beehiiv vs Mailchimp: Which Email Marketing Tool Is Better in 2026?

beehiiv

From $39

Mailchimp

From $13

Quick verdict

Overall pick: Tie

Pick beehiiv if you run a newsletter and want paid subscriptions, landing pages, and A/B testing in a platform built for publishers; its flat $39 starting price is higher than Mailchimp's $13. Pick Mailchimp if you need e-commerce integrations or SMS marketing, which beehiiv lacks, or if you want a lower entry price and a tool suited to small businesses and beginners. Neither tool wins on every axis: beehiiv covers newsletter monetization, Mailchimp covers broader channel reach.

Mailchimp's entry plan ($13) is 67% cheaper than beehiiv's ($39).
Both offer a free plan, so you can test them side by side at no cost.
Only beehiiv offers: paid subscriptions.
Only Mailchimp offers: e-commerce integrations, sms marketing.

Try beehiiv →Try Mailchimp →

Cost calculator

Team size: 5 users

Tool	Monthly	Yearly
beehiiv · flat	$39.00	$468
Mailchimp · flat	$13.00	$156

Based on entry-level paid plans. Prices change, so check the vendor before you buy.

Which one should you choose?

If you need…	Pick	Why
Monetizing a newsletter through paid subscriptions	beehiiv	beehiiv supports paid subscriptions (paid_newsletters: true), while Mailchimp does not (false).
Running email alongside SMS campaigns	Mailchimp	Mailchimp offers SMS marketing (sms: true); beehiiv does not (false).
Connecting email marketing to an online store	Mailchimp	Mailchimp has e-commerce integrations (ecommerce: true); beehiiv does not (false).
Minimizing starting cost	Mailchimp	Mailchimp starts at $13 versus beehiiv's $39, and both offer a free plan.
Running a publisher-oriented newsletter with growth tools	beehiiv	beehiiv is positioned for newsletter publishers and monetized newsletters, with landing pages, A/B testing, and an AI assistant.

Feature comparison: beehiiv vs Mailchimp

Feature	beehiiv	Mailchimp
Free plan	✅	✅
Starting price	$39 /mo	$13 /mo
Visual automation flows	✅	✅
Landing pages	✅	✅
A/B testing	✅	✅
Paid subscriptions	✅	—
E-commerce integrations	—	✅
SMS marketing	—	✅
AI writing assistant	✅	✅
Public API	✅	✅

Highlighted rows are where the tools differ.

Pros and cons

beehiiv

Built for newsletter publishers and monetized newsletters
Supports paid subscriptions, which Mailchimp does not
Includes landing pages, A/B testing, automation flows, AI assistant, and a public API
Flat pricing starting at $39 with a free plan available

No e-commerce integrations
No SMS marketing
Higher starting price ($39) than Mailchimp ($13)

Try beehiiv →

Mailchimp

Lower starting price at $13 with a free plan
Includes e-commerce integrations and SMS marketing, both absent in beehiiv
Covers automation flows, landing pages, A/B testing, AI assistant, and a public API
Positioned for small businesses and beginners

Does not support paid subscriptions
Higher starting price than beehiiv is not an issue, but it lacks newsletter monetization features
Founded in 2001, it is a general all-in-one platform rather than a newsletter specialist

Try Mailchimp →