Beehiiv Review 2026 – The Perfect Newsletter Platform For Beginners? (My Experience)

Welcome to my Beehiiv review.

Beehiiv is one of the best email newsletter platforms on the market. It’s got a great free plan, affordable paid plans, and a solid feature set. But is it the right choice for your business?

In this review, I’ll help you figure that out by providing you with an in-depth, first-hand look at everything Beehiiv has to offer.

I’ll cover all the platform’s key features and how to use them, reveal my take on its biggest pros and cons, explore pricing, and more.

By the time you’re finished reading, you’ll have all the information you need to make a final decision.

Ready? Let’s dive into it.

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, and if you decide to buy any of the promoted products, I may receive a commission at no additional cost to you.

Beehiiv is a newsletter platform founded in 2021 by early employees of Morning Brew (Tyler Denk, Benjamin Hargett, and Jacob Hurd) with the mission to “pave the way for the next million creators, publishers, and companies to scale and monetize their audiences,” based on the belief that existing “gate-keepers and algorithms preserve power for the few.”

The platform offers a comprehensive suite of tools for publishing, growth, and monetization, including a Content Editor, beehiiv AI, referral and subscription tools like Boosts and Magic Links, advanced data analytics, and multiple revenue streams, such as an Ad Network and paid subscriptions.

As of Q3 2025, Beehiiv has seen over 130,000 publishers join the platform, sending over 46 billion emails to more than 425 million unique readers, who have collectively earned over $45 million through Beehiiv’s tools.

Beehiiv operates as a 100% remote and globally distributed company, with a team of over 100 full-time employees residing in multiple countries.

I moved to Beehiiv a little over two years ago when my list was sitting at just over 1,100 subscribers. At that time, I was paying more than $100 per month on my old platform and still dealing with basic limits on automation and audience growth.

The switch to beehiiv felt risky at first, but it turned out to be one of the best decisions I have made for my newsletter business.

In the first six months alone, my subscriber count crossed 1,800 without any paid ads. Most of that growth came from beehiiv’s built-in referral system and the recommendation network.

By the end of my first year, I had passed 3,000 subscribers, and today my list sits comfortably above the 5,000 mark. What impressed me most was not just the growth, but how consistent it was month after month.

Open rates also improved after the switch. On my previous platform, my average open rate hovered around 22 to 25 percent.

With beehiiv, it climbed to around 32 to 35 percent within a few months. Click rates saw a similar jump. The cleaner emails, better deliverability, and simple writing interface genuinely made a difference.

From a revenue angle, the impact was even more obvious. With Beheivi’s ad network and boosts, my newsletter started making its first dollars without any effort on my side. In the last 12 months alone, the newsletter has generated over four figures in direct revenue, and that does not even include the affiliate sales driven through it.

What I personally enjoy the most is how fast and distraction-free the platform feels. I can write, schedule, and analyze performance in minutes instead of spending hours inside a cluttered dashboard. There have been weeks when I published three newsletters without feeling burned out, something I never managed before.

Beehiiv isn’t just another tool I tried for a review. It’s the platform I use every single day to run my actual newsletter.

The growth numbers, engagement jump, and revenue increase are all real results I experienced after making the switch.

I think a few key groups of people will really benefit from using beehiiv for their email newsletter:

1. You’re Just Getting Started

If you’re launching a newsletter and aren’t ready to spend money yet, you should start with beehiiv. You can use their software completely free until you hit 2,500 subscribers.

Plus, you can send unlimited emails and naturally grow your list at no cost using beehiiv’s recommendation network. If you decide to go with a paid plan, they start at $39 per month and offer a 30-day trial. That gives you plenty of time to see if the tool is right for you.

2. You Have a Small Email List

I mentioned earlier that Beehiiv is free to start, but it’s also helpful if you already have a small audience. If you have around 1,000 subscribers, you can begin earning through Beehiiv’s ad program and boosts.

In my first ten months on the platform, I brought in about $120 per month with a modest list, so it’s genuinely possible.

3. You’re Not Sure How to Make Money With Your Newsletter

I was in this position for a long time. I had no interest in writing heavy sales emails or spending hours planning promotions. I wanted simple ways to earn from my newsletter without adding extra work.

If you don’t have your own products or services to sell but still want to earn revenue from your audience, you can do it easily with beehiiv’s ad network and Boosts.

4. You Want to Switch Platforms Without Headaches

I know some guys who are interested in switching to new email software, like beehiiv, but they dread having to rebuild all their complex automations.

