- Choose Beehiiv if the newsletter is the product and you want growth and monetization tools.
- Choose Mailchimp if email supports a wider business, such as a store or services, and your team already knows it.
- Mailchimp has no built-in paid subscriptions or ad network.
- Many newsletters outgrow Mailchimp as their list and revenue grow.
At a glance
| Topic | Beehiiv | Mailchimp |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Newsletters as a business | Email marketing for small businesses |
| How you pay | Plans by list size and features | Plans by contact count and features |
| Growth tools | Referrals, recommendations, paid recommendations | General signup forms and integrations |
| Monetization | Ad network, paid subscriptions, digital products and sponsorships | No built-in paid subscriptions or ad network |
| Automations | Newsletter journeys | Mature customer journeys and segmentation |
| Publishing | Newsletter website and archive | Campaign archive and a basic website builder; no newsletter publishing site with paywalls or memberships |
| API | API for posts, subscribers and automations | Mature Marketing API |
The real difference
Mailchimp is built to help businesses market by email. Beehiiv is built to help newsletters become businesses. If you publish a newsletter people subscribe to for its own sake, Beehiiv's tools fit the job better.
Choose Beehiiv if
- Your newsletter is the product
- You want referrals, ads and paid subscriptions
- You want a newsletter website, archive and paywall
Choose Mailchimp if
- Email supports a store or services business
- Your team relies on Mailchimp journeys
- You need its wide integration ecosystem
Moving between them
Subscribers and tags export from Mailchimp. Templates and journeys need rebuilding, and warm-up protects deliverability on the new platform. See our migration guide and platform migrations.
What most comparisons miss
Check how contacts are counted
Mailchimp counts unsubscribed and non-subscribed contacts toward your plan, not just active subscribers. Clean your audience before comparing costs.
Duplicate audiences inflate costs
Many Mailchimp accounts have the same people in several audiences. Consolidate before you compare or migrate.
Templates are the hidden migration cost
Years of Mailchimp templates rarely move cleanly. Plan to rebuild them as modular newsletter templates.
Platforms change their features and pricing often. Check each platform's current plans before you decide.