The bottom line is that while my reviews show ConvertKit is cheaper for small email lists, Beehiiv becomes more cost-effective for larger lists, with potential savings of over $20,000 in three years at 100,000 subscribers, though the best choice varies based on individual needs and list size.
Editor’s note: We updated this information on January 15, 2024.
Beehiiv vs ConvertKit: Pricing
On my website, I offer reviews comparing various email marketing tools. While some tools, like ActiveCampaign and tinyEmail, are so distinct that comparison is challenging, Beehiiv and ConvertKit are more alike in features and target audience, making a direct comparison more feasible.
In the pricing section of this review, you’ll see that ConvertKit is more affordable for smaller email lists (under 5,000 contacts). However, the situation changes for larger lists. When you exceed 10,000 subscribers, Beehiiv becomes more cost-effective, offering significant savings as your contact list grows. For instance, at 100,000 subscribers, choosing Beehiiv can save you over $500 per month compared to ConvertKit.
Considering that email marketing is a long-term strategy, it’s useful to look beyond short-term costs. Over three years, with a list of 100,000 subscribers, Beehiiv’s Scale plan (tier 2) will cost $3,024, whereas ConvertKit Pro (tier 2) will come to $26,388. This difference is substantial, equivalent to a high-end luxury vacation.🌴
While Beehiiv and ConvertKit are not identical, the value for money must be considered. A difference of over $20,000 in three years, as shown in this example with 100,000 contacts, is significant. However, the impact varies with different subscriber numbers. For example, the cost difference for a list of 2,500 subscribers would be much less. Therefore, it’s crucial to evaluate your specific needs and circumstances, as every situation is unique.
Pricing structure
Some email marketing tools, such as tinyEmail, Brevo, and Mailjet, calculate costs based on the number of emails sent. Conversely, platforms like ConvertKit and Beehiiv charge based on your total number of contacts.
It’s worth noting that if you send fewer emails per contact each month, tools that charge by email volume tend to be more cost-effective. For example, if your business typically sends one email per subscriber monthly (a 1:1 email-to-subscriber ratio), it’s often more economical to use a service that charges based on email volume. In this scenario, if you have 50,000 contacts, you would send 50,000 emails per month.
On the other hand, if you send multiple emails to each subscriber every month, services offering unlimited email sending, like Beehiiv and ConvertKit, are usually more affordable.
Different plans Beehiiv
- Launch (forever free plan)
- Grow ($49/mo)
- Scale ($99/mo)
Beehiiv Launch (forever free plan)
Beehiiv’s Launch tier supports up to 2,500 contacts and allows for unlimited email sending.
| Contacts | Price/mo | Max emails/mo |
|---|---|---|
| Limit – 2,500 | $0 | Unlimited |
Beehiiv Grow prices (tier 1)
This table displays the pricing for Beehiiv’s Grow plan. Beehiiv offers straightforward pricing: $49 per month for monthly billing or $42 per month for annual billing, applicable for up to 10,000 contacts. All tiers include unlimited email sending.
| Contacts | Price/mo | Annual billing | Max emails/mo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Limit – 10,000 | $49 | $42 | Unlimited |
Beehiiv Scale prices (tier 2)
The table below outlines the pricing for Beehiiv’s Scale plan. Following a clear pricing model, similar to the one above, it offers a single rate for up to 100,000 contacts with unlimited email sending.
| Contacts | Price/mo | Annual billing | Max emails/mo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Limit – 100,000 | $99 | $84 | Unlimited |
Different plans ConvertKit
- Newsletter (forever free plan)
- Creator (starting at $15/mo)
- Creator Pro (starting at $29/mo)
ConvertKit Newsletter (forever free plan)
| Contacts | Price/mo | Max emails/mo |
|---|---|---|
| Limit – 1,000 | $0 | Unlimited |
ConvertKit Creator prices (tier 1)
ConvertKit’s pricing structure differs from Beehiiv’s, as it varies based on the number of subscribers/contacts in your account. It’s important to note that ConvertKit provides unlimited email sending across all its plans and tiers.
| Contacts | Price/mo | Annual billing | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | $15 | $9 | ||
| 300 | $15 | $9 | ||
| 1,000 | $29 | $25 | ||
| 3,000 | $49 | $41 | ||
| 5,000 | $79 | $66 | ||
| 8,000 | $99 | $83 | ||
| 10,000 | $119 | $100 | ||
| 15,000 | $149 | $125 | ||
| 20,000 | $179 | $150 | ||
| 25,000 | $199 | $166 | ||
| 35,000 | $259 | $216 | ||
| 45,000 | $319 | $266 | ||
| 55,000 | $379 | $316 | ||
| 65,000 | $439 | $366 | ||
| 75,000 | $499 | $416 | ||
| 85,000 | $559 | $466 | ||
| 95,000 | $619 | $516 | ||
| 105,000 | $679 | $566 | ||
| 115,000 | $739 | $616 | ||
| 125,000 | $799 | $666 | ||
| 135,000 | $859 | $716 | ||
| 145,000 | $919 | $766 | ||
| 155,000 | $979 | $816 | ||
| 165,000 | $1,039 | $866 | ||
| 175,000 | $1,099 | $916 | ||
| 185,000 | $1,159 | $966 | ||
| 195,000 | $1,219 | $1,016 | ||
| 205,000 | $1,279 | $1,066 | ||
| 215,000 | $1,339 | $1,116 | ||
| 225,000 | $1,399 | $1,166 | ||
| 235,000 | $1,459 | $1,216 | ||
| 245,000 | $1,519 | $1,266 | ||
| 255,000 | $1,579 | $1,316 | ||
| 265,000 | $1,639 | $1,366 | ||
| 275,000 | $1,699 | $1,416 | ||
| 285,000 | $1,759 | $1,466 | ||
| 295,000 | $1,819 | $1,516 | ||
| 305,000 | $1,879 | $1,566 | ||
| 315,000 | $1,939 | $1,616 | ||
| 325,000 | $1,999 | $1,666 | ||
| 335,000 | $2,059 | $1,716 | ||
| 345,000 | $2,119 | $1,766 | ||
| 355,000 | $2,179 | $1,816 | ||
| 365,000 | $2,239 | $1,866 | ||
| 400,000 | $2,299 | $1,916 | ||
| 500,000+: Custom Pricing | Custom pricing | Custom pricing | ||
ConvertKit Creator Pro prices (tier 2)
The pricing structure for ConvertKit’s tier 1 and tier 2 is identical, with both offering unlimited email sending. The primary distinction between these plans is that tier 2 (Creator Pro) is more expensive and includes additional features.
