Creator Beehiiv for creators: pricing, free plan limits and setup (2026 guide)
What beehiiv's free Launch plan really includes, what Scale and Max cost as your list grows, which creator features need a paid plan, and a setup checklist for newsletter writers, podcasters, YouTubers and course sellers. All of it comes from beehiiv's own public pages.
The short version
- Good fit if your newsletter is the product: you want a hosted website, unlimited sends, a recommendation network and, later, ads or paid subscriptions without giving the platform a cut of subscription revenue.
- The free plan is roomy on list size and thin on automation. As of September 25, 2026, Launch is $0 for up to 2,500 subscribers with unlimited email sends and custom domains. Automations beyond a single welcome email, paid subscriptions, the Ad Network and the referral program all need Scale or Max.
- Paid plans start at $49/month (Scale, monthly billing, up to 1,000 subscribers) or $43/month billed annually, and the price climbs with your list.
- Consider something else if you mostly sell courses through tagged funnels (compare Kit vs Beehiiv), or if you want classic small-business email on a small budget (see Beehiiv vs MailerLite).
Beehiiv plans at a glance
Beehiiv has four plans: Launch, Scale, Max and Enterprise. The plan decides which features you get; your active subscriber count decides what a paid plan costs.
| Plan | Price (per beehiiv) | Subscribers & seats | What it adds for creators |
|---|---|---|---|
| Launch | $0, "free, forever, with no credit card required" | Up to 2,500 subscribers · 1 team member · unlimited sends | Newsletter, website and podcast tools · custom domains · link-in-bio · AI website builder · recommendation network · campaign analytics · API access (excluding Send API) |
| Scale | $49/month monthly, or $43/month billed annually ($517/year), at up to 1,000 subscribers | Up to 100,000 subscribers · 3 seats | Ad Network · paid recommendations · 0% take rate on paid subscriptions · digital products · community · email automations · surveys & polls · A/B testing · custom HTML · referral program · webhooks |
| Max | $109/month monthly, or $96/month billed annually ($1,151/year), at up to 1,000 subscribers | Up to 100,000 subscribers · unlimited seats | Remove beehiiv branding · sponsorship storefront · audio newsletters · RSS to Send · dynamic content · click-triggered automations · up to 10 publications · Send API · priority support |
| Enterprise | Custom | 100K+ subscribers | Dedicated account manager · dedicated IP addresses · SSO · custom publication limits |
Source: beehiiv.com/pricing (plan cards, feature comparison table and FAQ) and beehiiv's machine-readable pricing.md, checked September 25, 2026. Prices in USD. beehiiv notes that the Ad Network and paid recommendations are not available in all regions.
What Scale and Max cost as your list grows
The entry prices only apply up to 1,000 subscribers. Here is beehiiv's published price for a selection of list sizes:
| Active subscribers | Scale, monthly | Scale, annual (≈/month) | Max, monthly | Max, annual (≈/month) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 1,000 | $49 | $43 | $109 | $96 |
| Up to 2,500 | $69 | $61 | $149 | $131 |
| Up to 5,000 | $89 | $78 | $169 | $149 |
| Up to 10,000 | $109 | $96 | $219 | $193 |
| Up to 25,000 | $169 | $149 | $289 | $254 |
| Up to 50,000 | $249 | $219 | $379 | $334 |
| Up to 100,000 | $329 | $290 | $459 | $404 |
Source: beehiiv.com/pricing.md tier table, which beehiiv says is generated from the same plan data as its pricing page, checked September 25, 2026. I also spot-checked the live pricing page slider that day: at up to 50,000 subscribers it showed Scale at $219/month billed annually ($2,629/year, "Save $359/year"), which matches the $249 monthly figure above. beehiiv says official terms, trials and discounts are on the website, so confirm your exact tier with the slider on beehiiv.com/pricing.
How beehiiv counts subscribers
Beehiiv's help article on plan types and subscriber tiers clears up a few things that trip people up:
- You pay for active subscribers, meaning people you're sending to who haven't unsubscribed or been marked inactive.
- A paid tier is a price bracket, not a cap. beehiiv's example: on Scale with 800 active subscribers you're on the 1,000-subscriber tier, and you move up tiers as your list grows.
- The 100,000 limit on Scale and Max is per workspace, across all publications in it. Beyond that, beehiiv points you to Enterprise.
- Monthly plans can be paused for up to 30 days, and your account drops to Launch features during the pause. Annual plans can't be paused.
- Pre-paid credit cards aren't accepted for paid plans.
The free trial of paid features
According to beehiiv's help center, a new account immediately gets a trial of Scale or Max (your choice) with no credit card and no upgrade required. A few details matter for creators:
- During the trial your account is technically on Launch, so the 2,500 active subscriber cap still applies.
- Not included in the trial: paid subscriptions, the Ad Network, community, applying to paid recommendations, removing beehiiv branding, RSS to Send, the Send API, and extra team members.
