beehiiv vs MailerLite
Both are newsletter platforms aimed at writers, creators and independent publishers. They differ most on audience growth tools, free plan and value for money.
At a glance
| beehiiv | MailerLite | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 83/100 Higher | 76/100 |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Paid from | $49/mo monthly; $517/yr billed annually | $19/mo monthly; $17.10/mo billed annually |
| Positioning | growth platform | email marketing |
| Launched | 2021 | 2010 |
| Best for | Newsletter operators who want growth tools and ad revenue built in, and expect to outgrow a hobby list. | Small businesses and writers who want the lowest monthly price and no cut of subscription revenue. |
Where each one leads
| Dimension | beehiiv | MailerLite | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free plan | 4/5 | 2/5 | beehiiv |
| Paid subscriptions | 4/5 | 4/5 | Tie |
| Value for money | 3/5 | 5/5 | MailerLite |
| Ease of use | 4/5 | 4/5 | Tie |
| Low transaction fees | 5/5 | 5/5 | Tie |
| Audience growth tools | 5/5 | 3/5 | beehiiv |
| Automation | 4/5 | 4/5 | Tie |
| Publication website | 4/5 | 4/5 | Tie |
Scores are 1–5 per dimension. beehiiv leads on 2 dimensions, MailerLite on 1. The overall figure weights these for newsletter platforms generally — see methodology.
Pricing
Plans are listed per tool rather than paired row by row — tiers rarely line up, and putting one vendor's second plan beside another's implies an equivalence that is not there.
| Tool | Plan | Per month | Terms |
|---|---|---|---|
| beehiiv | Launch | Free | — |
| Scale | $49 | monthly; $517/yr billed annually | |
| Max | $109 | monthly; $1,151/yr billed annually | |
| MailerLite | Free | Free | — |
| Comfort | $19 | monthly; $17.10/mo billed annually | |
| Power | $39 | monthly; $35.10/mo billed annually |
Pricing checked 24 September 2026 against each vendor's own pricing page. beehiiv: Billed in USD. Paid prices are for up to 1,000 subscribers and rise with list size; annual billing saves about 12%. MailerLite: Billed in USD (EUR also offered). Paid prices are for up to 1,000 subscribers and rise with list size; annual billing saves 10%.
Verdict
beehiiv
- +Free for up to 2,500 subscribers with unlimited sends, a website and your own domain.
- +Takes 0% of paid-subscription revenue on paid plans — you pay only Stripe’s processing fee.
- +A recommendation network on every plan, plus a referral programme and ad network from Scale up.
- −Paid subscriptions, automations and the ad network all need the Scale plan, from $49 a month.
- −Prices climb with the list: Scale is $49 a month at 1,000 subscribers and $109 at 10,000.
MailerLite
- +Paid plans start at $19 a month for 1,000 subscribers.
- +No sales fee on paid newsletters — only Stripe’s processing charge.
- +Comfort includes 10 websites and landing pages on your own domain, and 50 automations.
- −The free plan is small: 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails a month.
- −Paid newsletters and custom domains need a paid plan.
Common questions
Is beehiiv cheaper than MailerLite?
beehiiv starts at $49/mo (monthly; $517/yr billed annually), and MailerLite starts at $19/mo (monthly; $17.10/mo billed annually) — so MailerLite is the cheaper entry point. Compare what each includes at that tier, and what it renews at, rather than the headline figure alone.
Does beehiiv or MailerLite have a free plan?
beehiiv has a free plan, and MailerLite has a free plan.
Which is better, beehiiv or MailerLite?
On our weighted scoring across the use cases in this category, beehiiv comes out ahead overall. The honest answer is that it depends on the use case — the tables above break the score down by dimension so you can weight it to your own priorities.
Other comparisons
Sources & verification
- beehiiv.com — checked 24 September 2026
- beehiiv.com — checked 24 September 2026Launch plan: free for up to 2,500 subscribers, with unlimited email sends, a website and custom domains. No card required. Paid subscriptions, automations and the ad network need a paid plan.
- mailerlite.com — checked 24 September 2026
- mailerlite.com — checked 24 September 2026No sales fee on paid newsletters; Stripe processes the payments.
- mailerlite.com — checked 24 September 2026Free plan: up to 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails a month, with 3 automations, 1 website and 1 landing page. Paid newsletters, custom domains and removing the MailerLite logo need a paid plan.