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Email Marketing

beehiiv vs Mailchimp: Which Newsletter Platform Costs Less in 2026?

beehiiv is a newsletter platform with a free plan up to 2,500 subscribers and built-in monetization; Mailchimp is the small-business email marketing standard priced by contacts. Here is what each costs at every list size.

By Bill Belcamino · Last updated October 20, 2026 · Our methodologyResearched and fact-checked by the HelpCompare team
beehiiv logoFree up to 2,500 subscribers; Lite from $49/mo billed annually ($59 month to month)

beehiiv

VS
Mailchimp logoFrom $13/mo

Mailchimp

Run the cost calculator Compare pricing tiers
beehiiv vs MailchimpVerified Oct 20, 2026
Bill Belcamino
Bottom line up frontby Bill Belcamino, founder of HelpCompare
Editorial assessment

Bottom line up front: Is beehiiv or Mailchimp cheaper for a growing newsletter?

For a newsletter, beehiiv fits: it's free up to 2,500 subscribers, and from 25,000 up its Lite plan costs less than Mailchimp Essentials in every tier we compared.

Mailchimp fits a business sending store and marketing email, and it's cheaper on small and mid-size paid lists: $26.50 a month against beehiiv Lite at $49 billed annually at 1,000 subscribers, and $110 against $119 at 10,000. The line most people miss is who you pay for, since Mailchimp counts unsubscribed and non-subscribed contacts unless you archive them, and beehiiv bills only active subscribers. I built a 35,000-subscriber list with my own money, and dead addresses hurt twice: once on the bill, and again at the inbox, because mailbox providers watch whether people open and click. Whichever you pick, drop hard bounces right away, give quiet readers one last re-engagement email, and remove whoever ignores it. Do that before you compare prices, because a clean list can drop you a tier.

My read of the verified data on this page, checked against vendor sources on October 20, 2026. Disagree or spot an error? Tell Bill

Verified data

beehiiv vs Mailchimp: quick facts

At a glancebeehiivMailchimp
CategoryEmail Marketing
Entry priceFree up to 2,500 subscribers; Lite from $49/mo billed annually ($59 month to month)From $13/mo
Free planYes: Free plan, up to 2,500 subscribers, unlimited sends250 contacts / 500 sends per month

Is beehiiv cheaper than Mailchimp?

Up to 2,500 subscribers, beehiiv, because its Free plan costs nothing. On paid plans it depends on size: at 1,000 subscribers Mailchimp Essentials is $26.50 a month against beehiiv Lite at $49 (billed annually); at 5,000 Mailchimp Essentials is $75 against beehiiv Lite at $95; at 10,000 Essentials is $110 and Standard $135 against Lite at $119; at 25,000 Lite is $169 against Essentials at $270 and Standard at $310; at 50,000 Lite is $249 against $385 and $450. beehiiv’s prices are per month on annual billing (Lite is $588 a year at the entry tier); at the entry tier its month-to-month prices are $59 for Lite and $109 for Pro, and we did not record month-to-month prices for larger tiers. Mailchimp prices are its published monthly prices.

Verified data

beehiiv vs Mailchimp at a glance

CategorybeehiivMailchimp
Free planFree plan: up to 2,500 subscribers, unlimited sends250 contacts, 500 sends a month
Entry paid priceLite $49/mo billed annually ($59 month to month), at 1,000 subscribersEssentials $13/mo at 500 contacts
At 10,000 subscribersLite $119, Pro $199 (billed annually)Essentials $110, Standard $135
At 50,000 subscribersLite $249, Pro $399 (billed annually)Essentials $385, Standard $450
Who you pay forActive subscribers (not unsubscribed or inactive)Subscribed, unsubscribed and non-subscribed contacts
SendsUnlimited on every planMonthly send limits by plan
Team seats1 (Free), 2 (Lite), 10 (Pro)3 (Essentials), 5 (Standard), unlimited (Premium)
Paid newsletters0% take rate on paid subscriptions (Lite and Pro)See vendor pricing page
Publications1 (Free), 3 (Lite), up to 10 (Pro)See vendor pricing page
Above 100,000Pro up to 250,000 ($689 a month at 150,000, $869 at the top tier); Enterprise above that: custom pricingPremium; published tiers stop at 50,000 here

Verified October 20, 2026Prices recorded from each vendor’s own pricing page. See sources

Prices in USD from beehiiv.com/pricing (its subscriber slider, per month when paid annually), checked October 20, 2026, and Mailchimp’s published monthly contact tiers, checked September 27, 2026. Promotions excluded.

Editorial assessment

How they actually differ

Mailchimp is built for businesses sending marketing email to customers: automations, e-commerce integrations and segmentation. beehiiv is built for publishers: a newsletter website, growth tools and paid subscriptions with a 0% take rate on Lite and Pro.

The subscriber count

beehiiv defines a subscriber as one “who you are sending to that has not unsubscribed or been marked as inactive”. Mailchimp counts subscribed, unsubscribed and non-subscribed contacts toward your plan unless you archive them. On a list with many unsubscribes, that difference alone can move you up a Mailchimp tier.

