Beehiiv vs ConvertKit
Email Marketing pricing comparison · 2026
Beehiiv pricing ranges from $0–$109/month, while ConvertKit ranges from $0–$66/month. ConvertKit is typically 39% more affordable, though your actual cost depends on tier and team size.
Beehiiv and ConvertKit are the two most popular platforms for newsletter creators, and their pricing reflects different philosophies. Beehiiv's free Launch plan supports up to 2,500 subscribers with full feature access including analytics, tagging, and a custom website. ConvertKit's free Newsletter plan supports up to 10,000 subscribers but locks out automation. On paid plans, Beehiiv's Scale plan starts at $49/month while ConvertKit's Creator plan starts at $33/month for 1,000 subscribers. At 100,000 subscribers, Beehiiv costs approximately $262/month (annual) compared to ConvertKit's $566/month — making Beehiiv roughly 54% cheaper at large list sizes.
Both platforms target newsletter creators, but Beehiiv's built-in ad network (boosts and ad marketplace), native referral program on all paid tiers, and multi-newsletter support make it the stronger choice for newsletter operators scaling through advertising. ConvertKit's digital product commerce and creator network make it better for creators selling courses, ebooks, and paid subscriptions.
Plan-by-Plan Pricing
| Plan | Beehiiv | ConvertKit |
|---|---|---|
| Launch | Free / | Free /month |
| Scale | $49 / | $33 /month |
| Max | $109 / | $66 /month |
| Enterprise | Custom | — |
Cost at Scale
Total cost of ownership — licenses, implementation, and hidden costs included.
Beehiiv
1 scenarioConvertKit
3 scenariosMarket Intelligence
Beehiiv
- Median annual cost
- $1,308
- Average negotiated discount
- 93%
ConvertKit
- Median annual cost
- $792 0
Contract Terms
| Term | Beehiiv | ConvertKit |
|---|---|---|
| Auto-renewal | — | Yes |
| Cancellation | — | 30 days |
| Minimum commitment | — | Monthly or annual billing available |
| Price escalation | Pricing increases with subscriber count tiers | Automatic price increases occur when subscriber count increases. Some users report unexpected mid-contract price increases of 100-200%, though specific escalation clauses are not documented. |
| Can downgrade | — | Yes |
Our Verdict
Choose Beehiiv if you're building a newsletter business that will scale to a large list and monetize primarily through advertising, sponsorships, and the Beehiiv ad network — the platform's pricing advantage compounds significantly above 25,000 subscribers. Choose ConvertKit if you primarily monetize through digital products, paid subscriptions, or courses, and want deep integration between your email list and your commerce operations.
Frequently Asked Questions
01 Which is cheaper at scale: Beehiiv or ConvertKit?
Beehiiv is significantly cheaper at larger list sizes. At 100,000 subscribers, Beehiiv costs approximately $262/month on an annual plan, while ConvertKit's Creator plan costs $566/month for the same subscriber count — a 54% price difference. At 10,000 subscribers, Beehiiv's Scale plan ($49/month) is also cheaper than ConvertKit's Creator plan ($100/month).
02 Does Beehiiv have a free plan?
Yes. Beehiiv's Launch plan is free for up to 2,500 subscribers and includes a custom newsletter website, basic analytics, tagging, and segmentation — more features than most free plans. ConvertKit's free Newsletter plan is more generous on subscriber count (10,000) but doesn't include automation. Neither free plan includes the platforms' monetization tools.
03 Is Beehiiv or ConvertKit better for newsletter monetization?
It depends on your monetization model. Beehiiv is better for advertising monetization — it has a built-in ad marketplace, native sponsorship management, and boosts (paid referrals from other Beehiiv newsletters). ConvertKit is better for product monetization — it supports paid newsletter subscriptions, digital product sales (ebooks, templates, courses), and the Creator Network for organic list growth.
04 Can I run multiple newsletters on Beehiiv or ConvertKit?
Beehiiv's Max plan ($109/month) supports multiple newsletters under one account — ideal for newsletter operators running a portfolio. ConvertKit requires a separate account and paid plan for each newsletter, which makes running multiple newsletters considerably more expensive on ConvertKit.
05 Does ConvertKit have better automation than Beehiiv?
Yes. ConvertKit's visual automation builder supports tag-based triggers, conditional branching, and multi-step nurture sequences with integrations to hundreds of third-party tools. Beehiiv's automation capabilities are more limited — it focuses on what subscribers do within Beehiiv (opens, clicks, journey milestones) rather than complex multi-tool workflows.
06 What are the hidden costs of Beehiiv vs ConvertKit?
Beehiiv's hidden costs include the jump from Scale ($49/month) to Max ($109/month) if you need the referral program or multiple publications. Its ad monetization features are only available on paid tiers. ConvertKit charges a 3.5% + $0.30 transaction fee on all digital product and paid newsletter sales, which can add up significantly for high-revenue creators.