Luckily, Beehiiv offer full migration support to help you move your existing subscribers and email history from your current platform.

You can upload your list using a CSV file. If you’re switching from Mailchimp, Substack, ConvertKit, or similar services, their team can walk you through the process.

If you manage a very large email list, you can also contact the Beehiiv support team and ask them for personal help.

This allows you to switch platforms easily without losing data, breaking automated emails, or disrupting your newsletter schedule.

You can receive 20% off any Beehiiv membership by using the coupon code SANU.

Tyler Denk, the CEO, graciously provided this special promo code for my readers.

When you follow the link here, the discount will be applied automatically.

Now, we’ll see how to actually use the platform.

When I first switched to beehiiv, it took me a little while to grasp all the features, but honestly, their powerful tools for creators have completely won me over.

Here’s the quick and easy breakdown of how to launch your newsletter with Beehiiv:

Step 1: Create your Beehiiv account

Head to beehiiv’s website and sign up with your email.

You can start on the free plan, which is more than enough to explore the platform and publish your first few newsletters. Once you confirm your email, beehiiv drops you straight into the dashboard.

Step 2: Set up your publication

Beehiiv asks for a few basic details about your newsletter.

You choose a name, a short description, and your publication URL. You can use a beehiiv subdomain at the start and later connect your own custom domain if you want.

This part takes just a few minutes.

Step 3: Explore the dashboard

The dashboard is your main workspace. You will see subscriber numbers, open rates, and click data for the last 30 days right on the front page.

Even with a small list, this helps you understand how your newsletters are performing without hunting through menus.

You will also see all your published posts in order, so you can revisit any past issue with one click.

If you have any ad or sponsorship updates, they show up here too, so you do not miss anything important.

Step 4: Customize your newsletter site

Beehiiv automatically creates a simple website for your newsletter as soon as you sign up.

Now, you can update the layout, upload your logo, change fonts and colours, and set up SEO settings.

If you want search traffic to play a role in your growth, this step is worth taking seriously since Beehiiv pages are indexable from day one.

Step 5: Write and publish your first post

This is where you actually sit down and write.

Now, click on the Start Writing button on your dashboard, and you’ll be taken to Beehiiv’s simple, distraction-free content editor. Here, you can create a post or an email for your audience.

Write your first draft and format it as you go using the basic tools. One helpful shortcut is typing a forward slash ( / ) inside the editor. That opens a menu where you can add elements like images, polls, referral blocks, or a paywall break without hunting through settings.

Before moving ahead, click the Preview icon and see exactly how your content looks on both desktop and mobile. This quick step helps you catch layout or spacing issues before anything goes out.

When you finish, you can publish the post on your site and send it as an email at the same time.

Step 6: Import or start growing subscribers

If you already have a list, you can import it from a CSV file.

If you are starting fresh, Beehiiv shows you how to set up signup forms and referral links so you can start growing from day one.

Step 7: Enable growth and monetization tools

After you set up the basics, you can enable features such as recommendations, referrals, and Boosts. These are optional, but they help a lot once you want to grow beyond a small audience.

That is all you need to get started.

You can go from sign-up to sending your first newsletter in under an hour. After that, it comes down to publishing regularly and using the data in your dashboard to improve as you go.

Now you’ve seen how to create and launch your newsletter with Beehiiv, it’s time to make money from your email newsletter. But before I get into that, let me share some quick data with you.

Did you know email marketing delivers a massive return on investment (ROI)?

According to Litmus, you get $36 back for every dollar you spend, which is more than any other marketing channel. This unbelievable potential shows just how valuable your newsletter can be.

I want to share 8 proven ways you can monetize your email list and earn income using the Beehiiv platform.

1. Beehiiv Boosts (Earn From Referrals)

Boosts help you grow your email list faster and build an extra income source.

If you want to grow your audience, beehiiv lets you promote your newsletter across thousands of qualified newsletters to reach the right people.

The average cost per active subscriber, according to the beehiiv boosts page, is $1.63.

The Beehiiv Boosts marketplace presents many options for you to consider. If you believe you can help other creators grow their email lists, submit an application and explain why your newsletter is a good match.

You can send up to 25 boost offers per month, but Beehiiv only displays up to three boosts at a time to readers.

Besides earning money by sending new subscribers, another type of boost exists: “Earn per send.” This means you get paid to feature other creators’ newsletters inside your own. Some creators pay as much as $1,000 per send. You really can earn four figures from sending just one sponsored newsletter with Beehiiv Boosts.

