beehiiv pricing (October 2026): stay, switch, or migrate?
DraftLane comparison · researched October 2026 · prices from beehiiv.com/pricing and beehiiv’s Oct 1, 2026 plan announcement
In October 2026 beehiiv rolled out its second major plan update: Launch → Free, Scale → Lite, Max → Pro, with higher paid tiers for most list sizes. New customers saw the new prices from October 1, 2026; existing customers keep old rates until their first renewal on or after November 1, 2026.
This guide is for creators asking “is Lite still worth it?” or “should I leave?” — not for enterprise RFPs. Always verify live dollars on beehiiv.com before you buy or renew.
Quick verdict
| Choose… | When |
|---|---|
| Stay on beehiiv | The newsletter is the product (paid subs, ads, recommendations, public publication) and Lite/Pro revenue offsets the SaaS fee. |
| Switch to Kit | Courses, tags, and creator sequences matter more than a newspaper CMS — especially if you can sit on Kit’s large free Newsletter plan. |
| Switch to MailerLite | You only need cheap email + forms/landers; monetization lives on Stripe/Gumroad and you will not use beehiiv’s growth stack. |
| Stay on / pick Substack | You want simplest publish + discovery and accept ~10% platform cut on paid — not a full ESP rebuild. |
| Ghost (self-host / Ghost(Pro)) | You want open-source publishing ownership and are fine running (or paying for) infra without beehiiv’s ad/recs network. |
Current pricing table (October 2026)
Plan names and USD figures below match beehiiv’s public pricing page as of mid-October 2026. Subscriber tiers bill on active subscribers across the workspace. Annual = billed yearly (shown as ≈/mo).
| Plan | Was | Limit | ~1,000 subs | ~2,500 subs | ~10,000 subs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | Launch | Up to 2,500 | $0 | $0 | — |
| Lite | Scale | Up to 100,000 | $59/mo · ≈$49/mo yearly | $79/mo · ≈$69/mo yearly | $139/mo · ≈$119/mo yearly |
| Pro | Max | Up to 250,000 | $109/mo · ≈$95/mo yearly | $149/mo · ≈$129/mo yearly | $239/mo · ≈$199/mo yearly |
| Enterprise | Enterprise | Custom | Custom — contact sales | ||
Source snapshot: beehiiv pricing page (USD). Free includes unlimited sends on the stated free list size; paid monetization (paid subs, ad network, automations depth) is Lite+. Verify on beehiiv.com — tiers and feature gates move.
What changed vs prior pricing
- Names: Launch/Scale/Max → Free/Lite/Pro.
- Paid entry higher for most creators: Lite at 1k is about $49/mo yearly ($59 monthly) vs older Scale yearly bands that comparison guides often quoted near the low-$40s; at 10k, monthly Lite is commonly cited around $139 vs prior Scale near $109 (press/archival comparisons — confirm your own bill).
- Pro ceiling raised: self-serve Pro goes to 250,000 subscribers (older Max/self-serve often capped near 100k before Enterprise).
- Free list size held: still up to 2,500 subscribers; beehiiv says core products (including community) expand on Free — check the live feature matrix for custom domains, automations, and paid tools.
- Timing: new customers Oct 1, 2026; existing renewals Nov 1, 2026+ (annual keeps old price until term end).
Stay on beehiiv if…
- Paid subscriptions, the Ad Network, or recommendations already (or soon will) cover a meaningful share of Lite/Pro.
- You want one login for newsletter + site + growth loops — not MailerLite + a separate CMS + DIY referral.
- You value 0% platform take on paid newsletter revenue (Stripe fees still apply; confirm live terms) over Substack’s simpler ~10% cut model.
- You are still under 2.5k and Free is enough to validate before Lite.
Switch if…
- Your list is a marketing list for courses/coaching, not a media publication — Kit usually fits better.
- You only send campaigns and landers and the Lite invoice is pure overhead — MailerLite Comfort bands are typically lower at 1k and 10k.
- You want maximum simplicity and discovery, not SaaS tiers — revisit Substack.
- You need full content ownership / open-source publishing and will handle hosting — consider Ghost (price your Ghost(Pro) or self-host stack separately; verify live).
- Your renewal jumps a tier you never used features for — price the next 12 months before auto-renew.
Alternatives (DraftLane framing)
| Alternative | Best job | DraftLane deep-dive |
|---|---|---|
| Kit (formerly ConvertKit) | Creator automations, tags, digital products; large free Newsletter runway | Kit vs beehiiv vs MailerLite · Kit vs MailerLite |
| MailerLite | Lowest steady paid email cost + forms/landers | MailerLite vs beehiiv |
| Substack | Simple publish + network discovery; paid cut instead of SaaS | beehiiv vs Substack |
| Ghost | Independent publishing stack; self-host or Ghost(Pro) | Pair with 2026 buying guide — verify Ghost(Pro) live |
| Classic ESP exit | Leaving Mailchimp complexity without a full media OS | Mailchimp alternatives |
After you pick a home, monetization is a separate decision — see newsletter monetization stack (2026).
Migration notes (if you leave)
- Export CSV with consent status; segment engaged readers for warm first sends.
- Set SPF/DKIM/DMARC on the new sending domain before blasting.
- Rebuild paywall / recs / one core automation on the destination before cloning everything.
- Keep beehiiv read-only 30–60 days for unsubscribes and analytics.
- Price your list at today’s count and the next milestone (5k / 10k), not only the sticker at 1k.
FAQ
How much is beehiiv in October 2026?
Free is $0 up to 2,500 subscribers. Lite starts around $59/mo monthly or ≈$49/mo yearly at the 1,000 tier; Pro around $109/mo or ≈$95/mo yearly at 1,000. At ~10,000, Lite is about $139/mo ($119 yearly ≈/mo) and Pro about $239/mo ($199 yearly ≈/mo). Verify on beehiiv.com/pricing.
What happened to Scale and Max?
They were renamed: Scale → Lite, Max → Pro (Launch → Free). Feature limits and dollar amounts changed with the rename — old “Scale at $43/mo” guides are pre-October snapshots.
When do existing customers pay the new price?
Per beehiiv’s Oct 1, 2026 announcement: first renewal on or after November 1, 2026. Annual plans keep the old price until the current term ends.
Is Lite worth it after the increase?
Yes if you will use paid subs, ads, automations, or recommendations enough to offset the fee. No if you only need broadcasts — compare MailerLite or Kit’s free tier first.
Does beehiiv take a cut of paid subscriptions?
beehiiv markets 0% platform take on paid newsletter revenue on eligible plans; Stripe processing still applies. Substack’s model is typically a platform percentage — run both math at your MRR.
Disclosure
DraftLane may earn commissions from some vendor links. Recommendations follow fit for creators and solopreneurs, not commission size. Features and prices change—verify on each vendor’s site (especially beehiiv.com/pricing). See our affiliate disclosure.
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Related: MailerLite vs beehiiv · Kit vs beehiiv vs MailerLite · beehiiv vs Substack · Mailchimp alternatives · Monetization stack · All guides
Already picked an ESP? Monetize it → Compare beehiiv Ad Network, direct sponsorships, marketplaces, and paid subs for lists under ~50k.
Opens in spam? Deliverability checklist → Auth, list hygiene, and warmup framed for Kit / beehiiv / MailerLite / GetResponse — diagnostic, not an inbox guarantee.