beehiiv vs GetResponse
Both are on our shortlist for course creators. They part company on several things that matter more than the monthly price.
beehiiv
GetResponseWhich one, for whom
- A list already in the thousandsbeehiivbeehiiv stays free to 2,500 subscribers against GetResponse'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 | GetResponse | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | 2,500 subscribers | None |
| Free sends | Unlimited sends | 14-day trial only |
| Welcome sequence on free | No | No |
| Connects to Teachable | Not listed | Direct |
| Connects to Kajabi | Not listed | Through Zapier |
| Connects to Podia | Not listed | Direct |
| Connects to Thinkific | Not listed | Through Zapier |
| Paid from | $43/mo USD | €16/mo EUR |
| At 5,000 subscribers | $78, billed yearly | Not published |
| At 25,000 subscribers | $149, billed yearly | Not published |
| The catch | You cannot sell anything from the free plan: paid subscriptions and digital products both need a paid plan. | We could not confirm a permanent free plan on their pricing page, only a 14-day trial. |
| G2 score | 4.5 out of 5, from 40 reviews | 4.3 out of 5, from 1,141 reviews |
| Trustpilot score | 4.0 out of 5, from 386 reviews | 4.3 out of 5, from 1,029 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, GetResponse on G2, GetResponse 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
GetResponseEasy to leave
More lenient than most on this list. Their terms say a deactivated account, with its data and contacts, can be restored within 30 days for a free account or 120 days for a paid one. Their privacy policy adds that a paid account's data is then held for a further 120 days in backups only before final deletion, so a paying customer has roughly eight months before anything is unrecoverable. That protection is weaker for termination for cause, such as a breach of terms. Source
beehiiv vs GetResponse, answered
- Is beehiiv or GetResponse 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 GetResponse 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 GetResponse 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/mo USDpaid plans start here. Free up to 2,500. Read off their pricing page on 9 September 2026.
Start free on beehiivRead the full beehiiv breakdownGetResponseCapable all-rounder, but nothing is free
€16/mo EURpaid plans start here. No free plan. Read off their pricing page on 9 September 2026.
See GetResponse pricingRead the full GetResponse 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.