My experience

Boosts were actually the first way I earned money with Beehiiv. I turned it on out of curiosity, and within the first week, I made around $40 without doing anything extra.

As my list grew, so did the Boost income. It is not life-changing money, but it’s free money that requires zero extra effort.

The ROI feels satisfying because it rewards growth you are already doing.

2. Paid Subscriptions

Beehiiv also lets you earn recurring income through paid newsletters.

The platform does not charge any platform fee for paid subscriptions. You only pay Stripe’s processing fee of 2.9% plus $0.30 per transaction.

With beehiiv, you can:

• Add a paywall to premium content
• Create multiple pricing tiers
• Offer monthly and yearly plans
• Run free trials and custom offers
• Track revenue inside the dashboard
• Promote paid content within your newsletter

To put the numbers into perspective, if you have 100 paying subscribers at $7 per month, that adds up to $8,400 in a year before processing fees.

My experience

I tested a small paid section on my Beehiiv newsletter where I shared advanced SEO insights and keyword research breakdowns. I kept the price low in the beginning. About 3% of my audience converted, which surprised me because I assumed people wouldn’t pay for something like this.

What I learned is that if your free content is strong, readers trust your paid content even more.

3. The Beehiiv Partner Program

The Beehiiv Partner Program is one of the most reliable income options on the platform.

Here’s how it works:

• You sign up for a Beehiiv account
• You recommend Beehiiv to your audience
• You earn up to 60% commission on every paid customer you refer during their first year

I’ve earned $4000+ through the Beehiiv Partner Program so far.

Most of my referrals come from my affiliate blog and a few in-depth posts where I talk honestly about my experience with the platform. The results have been steady and consistent.

Beehiiv sends payouts to PayPal once a month, which is currently the only payout method available.

4. Sell Your Own Digital Products

You can promote ebooks, checklists, swipe files, templates or courses directly inside your newsletter.

My experience

My first small digital product didn’t bring big numbers, but it helped me understand what my audience wanted.

Later products sold better because they came directly from reader questions. The newsletter worked as a warm sales channel.

5. Beehiiv Ad Network

The Beheiv Ad Network lets you earn money by placing sponsored ads directly inside your newsletter.

beehiiv connects creators with well-known brands by matching ads to your audience’s interests and demographics, so most promotions feel relevant to your readers instead of forced.

To qualify, you need at least 1,000 subscribers and a consistent sending schedule.

Once you’re approved, ad offers start landing in your dashboard. You stay in full control of this. You can accept or reject any offer, and you’ll earn based on impressions or clicks.

My experience

I joined once my list crossed 1,100 subscribers. The first few sponsorships weren’t high-paying, but they were consistent.

I remember earning around $200 in a month just from sponsored placements without doing any outreach.

It felt like free money because all I had to do was insert the ad block and hit publish. The key is audience quality. When my open rates climbed above 45 percent, I started getting better offers.

Beehiiv consistently sends ad opportunities as long as you have more than 1,000 subscribers and keep your account active.

I have had months where I received over 10 ad sponsorship requests. Typically, I see between three and five requests monthly.

You will sometimes receive irrelevant ad offers or multiple requests from the same company. That happens to me often.

Based on what I’ve seen, irrelevant ads always perform poorly because readers simply won’t click on them if they don’t care about the product.

Also, running the same ad again might change your results. For example, Grammarly requested a sponsorship twice. The second time I ran it, the clicks nearly doubled.

That’s why you should always try different copy and tones to see what truly connects with your audience.

6. Direct Sponsorships (You Set Your Own Price)

If you want full control and higher payouts, go for direct sponsorships. Brands pay you to feature them in your email newsletter.

You’ll need to create a media kit with your open rates, subscriber size, and pricing. Brands will then pay you per newsletter or per slot. This usually pays more than Beehiiv’s ad network.

My experience

This method generated the most money for me.

Whenever a brand reached out, I charged based on my list size and engagement. A single placement paid me anywhere between $100 to $400. The first time a brand paid me for a newsletter feature felt like a real milestone.

If you build a niche audience, sponsors will come.

7. Promote Your Services

If you offer consulting, audits or coaching, your newsletter becomes a warm channel to get clients.

My experience

I rarely promote services, but when I do, I get immediate replies from subscribers who already follow my content. My highest-value lead came from a simple one-line note at the bottom of my newsletter.

8. Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is usually the easiest way to start earning because you don’t need your own product. You recommend tools or services you trust, and you earn a commission when someone buys through your link.

My experience

Since I already write about tools, affiliate marketing blends naturally into my emails. Some newsletters I sent earned more than my blog posts.

One email I sent about an SEO tool made me over $300 in a single day because the subscribers trusted my review. If you already run affiliate content on a blog, you’ll feel right at home here.

• If your list is small: Boosts
• If your newsletter is niche: Paid Subscriptions
• If your list is mid-sized (1,000–5,000): Ads + Sponsorships
• If you create online content: Partner Program + Digital products

In my personal journey, Boosts gave me quick wins when my list was tiny, and the Partner Program became a bigger earner as my audience grew.

In 2025, beehiiv officially pivoted from being a “newsletter platform” to an “Audience Operating System.” This shift was highlighted by their major Winter Release (November 2025), which introduced a set of tools built to help creators own their entire media ecosystem, from podcasts to digital storefronts, in one place.

Here are the most important updates and features released in 2025:

• AI-Native Website Builder: You can now build and edit your entire website just by chatting with an AI. You can describe the vibe you want or even upload a screenshot, and the builder generates the layout for you.
• Digital Products Marketplace: You can now sell PDFs, eBooks, Notion templates, and coaching services directly through your Beehiiv site. The best part? Beehiiv takes 0% commission—you keep 100% of your earnings (minus standard Stripe fees).
• Native Podcast Hosting: You no longer need a separate host for your audio. You can host your podcast directly on Beehiiv. It automatically generates a beautiful episode page on your site with a native player, transcripts, and timestamps.
• Beehiiv Link in Bio: Instead of using Linktree, you can now use a native mobile-first hub that connects your newsletter, products, and social feeds, so you can keep your audience inside your ecosystem.
• Behavior-Based Triggers: You can trigger emails based on specific reader actions, like if they clicked a certain link, visited a specific page on your site, or bought a digital product.
• Journey & Performance Overviews: New visual dashboards allow you to see exactly where subscribers are dropping off in your sequences and which specific emails are driving the most conversions.
• Native Website Analytics: Beehiiv now provides real-time traffic data without requiring Google Analytics 4. You can see your top referral sources, device types, and page performance directly in your dashboard.
• Dynamic Content Blocks: You can now personalize the content within a single email. For example, you can show a “VIP” discount code only to your most engaged readers while showing a “Subscribe” button to others, all in the same send.

If you’re already using Beehiiv, most of these tools are waiting for you in your sidebar.

If you’re looking to maximize your 2025 growth, I recommend starting with the AI Website Builder to refresh your landing page.

Beehiiv offers four main pricing tiers, including a free plan and three paid tiers whose cost scales based on the number of subscribers. All plans include unlimited email sends.

Here is a summary of the main plans and their starting costs (prices are typically lower if billed annually):

Plan	Price (Monthly)	Subscriber Limit	Key Features
Launch	$0 (Free Forever)	Up to 2,500 subscribers	Custom website/newsletters, campaign analytics, custom domains, API access (excluding Send API).
Scale	Starts at $39/month (paid annually) or $43/month (paid monthly) for up to 1,000 subscribers.	Up to 100,000 subscribers	Everything in Launch, plus Ad Network, Boost Network, Premium Subscriptions (monetization tools), email automations, referral program, and advanced analytics.
Max	Starts at $96/month (paid annually) or $99/month (paid monthly) for up to 1,000 subscribers.	Up to 100,000 subscribers	Everything in Scale, plus Remove beehiiv Branding, up to 10 publications, priority support, Beehiiv AI.
Enterprise	Custom Pricing	Infinite Subscribers	Everything in Max, plus custom subscriber limits, a dedicated account manager, and dedicated IP addresses.

Price Increases with Subscriber Count (Monthly Billing)

The cost for the paid plans increases as your subscriber count grows. Here are a few examples of the monthly billed plans:

Subscriber Count	Scale Plan (Monthly)	Max Plan (Monthly)
1,000	$43	$99
2,500	$54	$120
5,000	$109	$215
10,000	$192	$375

Beehiiv is a great newsletter platform with a generous amount of tools and features. Here’s a round-up of what I thought were the platform’s biggest pros and cons.

