no cut of paid-subscription revenue
    77/100
    $0cost at 1,000 subscribers
  3. 4
    SubstackWriters who want paid subscriptions and reader discovery with no monthly fee
    71/100
    $0cost at 1,000 subscribers
  4. 5
    ButtondownWriters who want low flat pricing and no cut of paid subscriptions
    71/100
    $7.50/mocost at 1,000 subscribers

beehiiv vs Kit · beehiiv vs Ghost · All 12 newsletter platforms

Sources

  1. beehiiv pricing, beehiiv. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
  2. beehiiv features, beehiiv. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
  3. Creating digital products for your website, beehiiv Support. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
  4. How to use a custom domain for your publication, beehiiv Support. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
  5. Exporting post content or subscriber data from beehiiv, beehiiv Support. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
  6. How to import free subscribers and map custom fields or tags, beehiiv Support. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
  7. Using the beehiiv Ad Network, beehiiv Support. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
  8. Referral Program: Getting set up, sharing, and monitoring, beehiiv Support. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
  9. Creating and using A/B tests in your beehiiv posts, beehiiv Support. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
  10. Welcome email vs. welcome automation, beehiiv Support. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
  11. beehiiv developer documentation index, beehiiv. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
  12. Creating and using segments in beehiiv, beehiiv Support. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
  13. Setting up DMARC for a custom domain, beehiiv Support. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
  14. Understanding your Subscribers Report, beehiiv Support. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.

Website: www.beehiiv.com · Markdown version · We are not affiliated with beehiiv.