Beehiiv vs Mailchimp: Which Email Platform Is Right for You?

Trying to pick between Beehiiv and Mailchimp? Yeah, it’s a tough one. Both help you send emails—but they do it very differently.

Beehiiv is like the cool new kid built just for creators. Mailchimp’s been around forever and does a little bit of everything. So, which one actually fits your goals?

If you care more about writing, growing, and maybe even making money from your newsletter—Beehiiv might be your new best friend. But if you want full-blown marketing tools and don’t mind a steeper learning curve, Mailchimp could still be the move.

Let’s break it down, side by side, and find out which platform’s really worth your time. Keep scrolling—we did all the comparing for you.

Who is Beehiiv?

Beehiiv is a modern newsletter platform launched in 2021 by three former Morning Brew employees. It was built with a clear mission: to empower writers, creators, and independent publishers to scale their newsletters with tools that are intuitive, powerful, and purpose-built for growth.

Unlike traditional email marketing platforms, Beehiiv focuses exclusively on the newsletter experience. It comes equipped with unique features such as built-in referral programs, native ad network monetization, audience segmentation, SEO-friendly web hosting for each newsletter, and rich analytics—all without requiring third-party integrations.

And here’s the kicker: Beehiiv is designed for rapid scaling. From a solo creator with 500 subscribers to a newsletter with 500,000+ readers, the same interface works across every stage of growth.

Best for: Content creators, media startups, and anyone focused on publishing and monetizing newsletters directly.

Key features:

• Native referral program to boost organic growth
• Monetization via paid subscriptions and ads
• Reader-focused writing experience with markdown and block editing
• Custom domains with SEO-friendly landing pages
• Built-in analytics that track growth, engagement, and revenue
• No-code solutions—everything works out of the box

Who is Mailchimp?

Mailchimp is a long-standing powerhouse in the email marketing world. Founded in 2001, it quickly became known for its accessible design, robust feature set, and reliable delivery rates. Over the years, Mailchimp expanded beyond email into a full-scale marketing automation platform offering landing pages, social media scheduling, postcards, and even basic CRM tools.

It’s the kind of tool that tries to be everything—email marketing, customer journeys, e-commerce integrations—but that can sometimes come at the expense of usability or focus. Many users love Mailchimp’s templates and UI, but creators may find the platform bulky or overly complex for simple newsletter workflows.

Best for: Small to mid-sized businesses running multi-channel campaigns who need a general-purpose marketing hub.

Key features:

• Drag-and-drop email builder
• Marketing CRM with audience insights
• 100+ customizable email templates
• Social media, survey, and SMS integrations
• Multi-step automation for sales and customer retention
• Free plan with basic features and limited monthly sends

Beehiiv vs. Mailchimp: Side-by-Side at a Glance

Automation: Beginner-Friendly vs. Robust Journeys

When it comes to email automation, both platforms offer ways to send messages on autopilot—but the depth and ease of use differ dramatically.

Beehiiv offers basic automation suited for creators who need to send simple drip sequences. You can set up welcome emails, onboarding flows, or timed series based on when someone subscribes. It’s incredibly easy to use and doesn’t require a technical learning curve. However, it lacks more advanced automation logic like branching, conditional triggers, or event-based segmentation.

Mailchimp, on the other hand, shines with more advanced automation workflows—especially on its Standard plan or higher. You can build multi-step journeys triggered by user actions, website visits, or purchase behavior. This makes it ideal for e-commerce brands or growing businesses needing a deeper, behavioral-based funnel. But it’s also more complex to navigate and not as intuitive for creators focused solely on content.

Audience Management & Segmentation

Segmentation is crucial for sending the right message to the right audience.

Beehiiv provides simple yet effective segmentation based on user activity (like opens and clicks), location, or signup source. You can create multiple segments and target them with specific campaigns—ideal for writers who want to engage super fans, free readers, or paid subscribers differently. Plus, it supports tags and custom fields without complicating your workflow.

Mailchimp goes deeper with its CRM-style segmentation. You can group audiences based on purchase behavior, engagement history, signup source, and more. The downside? You’re charged per contact list, which means duplicates across lists cost you extra. That’s a pain for creators managing multiple campaigns or audience types.

Email Builder & Design

Email design is where both platforms give you creative control—though in different ways.

