Compare
Beehiiv vs Mailchimp · newsletter business vs contact-tier email
You're here because Beehiiv and Mailchimp keep getting pitched as interchangeable email tools. They are not. Beehiiv is a newsletter-as-a-business platform. Flat SaaS fee. 0% platform cut on paid subscriptions. Growth loops like referrals, recommendations, and an ad network. Mailchimp is a classic email platform that prices by contact-tier (you pay based on how many contacts you store, with send and contact overages on many plans). Strong campaign and automation breadth. Free, Essentials, Standard, and Premium plans exist. Public messaging often says paid plans start at $20 a month after trial copy. Pick by job. Substack fee math lives on Substack pricing. Beehiiv vs Substack covers that head-to-head. Kit and Ghost belong elsewhere. Keep this compare on Beehiiv versus Mailchimp.
who wins
Who wins
Default Beehiiv when the newsletter is media you grow and earn from, and you want 0% platform cut on paid subs. Default Mailchimp when legacy automations, SMS plus email bundles, or a team already standardized on Mailchimp are the stuck job.
- Beehiiv = newsletter-as-a-business platform. Mailchimp = classic contact-tier email platform.
- Beehiiv's Free plan costs nothing up to 2,500 subscribers. Lite is from $49 a month billed yearly. 0% cut of paid subscriptions. Stripe still applies.
- Mailchimp Free / Essentials / Standard / Premium. Paid messaging often starts at $20 a month after trial. Overages apply.
- Surprise bills: Beehiiv list-size SaaS steps vs Mailchimp contact and send overages.
- Mailchimp still wins legacy automations, SMS plus email bundles, and standardized teams.
- Kit and Ghost are not this compare's hero. Link Substack pricing and Beehiiv vs Substack for fee fights.
The tools
Scorecard
| Beehiiv | Mailchimp · newsletter business vs contact-tier email | |
|---|---|---|
| Job | Newsletter-as-a-business. Publish, grow, earn from paid subs and ads with owned growth loops. | Classic email platform. Campaigns, automations, and contact-tier pricing for broad ESP work. |
| Fee shape | Flat SaaS. Beehiiv takes 0% of paid subscription revenue. Stripe about 2.9% plus $0.30 still applies. | Contact-tier pricing. Free / Essentials / Standard / Premium. Send and contact overages can apply. |
| Entry pricing (Sep 2026) | Free $0 up to 2,500 active subscribers with unlimited sends. Lite from $49 a month billed yearly. Pro from $95 a month billed yearly. | Free plan exists. Paid messaging often starts at $20 a month after trial. Confirm live contact slider. Full contact-tier dollar tables move with list size. |
| Growth products | Referrals, recommendations, ad network. Built for newsletter growth as media. | Strong campaign and automation breadth. Growth is ESP-shaped, not newsletter-network-shaped. |
| Sends | Unlimited sends on Free, Lite and Pro. | Send limits and overages sit on many contact-tier plans. Confirm before a big campaign week. |
| When Mailchimp still wins | Not the legacy ESP default. Switch when newsletter-as-business and 0% cut matter more. | Wins legacy automations, SMS plus email bundles, and teams already standardized on Mailchimp. |
| Substack / Kit / Ghost | Useful elsewhere. See Substack pricing, Beehiiv vs Substack, and newsletter platforms for those fights. | Same. This compare stays Beehiiv versus Mailchimp. |
| Cold email | Not a cold email sequencer. Wrong buy for outbound volume. | Not a cold email sequencer either. Keep outbound on a send-layer shortlist. |
Who for
pick Beehiiv
- The newsletter is a B2B growth channel or media product, not a hobby blast list.
- You want 0% platform cut on paid subs and will pay flat SaaS instead.
- Referrals, recommendations, or an ad network are on the roadmap.
- Unlimited sends on a subscriber cap matter more than contact-tier ESP depth.
pick Mailchimp · newsletter business vs contact-tier email
- You already run deep Mailchimp automations and switching cost is real.
- You need SMS plus email in one Mailchimp-shaped bundle.
- Your team is standardized on Mailchimp and the stuck job is ESP campaigns, not newsletter media.
- You may keep both during a slow migration.
FAQ
Beehiiv or Mailchimp for a B2B newsletter?▾
Beehiiv when the list is a business you grow and earn from, with flat SaaS and a 0% paid-sub cut. Mailchimp when classic ESP automations and contact-tier pricing fit the team you already have.
Does Beehiiv replace Mailchimp automations?▾
Not as a drop-in for every legacy ESP workflow. Beehiiv owns newsletter publish, grow, and paid-sub tools. Keep Mailchimp when deep automations or SMS plus email bundles are the stuck job.
How does pricing surprise differ?▾
Beehiiv surprises come from list-size steps after the 2,500 cap on Free. Mailchimp surprises from contact-tier jumps and send or contact overages. Model the axis you will actually hit.
Can I run both during migration?▾
Yes. Many teams keep Mailchimp automations live while they move the newsletter publish and growth loops to Beehiiv. Cut over when the new workflow is stable.
Does Beehiiv take a cut of paid subscriptions?▾
No. Beehiiv FAQ says 0% of paid subscription revenue. Stripe still takes about 2.9% plus $0.30.
Where do Substack, Kit, and Ghost fit?▾
Substack fee math lives on Substack pricing. Beehiiv vs Substack covers that head-to-head. Kit and Ghost belong on a wider newsletter platforms guide. This compare stays Beehiiv versus Mailchimp.
next step
Closing
If the newsletter is a business and you want flat SaaS plus 0% of paid subs as a platform cut, open Beehiiv. If legacy automations, SMS plus email bundles, or a team already standardized on Mailchimp are the stuck job, stay on Mailchimp for that seat. Pick by job, not feature bingo. Try Beehiiv