beehiiv pricing (2026)

Last updated October 2026

beehiiv has become one of the most popular newsletter platforms for creators, startups, and media companies since its launch in 2021. But with four distinct tiers, subscriber-based pricing that shifts as your list grows, and a recent rebrand of plan names in late 2026, working out what you will pay requires more than a glance at the pricing page.

This guide breaks down every beehiiv plan in detail, compares costs against Substack, ConvertKit (Kit), Mailchimp, and Ghost, and helps you decide whether the platform is worth the investment at each stage of growth. If you are weighing beehiiv against a specific competitor, our head-to-head comparisons cover beehiiv vs Substack, beehiiv vs ConvertKit, beehiiv vs Mailchimp, and beehiiv vs Ghost in greater depth. You can also read our full beehiiv review for a broader look at the platform's strengths and limitations.

How beehiiv pricing works

The subscriber-based model

beehiiv charges a flat monthly or annual fee that scales with your total active subscriber count. Unlike Mailchimp, which also factors in send volume, or Substack, which takes a percentage of revenue, beehiiv does not impose per-email fees or claim a cut of your paid subscription income. This makes costs predictable in one respect: you know your platform fee before sending a single email. The trade-off is that your bill increases automatically when your subscriber count crosses a tier threshold, regardless of how much revenue those subscribers generate.

Plan names: the October 2026 rebrand

In October 2026, beehiiv renamed its plans. Launch became Free, Scale became Lite, and Max became Pro. Enterprise remains Enterprise. The features within each tier stayed largely the same, so if you see older references to Launch, Scale, or Max elsewhere, they map directly to the current names. Throughout this guide, we use the new names with the former names noted where it helps clarity.

Monthly vs annual billing

All paid beehiiv plans offer monthly and annual billing. Annual billing saves roughly 15 to 20 per cent, though it locks you in for the full year. There is no mid-cycle refund if you downgrade or cancel partway through an annual term, which is worth factoring in if your subscriber count or publishing frequency is still uncertain. Both Lite and Pro plans include a 14-day free trial on paid tiers, so you can test the feature set before committing.

The free plan (formerly Launch)

Who it suits

The beehiiv Free plan supports up to 2,500 subscribers with unlimited email sends, making it one of the more generous free tiers in the newsletter space. It is well suited to writers, hobbyists, and early-stage creators who want to start building an audience without any financial commitment. There is no time limit on the Free plan; it is a permanent tier, not a trial.

What you get

Core publishing tools. The Free plan includes the newsletter editor, a built-in website with a custom domain, podcast hosting, and community features. You also get access to beehiiv's recommendation network, which lets you cross-promote with other newsletters. Basic campaign analytics, a link-in-bio page, and the AI website builder round out the package.

Single digital product. You can sell one digital product through the Free plan at a 0 per cent platform fee, though Stripe's payment processing charges still apply.

API access. The Free plan includes API access for integrations, excluding the Send API, which is reserved for Enterprise.

What you do not get

No paid subscriptions. If you want to charge readers for premium content, you need to upgrade to at least the Lite plan.

No automations. Email sequences, welcome flows, and triggered campaigns require a paid tier.

No ad network access. beehiiv's Ad Network, which places sponsor ads in your emails and pays you per open, is only available on Lite and above.

Beehiiv branding. Your emails and website carry beehiiv branding on the Free plan, which cannot be removed without upgrading to Pro.

The Lite plan (formerly Scale)

Pricing by subscriber count

The Lite plan starts at $49 per month on annual billing (or $59 month-to-month) for up to 1,000 subscribers. Prices rise in defined steps as your list grows. At 2,500 subscribers, you will pay $69 per month annually; at 5,000 subscribers, $95 per month annually; at 10,000 subscribers, $119 per month annually. The Lite plan caps at 100,000 subscribers, where the annual rate reaches $399 per month. Beyond 100,000 subscribers, you must move to the Pro plan or Enterprise.

Key features

Monetisation layer. The Lite plan unlocks paid subscriptions with a 0 per cent platform fee. beehiiv does not take a cut of your subscription revenue, which stands in sharp contrast to Substack's 10 per cent. You still pay Stripe's processing fees (2.9 per cent plus $0.30 per transaction), but the platform itself earns nothing from your paid content.

