Beehiiv vs MailerLite: Which Is Better in 2026?
Beehiiv is a newsletter platform, not a general email marketing tool. MailerLite is a simple, inexpensive email tool with a clean editor. Beehiiv’s strength is growing and monetizing a newsletter as a business in itself; MailerLite’s is covering the essentials well for very little money.
01Pricing
Beehiiv: paid plans start at $49/mo for 1,000 subscribers. MailerLite: paid plans start at $10.80/mo for 500 subscribers. 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). MailerLite has a free plan (up to 250 subscribers).
| 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 | Up to 250 subscribers; 2,500 emails per month; 2 user seats; 3 automations | |
| Comfort | $10.80 | $12 | 500 subscribers at this price; 5,000 emails per month (10x tier ceiling); 3 user seats; 50 automations | Unlimited templates; AI writing assistant; Smart sending; 5 digital products |
| Power | $22.50 | $25 | 500 subscribers at this price; Unlimited monthly emails (fair use); Unlimited user seats | Unlimited automations; Unlimited landing pages and digital products; Multiple automation triggers; 24/7 live chat support |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom | 200K+ subscribers; Custom sending volume | Dedicated success manager; Account audits; Dedicated IP option; Deliverability support |
Prices are per month on annual billing. † marks prices taken from the vendor’s documentation or page data instead of its visible pricing page. Beehiiv pricing and MailerLite 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.
MailerLite
MailerLite is a simple, inexpensive email tool with a clean editor. Newsletters, landing pages, forms and straightforward automations are all there, and the free plan is usable. It leaves out the heavier features, which keeps both the interface and the bill small.
- Best at
- Covering the essentials well for very little money.
- Falls short
- Automation, reporting and integrations are lighter than in the bigger platforms.
03Which Fits Your Situation
| If you are | Better fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Small Business | MailerLite | Covers the essentials for less money, with an editor that needs no training. |
| Ecommerce | Neither | Neither is a natural fit for ecommerce. |
| Startups | MailerLite | Cheap, quick to set up and good enough until marketing becomes someone’s full-time job. |
| Creators | Beehiiv | The strongest option when the newsletter itself is the business. |
| Agencies | MailerLite | Easy to hand over to small clients with small budgets. |
04Verdict
Choose Beehiiv if you publish a newsletter and want growth and monetization tools built in. Choose MailerLite if you want the essentials done well at a low price.
05FAQ
Is Beehiiv or MailerLite cheaper?
Beehiiv starts at $49/mo and MailerLite at $10.80/mo. Both rise with the size of your list. Prices are per month on annual billing.
Do Beehiiv and MailerLite have free plans?
Beehiiv has a free plan (up to 2,500 subscribers). MailerLite has a free plan (up to 250 subscribers).
Which is easier to learn, Beehiiv or MailerLite?
There is little between them: both are quick to set up.
Which is better for small business, Beehiiv or MailerLite?
MailerLite. Covers the essentials for less money, with an editor that needs no training.