beehiiv vs Kit (ConvertKit)

Updated 2026 — Side-by-side comparison of features, pricing, and scores.

Quick Verdict

Choose beehiiv if you are building a newsletter as a media business — its referral program, ad network, and premium subscription features are designed to help you grow and monetize a publication. The free plan supports 2,500 subscribers with unlimited sends. Choose Kit if you are a creator who sells digital products (courses, ebooks, templates) and needs email as your primary sales channel — its commerce features and tag-based automation are purpose-built for this. beehiiv scores 7.4/10 versus Kit's 7.3/10 overall, with beehiiv winning on value (8.5 vs 7.0) and Kit winning on ease of use (8.5 vs 8.0).

beehiiv

7.4/10
Good
Ease of Use8
Value for Money8.5
Support7
Features7
Scalability8
Integrations5.5

Kit (ConvertKit)

7.3/10
Good
Ease of Use8.5
Value for Money7
Support8
Features6.5
Scalability7
Integrations6.5

beehiiv and Kit (formerly ConvertKit) are both built for creators, but they approach the newsletter business from opposite directions. Kit started as an email marketing tool that added commerce features. beehiiv started as a newsletter platform that added monetization. Kit excels at email sequences and digital product sales. beehiiv excels at subscriber growth through referral programs and built-in ad networks. Your choice depends on whether you see yourself primarily as an email marketer or a media publisher.

Feature Comparison

FeaturebeehiivKit (ConvertKit)
Email Templates~
Minimal, text-focused
Drag and Drop Editor
Automation Workflows~
Basic sequences
A/B Testing~
Subject line only
Advanced Segmentation
Tag-based
Landing Pages
Website builder
Signup Forms
Analytics and Reporting
Revenue tracking
~
Basic
Built-in CRM
SMS Marketing
Transactional Emails
API Access
On Scale plan
Free Plan Available
2500 subscribers
10000 subscribers
Ecommerce Integration~
Premium subscriptions
~
Digital products built-in
Webinar Hosting
Full support~ Limited Not available

Pricing Comparison

beehiiv Pricing

EnterpriseCustom
LaunchFree
ScalePopular$43/mo
$43/mo billed annually
Max$96/mo
$96/mo billed annually

Kit (ConvertKit) Pricing

NewsletterFree
CreatorPopular$29/mo
$2/mo billed annually
Creator Pro$59/mo
$4/mo billed annually

Best Use Cases

Newsletter operators who want to monetize through ads and paid subscriptions should choose beehiiv — its built-in ad network lets you earn from day one. Course creators and coaches should choose Kit for its native digital product sales with automated delivery sequences. Writers migrating from Substack will find beehiiv more familiar in its publication-focused approach. YouTubers and podcasters who need a simple email capture and weekly update tool may prefer Kit for its generous 10,000-subscriber free plan versus beehiiv's 2,500.

FAQ

Which has a better free plan?
Kit offers 10,000 free subscribers versus beehiiv's 2,500. However, beehiiv's free Launch plan includes unlimited sends while Kit limits automations to just one on the free tier.
Can I run paid newsletter subscriptions on both?
beehiiv has built-in premium subscription support on its Scale plan ($43/mo). Kit added a similar feature but requires the Creator Pro plan ($59/mo).
Which is growing faster?
beehiiv, founded in 2021, has seen rapid adoption among newsletter creators. Kit (founded 2013) has a larger established user base but beehiiv is capturing newer independent media operators.

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