Email automations. Welcome sequences, drip campaigns, and triggered automations become available at the Lite tier, giving you proper lifecycle email capabilities.

Ad Network and Boosts. You gain access to beehiiv's Ad Network for monetising through sponsored placements, as well as the Boosts programme for paid cross-promotion with other newsletters.

Surveys, polls, and referral programme. These engagement tools help you understand your audience and incentivise sharing. Advanced website analytics and webhooks for external integrations are also included.

Team features. The Lite plan supports up to 3 publications, 2 team seats, and 3 guest authors, making it workable for small teams or creators managing multiple newsletters.

Human support. You move from self-serve documentation to direct human support at this tier.

The Pro plan (formerly Max)

Pricing by subscriber count

The Pro plan starts at $95 per month on annual billing (or $109 month-to-month) for up to 1,000 subscribers. At 2,500 subscribers, the annual rate is $129 per month; at 10,000, it is $199 per month; at 50,000, $399 per month. The Pro plan extends to 250,000 subscribers, where it reaches $869 per month on annual billing. For lists above 250,000, Enterprise is the only option.

Key features above Lite

Branding removal. The Pro plan lets you remove all beehiiv branding from your emails and website, presenting a fully white-labelled experience to your readers. For professional publishers and companies, this alone often justifies the upgrade.

Expanded team and publication limits. Pro supports up to 10 publications and 10 team seats with unlimited guest authors. If you run a media company with several newsletter titles or a business with multiple branded communications, this headroom matters.

Sponsorship storefront. A dedicated marketplace where potential sponsors can browse your audience data and book ad placements directly, reducing the manual effort of selling sponsorships.

Advanced content tools. Audio newsletters, RSS-to-Send for automatic publishing from external feeds, dynamic content for personalised email sections, and Getty image credits for professional visuals.

Priority support. 24/7 priority human support, which can be valuable when you are dealing with deliverability issues or time-sensitive campaigns.

Is the Pro upgrade worth the cost?

The gap between Lite and Pro at the entry level is roughly $46 per month on annual billing, which adds up to about $552 per year. If you are running a single newsletter and do not need white-labelling or multi-publication support, Lite delivers the core monetisation and automation features at a lower price point. Pro becomes compelling once you need branding control, multiple publications, or the sponsorship storefront. For a more detailed breakdown of features across tiers, see our beehiiv review.

Enterprise

Custom pricing for large operations

beehiiv Enterprise is quote-based, with pricing determined by subscriber count, required features, and support level. There is no published rate card for this tier. It is designed for large media companies, organisations with complex publishing needs, and businesses that have outgrown the 250,000-subscriber ceiling on the Pro plan.

What Enterprise adds

Concierge onboarding and a dedicated account manager. Enterprise clients receive hands-on migration support and an ongoing relationship with a named account manager, which is a significant step up from priority support.

Dedicated IP addresses. For organisations where email deliverability is mission-critical, dedicated IPs give you full control over your sender reputation rather than sharing it with other beehiiv users.

Send API. The full Send API is reserved for Enterprise, enabling programmatic email sending that integrates beehiiv into your existing tech stack.

SSO and custom publication limits. Single sign-on for team security and the ability to run as many publications as your organisation requires.

VIP support. The highest tier of support response times and escalation paths.

Feature comparison across all tiers

Publishing and content

All four beehiiv plans include the core newsletter editor, website builder, and unlimited email sends. The difference lies in content sophistication: Free gives you the essentials, Lite adds automations, and Pro layers on audio newsletters, dynamic content, and RSS-to-Send. Podcast hosting and the recommendation network are available across all plans, which is generous given that some competitors gate these behind paid tiers.

Monetisation

Free. One digital product, no paid subscriptions, no ad network.

Lite. Paid subscriptions at 0 per cent platform fee, Ad Network, Boosts, paid recommendations.

Pro. Everything in Lite plus the sponsorship storefront.

Enterprise. Everything in Pro with custom arrangements.

The 0 per cent take rate on paid subscriptions across all paid plans is one of beehiiv's strongest selling points. Substack charges 10 per cent of subscription revenue, which means a creator earning $5,000 per month in subscriptions would pay $500 to Substack but $0 to beehiiv (aside from Stripe processing fees).

