Annual Cost at 50,000 Subscribers
| Platform | Plan | Monthly Cost | Annual Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| beehiiv | Scale | $49/mo | $588/yr |
| Brevo | Standard | $18/mo (5K sends) | $216/yr (base) |
| Mailchimp | Standard (50K) | ~$385/mo | ~$4,620/yr |
#1: beehiiv Scale ($588/yr)
beehiiv Scale at $49/month gives you unlimited subscribers at a flat rate. At 50K subscribers, you pay the same $49/month as someone with 10K subscribers. The ad network (Boosts), referral program, polls, and A/B testing are all included. Monetization via Boosts and paid subscriptions can generate more revenue than the tool costs. No complex automation builder, but for newsletter operators, this is the clear value leader.
#2: Brevo Standard ($216/yr Base)
Brevo charges by emails sent, not contacts stored. You can have 100,000 contacts on the free tier. Standard at $18/month includes 5,000 emails per month with marketing automation and A/B testing. At 50K subscribers sending weekly (200K emails/month), you will need a higher email volume add-on. The base is cheapest for low-frequency senders with large lists.
#3: Mailchimp Standard (~$4,620/yr)
Mailchimp Standard at 50,000 contacts costs approximately $385/month. You get the most mature automation builder, customer journey builder, content optimizer, and A/B testing. But at $4,620/year, you are paying 7.8x what beehiiv Scale costs. Only justified if you need deep e-commerce integrations or Mailchimp-specific features your team depends on.
Why Not the Others
Kit Creator ($39/mo at 1K subs)
Kit prices scale steeply by subscriber count. At 50K subscribers, Creator pricing is significantly higher. Check kit.com/pricing for exact 50K tier.
ActiveCampaign ($15/mo at 1K contacts)
Contact-based pricing scales steeply. At 50K contacts, expect enterprise-level pricing. Best automation builder but cost-prohibitive for pure newsletters.
The Verdict
At 50,000 subscribers, beehiiv Scale at $588/year is the dominant choice for newsletter operators. The flat-rate pricing means your cost never increases with list size. Brevo Standard is cheapest for large lists with low send frequency. Mailchimp Standard at $4,620/year is only for teams locked into its ecosystem.
Explore Further on Sasanova
Comparisons