Beehiiv vs. ConvertKit: An ESP Comparison

Caught in the Beehiiv vs. ConvertKit dilemma?

These ESPs are a creator's dream, designed to supercharge your newsletter game and monetize your content. Dive into this guide as we compare their offerings, so you can choose the perfect fit for your creative journey and business aspirations.

Introduction to Beehiiv

Founded in 2021 by ex-Morning Brew staffers, Beehiiv is a new player in the newsletter industry. With newness comes flexibility and growth. Although they’re a small ESP with under 10k active newsletters, they’re continually adding new list-building and monetization features to their mix.

The pros and cons of Beehiiv

Beehiiv pros:

Here are the best parts of working with Beehiiv, according to reviews:

• •Generous free plan for new users with small lists (under 2,500)
• •Intuitive UI—some say it’s like Substack, but with more features.
• •Robust features include a landing page builder, paid subscriptions, Beehiiv newsletter ads, and more.

Beehiiv cons:

Like all platforms, Beehiiv has a few cons:

• •No automation or drip campaigns.
• •Limited features, like a lack of integrations and support for custom fonts or CSS.
• •If you want to use all the features like polls, AI, and ads, you’ll need to upgrade to a Scale plan or above. For a list of 20,00o subscribers, this will cost you $149 per month.

Beehiiv pricing

Beehiiv's Launch plan is free for small lists of up to 2,500 subscribers. After that, the monthly pricing scales upward depending on your list size. ConvertKit is cheaper than Beehiiv for small lists, but it exceeds Beehiiv for lists above 3,000 subscribers.

Reviewers say:

[Beehiiv] helps me get new subscribers without a big lift on my end.… The price is high for the moment, but the new features being released non-stop are making up for that. G2 Beehiiv Review

Beehiiv has people buzzing (pun intended) about usability and its fast-growing feature set.

• •Their free plan is perfect for hobbyists and new writers.
• •If you want advanced features like ads, it can cost you a bit.
• •Beehiiv's free plan lets you have 5 times more subscribers compared to Mailchimp, and you can send emails without paying a dime.

Beehiiv takeaways:

If you’re looking for an easy, low-cost way to kickstart a newsletter, Beehiiv is a great choice.

As you grow, the prices are very low for what you get. We also appreciate that they don’t take a cut of paid subscriptions at all, so more money stays in your pocket. However, as the company has grown, they got rid of their flat-rate pricing, which could mean higher prices for some creators.

Another plus for Beehiiv: it's flexible and inclusive for creators. You don’t have to sign an exclusivity agreement, which means you can mix and match any monetization tools you like, whether it's Beehiiv ads or sponsorships from a service like Paved.

Speaking of ads, Beehiiv launched ads in 2023 and acquired the newsletter ad company Swapstack soon after. They’ve built out advertising tools to help creators launch basic sponsorships with the platform. Although the advertiser pool is small, with Beehiiv listing dozens of brands, we expect they’ll grow their network in the future.

Introduction to ConvertKit

ConvertKit is a marketing platform that helps creators grow and monetize their audience. Founded in 2013, over 600,000 creators use it to send their newsletters, making it a significantly bigger platform than Beehiiv.

ConvertKit offers a range of features such as landing pages and visual automation to help creators spend less time on email marketing. ConvertKit also offers an easy path for creators to experiment with earning a living online without needing to invest in another platform.

ConvertKit pros

Here’s what people like about working with ConvertKit.

• •Solid “free forever” plan for people with lists under 1,000 subscribers.
• •Strong reputation in sending and deliverability.
• •Great for lead nurturing and drip campaigns.
• •Advanced automation.
• •Ability to sell subscriptions, products, and online courses directly from the ESP.
• •Fun features like tip jars, integrations, forms, and add-ins for rich media.

