Source-backed analysis11
Review basis
Research-based review: the AppDuo Editorial Team compiled it from official pages, documentation, app stores, press and user feedback, without hands-on testing. Every claim links to a source with the date it was checked.
11 reference sourcesInformation updated Nov 11, 2026
How we review
beehiiv Review
All-in-one newsletter platform built around monetization
By AppDuo Editorial Team · Updated
- Web
- API
On this page
Decide at a glance
Our verdict
beehiiv suits creators and publishers who want to own their audience and earn from ads, paid subscriptions and digital products without a revenue cut. The trade-off is a monthly fee that rises with list size, with several key features reserved for Lite or Pro.
Best for: Newsletter writers who plan to earn from ads and paid subscriptions
Skip it if: New writers with no audience who want a platform with a built-in discovery network
Pros
- Free plan covers up to 2,500 subscribers with unlimited email sends
- From Lite, paid subscriptions carry a 0% platform take rate (Stripe fees still apply)
- Ad network, referral program, recommendations network, podcasts and digital products in one platform
Cons
- Price climbs steeply with list size: Lite reaches $469/month at 100,000 subscribers
- On Trustpilot, some users report accounts locked without a clear explanation and complain about plan and limit changes
All pros and cons · Who is it for?
Pros
- REST API, SDKs and webhooks for custom workflows
Cons
- English-only interface; there is no App Store or Google Play app, and the publication mobile app is a PWA
Best for
- Publishers who want a website, podcast and newsletter on one platform
- Content teams that need an API, webhooks and several team seats
Skip it if
- Anyone who needs a non-English interface or a native app-store app for writing
Problems it solves
Experience & key features
What beehiiv is
beehiiv describes itself as an all-in-one newsletter platform for creators, publishers and brands. It was founded in 2021 by Tyler Denk, Benjamin Hargett and Jacob Hurd, all former Morning Brew colleagues. It started as a newsletter tool and has since added websites, podcasts, community, paid subscriptions, digital products and its own ad network.
Key features
According to the homepage, creation tools include a drag-and-drop editor, a no-code website builder with custom domains, and automations with an AI writing assistant. Growth tools cover a referral program, a recommendations network, audience segmentation and A/B testing. Monetization covers a native ad network and paid subscriptions with a 0% take rate on Lite and Pro. Developers get a REST API, SDKs and webhooks. Listed integrations include Stripe, Zapier, Make, Shopify, WordPress, Webflow, Slack and Salesforce.
Pricing and value
The Free plan covers up to 2,500 subscribers. Lite starts at $59/month ($49/month billed yearly) for 1,000 subscribers; Pro starts at $109/month ($95/month yearly). Prices scale with list size: at 10,000 subscribers Lite is $139/month and Pro is $239/month. Enterprise is custom. Press Gazette contrasts this flat fee with Substack, which takes 10% of paid subscriptions. Per the same report, beehiiv keeps 5-20% of revenue from ads sold through its network, while publishers keep 100% of deals they source themselves.
More analysis
Who it fits
beehiiv fits people who already have or are building an audience and want control over distribution. Press Gazette reports the company stresses an "owned audience" approach, as opposed to Substack's cross-network discovery. Beginners can start on the free plan but should check its limits and the features that begin on Lite. On Trustpilot it averages 3.8/5 across 419 reviews, with many praising ease of use and monetization tools and some reporting account locks.
Screenshots
Plans & pricing
Prices last verified Nov 11, 2026
Free
BusinessFree
Up to 2,500 subscribers, 1 publication, 1 team seat, 30-day analytics lookback, 1 digital product.
Lite
Business$59/mo
$49/mo billed yearly
From $59/month for up to 1,000 subscribers ($49/month billed yearly); price scales with list size up to 100,000. Includes the ad network, paid subscriptions at a 0% take rate, automations, 3 publications and 2 team seats.
Pro
Business$109/mo
$95/mo billed yearly
From $109/month for up to 1,000 subscribers ($95/month billed yearly); price scales with list size up to 250,000. Adds removal of beehiiv branding, 10 publications, 10 team seats, the Send API and priority support.
Enterprise
BusinessContact sales
Custom pricing: SSO, dedicated IPs, a dedicated account manager and unlimited seats.
- Free plan limits
- Up to 2,500 subscribers, unlimited email sends, 1 publication, 1 team seat, 3 segments and 5,000 podcast downloads per month. The ad network and paid subscriptions start on Lite.
- Free trial
- No free trial
Cancellation & refunds
The pricing page does not state a refund policy.
