What is the difference between ConvertKit and Beehiiv?

ConvertKit is best for Creators and solo businesses who want simple, powerful email, while Beehiiv is best for Newsletter creators focused on growth and monetization. ConvertKit starts at $25/mo and Beehiiv starts at Free.

Is ConvertKit or Beehiiv cheaper?

ConvertKit starts at $25/mo with a free tier. Beehiiv starts at Free and is free.

Is there a free alternative to Beehiiv?

Both ConvertKit and Beehiiv offer free tiers.

ConvertKit vs Beehiiv

ConvertKit is email marketing platform built for creators — newsletters, automations, and digital products, while Beehiiv is newsletter platform built for growth — with built-in referral programs, monetization, and analytics. The biggest difference up front: Beehiiv is free, while ConvertKit starts at $25/mo. ConvertKit is built for creators and solo businesses who want simple, powerful email, whereas Beehiiv targets newsletter creators focused on growth and monetization.

At a glance

	ConvertKit	Beehiiv
Best for	Creators and solo businesses who want simple, powerful email	Newsletter creators focused on growth and monetization
Starting price	$25/mo	Free
Free tier	✓	✓
Open source	—	—
Free tier available	✓	✓
Open source	—	—
Ad Network	—	✓
Analytics	—	✓
Automations	✓	—
Custom Domains	—	✓
Digital Products	✓	—
Landing Pages	✓	—
Monetization	—	✓
Referral Program	—	✓
Sequences	✓	—
Tagging	✓	—

ConvertKit

Strengths

Built specifically for creators and solopreneurs
Excellent automation and sequence builder
Built-in landing pages and digital product sales
Tag-based subscriber management (no lists)

Weaknesses

Limited email template design options
More expensive than alternatives for large lists
Reporting is basic
A/B testing is limited

Try ConvertKit → Full review

Beehiiv

Strengths

Built-in referral program for growth
Ad network for monetization
Clean writing experience
Generous free tier (up to 2,500 subscribers)

Weaknesses

Focused on newsletters — not general email marketing
Limited automation compared to ConvertKit
Fewer integrations
Still a young platform

Try Beehiiv → Full review

The bottom line

Pricing: Beehiiv is completely free, which makes it the obvious pick if budget is the top concern. ConvertKit starts at $25/mo, but Free for up to 1,000 subscribers. That cost buys you a more polished or feature-rich experience, so it comes down to whether the extras justify the spend.

Feature gaps: ConvertKit offers Automations, Digital Products and Landing Pages that Beehiiv lacks. Beehiiv brings Ad Network, Analytics and Custom Domains that ConvertKit does not have.

Team fit: Both tools target individuals teams, so the decision hinges on features and workflow fit rather than scale.

Where each tool shines: ConvertKit's biggest strengths are: built specifically for creators and solopreneurs. excellent automation and sequence builder. Beehiiv's biggest strengths are: built-in referral program for growth. ad network for monetization.

Watch out for: With ConvertKit, users commonly note that limited email template design options. With Beehiiv, the main complaint is that focused on newsletters — not general email marketing.

Choose ConvertKit if...

You need a tool built for creators and solo businesses who want simple, powerful email
You specifically need Automations and Digital Products
You care about excellent automation and sequence builder
The free tier works for you: free for up to 1,000 subscribers

Choose Beehiiv if...

You need a tool built for newsletter creators focused on growth and monetization
Budget is a hard constraint — Beehiiv is free, ConvertKit is not
You specifically need Ad Network and Analytics
You care about ad network for monetization