Where the prices cross

beehiiv’s tiers run 1,000, 2,500, 5,000, 10,000, 25,000, 50,000, 75,000 and 100,000; Mailchimp’s start at 500, 1,500 and 2,500. If you need a paid plan, Mailchimp Essentials is cheaper up to 10,000 contacts; beehiiv Lite is cheaper from 25,000 up in the tiers we compared, and much cheaper at 50,000.

Moving between them

beehiiv has a documented Mailchimp migration: export your audience as a CSV, import it, and connect Mailchimp to pull in past posts. Mailchimp has no beehiiv importer, but beehiiv exports subscribers and posts as CSV files on every plan.

Editorial assessment

Pros & cons

beehiiv

Pros

  • Free up to 2,500 subscribers
  • Unlimited sends on every plan
  • Bills active subscribers only
  • Built-in Mailchimp importer for posts

Cons

  • Paid plans start at $49 a month billed annually
  • Month-to-month billing costs more ($59 against $49 for Lite at 1,000 subscribers)
  • One team member on Free, two on Lite
  • Less focus on e-commerce email

Mailchimp

Pros

  • Essentials from $13 a month
  • Cheaper than beehiiv Lite up to 10,000 contacts
  • Mature automations and integrations
  • Monthly billing without an annual commitment

Cons

  • Free plan is 250 contacts
  • Unsubscribed contacts count toward the bill
  • Gets expensive at large list sizes
  • No beehiiv importer
Verified data

Cost calculator: what does your team actually pay?

beehiiv

 
$0/mo

Mailchimp

 
$0/mo
 

beehiiv prices are per month when paid annually, by active subscribers; Mailchimp prices are monthly list prices by contact tier and count unsubscribed contacts. beehiiv prices checked October 20, 2026; Mailchimp prices checked September 27, 2026. Above 100,000 (beehiiv Pro runs to 250,000 at $689 to $869 a month) and above 50,000 (Mailchimp) prices are not shown here.

Choose beehiiv if…

You publish a newsletter, want to start free up to 2,500 subscribers, plan to sell paid subscriptions, or have a list of 10,000 or more.

Choose Mailchimp if…

You send marketing email for a business, need e-commerce automations, have a small list and want the lowest paid plan, or prefer paying month to month.

Total cost over time

Uses your selections above. Estimate excludes add-ons, overages, and negotiated discounts.

Ready to pick your email platform?

Count active subscribers, not total contacts. Under 2,500, beehiiv is free; from 25,000 up, beehiiv Lite costs less than Mailchimp Essentials in every tier we compared.

See beehiiv pricing See Mailchimp pricing
Verified data

beehiiv vs Mailchimp: security, offline & remote work

How beehiiv and Mailchimp compare on compliance reports, sign-in controls, offline access and the setup details that matter for remote, hybrid and in-office teams. Every value links to the vendor page it came from.

What we checkedbeehiivMailchimp
Security & compliance
SOC 2 reportSOC 2 Type IIsourceSOC 2 reportType not stated by vendorsource
ISO/IEC 27001Not publishedCertifiedsource
HIPAA (BAA)Not supportedsourceNot published
GDPR data processing agreementNot publishedDPA offeredsource
Single sign-on (SAML/OIDC)Not publishedNot published
SCIM user provisioningNot publishedNot published
Two-factor authenticationYessourceYesEnforcement: Any multi-user plan (automatic once an Owner or Admin enables 2FA)source
Admin audit logNot publishedNot published
Data residency choicesUS onlysourceUS onlysource
EncryptionNot publishedTLS 1.2+ in transit; at-rest encryption not statedsource
Self-hosting optionNot publishedNot published
Offline access
Offline modeNot documentedNot documented
Desktop appsNot publishedNot published
Mobile appsNot publishediOS, Androidsource
Remote, hybrid & in-office
IP allowlistingNot publishedNot published
Device & session controlsNot publishedNot published
Editorial assessment

What this means for your team

  • Audit reports: both state a SOC 2 report on their own sites, but not the same kind: beehiiv (Type II) and Mailchimp (type not stated). Mailchimp also holds ISO/IEC 27001. A Type I report checks controls at a single point in time; a Type II report tests them over months. If your security team requires Type II, confirm it with Mailchimp, and ask each vendor for the latest report under NDA.
  • Working offline: beehiiv and Mailchimp don’t document an offline mode. Details are in the Offline mode row above.

beehiiv: worth knowing

  • RemoteTeam seats scale by plan: 1 team member on Launch, up to 3 on Scale and unlimited on Max. source
  • SecuritySubscriber and post data can be exported as CSV on every plan; export download links expire after 24 hours. source

Mailchimp: worth knowing

  • RemoteMailchimp's iOS and Android apps cover campaigns, reports, inbox replies and adding contacts, but Mailchimp says they do not replace the full web version. source
  • SecurityMailchimp states it has SOC 2 reports but does not say on its security page whether they are Type I or Type II; reports are downloadable from the Intuit Compliance portal. source
  • SecurityMailchimp's terms leave HIPAA suitability to the customer and disclaim liability if the service does not meet HIPAA requirements. source
  • RemoteAccounts have up to five user levels (Owner, Admin, Manager, Author, Viewer), and the number of seats depends on the pricing plan. source

Checked September 27, 2026 against each vendor’s own trust center, help docs and app pages. Hover or tap “source” to see the exact wording we relied on. “Not published” means we could not find the vendor saying it on its own site; it doesn’t mean the feature is missing. Plan names are the lowest plan the vendor says includes the feature.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is beehiiv or Mailchimp cheaper?

