beehiiv vs MailerLite (2026): Newsletter or Email Marketing?

Rather watch than read?

See both platforms side by side in the video below.

I recorded this video a few months ago. Since then, beehiiv has replaced its plans with Free, Lite and Pro, and MailerLite has raised its prices and added paid newsletters and digital products. This article reflects the current situation.

The core difference between beehiiv and MailerLite

Here’s the simplest way to think about it, and it decides most of the choice:

• beehiiv is built to grow and monetize a newsletter. It assumes the newsletter is the product.
• MailerLite is built to run email marketing for a business. It treats email as one part of a bigger system, like a store, a SaaS product or a service business.

Neither is better. They’re optimized for different jobs, and using the wrong one creates friction you don’t notice until later.

beehiiv vs MailerLite at a glance

Prices billed monthly, checked on October 2, 2026.

beehiiv: built for newsletter growth and monetization

Best when the newsletter is the business

beehiiv assumes your newsletter is the product. Everything in the platform is designed around publishing consistently, growing subscribers and turning attention into revenue.

Where beehiiv excels.

• Built-in growth tools. A referral program that rewards readers for bringing in subscribers, a free recommendation network where newsletters recommend each other, and paid recommendations (called Boosts until October 2026) where you pay other newsletters to send subscribers your way, or earn by recommending them.
• Native monetization. Paid subscriptions, an ad network and digital products, plus a sponsorship storefront on the Pro plan. beehiiv takes 0% of your subscription revenue.
• A clean, distraction-free writing experience. You write, publish and move on.
• Analytics built for newsletters, focused on subscriber growth, where subscribers come from and revenue, not on funnels.

That means you don’t need a big stack of tools to start making money. beehiiv is opinionated, and that’s an advantage if growth is the goal.

The trade-offs.

• Fewer automations than MailerLite at the same level. The Free plan has none, Lite allows up to 10 live automations, and only Pro has unlimited automations plus advanced options like click triggers and A/B splits. MailerLite’s Comfort plan allows 50.
• Not built for complex funnels or transactional emails like receipts or password resets.
• Newsletter-first design. Design flexibility keeps improving, but everything is built around the newsletter.

Best fit: your goal is to grow an audience and monetize content. beehiiv removes a lot of unnecessary decisions.

MailerLite: built for email marketing and automation

Best when email supports a business

MailerLite treats email as part of a larger system. It’s designed for automations and workflows, segmentation and tagging, and the forms, landing pages and campaigns that support a business.

Where MailerLite excels.

• Strong automations. Even the free plan includes 3, Comfort allows 50, and Power is unlimited with multiple triggers per automation.
• Flexible segmentation and more control over how and when emails are sent, which matters when email supports a funnel rather than being the product.
• More design control over your emails, forms and landing pages.
• Some monetization built in. On paid plans you can sell paid newsletters and digital products through Stripe, and MailerLite takes 0% commission; you only pay Stripe’s fees.

It works well for SaaS, e-commerce and service businesses.

The trade-offs.

• No ad network or sponsorship tools, so earning from ads means finding sponsors yourself.
• No built-in growth network. There’s no recommendation network, and referral programs run through a separate tool like Partnero. Growth depends much more on your own acquisition.
• A small free plan. It’s capped at 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails per month, so treat it as a trial.
• More setup. You get more control, but it takes more time to configure.

Best fit: email supports sales, onboarding or retention. MailerLite gives you more flexibility for that kind of work.

Writing and ease of use

This is where the difference becomes obvious when you actually use both. beehiiv feels faster and lighter: you write, publish and move on. MailerLite takes more setup but gives you more control.

If your main activity is writing newsletters, beehiiv feels better. If your main activity is building automated flows, MailerLite feels better.

Deliverability

Both platforms have solid deliverability when you use them correctly. The difference is the approach: beehiiv is optimized for newsletter-style sending, while MailerLite gives you more control over automation and timing.

In practice, deliverability problems come more from list quality and engagement than from the platform itself. Keep your list clean and send people what they signed up for, and both will reach the inbox.

Pricing compared

Billed monthly, checked on October 2, 2026. Paying yearly is cheaper on both: beehiiv Lite is $49 per month at 1,000 subscribers billed yearly, and MailerLite gives 10% off. Check current prices before you buy.

beehiiv is cheaper to start: its free plan covers up to 2,500 subscribers, while MailerLite’s stops at 250. But once you need paid features, MailerLite is cheaper at every list size. At 1,000 subscribers, MailerLite Comfort is $19 a month against $59 for beehiiv Lite, and the gap narrows as you grow, to $439 against $469 at 100,000.

That said, compare what you get, not just the price. beehiiv Lite includes the ad network, paid recommendations and referral program, which can bring in money and subscribers. MailerLite Comfort gives you more automations. If your newsletter earns money, beehiiv’s higher price can pay for itself; if email supports another business, MailerLite is the better deal.

Choose beehiiv if…

• Your newsletter is the business
• You want help growing your subscriber count
• You want to earn from ads, sponsors and paid subscriptions
• You’re starting from zero and want a generous free plan

Get 20% off beehiiv

20% off your first 3 months through my link, or use the code SCOPE at checkout.

Choose MailerLite if…

• Email supports a store, SaaS or service business
• You need automations for onboarding, sales or retention
• You want flexible segmentation and design control
• You want the lowest price once you’re paying

Try MailerLite

Final verdict

Here’s the decision rule, and it’s the part that matters most: if your newsletter is the business, choose beehiiv. If email supports a business or a funnel, choose MailerLite.

Most people don’t fail because one tool is bad. They fail because the tool doesn’t match their goal. And if you’re launching a newsletter from scratch, I’d go with beehiiv.

Still comparing? See my guide to the best newsletter platforms, which also covers Substack, Kit and Ghost, or my beehiiv vs Ghost comparison.

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