Beehiiv Pros

• You get a generous free plan that includes up to 2,500 subscribers, unlimited sends, and your custom domain.
• You find powerful growth tools like referral programs, the Boosts network, and integrated analytics.
• You keep 100% of your paid subscription revenue, as Beehiiv takes no platform fees.
• You use an all-in-one platform that handles your newsletter, website, monetization, and advanced analytics in one place.

Beehiiv Cons

• You face a big price increase when you move from the free plan to the paid tiers.
• You get fewer advanced marketing automations and simpler templates compared to traditional email marketing software.
• You have limited customization options for your website’s design.
• You only access the best features, like the Ad Network and advanced automations, on paid plans.

Since you’ve made it this far in my Beehiiv review, it’s a good time to see how Beehiiv compares with other popular platforms like Substack and Kit.

Feature	Beehiiv	Substack	Kit (formerly ConvertKit)
Core Model	Newsletter platform with website, built-in monetization, and growth tools.	All-in-one publishing platform (email, website, community, audio/video).	Email marketing service with strong automations and commerce features.
Best For	Newsletter growth, advanced monetization, professional publishers	Independent writers, simple publishing, built-in community/discovery	Creators, bloggers, course/digital product sellers, complex automations
Monetization	Paid subscriptions (0% fee), Ad Network, Boosts (native cross-promotion), digital products.	Paid subscriptions (10% fee), tip jar, community chat paywall.	Paid subscriptions, Digital Products/Courses, built-in referral system, recommendations.
Free Plan	Yes: Up to 2,500 subscribers, unlimited sends, basic website/analytics.	Yes: Free to publish to unlimited subscribers; fees apply only to paid subscriptions.	Yes: Up to 10,000 subscribers, unlimited sends, 1 automation, sell products.
Paid Pricing (Starting)	Starts at ~$49/mo (for Scale plan, up to 1,000 subscribers)	Revenue Share: 10% platform fee on paid subscriptions + Stripe fees.	Starts at ~$39/mo (for Creator plan, up to 1,000 subscribers)
Transaction Fees	0% platform fee on paid subscriptions (Stripe fees only, approx. 2.9% + $0.30).	10% platform fee on paid subscriptions + Stripe fees (approx. 13% total).	3.5% + $0.30 on commerce/digital product sales (for all plans).
Email Automation	Advanced automations, welcome series, and drip campaigns are available on paid plans.	Very Limited (Built for one-off newsletters, not marketing automation).	Excellent (Visual automation builder, sequences).
Segmentation	Advanced segmentation tools are available on paid plans.	Basic segmentation.	Powerful tagging and segmentation based on behavior and purchases.
Website/CMS	Full website builder, customizable templates, and hosting.	Simple, non-customizable public archive and landing page.	Landing pages and sign-up forms, a full website builder is available.
Growth Tools	Strong Focus: Referral program, recommendations network, integrated Ad Network, Boosts.	Organic discovery through the Substack ecosystem, Notes feature.	Referral system (Creator Pro), landing pages, simple forms.
Branding Control	Full custom domains and the ability to remove Beehiiv branding on the Max plan.	Limited customization; Substack branding is prominent.	Custom domains and no Kit branding on paid plans.

I’ve gathered some of the most frequently asked questions about Beehiiv.

If you are serious about building a newsletter as a real business, Beehiiv is one of the best platforms available right now. It is built specifically for creators who want growth, not just a basic email tool.

What I like most about Beehiiv is how easy it is to get started. You can set up your newsletter, landing page, and email system in one place without any technical headaches. The interface is simple and beginner-friendly, but still powerful enough for advanced creators.

Growth features are another big reason I recommend it. The built-in recommendation system, boosts, and referral tools actually help you get subscribers without spending money on ads. Most email tools do not offer this at this level.

Monetization is also baked right into the platform. You can run paid newsletters, accept subscriptions, and even get sponsorship opportunities as you grow. This is perfect for anyone who wants to turn their newsletter into a steady income stream.

On top of that, beehiiv’s free plan is very generous. You can grow to a good number of subscribers before you even need to think about upgrading. And when you do upgrade, the pricing is fair for what you get.

In short, if you want a modern newsletter platform that focuses on growth, monetization, and ease of use, Beehiiv is for you.

I rarely write product reviews. I only do it when I personally use a tool and genuinely believe a friend should try it. Hopefully, this review helped you decide if beehiiv is the right platform for you.

If starting a newsletter appeals to you, sign up for their 30-day free trial now. Then, use my code SANU to save 20% on your first three months.