Up to 2,500 subscribers beehiiv is free. On paid plans Mailchimp Essentials is cheaper up to 10,000 contacts ($26.50 against $49 at 1,000; $110 against $119 at 10,000), and beehiiv Lite is cheaper from 25,000 ($169 against $270). beehiiv prices are billed annually. Checked October 20, 2026.

Is beehiiv really free?

The Free plan is $0 up to 2,500 subscribers with unlimited sends and no credit card; it includes 1 team member and 1 publication.

Does beehiiv count unsubscribed contacts?

No. beehiiv counts subscribers who have not unsubscribed or been marked as inactive. Mailchimp counts unsubscribed and non-subscribed contacts unless you archive them.

Can I move my Mailchimp list to beehiiv?

Yes. Export your audience as a CSV and import it in beehiiv, then connect Mailchimp to import past posts. Automations are rebuilt, and campaigns made with Mailchimp’s legacy builder are not imported.

Can I leave beehiiv later?

Yes. beehiiv exports subscribers (quick or full CSV) and posts as CSV files on all plans.

Migration Guides

Already decided? Here’s how to actually switch.

Step-by-step migration guides covering what transfers automatically, what doesn’t, and how to handle the gap — in both directions.

Switching from beehiiv to Mailchimp Switching from Mailchimp to beehiiv
Editorial assessment

When to Buy — and When to Walk Away

Every “best email marketing platform” listicle tells you why to buy. Here’s the other half: the specific conditions under which beehiiv or Mailchimp is the wrong purchase for your team.

beehiiv

Buy beehiiv if:

  • You publish a newsletter
  • You want free up to 2,500 subscribers
  • You plan paid subscriptions

Do NOT buy beehiiv if:

  • You need deep e-commerce automations
  • You want to pay month to month at the lowest tier
  • You have a small list and need a paid feature

Mailchimp

Buy Mailchimp if:

  • You send marketing email for a store or business
  • Your list is small and you need a cheap paid plan
  • You want many integrations

Do NOT buy Mailchimp if:

  • Your list has many unsubscribes you cannot archive
  • You have 10,000+ subscribers and want the lowest price
  • You want a free plan over 250 contacts

Canonical data for the tools on this page

Every pricing fact, rating, AI billing model and switching guide we hold on each tool, on one page, with the date each figure was last verified.

beehiivPricing, free plan, AI cost & every comparison›MailchimpPricing, free plan, AI cost & every comparison›
ActiveCampaign vs MailchimpHead-to-head comparisonHubSpot vs MailchimpHead-to-head comparisonKeap vs MailchimpHead-to-head comparisonMailchimp vs Constant ContactHead-to-head comparisonMailchimp vs KlaviyoHead-to-head comparisonActiveCampaign vs KlaviyoHead-to-head comparison

Sources

Prices on this page were recorded from each vendor’s own pricing page on the date shown at the top of the page. Vendors change pricing often — check the live source before you buy.

Every figure is also in our open dataset (JSON and CSV, CC BY 4.0), with its source page and verification date. See how we research pricing.

Cite this page: HelpCompare, “beehiiv vs Mailchimp”, helpcompare.com/beehiiv-vs-mailchimp/ (updated ).

Source links on this site are checked every month; last check . How sources are checked.

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01 · CompareWhich tool fits your team, side by side.133 comparisons 02 · Price & approveSourced, dated pricing and a one-page brief for sign-off.Decision brief 03 · SwitchWhat moves, what you rebuild, what it costs.264 guides 04 · ShareDownload and cite the data. CC BY 4.0.Open data
Bill Belcamino, founder of HelpCompare
About the author

Bill Belcamino

Founder and author, HelpCompare

Engineer by training, operator by experience, marketer by choice. Bill spent eight and a half years as an engineer at HP, was COO of Auctiva (the number one third-party selling platform on eBay, past 200,000 users) and ran Google’s $70M/year search syndication partnership at Alot.com. Then he spent 13 years building his own web properties with his own money at stake. He has bought, trialled, integrated and cancelled more SaaS tools than he can count, and started HelpCompare because the real cost of switching tools is the part nobody covers.

“I’ve sat on both sides of the table: the agency recommending the tool and the client paying for it.”

Researched and fact-checked by the HelpCompare team. Pricing on this page was last verified on October 20, 2026. No paid sponsorships, no affiliate commissions.

Read Bill’s story How we verify pricingSpot an error? Tell Bill