Team and scale

The Free plan is a single-user tool. Lite supports small teams with 2 seats and 3 publications. Pro expands to 10 seats and 10 publications. Enterprise removes these limits entirely with unlimited seats and custom publication counts. If you are a solo creator, the team seat count is irrelevant, but for agencies or media companies running multiple brands, the Pro and Enterprise tiers become necessary quickly.

Analytics and integrations

Basic campaign analytics are available on Free. Lite adds advanced website analytics and webhooks. Pro and Enterprise include the full analytics suite. API access is available on all plans except that the Send API requires Enterprise.

Hidden costs and pricing considerations

Subscriber tier jumps

The most significant hidden cost on beehiiv is the automatic price increase when you cross a subscriber threshold. If you are on Lite at 10,000 subscribers paying $119 per month (annual) and your list grows to 10,001, your bill jumps to $169 per month. That is a $50 per month increase triggered by a single subscriber. There is no grace period or gradual scaling. Cleaning your list regularly to remove inactive subscribers is not just good practice; it is a direct cost-saving measure.

Stripe processing fees

beehiiv does not take a cut of paid subscription revenue, but Stripe does. You will pay 2.9 per cent plus $0.30 per transaction. On a $10 monthly subscription, that means Stripe takes $0.59, leaving you $9.41. On a $5 subscription, the effective rate is higher because the fixed $0.30 component represents a larger share. For creators with lower-priced subscriptions, these processing fees add up more quickly than you might expect.

Paid recommendation costs

beehiiv's paid recommendation feature lets you acquire subscribers by paying other newsletter operators a cost-per-acquisition fee. This spend is entirely separate from your plan fee and can scale to significant amounts depending on your growth targets and the going rate for subscribers in your niche.

Annual billing lock-in

Annual billing saves money per month, but you are committing to twelve months at your current subscriber tier. If your list grows substantially during that year, your bill adjusts upward even on an annual plan. If your list shrinks, however, you continue paying the rate established at the start of your term. For newsletters with volatile subscriber counts, monthly billing, despite its higher per-month cost, offers more flexibility.

The cost of doing nothing on the free plan

While the Free plan is permanent and costs nothing in monetary terms, the lack of automations, paid subscriptions, and the Ad Network means you are leaving revenue on the table if your newsletter has commercial potential. The "cost" of staying on Free is the opportunity cost of features you cannot access.

beehiiv vs competitors on pricing

beehiiv vs Substack

Substack charges no monthly fee, which makes it appear cheaper on the surface. The platform takes 10 per cent of all paid subscription revenue, plus Stripe's processing fees of roughly 2.9 per cent plus $0.30. For a creator earning $1,000 per month in subscriptions, Substack takes $100 in platform fees. On beehiiv Lite at, say, 5,000 subscribers, you would pay $95 per month in platform fees and $0 in revenue share. The crossover point depends on your subscriber count and revenue: if you earn less than roughly $95 per month in subscriptions, Substack is cheaper. If you earn more, beehiiv pulls ahead, and the gap widens as revenue grows. Substack also offers far fewer tools for growth and monetisation, with no automations, limited analytics, and no ad network. For a full comparison, see our beehiiv vs Substack guide.

beehiiv vs ConvertKit (Kit)

Kit's Creator plan starts at $39 per month for 1,000 subscribers (or $29 on annual billing), which undercuts beehiiv Lite's $49 per month starting point. However, Kit's pricing escalates more steeply: at 10,000 subscribers, Kit Creator costs $139 per month versus beehiiv Lite's $119 per month on annual billing. Kit's free plan supports up to 10,000 subscribers, which is four times beehiiv's 2,500-subscriber free tier, though it comes with limited automations and Kit branding. The key pricing difference is structural: Kit charges based on subscribers without offering a built-in ad network or sponsorship marketplace, so your ability to offset platform costs through the platform itself is more limited. See our beehiiv vs ConvertKit breakdown for more detail.

beehiiv vs Mailchimp

Mailchimp's Standard plan starts at roughly $22 per month for 500 contacts, which seems competitive until you account for how Mailchimp defines "contacts." Unsubscribed addresses count towards your limit, and a single person in two audiences counts twice. At 10,000 contacts, Mailchimp Standard costs considerably more than beehiiv Lite's $119 per month, and Mailchimp's Premium plan starts at around $390 per month for 10,000 contacts. Mailchimp also recently cut its free plan to just 250 contacts and 500 monthly sends, making it nearly unusable for newsletter publishing. For newsletter-first creators, beehiiv offers better value, more relevant features, and a pricing model that makes more sense for audience-driven businesses. Our beehiiv vs Mailchimp guide covers the full comparison.