Privacy
The privacy policy (updated October 6, 2026) separates two roles: beehiiv processes data on a publisher's instructions, and acts as a controller for its own purposes such as security, fraud prevention, its website and marketing. Subscriber data is generally governed by each publisher's own practices. The California section says some identifiers and activity data are "sold" or "shared" with advertising and analytics partners; users can opt out via the "Your Privacy Choices" link, and Global Privacy Control signals are honored. There is no fixed retention period. The policy lists GDPR and CCPA rights and relies on Standard Contractual Clauses for international transfers.
beehiiv alternatives
Frequently asked questions
Is beehiiv free?
There is a Free plan for up to 2,500 subscribers, 1 publication and 1 team seat. The ad network and paid subscriptions require Lite or above.
Does beehiiv take a cut of paid subscriptions?
Per the pricing page, Lite and Pro have a 0% take rate on paid subscriptions. Stripe's processing fee (2.9% + $0.30 per transaction) still applies separately.
How does beehiiv differ from Substack?
beehiiv charges a monthly fee scaled by list size and takes no cut of paid subscriptions; Substack takes 10%, per Press Gazette. In return, Substack offers cross-network discovery, while beehiiv emphasizes owning your audience.
Does beehiiv offer a Vietnamese interface?
Not that we found. The official pages are in English and do not mention a Vietnamese interface.
Review evidence & sources11
Scores
- Ease of use
- 8.0
- Features
- 8.5
- Value for money
- 7.3
- Performance
- 7.0
- Support
- 7.0
- Privacy & security
- 6.5
Why this score
Drag-and-drop editor and no-code website builder; Trustpilot reviewers often call the interface intuitive, though some report weak editing on phones and iPads.
Why this score
Combines newsletters, websites, podcasts, digital products, community, an ad network, automations and an API; broader than Substack or Mailchimp for newsletters, though many features sit behind paid plans.
Why this score
A generous free tier and no cut of paid subscriptions, where Substack takes 10% per Press Gazette. But fixed fees start at $59/month and scale with list size, which gets expensive for large lists with little revenue.
Why this score
No independent uptime or speed data was found; only some Trustpilot reviews mention the editor occasionally slowing or freezing, so the score stays mid-range.
Why this score
Many reviews praise fast support and the company replies to 86% of negative Trustpilot reviews, yet some report unresolved account locks. Per the pricing page, Free gets only the beehiiv Agent; human support starts on Lite.
Why this score
The policy is clear about beehiiv's role for each kind of data and lists GDPR/CCPA rights, but the California section acknowledges "selling/sharing" data with advertising partners, retention is not fixed, and the security section is generic, naming no encryption or standards.
What users say
- Trustpilot3.8/5 · 419
Sources
- Vendor-providedOfficial pricing pageNov 11, 2026
- Vendor-providedOfficial homepageNov 10, 2026
- Vendor-providedOfficial integrations pageNov 10, 2026
- Vendor-providedOfficial privacy policyNov 11, 2026
- Vendor-providedOfficial about pageNov 11, 2026
- Vendor-providedThe beehiiv story, chapter 1 (official blog)Nov 11, 2026
- Vendor-providedHelp center: mobile app for your publicationNov 11, 2026
- Vendor-providedOfficial blogNov 10, 2026
- pressTechCrunch (2024-04-30)Nov 11, 2026
- pressPress Gazette interview with CEO Tyler Denk (2026-02-25)Nov 11, 2026
- review-siteTrustpilot reviewsNov 11, 2026
Specs & compatibility
- Developer
- beehiiv
- Headquarters
- United States
- Launched
- 2021
- Category
- Business
Capabilities
- Public API
- AI features
- Real-time collaboration
- Integrations
- Templates
Platforms
- Web
- API
Interface languages
- English
Integrations
- Stripe
- Zapier
- Make
- Shopify
- WordPress
- Webflow
- WooCommerce
- Slack
- Discord
- Salesforce
- Patreon
- Typeform
Support
- Help center
Change history
- Feature.Lets subscribers chat with each other and adds AI features.
- Company.Partners with Cloudflare to give publishers control over AI crawlers.
- Company.Raises a $33M Series B led by NEA, bringing total funding to $46.5M; about 20,000 active newsletters at the time.
Full change history (6)
- Company.Raises a $12.5M Series A led by Lightspeed.
- Launch.beehiiv launches publicly.
- Company.Signs a term sheet that leads to a $2.6M seed round.
About the author
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