beehiiv vs ConvertKit (Kit): which newsletter platform should you choose?

Last updated October 2026

beehiiv and Kit (formerly ConvertKit) both serve creators who want to build, grow, and monetize an email newsletter. They overlap in many ways, but they come from different backgrounds and emphasize different strengths. beehiiv launched in 2021 with a newsletter-first approach inspired by the team's experience at Morning Brew, while ConvertKit started in 2013 as an email marketing tool for bloggers and course creators before rebranding to Kit in 2024.

This guide breaks down their pricing, features, and ideal use cases so you can decide which platform fits your needs.

How the two platforms compare at a glance

beehiiv: built for newsletter growth

beehiiv positions itself as the newsletter platform for serious publishers. Its toolset is designed around a single goal: grow a newsletter audience and make money from it.

The free Launch plan supports up to 2,500 subscribers with unlimited email sends, which is a reasonable starting point for new creators. You get basic analytics, a web-hosted version of every issue, and access to the recommendation network, which lets newsletters cross-promote each other to gain subscribers organically.

Where beehiiv really separates itself is on the Scale plan ($43/mo annual at the 1,000-subscriber tier). This unlocks the Ad Network, which lets you earn revenue by placing ads from beehiiv's marketplace directly in your newsletter. It also unlocks Boosts, a feature that pays you when other newsletters promote yours through the recommendation network. Together, these two monetization tools create revenue streams that simply don't exist on most competing platforms.

Scale also includes paid subscriptions with no platform fee beyond Stripe's processing costs, automations, a referral program for subscriber growth, and custom domains. You can run up to three publications under one account with three team seats.

The Max plan ($96/mo annual at entry) adds podcast hosting, a sponsorship storefront for managing direct ad deals, branding removal, unlimited team seats, and up to ten publications. Enterprise pricing is available for lists above 100,000 subscribers.

beehiiv's editor is clean and modern, with drag-and-drop components and a focus on readability. The analytics dashboard goes beyond open and click rates to show subscriber acquisition sources, growth trends, and engagement scores. The platform also provides SEO tools for the web versions of your posts, turning every newsletter issue into a potential search result.

One area where beehiiv is more limited is commerce. You can sell paid newsletter subscriptions and accept tips, but you can't sell standalone digital products, courses, or other items the way you can on Kit.

Kit (ConvertKit): email marketing with a creator ecosystem

Kit started life as ConvertKit, a tool built specifically for bloggers and online creators who needed more than a basic email service but didn't want the complexity of enterprise platforms like HubSpot or Marketo. The 2024 rebrand to Kit came with a broader vision that includes a creator network, commerce tools, and a sponsorship marketplace.

Kit's free Newsletter plan is notably generous, supporting up to 10,000 subscribers with unlimited sends. That's four times beehiiv's free tier. The catch is that the free plan limits you to a single automation and a single email sequence, includes Kit branding on your emails, and doesn't provide integrations with third-party tools. Still, for someone just starting out, 10,000 free subscribers is hard to beat.

The Creator plan ($39/mo at 1,000 subscribers) unlocks unlimited automations and sequences, integrations with 70+ tools, RSS-to-email, polls, recommendations, API access, and two user seats. Kit branding is removed. For creators who already rely on tools like Zapier, WordPress, Teachable, or Shopify, Kit's integration library is a meaningful advantage over beehiiv.

Creator Pro ($79/mo at 1,000 subscribers) adds advanced reporting with deliverability insights and engagement scoring, a newsletter referral program, Facebook Custom Audiences sync, post-send link editing, unlimited users, and priority support. A/B testing capabilities are expanded on this tier as well.

Kit's automation builder is one of its strongest features. Visual workflows let you tag subscribers, move them between sequences, and trigger actions based on behavior, purchases, or custom events. If your business depends on complex email funnels rather than a single broadcast newsletter, Kit's automation tools are more mature than what beehiiv offers.

Kit also provides native commerce features that go beyond subscriptions. You can sell digital products like ebooks, courses, presets, and templates directly through Kit, with payments processed via Stripe. The platform takes a 3.5% transaction fee on top of Stripe's processing costs. This makes Kit a lightweight all-in-one platform for creators who sell digital goods alongside their newsletter.

Both platforms offer a 14-day free trial on paid plans. Kit sweetens the deal with a 30-day money-back guarantee and free migration assistance for creators with more than 5,000 subscribers.

Pricing comparison by subscriber count

Both platforms use tiered pricing based on active subscribers. Here's how the entry-level paid plans compare at common list sizes.

Note: beehiiv annual prices shown. Kit prices shown are monthly list prices. Kit offers roughly 16% off with annual billing. Exact pricing may vary, so check each platform's pricing page for current rates.

beehiiv tends to be more affordable at higher subscriber counts, especially when you account for annual billing discounts. Kit's pricing scales more steeply as your list grows, but the platform includes commerce and automation features that beehiiv charges extra for or doesn't offer at all.

