What it's for
A flat fee and no revenue cut, so it beats Substack's 10% once paid revenue passes the plan price (our paid-newsletter note).
- Newsletters with growth tools
- Paid newsletters with no revenue cut
- Ad network income
Plans and prices
| Plan | Price (USD unless shown) | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Launch (free) | $0 | Up to 2,500 subscribers; unlimited sends |
| Scale / Lite | $49/mo billed yearly ($59 monthly) | Paid subscriptions with 0% take rate, ad monetization, automations |
| Pro | $95/mo billed yearly | Remove beehiiv branding, webinars, advanced analytics |
Read on the official pricing page on . Prices change; check before you buy.
Free plan in real output
Free forever, with unlimited email sends, up to 2,500 subscribers.
- Free: up to 2,500 subscribers at no cost. A weekly issue to 2,500 people is 10,000+ emails a month for $0.
- Paid subscriptions need a paid plan: at 0% take rate, 50 paid subscribers at $5 = $250/mo, minus $49 = $201 (before Stripe fees).
Cost at your stage
| Plan | Monthly cost | |
|---|---|---|
| Month 1 (testing, low volume) | Free | $0 |
| Month 12 (working volume) | Lite | $49 |
Break-even: Lite at $49/mo (yearly) is covered by 10 paid subscribers at $5 a month.
Month-12 plan is our estimate of what a solo seller at steady weekly output needs, based on the plan limits above. Costs exclude tax.
Commercial use and output rights
Not a content generator. A newsletter host; your content and list stay yours.
Your data and AI training: Not checked.
This is a summary of public terms, not legal advice. Terms change; re-read the clause before client work.
First-hour setup
- Create a publication and import any existing list.
- Set up the welcome email and a subscribe page.
- Write issue #1 with a clear promise.
- Turn on the referral program when you pass 100 readers.
- Compare costs against Substack at your expected paid revenue.
Competitors compared
| Tool | Pricing model | Free plan | Starting price | Difficulty | Output rights | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| beehiiv | Free plan + paid plans | Yes | $0 · then $49/mo billed yearly ($59 monthly) | 2/5 | Not a content generator | Growing and monetizing a newsletter |
| Substack | Free to join, fee per sale | Yes | $0 · then 10% of revenue + Stripe fees | 1/5 | Not a content generator | Starting a paid newsletter for free |
| Kit | Free plan + paid plans | Yes | $0 · then from $39/mo | 2/5 | Not a content generator | Creators selling products by email |
| Ghost | Paid plans only | Trial only | See official site | – | – | An owned site plus paid newsletter, 0% cut |
| MailerLite | Free plan + paid plans | Yes | See official site | 1/5 | – | Budget email marketing |
| Buttondown | Free plan + paid plans | Yes | See official site | – | – | Simple, developer-friendly newsletters |
Head to head: beehiiv vs Kit vs Substack
Learning difficulty
2/5: Editor is easy; growth and monetization settings take time.
When not to use it
If paid revenue is under about $490/mo, Substack's 10% fee (no monthly fee) costs less than $49/mo.
Cheaper or free alternatives:
- Substack: Starting a paid newsletter for free (yes free plan)
- Kit: Creators selling products by email (yes free plan)
- Ghost: An owned site plus paid newsletter, 0% cut (trial only free plan)
- MailerLite: Budget email marketing (yes free plan)
Which of our hustles use it
- Paid AI-assisted newsletter: Flat fee, no revenue cut, ad network
Price history
Each monthly check adds rows here. Older rows are never edited, so you can see when prices changed.
Sources
- beehiiv pricing (read 17 October 2026)
Last verified . Anything we couldn't confirm on an official page is marked "not published", "not shown" or "not verified".