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MailerLite vs Beehiiv is one of the weirder comparisons in email marketing, because on the surface they look similar — both send emails, both have solid deliverability, both are affordable — but they’re actually built for two completely different jobs. Pick the wrong one and you’re either paying for features you don’t need or, worse, missing revenue you should be capturing.
This comparison covers the real 12-month costs at four list sizes, feature-by-feature differences, and honest recommendations for who should pick which — including the exact business models where each tool wins and where each tool wastes your money.
Quick Verdict: MailerLite vs Beehiiv
If you’re going to skim, here’s the short answer:
- Pick MailerLite if you’re a small business, blogger, or creator sending email as a marketing channel to support a different product. Also pick MailerLite if you value the cheapest capable option at any list size.
- Pick Beehiiv if the newsletter itself is your product — you’re monetizing through ads, paid subscriptions, sponsorships, or referrals. Beehiiv costs more, but the built-in monetization tools can more than cover the extra cost.
The rest of this article is the detail behind that verdict.
The 12-Month Cost of MailerLite vs Beehiiv
Let’s start with the numbers, because a lot of comparison articles never actually run them. Here’s what each tool costs annually at four common list sizes, based on 2026 pricing.
| List size | MailerLite (annual) | Beehiiv (annual, billed monthly) |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1,000 | $0 (free plan) | $0 (free plan) |
| 5,000 subscribers | ~$228 (Growing Business) | ~$588 (Scale) |
| 10,000 subscribers | ~$432 | ~$588 |
| 25,000 subscribers | ~$900 (Advanced) | ~$1,008 (Scale) |
| 50,000 subscribers | ~$1,668 | ~$1,908 (Max) |
The pattern: at every list size, MailerLite is cheaper — significantly so at smaller lists, and modestly so at larger ones. Under 2,500 subscribers, both are free. Between 2,500 and 10,000 subscribers is where Beehiiv gets meaningfully more expensive per subscriber.
But the raw cost is misleading, because Beehiiv includes native monetization tools that MailerLite doesn’t — and if you use them, Beehiiv can turn from an expense into a net revenue source. More on that below.
MailerLite vs Beehiiv: Feature-by-Feature
| Feature | MailerLite | Beehiiv |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan limit | 1,000 subs, 12K emails/mo | 2,500 subs, unlimited emails |
| Deliverability | Excellent (decade+ track record) | Excellent |
| Marketing automation | Full (workflows, triggers, tags) | Basic (welcome series, drip) |
| Landing pages | Yes (included) | Basic (subscribe forms only) |
| Website builder | Basic | Full newsletter website hosting |
| Native ad network | No | Yes (real advertisers, real revenue) |
| Paid subscriptions | No (integrates with Stripe manually) | Yes (built in, no platform fee) |
| Referral rewards program | No | Yes (native, gamified) |
| Boosts (paid recommendations) | No | Yes |
| A/B testing | Yes (subject line, send time, content) | Yes (subject line, send time) |
| Analytics | Solid (opens, clicks, revenue attribution) | Deep (funnel view, segment analytics) |
| E-commerce integration | Yes (WooCommerce, Shopify, etc.) | Limited |
| Sender IP | Shared (dedicated on top tiers) | Shared |
| Template editor | Drag-and-drop, template library | Clean but limited template library |
The pattern in the table above: MailerLite is broader (marketing automation, landing pages, e-commerce integrations), while Beehiiv is deeper on newsletter-specific tooling (ads, paid subscriptions, referrals, boosts). Neither is universally “better.” They’re built for different jobs.
When MailerLite Is the Right Answer
MailerLite is the correct pick when your business is not the newsletter itself — when you’re using email to support something else you sell. A few specific scenarios:
You run a blog or content site with an email list
Your primary product is the site or the affiliate revenue. Email is how you bring people back. MailerLite does this cleanly and cheaply. Beehiiv would add tools you’d rarely use.
You sell a digital product, course, or service
You need automations that trigger from purchases, landing pages that capture leads, and email sequences that nurture prospects to a sale. MailerLite has all of this. Beehiiv doesn’t focus on this workflow.
You run a small local business
Local restaurant, boutique, gym — you want to send occasional newsletters and promotional emails to a few hundred to a few thousand subscribers. MailerLite’s free tier and low pricing curve makes this a no-brainer. Beehiiv isn’t built for this use case.
You want landing pages included
MailerLite includes a decent landing page builder in every paid plan. Beehiiv has basic subscribe forms but not full landing pages. If you need to build lead magnets and standalone pages, MailerLite saves you a separate $30+/mo tool.
Read my full MailerLite review →
Try MailerLite free (up to 1,000 subscribers) →
When Beehiiv Is the Right Answer
Beehiiv wins when the newsletter is the product — when readers are subscribing to you as a writer or publisher, not to be marketed to about something else.
Your newsletter makes money through ads
Beehiiv’s native ad network places real advertisers into your issues automatically. At 10,000-25,000 engaged subscribers, this can generate $500-$3,000+/mo depending on niche. That’s often 5-10x the platform cost. MailerLite has no equivalent.
