Mailchimp vs Beehiiv
pricing comparison · 2026 · Updated April 2026
Mailchimp has a free plan, then $13–$350/mo, while Beehiiv has a free plan, then $49–$95/mo. Mailchimp is typically 72% more affordable, though your actual cost depends on tier and team size.
Sources & confidence
Every dollar amount and contract clause below traces back to a sourced fact. We don't manufacture composite scores.
Plans at a glance
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Contract terms
The fine print, surfaced. Green = buyer-friendly. Each clause backed by a quoted source.
What users say
Aggregated, with sample sizes. We use whichever review platform has data.
Mailchimp is the incumbent email marketing platform used by millions of businesses. Beehiiv is a newer newsletter platform built specifically for creators and media brands, with built-in monetization tools. They’re often compared because both handle email, but they target different use cases.
Mailchimp is a general-purpose email marketing tool with automation, landing pages, and CRM-adjacent features. Beehiiv is optimized for newsletter growth with built-in referral programs, paid subscriptions, and a native ad network. The pricing models are also fundamentally different: Mailchimp charges by subscriber count, while Beehiiv charges flat rates.
Plan-by-Plan Pricing
| Plan | Mailchimp | Beehiiv |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Free /month | Free /month |
| Essentials | $13 /month | $59 /month |
| Standard | $20 /month | $109 /month |
| Premium | $350 /month | Custom |
Contract Terms
| Term | Mailchimp | Beehiiv |
|---|---|---|
| Auto-renewal | Yes | — |
| Cancellation | — | — |
| Minimum commitment | Monthly plans; Premium starts at $350/month (15% off the first 12 months for 10,000+ contacts) | — |
| Price escalation | Users report price increase email notifications with blank old/new price fields; no published escalation schedule | Pricing increases with subscriber count tiers |
| Can downgrade | Yes | — |
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Our Verdict
Choose Beehiiv if you’re building a newsletter business — the referral tools, paid subscriptions, and flat pricing make it the superior choice for content creators at almost any scale above 500 subscribers.
Choose Mailchimp if you’re an e-commerce business that needs purchase-triggered automation, deep integrations, or already has significant Mailchimp data you don’t want to migrate.
Frequently Asked Questions
01 Which is cheaper at 10,000 subscribers?
Beehiiv is cheaper at scale. At 10,000 subscribers, Mailchimp Standard costs around $100/month. Beehiiv Scale is $49/month flat for up to 100,000 subscribers (subject to fair use).
02 Can Beehiiv replace Mailchimp for a business?
For pure newsletter use, yes. For full marketing automation with CRM, e-commerce, and complex customer journeys, Mailchimp has more depth. Evaluate whether you need those features.
03 Does Beehiiv have automation?
Yes, basic automation (welcome sequences, drip campaigns). It’s not as advanced as Mailchimp’s customer journey builder, but sufficient for most newsletter workflows.
04 Which has better deliverability?
Both have comparable deliverability for normal newsletter use. Beehiiv was built with deliverability in mind and has a strong sender reputation. Mailchimp’s shared sending infrastructure can be affected by other senders on their network.