beehiiv Review

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What it is: Newsletter platform
Best for: Newsletters earning from ads and paid subs
Price: $49/mo billed yearly (Lite, $59 monthly); $95 for Pro, checked October 26, 2026
Prices checked: October 26, 2026

We researched beehiiv's official pricing and terms, plus independent reviews and customer feedback. We haven't used beehiiv ourselves, so this is a research-based review, not a hands-on test.

Who it’s best for

Newsletters that plan to earn from ads (it has its own ad network) or paid subscriptions.
Writers who want growth tools like referrals built in.

Who should skip it

Probably not the best fit if selling digital products is your main business.

How it works day to day

This part draws on beehiiv’s own product pages, help center and documentation, read October 26, 2026 (listed under Sources). We haven’t used beehiiv ourselves.

In beehiiv you write each issue in its editor, then send it as an email and publish it to your beehiiv website at the same time. The dashboard shows opens, clicks, subscriber growth and revenue. Growth and earning tools sit alongside: a referral program that rewards readers for sharing, Boosts (paid recommendations between newsletters) and its ad network for sponsorships.

Key features in use

An editor that publishes each post to email and the web together.
A no-code website builder for your newsletter's site, landing pages and sign-up forms.
A referral program with automated rewards at milestones you set.
Boosts, where other newsletters pay you to recommend them (or you pay to be recommended).
The beehiiv ad network for sponsorships and programmatic ads.
Automations for behavior-based email journeys, such as a welcome series.

Setup and learning curve

A newsletter can be up and sending on the free plan the same day. Most of the extra setup is building your website and turning on growth tools like referrals, which beehiiv's help center walks through step by step.

Integrations

beehiiv connects with Stripe for paid subscriptions, Google Analytics, Make and, on paid plans, thousands of apps through Zapier.

Support

beehiiv offers a knowledge base, a chat assistant and support tickets.

Real-world use cases

A newsletter writer who wants to earn from sponsorships through the ad network.
A creator who grows a list with a referral program that rewards sharing.
A writer launching a paid subscription tier without beehiiv taking a cut.

What it costs

Prices checked October 26, 2026, from beehiiv’s own pricing page unless noted. Prices change often, so check the official page before you buy.

Free: up to 2,500 subscribers, unlimited sends.
Lite: $49 a month billed yearly, or $59 monthly, at 1,000 subscribers (sold up to 100,000).
Pro: $95 a month billed yearly, or $109 monthly, at 1,000 subscribers (sold up to 250,000).
beehiiv takes 0% of paid subscription revenue; Stripe charges its usual 2.9% + 30¢.
beehiiv renamed its plans to Free, Lite and Pro in October 2026.

What we like

beehiiv takes 0% of paid subscription revenue (Stripe fees still apply).
A built-in ad network.
G2 showed 4.5 out of 5 as of October 26, 2026, though from only about 40 reviews.

What to watch for

Paid plans cost more than Kit at small list sizes.
Trustpilot showed 3.9 out of 5 from about 410 reviews as of October 25, 2026.
The October 2026 pricing change drew user backlash.

The fine print

Prices rise with subscriber count.

The main alternative: Kit (formerly ConvertKit)

Kit is an email platform for creators who also sell digital products. It's free up to 10,000 subscribers. Kit takes 3.5% + 30¢ on each product or paid-newsletter sale, card processing included.

What it costs: $33/mo billed yearly (Creator)

Read our full Kit (formerly ConvertKit) review · Kit vs beehiiv

Pick beehiiv if you…

want to earn from ads or paid subscriptions and keep all your subscription revenue (Kit takes a fee on each sale; see its details below).
want growth tools built in.

Pick Kit (formerly ConvertKit) if you…

sell digital products alongside your newsletter.
want a free plan for up to 10,000 subscribers.

Our take

beehiiv is built for newsletters that want to grow and earn, with no cut of subscription revenue. At small list sizes, Kit is cheaper and better for selling digital products.

Side by side

Company	Best for	Free plan	Paid from (about 1,000 subscribers)
beehiiv	Newsletters earning from ads and paid subs	Yes, up to 2,500 subscribers	$49/mo billed yearly (Lite, $59 monthly); $95 for Pro, checked October 26, 2026
Kit (formerly ConvertKit)	Creators selling products and courses	Up to 10,000 subscribers	$33/mo billed yearly (Creator)

From our company records. Check the official pages for current prices.

What we checked

beehiiv's October 2026 pricing announcement and pricing guide, read October 25, 2026
Trustpilot (3.9 from 413) and G2 (4.5 from 40) ratings
Kit (formerly ConvertKit)'s details: from our newsletter platforms guide, which read the official pricing page on October 24, 2026
beehiiv's feature pages, help-center articles and integration pages, read October 26, 2026

Sources

Visit beehiiv’s official site

How we review

We read the company's own terms, test the sign-up or booking steps where we can, and compare it with alternatives. A commission never changes what we write. Read our disclosure.