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beehiiv vs MailerLite: which newsletter tool is better in 2026?
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beehiiv vs MailerLite is one of the most common questions people ask when they pick a newsletter tool. Both have a free plan, both let you sell paid subscriptions, and both build simple websites. But they charge in very different ways, and the free plans are not close. Here's how they compare on price, features and the catch, with prices checked on each official pricing page on October 30, 2026.
The short answer
- Pick beehiiv if you're starting a newsletter you want to grow and earn from. The free plan covers up to 2,500 subscribers with unlimited sends, and paid plans add an ad network, referrals and 0% take on paid subscriptions.
- Pick MailerLite if you run a small business and want cheap email marketing with automations, forms and landing pages. Paid plans start far lower than beehiiv's, but the free plan is small.
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Price comparison (checked October 30, 2026)
| beehiiv | MailerLite | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Up to 2,500 subscribers, unlimited sends | Up to 250 subscribers, 2,500 emails a month |
| Cheapest paid plan | Lite: $59/mo monthly, or $49/mo billed yearly (up to 1,000 subscribers) | Comfort: "starting $12/month" |
| Next plan | Pro: $109/mo monthly, or $95/mo billed yearly (up to 1,000 subscribers) | Power: "starting $25/month", unlimited emails |
| At 10,000 subscribers | Lite $139/mo, Pro $239/mo (monthly billing) | Depends on list size; use the slider on MailerLite's page |
| Yearly discount | About 13-17% | 10% |
| Free trial of paid features | Yes (some features excluded) | 14 days, no credit card |
Prices as of October 30, 2026, from beehiiv's pricing page and MailerLite's pricing page. Both price by list size and may add tax. Check the official sites for today's price.
Free plans: beehiiv is far more generous
beehiiv's Free plan allows up to 2,500 subscribers with unlimited email sends, a website, a podcast feed, link-in-bio and API access. It doesn't include custom domains for the newsletter, automations or the ad network.
MailerLite's Free plan now stops at 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails a month. You still get campaigns, a few automations, signup forms, one website and one landing page. If your free list grows past 250 active subscribers, MailerLite locks sending until you upgrade or remove subscribers.
So if you want to grow a list for free as long as possible, beehiiv wins easily.
Paid plans: MailerLite is much cheaper to start
MailerLite says Comfort starts at $12 a month and Power at $25 a month. The price goes up with your subscriber count. Comfort gives you 10 times your subscriber tier in monthly emails, 50 automations, 10 forms and 3 seats. Power adds unlimited emails, automations, forms and seats, plus 24/7 live chat support.
beehiiv's paid plans start at $59 a month for Lite, or $49 a month billed yearly, at up to 1,000 subscribers. Pro is $109 a month, or $95 billed yearly. At 10,000 subscribers, Lite is $139 a month and Pro is $239 a month on monthly billing. You get more for the money if you run a newsletter as a business: ad network, paid recommendations, referral program and digital products. Read our full beehiiv review for the plan details.
Features that matter most
Newsletter growth and earning
beehiiv was built for this. It has a Recommendation Network, a referral program, an ad network and paid subscriptions with 0% take on paid plans (Stripe's fee still applies). MailerLite can sell paid newsletters, subscriptions, digital products and bookings, but it doesn't have an ad network or a recommendation network.
Automations and email marketing
MailerLite is the stronger email marketing tool for a business. It has a visual automation builder, e-commerce triggers for Shopify and WooCommerce, multivariate testing, pop-ups and dynamic segments. beehiiv's automations start on Lite (10 live automations) and get click triggers and A/B splits on Pro.
Websites and landing pages
Both build websites. beehiiv's site is centered on your newsletter posts. MailerLite gives you landing pages and websites with a blog section, A/B testing and custom domains on paid plans. If you need full sales funnels, a tool like Systeme.io goes further. We compare funnel tools in Kajabi vs Skool vs Systeme.io.
Forms
Both include signup forms. If you need surveys or more complex forms, Tally has a free plan with unlimited forms.
The catch
- beehiiv: paid plans cost a lot more than MailerLite's at small list sizes, and you can only remove beehiiv branding on Pro.
- MailerLite: the free plan is tiny now, at 250 subscribers. Paid accounts are charged for the next tier automatically when your list grows past your limit, and the subscriber count includes anyone active at any point in the billing cycle, even if you deleted them later.
Which one should you choose?
Choose beehiiv for a creator newsletter you want to grow and monetize, especially if you want to stay free up to 2,500 readers. Choose MailerLite for a small business that wants low-cost email marketing, automations and landing pages, and is fine paying once the list passes 250.
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FAQ
Is beehiiv better than MailerLite?
For newsletters you want to grow and earn from, yes. beehiiv has a bigger free plan (2,500 subscribers) and growth tools like referrals and an ad network. For business email marketing on a small budget, MailerLite is usually the better value.
Is MailerLite still free?
Yes, but the Free plan is limited to 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails a month, as of October 30, 2026.
How much does beehiiv cost?
beehiiv Free is $0 for up to 2,500 subscribers. Lite is $59 a month, or $49 a month billed yearly, and Pro is $109 a month, or $95 billed yearly, at up to 1,000 subscribers. Prices rise with list size (checked October 30, 2026).
Does beehiiv take a cut of paid subscriptions?
No. beehiiv says it takes 0% of paid subscription revenue. You still pay Stripe's processing fee of 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction.
Can I move from MailerLite to beehiiv?
Yes. Both let you export and import subscribers, so you can move a list between them.
Sources
- beehiiv pricing, read October 30, 2026
- MailerLite pricing, read October 30, 2026