beehiiv
beehiiv Inc.
8.4
Overall Score / 10
Mailchimp
Intuit Mailchimp
6
Overall Score / 10
Our Verdict
Choose beehiiv if:
- —Newsletter creators serious about growth and monetization
- —Media operators building a newsletter business
- —Anyone who wants built-in referral and ad tools
Choose Mailchimp if:
- —Small businesses starting email marketing
- —E-commerce stores needing built-in product recommendations
- —Teams wanting an all-in-one marketing suite
The biggest difference: beehiiv wins for newsletter-first businesses with free tier up to 2,500 subscribers, built-in ad network, and referral program. Mailchimp is better for e-commerce email marketing with Shopify integrations and a mature template library.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Criteria | beehiiv | Mailchimp |
|---|---|---|
| Cheapest Paid Plan | $49/mo (Scale)Source: beehiiv Inc. pricing page → | $13/mo (Essentials)Source: Intuit Mailchimp pricing page → |
| Free Tier | Yes 2,500 subscribers, unlimited sends, custom domain, website builder, beehiiv branding | Yes Up to 250 contacts, 500 emails/month, 1 audience, basic templates, limited reporting |
| Value for Money | 9 | 5 |
| Ease of Use | 8 | 7 |
| Feature Power | 8 | 8 |
| Setup Ease | 9 | 8 |
| Migration Ease | 8 | 5 |
| Transparency | 8 | 4 |
| Deployment | cloud | cloud |
| API Available | Yes | Yes |
| Platforms | Web, iOS | Web, iOS, Android |
| Compliance | GDPR tools available | GDPR tools available, SOC 2 |
Feature Comparison
Feature Comparison Matrix
20 features compared · 18 differences
| Feature | beehiiv | Mailchimp |
|---|---|---|
| Core | ||
| Built-in ad network | Full | None |
| Content optimizer | None | Full |
| Landing pages | None | Full |
| Magic links | Full | None |
| Newsletter editor | Full | None |
| Polls and surveys | Full | None |
| Postcards | None | Full |
| Referral program | Full | None |
| Website builder | Full | None |
| Advanced | ||
| 3D analytics | Full | None |
| A/B testing | None | Full |
| Audience segmentation | Full | Full |
| Automation workflows | None | Full |
| Custom domains | Full | None |
| Customer journey builder | None | Full |
| Email campaigns | None | Full |
| Paid subscriptions | Full | None |
| Reporting dashboards | None | Full |
| Integrations | ||
| API access | Full | Full |
| Security | ||
| Social posting | None | Full |
Pricing Comparison
beehiiv Pricing
2,500 subscribers, unlimited sends, website, custom domain
Unlimited subscribers, ad network, referral program, polls, premium themes
Everything in Scale + priority support, API access, advanced analytics, newsroom
Dedicated support, custom migrations, SLA
Mailchimp Pricing
250 contacts, 500 sends/mo, limited automations
500 contacts, 5,000 sends/mo, email + chat support
500 contacts, 6,000 sends/mo, advanced automations
10,000 contacts, 150,000 sends/mo, phone support
Who Should Choose Which?
Who should choose beehiiv
Best for
- Newsletter creators serious about growth and monetization
- Media operators building a newsletter business
- Anyone who wants built-in referral and ad tools
Avoid if
- You need full marketing automation (sequences, lead scoring)
- You need CRM functionality
- You need deep e-commerce integrations
Who should choose Mailchimp
Best for
- Small businesses starting email marketing
- E-commerce stores needing built-in product recommendations
- Teams wanting an all-in-one marketing suite
Avoid if
- You need affordable pricing as your list grows (costs scale steeply)
- You want a clean, simple interface (Mailchimp has become complex)
- You prioritize deliverability above all else
Switching Guidance
Switching from beehiiv
Common triggers to leave:
- •Need full marketing automation
- •Need CRM
- •Need e-commerce integrations beyond Stripe
Potential blockers:
- •Ad network revenue
- •Referral program subscribers
- •Custom website/domain setup
Switching from Mailchimp
Common triggers to leave:
- •Pricing jumps at 500+ contacts
- •Feature bloat
- •Deliverability concerns
Potential blockers:
- •Complex automation workflows
- •Integrated e-commerce features
- •Team familiarity
Try beehiiv
Start free — no credit card required
Try Mailchimp
Start free — no credit card required