Pricing checked on official pages on October 18, 2026. Plans and fees change often; confirm on each provider's page before deciding. No affiliate links. This site uses AWeber for its own email list.
Pricing at a glance
- beehiiv: Free plan up to 2,500 subscribers with unlimited sends; Lite from $49/month billed yearly (at 1,000 subscribers) adds paid subscriptions with a 0% beehiiv take rate, automations and A/B testing; Pro from $95/month billed yearly removes beehiiv branding.
- Kit: Free plan up to 10,000 subscribers with unlimited broadcasts, forms, tagging and digital products; Creator from $33/month billed yearly (at 1,000 subscribers) adds unlimited automations and sequences.
Different starting points
beehiiv started as a newsletter platform, so publishing, a website, growth tools and monetization features such as an ad network and paid subscriptions are central. Kit started as email marketing for creators, so forms, landing pages, tags and automated sequences are central. Both now overlap, but their defaults reflect those roots.
Free plan comparison
| Feature | beehiiv Free | Kit Free |
|---|---|---|
| Subscriber limit | 2,500 | 10,000 |
| Email sends | Unlimited | Unlimited broadcasts |
| Landing pages and forms | Yes | Unlimited |
| Automations | Paid plans | Paid plans |
From each provider's pricing page, checked today.
For selling services or courses
If your goal is to move subscribers from a free resource to a call or course, tagging and sequences matter most. Kit's Creator plan adds unlimited sequences; beehiiv's Lite plan adds automations. Map out the sequence you want first, then check which plan supports it. See email segmentation.
For growing a newsletter audience
If your goal is a large readership, perhaps with sponsors, beehiiv's referral program, recommendation network and ad network are built for that.
For a YouTube channel
Either can host your sign-up form and welcome email. The important part is mentioning a specific free resource in videos and linking it first in descriptions. See how to get email subscribers from YouTube.
Related comparisons
See Substack vs beehiiv and Substack vs Kit.
Example
A worked example
A software educator with several free cheat sheets wanted subscribers tagged by topic and sent matching tutorials. She chose a creator email tool for its tagging and free list size, then upgraded when she built automated sequences. A newsletter-focused creator in the same niche chose a growth platform to pursue sponsorships.
Matching the tool to your business model
If your business sells coaching, courses or services, the email list is mainly a way to build trust before a sale. Tagging, sequences and automations matter more than newsletter growth features, which points toward an email marketing tool such as Kit. If the newsletter itself is the product, with sponsors or paid subscribers, beehiiv's growth and monetization features are built for that. Many business owners start with a short welcome sequence; our welcome email template works in either tool.
Watch out
Common mistakes
- Choosing on free subscriber limits alone.
- Ignoring which plan includes automations.
- Building complex tags you never use.
- Delaying your first email while comparing tools.
Dave’s take
A principle I keep coming back to
"It's not a stack. It's one thing that's quick and easy to say." (Dave)
AI shortcut
How can AI speed this up?
AI tools and plans checked October 18, 2026. They change often, so confirm on each tool's own page. No affiliate links.
- Plan math. Paste both official pricing pages into ChatGPT and ask for cost at your list size; verify.
- Sequences. Claude drafts a welcome sequence you can load into either tool.
- Built-in AI. beehiiv lists AI features on its site; confirm current details.
Tools mentioned:
- beehiiv: free up to 2,500 subscribers; paid plans add more tools; takes 0% of your subscription revenue.
- ChatGPT: free plan, Go ($8 a month in the US) and Plus ($20 a month).
- Claude: free plan, Pro at $20 a month.
AI is great for first drafts. Always edit the result so it sounds like you and is accurate for your business.
Key takeaways
- beehiiv's free plan covers 2,500 subscribers; Kit's covers 10,000.
- Both put automations on paid plans.
- beehiiv emphasizes newsletter growth and ads; Kit emphasizes tagging and sequences.
- Pick by your main goal: audience growth or selling to subscribers.
Frequently asked questions
Which has a better free plan, beehiiv or Kit?
For list size, Kit's free plan covers up to 10,000 subscribers compared with beehiiv's 2,500. Features differ, so compare what each free plan includes against what you need.
