Beehiiv Review 2026: Pricing, Features, Pros & Cons
Beehiiv has become the default recommendation for newsletter creators who want to build a business, not just a hobby. Founded by early Morning Brew employees, it launched in 2022 and has since grown into the most feature-rich newsletter platform available.
This review covers everything you need to know: what Beehiiv does well, where it falls short, how much it costs, and who should use it.
The Verdict
Beehiiv is the best newsletter platform for creators focused on growth and monetization. Its built-in ad network, referral program, and SEO-optimized hosting set it apart from every competitor. The free tier is generous enough to get started, and the $39/month Scale plan covers up to 100,000 subscribers. If your goal is to turn a newsletter into a revenue-generating business, Beehiiv is the strongest choice in 2026.
What Is Beehiiv?
Beehiiv is a newsletter platform built specifically for creators who want to grow and monetize an audience through email. It combines email sending, a website/blog builder, subscriber analytics, a referral program, and an ad network into a single platform.
Think of it as Substack's ease of use combined with the growth tools of a full marketing stack. It was built by the team behind Morning Brew (which grew to 4M+ subscribers), so the product reflects what high-growth newsletter operators actually need.
Key Features
Beehiiv Ad Network
Beehiiv's built-in ad network connects you with advertisers automatically. Once your newsletter reaches a certain size, you can enable ads and earn revenue without selling sponsorships manually. This is unique among newsletter platforms and eliminates one of the biggest pain points for newsletter monetization.
Referral Program (Boosts)
Beehiiv includes a native referral program where existing subscribers can earn rewards for referring new readers. It also has a "Boost" feature where newsletter operators pay each other for cross-promotions. Both features drive organic growth with zero additional tools.
SEO-Optimized Website
Every Beehiiv newsletter gets a hosted website with proper SEO structure: clean URLs, meta tags, sitemap generation, and fast loading. Your newsletter archives become indexed content that drives organic search traffic. Most competitors either lack this or do it poorly.
Advanced Segmentation & Analytics
Segment subscribers by behavior, source, engagement level, or custom fields. The analytics dashboard shows open rates, click rates, growth trends, and subscriber acquisition sources. More detailed than Substack or Buttondown, comparable to Kit.
Custom Domains & Branding
Connect your own domain, customize colors and fonts, add your logo, and make the entire experience match your brand. Available even on the free tier.
Beehiiv Pricing
| Plan | Price | Subscribers | Key Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Launch | Free | Up to 2,500 | Custom domain, analytics, referral program |
| Scale | $39/mo | Up to 100,000 | Ad network, boosts, advanced analytics, automations |
| Max | $99/mo | Up to 100,000 | Priority support, advanced API, custom branding removal |
| Enterprise | Custom | Unlimited | Dedicated support, SLA, custom integrations |
The free tier is genuinely usable, not a bait-and-switch. You get custom domains, analytics, and the referral program at no cost. The $39/month Scale plan is where most serious creators land, and it covers up to 100K subscribers, which is far more generous than Kit or Mailchimp at that price point.
Pros
- Built-in ad network for automatic monetization
- Native referral program and boost system
- Generous free tier (2,500 subs, custom domain)
- SEO-optimized web hosting included
- $39/mo covers up to 100K subscribers
- Fast product development pace
- Advanced segmentation and analytics
Cons
- No visual email automation builder
- No native digital product sales
- Younger platform (launched 2022)
- Smaller integration library than Kit or Mailchimp
- No phone support
- Free tier has Beehiiv branding
Who Should Use Beehiiv?
- Newsletter-first creators whose primary product is the newsletter itself
- Growth-focused operators who want built-in tools to acquire and retain subscribers
- Creators who want to monetize through ads without managing sponsor relationships manually
- Anyone migrating from Substack who wants more control without Substack's 10% revenue cut
Who Should NOT Use Beehiiv?
- Creators selling digital products should use Kit (ConvertKit) instead, which has native commerce
- Developers who want full ownership should use Ghost, which is open-source and self-hostable
- E-commerce businesses needing deep Shopify/WooCommerce integration should use Mailchimp
Beehiiv vs the Competition
Beehiiv vs Substack: Beehiiv gives you more control, better growth tools, and no revenue cut. Substack is simpler and has built-in reader discovery. Full comparison here.
Beehiiv vs Kit (ConvertKit): Beehiiv is better for pure newsletter growth. Kit is better for selling digital products alongside your newsletter. Full comparison here.
Beehiiv vs Ghost: Beehiiv is easier and has more newsletter-specific features. Ghost gives you full ownership and is open-source. See our main comparison page for details.
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