beehiiv vs Mailchimp: Pricing and Ratings Compared (2026)
Entry prices and free plans as read on each vendor's pricing page, and user ratings as published on review sites, for beehiiv and Mailchimp side by side. This page compares data; it is not a hands-on review.
On the data: On the data below, beehiiv leads on higher user rating; Mailchimp leads on lower entry price. We do not name an overall winner for this pair.
Short on time? Here's the quick answer
Based on published vendor pricing and features and on public review data, here's who should pick what:
beehiiv
Newsletter platform for growth
Best for you if:
- • You want generous free tier
Mailchimp
Grow your business with email, SMS, and AI marketing
Best for you if:
- • You want intuitive drag-and-drop editor accessible to non-technical users
| At a Glance | beehiiv | Mailchimp |
|---|---|---|
Starts at | Free plan, paid from $43/mo, billed monthly Scale plan | Free plan, paid from $13/mo, billed monthly Essentials plan |
Category | Email Marketing Newsletter Tools | Marketing Automation Email Marketing |
Rating | 4.5/5 G2 4.5 · Capterra 4.4 56 reviews | 3.9/5 Capterra 4.5 · G2 4.3 · Trustpilot 2.6 31,997 reviews |
Free plan | Yes | Yes |
Watch out for | n/a | ALL contacts count: subscribed, unsubscribed, non-subscribed, and 'cleaned' contacts all count toward your plan limit. You pay for contacts who unsubscribed last year unless you manually archive them. This inflates costs by 20-40% for most lists |
Choose beehiiv or Mailchimp?
Choose beehiiv if
- You want generous free tier
- You want great growth features
- You work in email marketing, not marketing automation
Choose Mailchimp if
- You want intuitive drag-and-drop editor accessible to non-technical users
- You want comprehensive free plan to get started with basic email marketing
- Budget matters ($13/mo, billed monthly vs $43/mo, billed monthly)
- You work in marketing automation, not email marketing
In-Depth Analysis
beehiiv
Newsletter platform for growth
beehiiv's pricing is quite generous, especially with its robust free 'Launch' tier supporting up to 2,500 subscribers.
Strengths
- Pro: Generous free tier
- Pro: Great growth features
- Pro: Built-in monetization
- Pro: Modern interface
Weaknesses
- Con: Learning curve
- Con: Some features need higher tiers
- Con: Limited customization on free
Key features
Mailchimp
Grow your business with email, SMS, and AI marketing
Mailchimp was once the default email marketing tool for small businesses, and its free tier was legendary.
Watch out
ALL contacts count: subscribed, unsubscribed, non-subscribed, and 'cleaned' contacts all count toward your plan limit. You pay for contacts who unsubscribed last year unless you manually archive them. This inflates costs by 20-40% for most lists
Strengths
- Pro: Intuitive drag-and-drop editor accessible to non-technical users
- Pro: Comprehensive free plan to get started with basic email marketing
- Pro: Powerful automation workflows rivaling dedicated automation platforms
- Pro: Extensive template library with mobile-responsive designs
- Pro: Strong deliverability rates backed by Intuit infrastructure
Weaknesses
- Con: Free plan capped at just 250 contacts and 500 sends per month
- Con: Pricing scales steeply as contact lists grow beyond initial tiers
- Con: Advanced segmentation and multivariate testing require higher tiers
- Con: Phone support only available on the highest tier
- Con: Removing Mailchimp branding requires a paid plan
Key features
Plans and prices: beehiiv vs Mailchimp
| Tool | Plans and prices | Source |
|---|---|---|
| beehiiv |
| beehiiv.com/pricing |
| Mailchimp |
| mailchimp.com/pricing read Oct 26, 2026 |
Prices as read on each vendor's own pricing page on the date shown. Plans are listed per tool and are not matched against the other tool's plans: a plan name or price in one column says nothing about the same row in the other. Details on beehiiv pricing and Mailchimp pricing.
Key Takeaways
beehiiv
- Higher user rating: 4.5/5 vs 3.9/5
Mailchimp
- Lower entry price: $13/mo, billed monthly vs $43/mo, billed monthly
What the data shows
On the data below, beehiiv leads on higher user rating; Mailchimp leads on lower entry price. We do not name an overall winner for this pair.
- beehiiv has the higher user rating (4.5/5 from 56 reviews for beehiiv, 3.9/5 from 31,997 reviews for Mailchimp).
- Mailchimp has the lower entry price: $13/mo, billed monthly (Essentials) against $43/mo, billed monthly (Scale) for beehiiv.
- Both have a free plan.
Criteria: user rating (only above 20 reviews on both sides, gap of 0.2 or more), entry price (only on the same billing basis), free plan. How we rate
Frequently Asked Questions
How do beehiiv and Mailchimp compare in 2026?
On the data below, beehiiv leads on higher user rating; Mailchimp leads on lower entry price. We do not name an overall winner for this pair. beehiiv has the higher user rating (4.5/5 from 56 reviews for beehiiv, 3.9/5 from 31,997 reviews for Mailchimp). Mailchimp has the lower entry price: $13/mo, billed monthly (Essentials) against $43/mo, billed monthly (Scale) for beehiiv. Both have a free plan.
What are beehiiv and Mailchimp used for?
beehiiv: Newsletter platform for growth. Mailchimp: Grow your business with email, SMS, and AI marketing.
What does beehiiv cost vs Mailchimp?
beehiiv's cheapest paid plan is Scale at $43/mo, billed monthly; it also has a free plan. Mailchimp's cheapest paid plan is Essentials at $13/mo, billed monthly; it also has a free plan. Prices read on the vendors' pricing pages, latest check Oct 26, 2026.
What's the main difference between beehiiv and Mailchimp?
beehiiv's main strength: generous free tier. Mailchimp's main strength: intuitive drag-and-drop editor accessible to non-technical users.