- You can try automations, A/B testing, polls and surveys, the referral program and audio newsletters. Digital products can be created but not published.
- If you don't upgrade, you stay on the free Launch plan.
Trial length: beehiiv's trial help article doesn't state it, and a FAQ on beehiiv's digital products page mentions a 14-day free trial. Confirm the length when you sign up.
Free vs paid: the features creators ask about
| Feature | Launch (free) | Scale | Max |
|---|---|---|---|
| Email sends | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Custom domain | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Welcome email | 1-email welcome | Full automations | Full automations + click-triggered |
| Segments | Create segments | + publish to segments | + dynamic content |
| Recommendations | Free recommendations | + paid recommendations | + paid recommendations |
| Referral program | No | Yes | Yes |
| Paid subscriptions | No | Yes, 0% take rate | Yes, 0% take rate + group subscriptions |
| Ad Network | No | Yes | Yes |
| Digital products | No | Yes | Yes + appointments |
| Podcast episodes per month | 1 (1 show) | 4 (1 show) | Unlimited (3 shows) |
| RSS to Send | No | No | Yes |
| Remove beehiiv branding | No | No | Yes |
| AI credits | 10 per day | 25 per day | 50 per day |
Sources: beehiiv pricing feature comparison, automations FAQ (welcome email on all accounts) and recommendations page, checked September 25, 2026.
Beehiiv by creator type
Newsletter writers
This is beehiiv's home turf. Launch gives you a hosted site, custom domain and unlimited sends up to 2,500 subscribers, which is plenty of room to find out whether a weekly issue sticks. Growth tools are the reason to upgrade: the referral program lets you set reward milestones for readers who bring in new subscribers, and paid recommendations let you pay for, or earn from, verified subscribers through beehiiv's network. Free recommendations work on every plan.
Podcasters
Beehiiv now hosts podcasts next to your newsletter. Its podcasts page describes distribution to Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Overcast and more, an episode page with transcript on your beehiiv website, premium episodes for paid subscribers, and IAB-standard analytics. According to beehiiv's podcast import guide, you can bring an existing show over from any host with a public RSS feed. Your episode GUIDs are kept, so apps don't re-download episodes, and you set a 301 redirect at your old host. Watch the episode limits: 1 per month on Launch and 4 per month on Scale. A weekly show that publishes more than four episodes in a month needs Max for unlimited episodes.
YouTubers and social-first creators
If most of your audience lives on video or social platforms, the useful free pieces are link-in-bio, subscribe forms and the website builder. All three are on Launch. An automated welcome sequence (for example, "here are my three best videos") needs Scale, because Launch only allows a single welcome email.
Course and digital product sellers
On Scale and Max you can sell digital products through beehiiv. According to its digital products page, beehiiv takes 0% commission and you pay standard payment processing (2.9% + $0.30). Payments run through Stripe. Appointment-style products are Max-only. If your business depends on detailed tagging and multi-step sales funnels, read Kit vs Beehiiv first. Kit is built around that kind of email automation.
Paid newsletter writers
Paid subscriptions need Scale or Max, and beehiiv's pricing FAQ says it takes 0% of subscription revenue, leaving Stripe's 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction. You can set up multiple tiers, monthly or annual pricing, "pay what you want", gift subscriptions and free trials for readers, according to beehiiv's paid subscriptions page.
Setup checklist: your first beehiiv newsletter
This checklist follows beehiiv's help center, using menu names as documented on September 25, 2026.
- Create your account. No card is needed for Launch, and you get a trial of Scale or Max at the start. Start from beehiiv.com.
- Connect your domain. Go to Settings → Domains → Set Up Custom Domain, then choose web, email or both. beehiiv recommends a subdomain (such as newsletter.yourdomain.com) if your main domain already runs a website, and a separate subdomain for sending if you use the domain for regular email. Verification can take up to 72 hours. If your DNS is on Cloudflare, set the records to "DNS Only", not Proxied. See custom domain setup.
- Import subscribers you have permission to email. Go to Subscribers → Import subscribers, then upload a CSV or paste addresses. The four steps are upload, map fields, onboard (optional) and review. You can tag the whole batch so it's easy to segment later. See importing subscribers.
- Write your welcome email. Every account can send a one-email welcome. Multi-step welcome automations need a paid plan (or the trial).
- Turn on free recommendations so new subscribers see newsletters you pick, and so you can be recommended in return.
- Podcasters: import your show. Go to Podcasts → Import podcast, paste your RSS feed URL (not a Spotify or Apple page link), then set a 301 redirect at your old host. See importing your podcast.
- Before your list nears 2,500, price Scale at the tier you expect to reach in 12 months, not today's.
Honest limitations to weigh
- The free plan has almost no automation. You get one welcome email. Sequences, polls, A/B tests and the referral program are paid features.
- The jump from free to paid is steep at first. Going from Launch to Scale means $0 to $49 a month (monthly billing), and by 10,000 subscribers Scale is $109 a month.
