beehiiv vs MailerLite
Both are on our shortlist for course creators. They part company on several things that matter more than the monthly price.
beehiiv
MailerLiteWhich one, for whom
- Starting out with no budgetMailerLiteMailerLite can run an automated welcome sequence on its free plan. beehiiv cannot, so a new subscriber hears nothing from you until you pay.Start free on MailerLite
- A list already in the thousandsbeehiivbeehiiv stays free to 2,500 subscribers against MailerLite's 250.Start free on beehiiv
- Worried about being locked inbeehiivbeehiiv keeps your subscribers and automations when you cancel, rather than deleting them.
Side by side
| beehiiv | MailerLite | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | 2,500 subscribers | 250 subscribers |
| Free sends | Unlimited sends | 2,500 emails/mo |
| Welcome sequence on free | No | Yes |
| Connects to Teachable | Not listed | Not listed |
| Connects to Kajabi | Not listed | Direct |
| Connects to Podia | Not listed | Not listed |
| Connects to Thinkific | Not listed | Direct |
| Paid from | $43/mo | $12/mo |
| At 5,000 subscribers | $78 | $44.10 |
| At 25,000 subscribers | $149 | $161.10 |
| The catch | You cannot sell anything from the free plan: paid subscriptions and digital products both need a paid plan. | Their logo stays on your emails until you pay. |
| G2 score | 4.5 out of 5, from 40 reviews | 4.6 out of 5, from 1,113 reviews |
| Trustpilot score | 4.0 out of 5, from 386 reviews | 4.1 out of 5, from 3,281 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, MailerLite on G2, MailerLite 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
MailerLite
Cancel any time without penalty. Their terms describe still being able to log in, export and migrate your data after a plan lapses. Source
beehiiv vs MailerLite, answered
- Is beehiiv or MailerLite better for an online course?
- Neither is better outright, and anyone who says so is guessing on your behalf. MailerLite if you are starting out with no budget. beehiiv if you are a list already in the thousands. beehiiv if you are worried about being locked in.
- Which of beehiiv and MailerLite has the better free plan?
- beehiiv allows more free subscribers (2,500 against 250). 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 MailerLite 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 breakdownMailerLiteBest free plan for a real welcome sequence
$12/mopaid plans start here. Free up to 250. Read off their pricing page on 9 September 2026.
Start free on MailerLiteRead the full MailerLite breakdownMoving between them? Read the switching guide first, or answer 5 questions to check neither of these is the wrong shortlist.
There is a page for this exact move:beehiiv to MailerLite.
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.