What is beehiiv?
beehiiv is a newsletter platform that lets creators, publishers and businesses write, send, grow and earn money from an email publication. It combines an email editor, a hosted website, audience growth tools and monetization options in one account. The company was started in 2021 by early employees of Morning Brew, and its tools reflect that background in media, with a strong focus on audience growth and advertising revenue rather than general marketing automation.
Beyond email, beehiiv now covers websites, podcasts, community features and digital products. A built-in ad network matches publications with sponsors, while paid subscriptions and product sales run through Stripe with no platform cut on those sales. A free plan supports up to 2,500 subscribers, and paid tiers add automations, A/B testing, advanced analytics, AI features and removal of beehiiv branding.
beehiiv at a glance
How does beehiiv work?
- Create a publication
Sign up for free, name your newsletter and import existing subscribers from another platform if you have them.
- Build your site and templates
Use the no-code or AI website builder for a hosted home page and set up email templates that match your brand.
- Write and send posts
Draft issues in the editor, then publish them to the web, send them by email or both at once.
- Grow the audience
Add sign-up forms and landing pages, join the recommendation network and use polls and segments to learn about readers.
- Monetize
Turn on paid subscriptions, sell digital products or accept sponsor placements from the beehiiv ad network on eligible plans.
beehiiv key features
Newsletter editor and templates
Design and style emails while writing, with drag-and-drop templates and web publishing built in.
Website builder
A no-code builder, including an AI website builder on the free plan, creates a hosted site for your publication.
Ad network
Connects newsletters with brands and handles the selling of ad placements, available from the Lite plan.
Paid subscriptions and digital products
Charge for premium content or sell products, with beehiiv taking 0% and Stripe fees applying.
Recommendation network
Newsletters recommend each other at sign-up to help new readers discover related publications.
Automations and A/B testing
Build email sequences and test variations on paid plans, with click-triggered automations on Pro.
Analytics
Track campaign and website performance, with longer lookback windows and advanced reports on higher tiers.
API, webhooks and MCP
Connect beehiiv to other tools through an API, webhooks and an MCP server for AI agents.
Why use beehiiv?
- The free plan supports up to 2,500 subscribers with unlimited sends, which is enough to launch and test a newsletter.
- Monetization is built in, so you can earn from ads, paid subscriptions and products without extra tools.
- beehiiv takes no percentage of subscription or product revenue, which matters as income grows.
- Growth tools such as recommendations, forms and polls are part of the core product.
- One account can cover a newsletter, website, podcast and community instead of several separate services.
Who is beehiiv best for?
A good fit for
- Independent newsletter writers who want to grow and monetize
- Media companies and publishers running several newsletters
- Creators who plan to earn from sponsorships
- Businesses that want a content-led newsletter with a hosted website
Less suited to
- Ecommerce stores that need deep product, order and cart automation
- Teams that need native SMS marketing
- Very small senders who need branding removed but do not want to pay for Pro
beehiiv pricing
| Pricing model | Freemium |
|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes |
| Free trial | Free trial on Lite and Pro (length not stated) |
| Starting price | $49/month billed yearly (Lite) |
Free covers up to 2,500 subscribers, Lite up to 100,000 and Pro up to 250,000, with more seats, publications and features at each step. Enterprise pricing is custom, and yearly billing saves up to 20% versus monthly.
Prices checked October 2026. Vendors change plans often, so confirm on the official beehiiv pricing page before you buy.
beehiiv pros and cons
Pros
- Generous free plan with unlimited sends
- Strong built-in growth and monetization tools
- 0% platform fee on paid subscriptions and products
- Website, podcast and community features in one place
Cons
- Removing beehiiv branding requires the Pro plan
- Paid plans jump to $49/month, which is steep for small lists
- No native SMS channel
beehiiv integrations and platforms
Works with
Available on
beehiiv alternatives
See the full shortlist in Best Newsletter Platforms.
beehiiv FAQ
Is beehiiv free?
Yes. beehiiv has a free plan with no time limit that supports up to 2,500 subscribers, one publication and one team seat. It includes unlimited email sends, templates, landing pages, the recommendation network and API access. beehiiv branding stays on free newsletters, and features such as automations and the ad network require a paid plan.
What is beehiiv used for?
beehiiv is used to run email newsletters as a business. Writers use it to publish posts by email and on the web, grow their list with forms and recommendations, and earn money from ads, paid subscriptions and digital products. Some teams also use it for websites, podcasts and community spaces.
beehiiv vs Substack: what's the difference?
Substack is free to start but takes 10% of paid subscription revenue and offers limited design control. beehiiv charges a monthly fee on paid plans but takes 0% of subscription revenue, and it adds more growth tools, an ad network, custom websites and analytics. Substack has a larger built-in reader app and discovery network.
Is beehiiv good for beginners?
Yes. beehiiv is approachable for beginners because the free plan covers the basics and the editor and website builder need no coding. New users can start sending right away and add growth and monetization features later. The number of features can feel like a lot at first, so starting simple helps.
Does beehiiv integrate with Stripe?
Yes. beehiiv uses Stripe to process paid subscriptions and digital product sales. beehiiv itself takes 0% of that revenue, while Stripe charges its standard processing fee of 2.9% plus $0.30 per transaction. beehiiv also connects with Zapier, Google Analytics and other tools through its API and webhooks.
Sources
This overview is based on beehiiv's official website and documentation, checked October 2026.