- You can't monetize on Launch. Paid subscriptions, the Ad Network and digital products all need Scale or Max, and the Ad Network and paid subscriptions aren't available during the trial. beehiiv also says the Ad Network requires you to be actively sending, and it isn't offered in every region.
- Several features are Max-only: removing branding, RSS to Send (useful if you blog elsewhere), dynamic content, click-triggered automations and unlimited podcast episodes.
- Positioning. Beehiiv presents itself as a newsletter and publishing platform. If you need a general email marketing tool with a small free plan, look at MailerLite. If you need creator-commerce automations, look at Kit.
Beehiiv vs the alternatives
- Kit vs Beehiiv: creator automations vs growth-first publishing. Kit's pricing page lists a free plan for up to 10,000 subscribers and Creator from $33/month billed yearly at 1,000 subscribers (checked September 25, 2026).
- Beehiiv vs MailerLite: newsletter platform vs approachable email tool. MailerLite's Free plan covers up to 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails a month. See my MailerLite guide.
- How to choose a newsletter tool: a decision framework by list size, automation, growth and budget.
- Best newsletter tools for creators: the full shortlist, including Buttondown and Flodesk.
- The Creator Mail Stack: how the newsletter tool fits with forms and analytics.
FAQ
Is beehiiv free?
Yes. The Launch plan is $0 for up to 2,500 subscribers with unlimited email sends, and beehiiv describes it as "free, forever, with no credit card required" (pricing FAQ, checked September 25, 2026). Monetization, automations and the referral program need a paid plan.
How much does beehiiv cost per month?
Scale starts at $49/month on monthly billing, or $43/month billed annually, for up to 1,000 subscribers. Max starts at $109/month, or $96/month billed annually. Both rise with your subscriber tier. For example, Scale is $109/month on monthly billing at up to 10,000 subscribers.
What happens when I pass 2,500 subscribers on the free plan?
2,500 active subscribers is the Launch plan's limit, so you need to upgrade to Scale or Max to grow past it. Confirm the exact behavior in your account's Billing & Plan settings.
Does beehiiv take a cut of paid subscriptions?
No. beehiiv says it takes 0% of paid subscription revenue on Scale and Max. Stripe's processing fee (2.9% + $0.30 per transaction) still applies.
Is beehiiv better than Substack?
It depends on how you earn. Substack is free to start and keeps 10% of paid revenue. Beehiiv has a free plan, but paid subscriptions need a flat monthly plan with a 0% take rate. The callout above shows the break-even point.
Can I use beehiiv for a podcast?
Yes. Podcast hosting and distribution are on all plans, with 1 episode a month on Launch, 4 on Scale and unlimited on Max. You can import an existing show from any host with a public RSS feed.
Can I use my own domain on the free plan?
Yes. beehiiv lists custom domains on every plan, including Launch. You can use a custom domain for your website, for sending, or for both.
Does beehiiv have landing pages?
Every plan includes the website builder, website templates, subscribe forms and link-in-bio. Custom webpages are listed from Scale up.
How does the beehiiv Ad Network work?
It's available on Scale and above for publications that are actively sending. According to beehiiv's Ad Network page, eligible publishers see up to 15 personalized ad offers at a time, and you're never required to run an ad. Payouts are based on CPM (per 1,000 unique opens) or CPC (per click), and beehiiv says estimated payouts aren't guaranteed, and the Ad Network isn't available in every region.
Start on beehiiv's free Launch plan
Sources (checked September 25, 2026)
- https://www.beehiiv.com/pricing: plans, feature comparison, pricing FAQ
- https://www.beehiiv.com/pricing.md: price by subscriber tier
- https://www.beehiiv.com/support/article/23874462928663-plan-types-and-subscriber-plan-tier-pricing
- https://www.beehiiv.com/support/article/22101553752471-whats-included-in-the-beehiiv-scale-and-max-trial
- https://www.beehiiv.com/features/automations
- https://www.beehiiv.com/features/recommendations
- https://www.beehiiv.com/features/referral-program
- https://www.beehiiv.com/features/premium-subscriptions
- https://www.beehiiv.com/features/digital-products
- https://www.beehiiv.com/features/podcasts
- https://www.beehiiv.com/ad-network
- https://www.beehiiv.com/support/article/14492990172823-how-to-use-a-custom-domain-for-your-publication
- https://www.beehiiv.com/support/article/4412705350679-How-to-import-free-subscribers-and-map-custom-fields-or-tags
- https://www.beehiiv.com/support/article/39460221594647-importing-your-podcast-to-beehiiv
- https://substack.com/going-paid: Substack revenue share
- https://kit.com/pricing: Kit free plan and Creator price
- https://www.mailerlite.com/pricing: MailerLite Free plan limits
beehiiv is a trademark of its owner. I run Creator Mail Stack independently, and it is not affiliated with or endorsed by beehiiv beyond the referral relationship described in the disclosure. Found something out of date? Tell me.