| Contacts | Price/mo | Annual billing | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | $29 | $25 | ||
| 300 | $29 | $25 | ||
| 1,000 | $59 | $50 | ||
| 3,000 | $79 | $66 | ||
| 5,000 | $111 | $93 | ||
| 8,000 | $139 | $116 | ||
| 10,000 | $167 | $140 | ||
| 15,000 | $209 | $175 | ||
| 20,000 | $251 | $210 | ||
| 25,000 | $279 | $233 | ||
| 35,000 | $363 | $303 | ||
| 45,000 | $447 | $373 | ||
| 55,000 | $519 | $433 | ||
| 65,000 | $591 | $493 | ||
| 75,000 | $663 | $553 | ||
| 85,000 | $735 | $613 | ||
| 95,000 | $807 | $673 | ||
| 105,000 | $879 | $733 | ||
| 115,000 | $939 | $783 | ||
| 125,000 | $999 | $833 | ||
| 135,000 | $1,059 | $883 | ||
| 145,000 | $1,119 | $933 | ||
| 155,000 | $1,179 | $983 | ||
| 165,000 | $1,239 | $1,033 | ||
| 175,000 | $1,299 | $1,083 | ||
| 185,000 | $1,359 | $1,133 | ||
| 195,000 | $1,419 | $1,183 | ||
| 205,000 | $1,579 | $1,316 | ||
| 215,000 | $1,639 | $1,366 | ||
| 225,000 | $1,699 | $1,416 | ||
| 235,000 | $1,759 | $1,466 | ||
| 245,000 | $1,819 | $1,516 | ||
| 255,000 | $1,879 | $1,566 | ||
| 265,000 | $1,939 | $1,616 | ||
| 275,000 | $1,999 | $1,666 | ||
| 285,000 | $2,059 | $1,716 | ||
| 295,000 | $2,119 | $1,766 | ||
| 305,000 | $2,179 | $1,816 | ||
| 315,000 | $2,239 | $1,866 | ||
| 325,000 | $2,299 | $1,916 | ||
| 335,000 | $2,359 | $1,966 | ||
| 345,000 | $2,419 | $2,016 | ||
| 355,000 | $2,479 | $2,066 | ||
| 365,000 | $2,539 | $2,116 | ||
| 400,000 | $2,599 | $2,166 | ||
| 500,000+: Custom Pricing | Custom pricing | Custom pricing | ||
Comparing prices
The graph below presents a price comparison across four different contact levels, ranging from 1,000 to 10,000. It illustrates that at lower subscriber levels, ConvertKit is either less expensive than Beehiiv or +-matches its price. However, as the number of contacts in your account increases, ConvertKit’s prices rise, reflecting their pricing model of charging more as subscriber numbers grow.
The graph below compares prices at four higher subscriber levels, ranging from 20,000 to 100,000 contacts. Notably, Beehiiv’s Grow tier, which caps at 10,000 contacts, is absent from this graph. Beyond this limit, an upgrade to the Scale tier is required. Beehiiv’s pricing stays the same for up to 100,000 contacts, which means that ConvertKit gets much more expensive for higher numbers of subscribers, resulting in a big difference in monthly cost.
ConvertKit vs Beehiiv: Similarities & Differences
The table below gives a clear and detailed comparison of the different features that these email marketing tools have. As you can see, there’s a noticeable overlap in functionalities between ConvertKit and Beehiiv. However, while the features may not be directly comparable (like comparing apples to apples), they fulfill similar roles.
| ConvertKit | Beehiiv | |
|---|---|---|
| Forever free plan | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Newsletter features | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Referral program | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Email automation | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Paid newsletter feature | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Selling digital products | ✔️ | ❌ |
| Sign-up forms | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Landing pages | ✔️ | ✔️ |
Conclusion
From this review, it’s clear that Beehiiv is usually the cheaper option. But remember, not everyone is just looking for the cheapest choice. Your needs might be different. To understand better how ConvertKit and Beehiiv work and what they offer, you should read my detailed review of ConvertKit and watch my demo/tutorial.
You can also try both tools yourself. If you use the links to ConvertKit and Beehiiv below, it helps us out without costing you anything extra. We get a referral fee from them.
- Try Beehiiv: Click here to get a 30-day free trial of their Scale tier, or you can use their free plan forever.
- Try ConvertKit: Click here for a 14-day free trial of their Creator Pro plan.
Don’t worry, you don’t need a credit card to sign up for these trials.
Additional Resources
Recommended Articles
Here are some articles that you may find interesting and valuable:
- Visit Beehiiv’s website (30-day free trial – no credit card needed)
- Visit ConvertKit’s website (14-day free trial – no credit card needed)
- ConvertKit review (Independent Review)
- Best email marketing software tools (roundup review)
- Best free email marketing email tools (roundup review)
Recommended Videos
Check out these engaging videos from our YouTube channel: