beehiiv vs Sender
Both are on our shortlist for course creators. They part company on several things that matter more than the monthly price.
beehiiv
SenderWhich one, for whom
- Starting out with no budgetSenderSender 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 Sender
- Worried about being locked inbeehiivbeehiiv keeps your subscribers and automations when you cancel, rather than deleting them.Start free on beehiiv
- Selling the course from the same toolbeehiivbeehiiv can take the payment itself, so you do not need a separate checkout.
Side by side
| beehiiv | Sender | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | 2,500 subscribers | 2,500 subscribers |
| Free sends | Unlimited sends | 15,000 emails/mo |
| Welcome sequence on free | No | Yes |
| Connects to Teachable | Not listed | Not listed |
| Connects to Kajabi | Not listed | Not listed |
| Connects to Podia | Not listed | Not listed |
| Connects to Thinkific | Not listed | Not listed |
| Paid from | $43/mo | $9/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. | A smaller name with a smaller integration list. Check it connects to your course platform before you commit. |
| G2 score | 4.5 out of 5, from 40 reviews | 4.7 out of 5, from 278 reviews |
| Trustpilot score | 4.0 out of 5, from 386 reviews | 4.9 out of 5, from 1,421 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, Sender on G2, Sender 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
SenderEasy to leave
The friendliest exit terms we found. Cancelling drops you to the free plan instead of deleting anything: their help page says subscribers, campaigns, automations, forms and reports are all retained. Source
beehiiv vs Sender, answered
- Is beehiiv or Sender better for an online course?
- Neither is better outright, and anyone who says so is guessing on your behalf. Sender if you are starting out with no budget. beehiiv if you are worried about being locked in. beehiiv if you are selling the course from the same tool.
- Which of beehiiv and Sender has the better free plan?
- They allow the same number of free subscribers. The difference is what you can do with them: beehiiv cannot automate a welcome sequence free, Sender can.
- Can I move from beehiiv to Sender 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 breakdownSenderThe most generous free plan we found
$9/mopaid plans start here. Free up to 2,500. Read off their pricing page on 9 September 2026.
Start free on SenderRead the full Sender 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.