beehiiv vs Ghost

Ghost takes a fundamentally different approach. Its managed hosting (Ghost Pro) starts at $18 per month for up to 1,000 members on the Starter plan, rising to $29 per month on the Publisher plan where paid subscriptions become available. Ghost charges 0 per cent on revenue, matching beehiiv's approach, and the platform is open-source, meaning you can self-host for free if you have the technical ability. At scale, Ghost Publisher at 10,000 members costs around $105 per month (annual), which is comparable to beehiiv Lite's $119 per month at the same subscriber count. Ghost suits publishers who want full ownership of their platform and are comfortable with a more hands-on setup. beehiiv suits those who prefer a managed experience with built-in growth tools. See our beehiiv vs Ghost comparison for a deeper dive.

The pricing landscape overall

Among newsletter-focused platforms, beehiiv occupies a middle ground: more expensive than Substack's free-to-start model for very small creators, cheaper than Substack for anyone generating meaningful paid subscription revenue, more affordable than Mailchimp for newsletter-first use cases, and comparable to Ghost Pro with less technical overhead. The platform's 0 per cent take rate on subscriptions is its strongest pricing differentiator, particularly as subscriber revenue grows. For a broader look at how all the major platforms compare, our guides to the best newsletter platform for creators and best newsletter platform for startups offer wider perspectives.

Who beehiiv is best for

Solo creators and writers

If you are a solo creator publishing one newsletter and monetising through paid subscriptions, beehiiv Lite offers the best balance of features and cost. The 0 per cent take rate on subscriptions means you keep more of your revenue than you would on Substack, and the built-in growth tools, recommendation network, and Ad Network provide monetisation avenues that no other platform bundles as tightly at this price point.

Startups and businesses

For startups using newsletters as a marketing channel, beehiiv Lite or Pro provides the automations, analytics, and team features needed to run email as a serious growth engine. The ability to manage multiple publications under one account on the Pro plan is particularly useful for companies with distinct audience segments or product lines.

Media companies and publishers

Professional media operations benefit from the Pro or Enterprise tiers, where branding removal, the sponsorship storefront, dedicated IPs, and expanded team seats support the demands of high-volume, multi-title publishing. Enterprise's concierge onboarding and dedicated account management reduce the friction of migrating large subscriber lists from other platforms.

Who should look elsewhere

If you publish irregularly, have a small audience with no plans to monetise, and value simplicity above all else, Substack's zero-cost, zero-configuration model may be a better fit. If you need deep e-commerce integrations or advanced marketing automation beyond email, Mailchimp or Kit may serve you better despite their higher costs. And if you want complete platform ownership and have the technical skills to manage hosting, Ghost's self-hosted option is hard to beat on control and long-term cost.

Is beehiiv worth it?

The value proposition at each tier

Free. Unambiguously worth it for anyone starting a newsletter. You get a surprisingly capable platform with no cost and no time pressure to upgrade. The 2,500-subscriber limit is generous enough to validate your idea and build initial traction before deciding whether to invest in a paid plan.

Lite. Worth it if you are earning, or plan to earn, revenue through paid subscriptions. The break-even point against Substack comes quickly: if your paid subscription revenue exceeds your Lite plan fee, you are ahead. Add in the Ad Network, automations, and growth tools, and Lite delivers strong value for newsletters with commercial intent.

Pro. Worth it if you need branding removal, multiple publications, or the sponsorship storefront. If you are a single-newsletter creator without strong white-labelling requirements, the roughly $46 per month premium over Lite is harder to justify. The decision often comes down to whether you are running a personal newsletter or a professional media operation.

Enterprise. Worth it for organisations with large lists, complex needs, and the budget to match. The lack of published pricing means you should negotiate carefully, but the dedicated infrastructure and support justify custom pricing for the right operations.

What you get that competitors do not bundle

beehiiv is one of the few platforms that bundles newsletter publishing, website hosting, podcast hosting, a recommendation network, an ad network, and a referral programme into a single tool. Separately, you might pay for a website builder, a podcast host, and an ad management service on top of your email platform. By consolidating these, beehiiv reduces the total cost of running a newsletter business even if its plan fees are not the lowest in every individual comparison.