You have paid subscribers
Beehiiv includes paid subscriptions natively with no platform fee on top of Stripe’s normal processing. Substack takes 10% forever. MailerLite doesn’t do paid subscriptions at all (you’d DIY it with a separate membership tool). At even 100 paid subscribers, Beehiiv’s economics beat every alternative meaningfully.
You want built-in list growth tools
Beehiiv’s referral program (subscribers refer friends and unlock rewards), boosts (you pay to be recommended in other newsletters), and recommendations network are all designed to grow lists organically. MailerLite has none of these. If your growth model depends on other newsletters cross-promoting you, Beehiiv is the only game in town.
You’re moving from Substack
If you’re leaving Substack for the 10% fee and ownership reasons, Beehiiv is essentially the drop-in replacement. See my Substack to Beehiiv migration guide for the step-by-step. Migrating to MailerLite from Substack is possible but you’d lose the newsletter-specific tooling.
Start Beehiiv free (up to 2,500 subs) →
The Real Math: When Beehiiv’s Extra Cost Actually Pays Off
The “MailerLite is cheaper” argument is technically true but misleading if you’re monetizing a newsletter. Let’s run the actual math at 10,000 subscribers.
MailerLite at 10K subs:
- Cost: ~$36/month = $432/year
- Monetization revenue: whatever you build separately (usually $0-modest sponsorships you sell manually)
- Net annual cost: ~$432
Beehiiv at 10K subs:
- Cost: ~$49/month = $588/year
- Monetization revenue: ad network typically pays $500-$2,000/mo at 10K engaged subs; paid subscriptions add more if you have them
- Net annual: -$5,412 to -$23,412 (yes, negative — Beehiiv makes you more money than it costs)
The catch: this only works if you’re actually monetizing the newsletter. If your newsletter is a marketing tool for something else you sell, the ad network is irrelevant to you and MailerLite’s cheaper cost is the correct answer.
Migration Between the Two
Both platforms make importing lists easy. Realistic time to migrate:
- MailerLite → Beehiiv: Export CSV from MailerLite, import into Beehiiv, rebuild any automation flows manually (Beehiiv’s automations are simpler so this is faster than reverse). Half a day of active work.
- Beehiiv → MailerLite: Export CSV, import to MailerLite, rebuild your subscribe forms and any monetization setup (paid subscriptions won’t transfer cleanly — same problem as Substack-to-Beehiiv migration). Full day of work.
Both migrations lose 5-10% of your list to unsubscribes when you re-authorize. This is normal. Your first email on the new platform matters — see my checklist in the Substack to Beehiiv migration guide for details that apply to any migration.
MailerLite vs Beehiiv FAQ
Is MailerLite better than Beehiiv?
Not universally. MailerLite is better if you’re using email marketing to support another business. Beehiiv is better if the newsletter is your business. Neither is superior across the board.
Is Beehiiv cheaper than MailerLite?
No. At every paid list size, MailerLite is cheaper than Beehiiv on raw platform cost. But Beehiiv includes monetization tools (ad network, paid subscriptions, boosts) that can more than cover the difference if you use them.
Can I use both MailerLite and Beehiiv?
Technically yes, but it’s usually a bad idea. Splitting your list across two platforms fragments your analytics, doubles your work, and confuses subscribers. Pick one and commit.
Which has better deliverability, MailerLite or Beehiiv?
Both are excellent. MailerLite has a longer track record (over a decade) and slightly more advanced sender reputation tooling. Beehiiv is newer but has invested heavily in deliverability infrastructure. For 99% of senders, both perform comparably.
Does Beehiiv work for e-commerce or product businesses?
Not really. Beehiiv is optimized for newsletter operators. If you run a Shopify store, WooCommerce site, or similar and need cart abandonment emails, product recommendation flows, and revenue attribution — MailerLite is the correct choice.
Which is better for growing a list from zero?
Beehiiv has the edge here because of its referral program and boosts network — both are designed to accelerate list growth. MailerLite has embed forms and landing pages but no cross-promotion network. If growth is the primary goal, Beehiiv wins.
The Bottom Line: MailerLite vs Beehiiv
This isn’t a “which tool is better” question. It’s a “what business am I running” question.
If you sell products, services, courses, or run a content site with email as a marketing channel — MailerLite is the correct pick almost every time. Lower cost, broader features for your use case, better e-commerce integrations, included landing pages.
If the newsletter is the business — you make money from ads, paid subscribers, sponsorships, or you’re building an audience that will eventually monetize through those channels — Beehiiv is the correct pick. The extra cost is more than covered by the built-in monetization stack.
If you’re between the two categories and honestly unsure — start with MailerLite. It’s cheaper, more flexible, and easier to migrate away from if you decide you actually need Beehiiv’s monetization tools later. The reverse migration is slightly harder.
Read my full MailerLite review →
Start Beehiiv free (up to 2,500 subs) →
For more context on where each of these tools sits in the broader landscape, see my Real Cost of Email Marketing at 25,000 Subscribers comparison, my Substack to Beehiiv migration guide, and my 7 Best ConvertKit Alternatives roundup for a wider view.