beehiiv vs Systeme.io
Both are on our shortlist for course creators. They part company on several things that matter more than the monthly price.
beehiiv
Systeme.ioWhich one, for whom
- Starting out with no budgetSysteme.ioSysteme.io 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 Systeme.io
- A list already in the thousandsbeehiivbeehiiv stays free to 2,500 subscribers against Systeme.io's 2,000.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 | Systeme.io | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | 2,500 subscribers | 2,000 subscribers |
| Free sends | Unlimited sends | Unlimited emails |
| Welcome sequence on free | No | Yes |
| Connects to Teachable | Not listed | Sells courses itself |
| Connects to Kajabi | Not listed | Sells courses itself |
| Connects to Podia | Not listed | Sells courses itself |
| Connects to Thinkific | Not listed | Sells courses itself |
| Paid from | $43/mo | $17/mo |
| At 5,000 subscribers | $78, billed yearly | $17, billed monthly |
| At 25,000 subscribers | $149, billed yearly | $97, billed monthly |
| The catch | You cannot sell anything from the free plan: paid subscriptions and digital products both need a paid plan. | The free plan holds one course only, and takes 0% on sales, which is rare. |
| G2 score | 4.5 out of 5, from 40 reviews | 4.8 out of 5, from 750 reviews |
| Trustpilot score | 4.0 out of 5, from 386 reviews | 4.9 out of 5, from 8,448 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, Systeme.io on G2, Systeme.io 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
Systeme.io
You can export contacts to CSV yourself at any time. Cancelling does not take effect immediately: it stops the subscription from renewing, and you keep access until the end of the current billing period, at which point the plan is removed automatically. Their terms and conditions add that subscription plans are non-refundable, and that an account can be banned without notice for a content-policy violation. What happens to stored data after a cancellation takes effect is not stated. Source
beehiiv vs Systeme.io, answered
- Is beehiiv or Systeme.io better for an online course?
- Neither is better outright, and anyone who says so is guessing on your behalf. Systeme.io 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 Systeme.io has the better free plan?
- beehiiv allows more free subscribers (2,500 against 2,000). 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 Systeme.io 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 breakdownSysteme.ioCourse hosting, funnels and email on one free plan
$17/mopaid plans start here. Free up to 2,000. Read off their pricing page on 9 September 2026.
Start free on Systeme.ioRead the full Systeme.io 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.