Beehiiv vs Mailchimp: Which Is Better in 2026?
Beehiiv is a newsletter platform, not a general email marketing tool. Mailchimp is the email tool most small businesses try first. Beehiiv’s strength is growing and monetizing a newsletter as a business in itself; Mailchimp’s is getting a small business sending good-looking email quickly.
01Pricing
Beehiiv: paid plans start at $49/mo for 1,000 subscribers. Mailchimp: paid plans start at $13/mo for 500 contacts. Both price by the size of your list or sending volume, so the entry prices above only hold for a small audience; check each vendor’s calculator at your list size. Beehiiv has a free plan (up to 2,500 subscribers). Mailchimp has a free plan (250 contacts and 500 sends a month).
| Plan | Billed annually | Billed monthly | Limits | Adds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | $0 | Up to 2,500 subscribers; 1 publication; 1 team seat; 1 guest author | |
| Lite | $49 | n/a | 1,000 subscribers at this price; Up to 100,000 subscribers; 3 publications; 2 team seats | Paid subscriptions, 0% take rate; Ad monetization; Automations; Audience polls |
| Pro | $95 | n/a | 1,000 subscribers at this price; Up to 250,000 subscribers; 10 publications; 10 team seats | Remove beehiiv branding; Webinars and coaching; Advanced analytics; Webhooks |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom | Custom subscriber and publication limits; Unlimited team seats | SSO/SAML; Dedicated IPs; Customer success manager; Concierge onboarding |
| Plan | Billed annually | Billed monthly | Limits | Adds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | $0 | 250 contacts; 500 email sends per month (250 per day); 1 user seat; 1 audience | |
| Essentials | n/a | $13 | 500 contacts at this price; Monthly sends 10x contacts; 3 user seats; 3 audiences | Email scheduling; A/B testing; 24/7 email & chat support; Automation flows up to 4 steps |
| Standard | n/a | $20 | 500 contacts at this price; Monthly sends 12x contacts; 5 user seats; 5 audiences | Custom-coded templates; Dynamic content; Up to 200 automation flows; 4 roles |
| Premium | n/a | $350 | Starts at 10,000 contacts; Monthly sends 15x contacts; Unlimited user seats; Unlimited audiences | Phone & priority support; Dedicated onboarding specialist; Predictive segmentation; Multivariate testing |
Prices are per month on annual billing, except Mailchimp (monthly billing; no annual price published). † marks prices taken from the vendor’s documentation or page data instead of its visible pricing page. Beehiiv pricing and Mailchimp pricing have the full detail.
02The Two Tools
Beehiiv
Beehiiv is a newsletter platform, not a general email marketing tool. It bundles a website, a referral program, recommendations between newsletters, an ad network and paid subscriptions, all aimed at publishers who want to grow and earn from a list. Automation and ecommerce features are minimal because that is not what it is for.
- Best at
- Growing and monetizing a newsletter as a business in itself.
- Falls short
- It is not suited to stores or sales-driven marketing, and the paid plans cost more than basic email tools.
Mailchimp
Mailchimp is the email tool most small businesses try first. It covers campaigns, templates, basic automation, landing pages and forms, and connects to almost everything. It is a generalist: good at getting a newsletter out, less convincing once you need advanced automation, and priced by the size of your audience.
- Best at
- Getting a small business sending good-looking email quickly.
- Falls short
- The price rises with every contact you add, the free plan is small, and automation is shallower than in specialist tools.
03Which Fits Your Situation
| If you are | Better fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Small Business | Mailchimp | The safe default: it does what a small business usually needs and connects to the tools they already use. |
| Ecommerce | Mailchimp | Adequate for a small store, with store integrations and product blocks. |
| Startups | Either | Beehiiv: For startups whose product is the newsletter, or whose growth runs through one. Mailchimp: Familiar to almost any hire, though the price grows with the list. |
| Creators | Beehiiv | The strongest option when the newsletter itself is the business. |
| Agencies | Mailchimp | Most clients already have an account, which makes it hard to avoid. |
04Verdict
Choose Beehiiv if you publish a newsletter and want growth and monetization tools built in. Choose Mailchimp if you want a familiar general-purpose tool with integrations for everything.
05FAQ
Is Beehiiv or Mailchimp cheaper?
Beehiiv starts at $49/mo and Mailchimp at $13/mo. Both rise with the size of your list. Prices are per month on annual billing, except Mailchimp (monthly billing; no annual price published).
Do Beehiiv and Mailchimp have free plans?
Beehiiv has a free plan (up to 2,500 subscribers). Mailchimp has a free plan (250 contacts and 500 sends a month).
Which is easier to learn, Beehiiv or Mailchimp?
Beehiiv is quick to set up; Mailchimp is moderately involved to set up. The price rises with every contact you add, the free plan is small, and automation is shallower than in specialist tools.
Which is better for small business, Beehiiv or Mailchimp?
Mailchimp. The safe default: it does what a small business usually needs and connects to the tools they already use.