ConvertKit cons

Here are a few of the negatives reported by ConvertKit users:

• •Reporting and analytics can be a bit light.
• •Although pricing is affordable for smaller lists, the price goes up as you grow.
• •If you’re monetizing your newsletter with ads, ConvertKit prefers that you stay exclusive with them. Otherwise, they’ll take a bigger cut of your ad revenue (30% rather than 20%).

ConvertKit pricing

ConvertKit is free for small lists of up to 1K subscribers. After that, the monthly pricing scales upward depending on your list size. ConvertKit is cheaper than Beehiiv for small lists, but it exceeds Beehiiv for lists above 3,000 subscribers.

Reviewers say:

The best thing about ConvertKit is that it is novice-friendly and has easy navigation. It has tons of pre-built email templates, landing pages, and form templates that you can use after minor modifications. G2 ConvertKit Review

Here’s what ConvertKit reviewers say about the platform:

• •Intuitive interface
• •Easier list management than other platforms
• •Convenient toolset that’s always growing
• •Easy to sell paid subscriptions and digital products
• •Auto-cleans your list so you don’t pay for duplicate subscriptions

ConvertKit takeaways

Overall, ConvertKit is a prime pick if you’re looking for a time-tested ESP with an impressive toolset. From referral programs to sophisticated automation and paid subscriptions, they’ve built a wealth of creator-centric tools to help newsletters grow.

Like most platforms, you’ll need to join a paid plan to access the full ConvertKit toolset. Compared to Beehiiv, the monthly pricing is cheaper for small lists and higher for larger ones. Unlike Beehiiv, ConvertKit takes a small cut for each transaction or paid subscription you sell--3.5% plus a $0.30 processing fee.

If a rich toolset is your priority and you envision your newsletter growing into a big enterprise, ConvertKit gets the job done well. Creators like Sam Parr of The Hustle say it’s an incredible tool for bringing in big revenue.

Beehiiv vs ConvertKit Ad Networks

We can’t talk about ESPs and monetization without also mentioning newsletter advertising, also known as email sponsorship. Beehiiv and ConvertKit are some of the first ESPs to integrate ads directly into their platforms to help creators earn more from their publications.

When your newsletter grows, you may want to consider selling ad space. You’re a good candidate to sell ads in your newsletter if:

• •You have a relatively large list. Most sponsors prefer to work with larger lists so they can get a good return on their investment.
• •You’ve got a niche audience. A list with an in-demand, niche audience can be more valuable than more general audiences. Sponsors tend to pay more to advertise to people with a known interest in their subject matter.
• •You’ve got great engagement. Above-average open and click rates are highly attractive to advertisers.
• •You have a clean list. An active, clean list with opted-in contacts is key.

A comparison of Paved, Beehiiv, and ConvertKit sponsorship networks

If you're ready to start advertising in your newsletter, it's important to pick a platform that suits your budget and goals. So, let’s see how Beehiiv and ConvertKit’s new ad networks stack up against a more established ad platform like Paved.

As you can see from the chart, if you’re already on a Beehiiv or ConvertKit monthly paid plan, won’t hurt to try out their ads since they’re already included in your pricing.

Otherwise, we’d recommend a bigger ad platform like Paved so you’re not bogged down with monthly ESP fees. It’s free to join, and you’ll get access to more advertisers—which means a bigger pool of potential revenue.

Beehiiv vs. ConvertKit: Who wins?

Ultimately, the choice between Beehiiv and ConvertKit depends on your preferences and budget. Consider your audience size, engagement levels, desired features, and budget to figure out which platform aligns best with your goals.

Beehiiv is ideal for those seeking a flexible choice to kickstart a newsletter, especially for hobbyists and new writers. ConvertKit, with its established reputation and advanced features, suits creators looking for a more mature platform with a wide range of monetization opportunities.

No matter which ESP you pick, be sure to check out Paved for even more creator monetization opportunities. Paved integrates with all the major ESPs including Beehiiv, Mailchimp, ConvertKit, and more. Sign up for a free account to get discovered by top sponsors in your niche.