beehiiv vs Kit
Both are on our shortlist for course creators. They part company on a couple of things that matter more than the monthly price.
beehiiv
KitWhich one, for whom
- A list already in the thousandsKitKit stays free to 10,000 subscribers against beehiiv's 2,500.Start free on Kit
- Worried about being locked inbeehiivbeehiiv keeps your subscribers and automations when you cancel, rather than deleting them.Start free on beehiiv
Side by side
| beehiiv | Kit | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | 2,500 subscribers | 10,000 subscribers |
| Free sends | Unlimited sends | Unlimited broadcasts |
| Welcome sequence on free | No | No |
| Connects to Teachable | Not listed | Direct |
| Connects to Kajabi | Not listed | Direct |
| Connects to Podia | Not listed | Direct |
| Connects to Thinkific | Not listed | Direct |
| Paid from | $43/mo | $33/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. | Digital product sales carry a 3.5% + 30c fee on every plan. |
| G2 score | 4.5 out of 5, from 40 reviews | 4.4 out of 5, from 236 reviews |
| Trustpilot score | 4.0 out of 5, from 386 reviews | 4.1 out of 5, from 154 reviews |
Figures read off each vendor's own pricing page between 9 and 24 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, Kit on G2, Kit 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
Kit
Deleting the account is self-serve and takes 24 to 48 hours. Export first: their help page says all data is permanently deleted, with no recovery window documented. Source
beehiiv vs Kit, answered
- Is beehiiv or Kit better for an online course?
- Neither is better outright, and anyone who says so is guessing on your behalf. Kit if you are a list already in the thousands. beehiiv if you are worried about being locked in.
- Which of beehiiv and Kit has the better free plan?
- Kit allows more free subscribers (10,000 against 2,500). 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 Kit 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 between 9 and 24 September 2026.
Start free on beehiivRead the full beehiiv breakdownKitBiggest free list, sells products out of the box
$33/mopaid plans start here. Free up to 10,000. Read off their pricing page between 9 and 24 September 2026.
Start free on KitRead the full Kit 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.