beehiiv alternatives
The main alternatives to beehiiv are Kit, Buttondown and MailerLite. For context: beehiiv is a newsletter platform that lets creators, publishers and brands write, grow and earn money from an email audience. Below is what each alternative does and who it suits, so you can pick by what you need.
3 alternatives are compared here. Facts checked Oct 2026, from each tool's website.
Order is not paid for. How we rank.
| Tool | Pricing | Free plan | Lowest paid plan | Open source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| beehiiv (the original) | Free plan + paid plans | Yes | $49/mo | No |
| Kit | Free plan + paid plans | Yes | $33/mo | No |
| Buttondown | Free plan + paid plans | Yes | From $9/mo | No |
| MailerLite | Free plan + paid plans | Yes | From $12/mo | No |
1. Kit
Kit is an email marketing platform that lets creators build an audience, automate emails and sell digital products and subscriptions.
Best for: Creators who run a business around their audience, such as writers, coaches, YouTubers and podcasters.
As of Oct 2026, Kit has a free plan and paid plans start at $33/mo (source: kit.com).
Kit vs beehiiv
- Both have a free plan.
- Lowest listed paid plan: Kit $33/mo, beehiiv $49/mo.
Top Kit features
- Landing pages and forms. Unlimited landing pages and sign-up forms to grow your list, on every plan.
- Visual automations. Build email sequences and automated flows in a visual editor (Creator plan and up).
- Tagging and segmentation. Tag and segment subscribers so each group gets the emails that fit them.
2. Buttondown
Buttondown is an email newsletter platform that lets writers and businesses write, send and grow newsletters with a Markdown editor and a full API.
Best for: Writers, developers and small teams who want a simple, privacy-first newsletter tool they can extend.
As of Oct 2026, Buttondown has a free plan and paid plans start at From $9/mo (source: buttondown.com).
Buttondown vs beehiiv
- Both have a free plan.
- Lowest listed paid plan: Buttondown From $9/mo, beehiiv $49/mo.
Top Buttondown features
- Rich text or Markdown editor. Write issues in a rich text editor or in plain Markdown.
- Custom domain and archives. Send from your own domain and get a hosted archive of past issues.
- Paid subscriptions. Charge for your newsletter; Buttondown takes no fee from paid subscribers (add-on).
beehiiv vs Buttondown · Buttondown overview · Buttondown pricing
3. MailerLite
MailerLite is an email marketing platform that lets creators and small businesses send campaigns, automate emails and build websites and forms.
Best for: Creators, solopreneurs and small businesses that want email marketing plus simple sites and sign-up forms.
As of Oct 2026, MailerLite has a free plan and paid plans start at From $12/mo (source: mailerlite.com).
MailerLite vs beehiiv
- Both have a free plan.
- Lowest listed paid plan: MailerLite From $12/mo, beehiiv $49/mo.
Top MailerLite features
- Three email editors. Build emails with drag and drop, custom HTML or a simple text editor.
- Automations. Set up automated email workflows with one or more triggers.
- Websites and landing pages. Build a website and landing pages without code.
beehiiv vs MailerLite · MailerLite overview · MailerLite pricing
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