When to choose beehiiv

beehiiv is the stronger choice if your primary goal is building and monetizing a newsletter. The Ad Network and Boosts program offer passive revenue streams from day one on the Scale plan, and the 0% platform cut on paid subscriptions means you keep more of what subscribers pay you. If you think of your newsletter as a media business, beehiiv gives you the publishing tools to match.

beehiiv also makes sense if you care about SEO. Every issue is automatically published as a web page with customizable metadata, which means your newsletter archive can drive organic traffic over time. The built-in recommendation network provides a growth channel that doesn't depend on social media or paid ads.

Teams running multiple publications will appreciate beehiiv's support for up to ten newsletters under one Max account, along with unlimited team seats.

When to choose Kit

Kit is the better fit if email marketing is part of a larger creator business. If you sell courses, ebooks, templates, or other digital products, Kit lets you handle sales and delivery without bolting on a separate commerce platform. The automation builder is also significantly more capable for complex sequences like onboarding funnels, segmented campaigns, and behavior-triggered emails.

Kit's integration library is another deciding factor. If your workflow depends on connecting your email platform to WordPress, Shopify, Teachable, Webflow, or dozens of other tools, Kit's native integrations and API access make it easier to fit into an existing stack.

The free plan's 10,000-subscriber limit is also a strong draw for early-stage creators who want room to grow before committing to a paid tier.

Where Fabric fits

Whether you pick beehiiv or Kit, running a newsletter means juggling research, drafts, reference material, sponsor details, analytics, and planning docs across many different apps. Fabric is a personal cloud and context layer that connects 30+ apps into one searchable workspace.

Use Fabric's AI search to find that stat you bookmarked last month or the draft outline you started in Google Docs. The AI assistant can help you brainstorm subject lines, summarize source material, or pull together research for your next issue. Notes and docs gives you a writing space that lives alongside everything else you've saved.

Fabric offers a free tier, with paid plans at $8/mo (annual) or $10/mo (monthly). The company also plants trees with every subscription.

Frequently asked questions

Is beehiiv really free?

Yes. beehiiv's Launch plan is free for up to 2,500 subscribers with unlimited sends. It includes basic analytics and the recommendation network. You won't get automations, the Ad Network, paid subscriptions, or custom domains on the free tier, but it's a functional starting point. Paid plans come with a 30-day free trial.

Is Kit (ConvertKit) free?

Kit's Newsletter plan is free for up to 10,000 subscribers with unlimited sends. It's more generous on subscriber count than beehiiv's free tier, though it limits you to one automation and one email sequence and includes Kit branding. You can still sell digital products on the free plan.

Why did ConvertKit rebrand to Kit?

ConvertKit rebranded to Kit in 2024 as part of a broader shift in the company's positioning. The new name reflects a move beyond email-only marketing toward a full creator platform with commerce, recommendations, and a sponsorship network. Existing features and accounts carried over, and both names are still widely used.

Which platform is better for monetization?

It depends on how you want to earn. beehiiv offers more newsletter-specific monetization through its Ad Network, Boosts, and paid subscriptions with no platform fee. Kit is better if your revenue comes from selling digital products like courses, templates, or ebooks, since it has built-in commerce tools. Kit charges a 3.5% transaction fee on sales.

Can I migrate from Kit to beehiiv or vice versa?

Yes. Both platforms allow you to import subscriber lists via CSV. Kit offers free hands-on migration support for creators with more than 5,000 subscribers. beehiiv doesn't offer managed migration but provides import tools and documentation. In either case, plan to rebuild automations and templates manually.

Which platform has better deliverability?

Both platforms maintain strong deliverability reputations. beehiiv uses shared and dedicated IP options (dedicated on Enterprise). Kit routes through established sending infrastructure and provides deliverability reporting on the Creator Pro plan. Neither platform is known for deliverability problems, and both follow standard authentication practices like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC.

Does beehiiv take a cut of paid subscriptions?

No. beehiiv charges 0% platform fee on paid newsletter subscriptions on the Scale and Max plans. You only pay Stripe's standard processing fees. This is a significant advantage over Kit, which takes 3.5% plus Stripe fees on transactions.

Can I use beehiiv or Kit for a podcast?

beehiiv offers built-in podcast hosting on the Max plan, making it one of the few newsletter platforms with native audio support. Kit does not host podcasts, so you'd need a separate service like Transistor or Buzzsprout and link to episodes from your emails.

Which platform is better for beginners?

Kit's free plan supports more subscribers (10,000 vs 2,500) and includes basic commerce tools, making it a slightly easier starting point if you're not sure how large your audience will get. beehiiv's interface is arguably more modern and focused, which some beginners find less overwhelming. Both platforms have gentle learning curves compared to enterprise tools.

Is Fabric free?

Yes. Fabric has a free tier that gives you access to its core features, including saving content from 30+ apps, AI-powered search, and the AI assistant. Paid plans unlock additional storage and features at $8/mo with annual billing or $10/mo month-to-month.

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