Beehiiv vs Mailchimp
The ultimate side-by-side head-to-head analysis for 2026.
Short answer
- Price: not directly comparable — Beehiiv is free tier available, Mailchimp is from $13/user/mo.
- How to start: Beehiiv is free tier available, Mailchimp is from $13/user/mo.
These lines are generated from the pricing we track, not from a paid placement. We do not publish a quality score, because we do not have one we can stand behind. They cannot tell you which tool fits your workflow — the sections below are there for that. How we score tools.
Beehiiv
Mailchimp
Category
Marketing
Marketing
Base Price
Free tier
$13/user/mo
Public API
Yes
Yes
Mobile app
No
Yes
Open source / self-hostable
No
No
SSO (SAML)
No
Yes
Choose Beehiiv if:
Professional Newsletter Publishers and Content Entrepreneurs.
Choose Mailchimp if:
E-commerce Brands, Bloggers, and Small Marketing Teams.
Beehiiv: pros & cons
- Growth Oriented: Rapidly increases subscribers via referral and recommendation networks.
- Ad Network: Allows small newsletters to earn revenue from premium brand ads.
- Generous Free Plan: Supports up to 2,500 subscribers with almost all features for free.
- Transparent Analytics: Shows exactly who is clicking what in fine detail.
- Interface: The sheer number of features can make the panel feel a bit busy initially.
- Design: Website customization options are not as simple as they are on Substack.
- Newsletter Only: Not suitable for general-purpose e-mail marketing like e-commerce.
Mailchimp: pros & cons
- Ease of Entry: The most user-friendly interface for starting with email marketing.
- Ready Templates: Includes hundreds of professional designs for every industry.
- AI Support: Benefit from an AI assistant for design and copywriting advice.
- Huge Integration: Speaks directly with Shopify, WordPress, and hundreds of other apps.
- Price Hikes: Costs rise quite aggressively as your subscriber list grows.
- Advanced Automation: May not be as deep as ActiveCampaign for very complex funnels.
- Free Tier Shrinkage: Sending limits on the free plan have been reduced in recent years.
Our verdict on Beehiiv
The current best platform for those looking to turn their newsletter into a business.
Our verdict on Mailchimp
The go-to choice for those seeking a reliable, stylish, and popular email marketing solution.