beehiiv vs Flodesk
Both are on our shortlist for course creators. They part company on several things that matter more than the monthly price.
beehiiv
FlodeskWhich one, for whom
- A list already in the thousandsbeehiivbeehiiv stays free to 2,500 subscribers against Flodesk's nothing.Start free on beehiiv
- Worried about being locked inbeehiivbeehiiv keeps your subscribers and automations when you cancel, rather than deleting them.
- Selling the course from the same toolbeehiivbeehiiv can take the payment itself, so you do not need a separate checkout.
Side by side
| beehiiv | Flodesk | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | 2,500 subscribers | None |
| Free sends | Unlimited sends | None on the free plan |
| Welcome sequence on free | No | No |
| Connects to Teachable | Not listed | Not listed |
| Connects to Kajabi | Not listed | Through Zapier |
| Connects to Podia | Not listed | Not listed |
| Connects to Thinkific | Not listed | Not listed |
| Paid from | $43/mo | $25/mo |
| At 5,000 subscribers | $78 | Not published |
| At 25,000 subscribers | $149 | Not published |
| The catch | You cannot sell anything from the free plan: paid subscriptions and digital products both need a paid plan. | Two catches. Their pricing table lists email sending on the free plan while their own FAQ says the free plan does not include it, so read the free plan as forms and landing pages only. And their pricing page currently serves two different plan line-ups from the same address, one with a cheaper Lite plan and one without, so check which one you are actually offered before you commit. |
| G2 score | 4.5 out of 5, from 40 reviews | 4.8 out of 5, from 302 reviews |
| Trustpilot score | 4.0 out of 5, from 386 reviews | 4.9 out of 5, from 364 reviews |
Figures read off each vendor's own pricing page on 9 September 2026. Where a row says not published, that vendor does not state a price at that list size and we will not invent one.
The last two rows are other people's scores, not ours, read on 6 September 2026. Check them yourself:beehiiv on G2, beehiiv on Trustpilot, Flodesk on G2, Flodesk on Trustpilot.
- beehiiv: The G2 score rests on 40 reviews, which is a small enough number that a handful of unhappy or delighted people can move it.
Getting your list back out
beehiivEasy to leave
Cancelling a paid plan alone does not delete anything: downgrading to the free Launch plan "keeps your account and all your content intact," per their own help centre. Data is destroyed only if you take the separate, explicit step of deleting the publication or workspace, which their docs call irreversible and warn will delete any subscribers and segments tied to it. Their terms also disclaim any general duty to preserve data after cancellation, so exporting your list is worth doing as routine practice either way. Source
FlodeskEasy to leave
Cancelling does not delete anything. Their help page answers it directly: your data remains safe and all your content will still be available. You drop to their free tier, which keeps your forms collecting subscribers but cannot send email, so the list is held rather than lost and stays frozen until you pay again. Source
beehiiv vs Flodesk, answered
- Is beehiiv or Flodesk better for an online course?
- Neither is better outright, and anyone who says so is guessing on your behalf. beehiiv if you are a list already in the thousands. beehiiv if you are worried about being locked in. beehiiv if you are selling the course from the same tool.
- Which of beehiiv and Flodesk has the better free plan?
- beehiiv allows more free subscribers (2,500 against none). A bigger allowance is not automatically the better plan: check the welcome sequence row above, because that is where the two usually part company.
- Can I move from beehiiv to Flodesk later?
- Yes, and you should assume you will. Export your list before you cancel anything, and keep whatever marks who bought from you. We wrote the whole running order up separately.
Try either one
beehiivBest if the course sits beside a newsletter
$43/mopaid plans start here. Free up to 2,500. Read off their pricing page on 9 September 2026.
Start free on beehiivRead the full beehiiv breakdownFlodeskThe best looking emails, but nothing free to send with
$25/mopaid plans start here. No free plan. Read off their pricing page on 9 September 2026.
See Flodesk pricingRead the full Flodesk breakdownMoving between them? Read the switching guide first, or answer 5 questions to check neither of these is the wrong shortlist.
Neither of these? See all 14, including which ones connect straight to Teachable, Kajabi, Podia or Thinkific, or compare what they cost as your list grows.