beehiiv vs MailerLite: Which Is Better for Creators & Stores?
Updated October 20, 2026 · Email marketing
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| Feature | beehiiv | MailerLite |
|---|---|---|
| Core focus | Newsletter publishing, growth and monetization platform | General email marketing with landing pages, forms, blog, automation and ecommerce tools |
| Free plan | Yes, free forever, up to 2,500 subscribers, 1 team seat, 1 publication | Check current pricing |
| Paid plans (October 2026) | Lite from $49/mo and Pro from $95/mo on yearly billing; the pricing page has a subscriber-size selector, so confirm your price at your list size. Yearly saves up to 20%. Enterprise is custom. | Check current pricing |
| Subscriber limits | Free up to 2,500; Lite up to 100,000; Pro up to 250,000; Enterprise custom | Check current pricing |
| Email sending limits | Unlimited sends on every plan | Check current pricing |
| Paid subscriptions | Included from Lite, with 0% beehiiv take rate (Stripe fee of 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction still applies) | Paid newsletter subscriptions with recurring payments are a listed feature; check current pricing for plan availability and fees |
| Digital products | Included on every plan, 0% beehiiv commission (Stripe fees apply) | Sell e-books, downloads and more; check current pricing for plan availability and fees |
| Ad / sponsor monetization | Ad Network, direct sponsorships and ad monetization are listed (ad monetization on Lite and Pro) | Not listed; check current pricing and features |
| Ecommerce | Not listed on its pricing page; check current integrations | Ecommerce integration for your online store, with Shopify, WooCommerce and Stripe integrations listed |
| Automations | Lite and above (not listed on Free) | Automation and automation templates are listed; check current pricing for plan limits |
| Landing pages, forms, pop-ups | Landing pages on Free; subscribe forms, pop-ups and a website builder are listed | Landing pages, signup forms, pop-up templates, blog and website templates |
| A/B testing | Lite and above | AI-powered A/B testing listed; check current pricing for plan availability |
| Growth tools | Recommendation network (on Free), referral program, magic links, Ad Network | Signup forms, landing pages, iPad Subscribe App for collecting subscribers offline, email verifier |
| Podcast and community | Podcast and community included on every plan | Not listed |
| Appointment booking | Webinars and coaching on Pro | Appointment booking for free and paid 1:1 or group calls (marked New) |
| AI features | beehiiv AI; AI credits listed as High on Pro; MCP on Lite and above | AI writing assistant, AI landing page builder, AI-powered A/B testing, smart sending, MCP Server (works with tools like Claude and ChatGPT) |
| Remove platform branding | Pro and above only | Check current pricing |
| Team seats | Free 1, Lite 2, Pro 10, Enterprise unlimited | Check current pricing |
| Analytics history | Free 30 days, Lite 12 months, Pro and Enterprise unlimited | Check current pricing |
| Support | 24/7 priority support on Pro; concierge onboarding on Enterprise | Knowledge base, video tutorials and live learning sessions are listed; check current pricing for support tiers |
Who each tool is really built for
beehiiv is organized around the newsletter business. Its features include recommendations, a referral program, an ad network, paid subscriptions, sponsorships, polls and surveys, and the website, podcast, community and digital products come with every plan. If your product is your audience, that connected setup is the appeal. MailerLite reads more like a general-purpose email marketing toolkit. It has newsletter editors, automation, landing pages, a blog, signup forms, an email verifier, ecommerce integration and appointment booking, and it names solopreneurs, small businesses, e-commerce, creators, authors, agencies and nonprofits as use cases. That breadth suits a creator who also sells things, or a store that wants email to drive revenue.
Pricing: what we can and can't compare
beehiiv's structure is clear: Free ($0, up to 2,500 subscribers), Lite (from $49/mo on yearly billing, up to 100,000), Pro (from $95/mo on yearly billing, up to 250,000) and custom Enterprise. Its pricing page includes a subscriber-size selector, so your actual price depends on list size. Check current pricing for your number. Yearly billing saves up to 20% versus monthly. MailerLite's plan prices, free-tier details and subscriber limits aren't something we can state here, so check current pricing and run your real list size through its calculator. Compare the same list size and the same must-have features on both, since both platforms may gate features by plan.
Monetization: paid subscriptions, products and ads
On beehiiv, paid subscriptions and digital products carry a 0% beehiiv take rate, so you pay only Stripe's standard processing fee (2.9% + $0.30 per transaction). Paid subscriptions start at Lite. It also offers an Ad Network and direct sponsorships, which MailerLite doesn't list. MailerLite lists paid newsletter subscriptions and digital product sales (e-books, downloads and more), and integrates with Stripe. Check current pricing for what plan you need and any fees on top of payment processing.
Small online stores and ecommerce
MailerLite is the clearer fit here. It lists an ecommerce integration for email-driven sales and names Shopify and WooCommerce among its integrations. Its iPad Subscribe App also lets you collect subscribers at an event or physical store, even offline. beehiiv does sell digital products with no platform commission, and it has an API and integrations. But ecommerce store connections aren't listed on its pricing page, so if you run a Shopify or WooCommerce store, check its current integrations list first.
Limits and growth on beehiiv's tiers
beehiiv's free plan is generous on sends (unlimited) but light on extras. It has 1 seat, 1 publication, 30 days of analytics history and beehiiv branding. Automations, A/B testing, polls and paid subscriptions begin at Lite. Removing beehiiv branding, advanced analytics, webhooks, dynamic content and 24/7 priority support require Pro. If you need those, price Pro rather than Lite.
Automation, AI and tooling
Both platforms offer an MCP connection for AI.
Pick beehiiv if…
Pick MailerLite if…
FAQ
Prices and features change — always confirm on each vendor's site.