The trajectory question

One of the strongest arguments for beehiiv is its trajectory. The platform has shipped significant updates at a pace that rivals much larger companies, adding features like the AI website builder, digital products, and enhanced analytics in rapid succession. When you evaluate pricing, consider not just what beehiiv offers today but where it is likely to be in twelve months.

Organising your newsletter workflow with Fabric

A context layer for your publishing process

Running a newsletter involves more than writing and sending. You gather research, draft outlines, store brand assets, manage sponsor briefs, and keep track of ideas across multiple tools. Fabric is a personal cloud and context layer designed to bring this kind of fragmented workflow into one place. At $8 per month on yearly billing (or $10 per month on a monthly plan), with a free tier for getting started, it works well alongside beehiiv as the organisational backbone for your newsletter process.

Fabric's cloud drive gives you a clean home for newsletter assets: images, templates, sponsor logos, and media files, all stored and searchable in one library. Its connections feature lets you pull in research from across the web, bookmarking articles, threads, and references that feed your content calendar. And the whole system is built around context, surfacing relevant material when you need it rather than burying it in folders. You can learn more about how it fits into your workflow on the environment page.

Frequently asked questions

Is beehiiv free?

Yes. beehiiv offers a permanent free plan (formerly called Launch) that supports up to 2,500 subscribers with unlimited email sends. It is not a trial; you can use it indefinitely.

How much does beehiiv cost per month?

Paid plans start at $49 per month (annual billing) on the Lite plan for up to 1,000 subscribers, rising based on your total subscriber count. The Pro plan starts at $95 per month on annual billing. Enterprise pricing is custom.

Does beehiiv take a percentage of subscriptions?

No. beehiiv charges 0 per cent on paid subscription revenue across all paid plans. You only pay Stripe's processing fees (2.9 per cent plus $0.30 per transaction).

What is the difference between beehiiv Lite and Pro?

Pro adds branding removal, up to 10 publications (vs 3 on Lite), 10 team seats (vs 2), the sponsorship storefront, audio newsletters, dynamic content, and priority support. Lite covers the core monetisation and automation features that most solo creators need.

Can I switch between beehiiv plans?

Yes. You can upgrade at any time, and upgrades are prorated. Downgrades take effect at the end of your current billing cycle. Moving from annual to monthly billing requires your annual term to expire first.

Does beehiiv charge for unsubscribed contacts?

No. beehiiv counts only active subscribers towards your plan limit, unlike Mailchimp, which counts unsubscribed contacts against your quota.

Is beehiiv cheaper than Substack?

It depends on your revenue. Substack is free to use but takes 10 per cent of paid subscription income. If you earn more than your beehiiv plan fee in monthly subscriptions, beehiiv is cheaper. For creators with no paid subscriptions, Substack costs nothing while beehiiv Lite starts at $49 per month.

Does beehiiv offer a free trial?

Yes. Both the Lite and Pro plans include a 14-day free trial. You can test the full feature set before committing to a paid plan.

What happens if I exceed my subscriber limit on beehiiv?

Your plan automatically adjusts to the next subscriber tier, and your billing reflects the higher rate. There is no warning period; the price increase applies once you cross the threshold.

Is beehiiv good for beginners?

Yes. The free plan provides enough tools to launch, grow, and learn the fundamentals of newsletter publishing without any financial risk. The platform's editor is intuitive, and the recommendation network helps new newsletters gain early traction.

Does beehiiv support custom domains?

Yes. Custom domains are available on paid plans (Lite and above), allowing you to send emails and host your newsletter website from your own domain.

Can I remove beehiiv branding from my emails?

Branding removal is available on the Pro plan and above. Free and Lite plans include beehiiv branding on emails and your website.

How does beehiiv's Ad Network work?

The beehiiv Ad Network places sponsor ads in your newsletters and pays you based on verified opens. It is available on Lite and above, and you can control which types of ads appear. Payouts vary by niche and audience quality.

What payment processor does beehiiv use?

beehiiv uses Stripe for all payment processing. You need a Stripe account to accept paid subscriptions, and Stripe charges its standard 2.9 per cent plus $0.30 per transaction fee.