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beehiiv Free plan (2026): what's included, the 2,500 limit and what 2,501 costs
Last verified against official pricing pages · published 20 Oct 2026
Prices change often. Every price here was checked against the platform's official pricing page on the date shown, but plans, promos and taxes vary. Always confirm on the official site before you buy or switch. Not financial advice.
beehiiv Free costs $0 for up to 2,500 subscribers, with no time limit, no credit card and unlimited sends. You can run a real newsletter and website on it. You can't charge readers, automate emails or use your own domain; those start on Lite. And once you pass 2,500 you must upgrade: at 2,501 subscribers Lite costs $109/mo ($95/mo billed yearly).
What Free includes
- Sending: unlimited sends, post builder, templates, a welcome email, custom fields, 3 segments, 1 sender address.
- Website: hosted site with templates and 1 custom page, subscribe forms, advanced email capture, link-in-bio.
- Growth: beehiiv's recommendation network and magic links.
- Data: campaign analytics and subscriber metrics (30-day lookback), API access, data exports, 2FA. 1 seat, 1 guest author, 1 publication.
- Extras: 1 digital product, a podcast (1 show, 5,000 downloads a month) and a community space.
Free vs Lite vs Pro
| Feature | Free | Lite | Pro |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subscribers | up to 2,500 | up to 100,000 | up to 250,000 |
| Paid subscriptions | — | Yes (1 tier, 0% beehiiv fee) | Yes (unlimited tiers) |
| Ad Network | — | Yes | Yes |
| Automations | — | 10 live | Unlimited |
| Custom domain | — | Yes | Yes |
| Referral program | — | Yes | Yes |
| A/B testing, polls, surveys | — | Yes | Yes |
| Remove beehiiv branding | — | — | Yes |
| Team seats | 1 | 2 | 10 |
| Analytics lookback | 30 days | 12 months | Unlimited |
Source: beehiiv's plan comparison table on beehiiv.com/pricing, checked 2026-10-20.
Two practical consequences: with no custom domain your site lives on a beehiiv subdomain (if you might move later, owning the domain from day one keeps links portable), and a single welcome email is all the automation you get.
What it costs when you outgrow Free
| Subscribers up to | Lite monthly | Lite yearly (/mo) | Pro monthly | Pro yearly (/mo) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 | $59 | $49 | $109 | $95 |
| 2,500 | $79 | $69 | $149 | $129 |
| 5,000 | $109 | $95 | $199 | $169 |
| 10,000 | $139 | $119 | $239 | $199 |
Source: beehiiv pricing, checked 2026-10-20. Free covers up to 2,500 subscribers at $0.
The first two rows only matter if you upgrade early, for example to start paid subscriptions. If you upgrade because you passed 2,500, you land in the 5,000 tier: $0 → $109/mo.
Paid (affiliate) link: we earn a commission if you sign up through it, at no extra cost to you. It never changes our numbers or rankings. Disclosure.
Cheaper options at 2,501 subscribers
| Platform | Plan | Plain newsletter /mo |
|---|---|---|
| Kit (ConvertKit) | Free | $0 |
| Substack | Free + 10% of paid revenue | $0 |
| Buttondown | Paid (usage-based) | $29 |
| EmailOctopus | Pro | $31.50 |
| Brevo | Starter | $32 |
| Moosend | Pro | $32 |
| Sender | Standard | $39 |
| MailerLite | Comfort | $49 |
| Platform | Plan | With automations /mo |
|---|---|---|
| Buttondown | Paid (usage-based) | $29 |
| EmailOctopus | Pro | $31.50 |
| Brevo | Starter (limited) | $32 |
| Moosend | Pro | $32 |
| Sender | Standard | $39 |
| MailerLite | Comfort | $49 |
| Omnisend | Standard | $50 |
| Flodesk | Lite (limited) | $52 |
Monthly billing, cheapest plan that fits. beehiiv Lite at this size: $109. These tools don't bundle beehiiv's referral program or Ad Network; compare like for like on beehiiv vs Kit and beehiiv vs MailerLite.
Is beehiiv Free enough?
Yes if you're under 2,500 subscribers, send a free newsletter, don't need sequences and are fine with a beehiiv subdomain. No if you want to charge readers, need a welcome sequence, want your own domain, or expect to pass 2,500 soon. In that case compare beehiiv Lite against Substack's 10%, or start on a free plan that goes further (see free newsletter platforms).
FAQ
Is beehiiv really free?
Yes, up to 2,500 subscribers with no time limit and no credit card.
Can I run a paid newsletter on beehiiv Free?
No. Paid subscriptions need Lite or Pro. beehiiv then takes 0%; you pay Stripe's fees.
Can I use my own domain on beehiiv Free?
No. beehiiv's plan comparison table lists custom domains from Lite.
Is there a sending limit on beehiiv Free?
No. beehiiv says every plan includes unlimited email sends.
What does beehiiv cost at 2,501 subscribers?
Lite costs $109/month on monthly billing or $95/month billed yearly (the tier up to 5,000 subscribers).
Related: beehiiv price increase 2026 · Moving from beehiiv to Kit · Moving from beehiiv to MailerLite · Substack vs beehiiv vs Ghost · Is beehiiv worth it in 2026? Break-even vs Substack, Kit and MailerLite · Substack to beehiiv migration · AWeber Free plan (2026) · Substack fees (2026) · Mailchimp to MailerLite migration · Mailchimp to beehiiv migration · How much does Mailchimp cost? Per month, per year and per contact (2026)
Comparisons: beehiiv vs Kit · Kit vs MailerLite · beehiiv vs MailerLite · beehiiv vs Buttondown · MailerLite vs EmailOctopus · EmailOctopus vs Kit · EmailOctopus vs beehiiv · Cheapest for 500, 1,000, 2,500, 5,000, 10,000, 25,000 subscribers
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