Beehiiv is minimal and purpose-built. Its editor supports markdown or block-based formatting for clean, distraction-free newsletters. There are no frills—just beautiful typography, mobile-friendly layouts, and custom branding tools like logos, colors, and headers. It’s optimized for writing, not marketing flash.

Mailchimp offers far more templates and customization options. You get drag-and-drop elements, image grids, promo banners, social buttons, and advanced layout tools. This makes it ideal for visual campaigns, promos, or store announcements. However, it can feel bloated if you’re just trying to publish a weekly newsletter.

Monetization: Built-In vs. External Tools

One major edge Beehiiv has over Mailchimp? Monetization is baked in.

With Beehiiv, you can:

• Set up paid subscriptions with Stripe integration
• Join the Beehiiv Ad Network to place native ads in your newsletters
• Add custom upsells or exclusive content for premium tiers

It’s a no-code solution for turning readers into revenue—all from within your dashboard.

Mailchimp, in contrast, doesn’t offer any direct monetization tools. If you want to add paid content, you’ll need to integrate with third-party tools like Patreon, Substack, or a gated website. And while it plays well with Shopify and WooCommerce, it’s built more for selling products than selling content.

Forms, Landing Pages, and Lead Generation

Both Beehiiv and Mailchimp let you collect subscribers—but they go about it differently.

Beehiiv offers customizable signup forms and referral pages that match your newsletter branding. You can embed them anywhere or use Beehiiv’s built-in web hosting to create a clean, SEO-friendly homepage for your publication. While it lacks a full drag-and-drop landing page builder, it’s incredibly streamlined for newsletter growth.

Mailchimp, by contrast, has a full-featured landing page builder. It lets you create opt-in pages, sales funnels, or event signups using drag-and-drop blocks. You can even sell products directly from your landing pages using its Stripe integration. This makes it a better fit for product-led businesses or stores looking to gather leads and push conversions in one place.

Reporting & Analytics

What’s a newsletter platform without good data?

Beehiiv shines here with clean, real-time dashboards. You can track open rates, click-throughs, subscriber growth, referral performance, and revenue if you’re using monetization tools. The insights are actionable, fast, and focused on what creators care about.

Mailchimp offers broader analytics, including detailed eCommerce insights, audience performance, A/B testing results, and campaign comparisons. It’s more powerful—but also more cluttered, especially if you only care about newsletter engagement.

Deliverability & Integrations

Both platforms boast strong deliverability, but Beehiiv takes it a step further. Its infrastructure is designed specifically for newsletters, not transactional emails or bulk promo blasts. It also has fewer legacy systems weighing it down.

Mailchimp has good delivery rates, especially for eCommerce and B2B use cases. But your results can vary based on plan, audience hygiene, and template complexity.

In terms of integrations:

• Beehiiv focuses on native tools and API access
• Mailchimp connects with 250+ platforms including Shopify, WordPress, and Zapier

Pricing Breakdown

Let’s get down to dollars.

Beehiiv Pricing:

Mailchimp Pricing:

Note: Mailchimp pricing scales rapidly based on contact list size. Beehiiv offers much more generous free and entry-level plans for creators.

Why People Switch from Mailchimp to Beehiiv

So… why the migration?

Here’s what creators say:

• Beehiiv is built for newsletters—not generic email marketing
• Monetization and referrals are built in, not duct-taped via add-ons
• Cleaner UX and faster setup time
• Transparent pricing that doesn’t punish growth
• Strong support and a roadmap built by creators, for creators

It’s the platform people turn to when they’ve outgrown Mailchimp—or want to avoid its bloat in the first place.

Final Thoughts: Which One’s Right for You?

Choose Beehiiv if:

• You’re a writer, creator, or media brand focused on newsletters
• You want native monetization and referrals
• You value ease of use and clean design
• You want to grow without hidden fees

Choose Mailchimp if:

• You need a general-purpose email tool for a small business
• You run eCommerce campaigns and want deeper automations
• You rely on a lot of integrations and prefer drag-and-drop everything
• You’re okay with higher pricing as you scale

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Beehiiv support eCommerce?
Not directly. Beehiiv focuses on content creators, not physical product sellers. You’d need to embed external links or tools to sell merch or goods.

Can I migrate my Mailchimp list to Beehiiv?
Yes. Beehiiv offers CSV import and custom onboarding support for large accounts. You won’t lose your audience.

Is Beehiiv good for beginners?
Absolutely. It’s one of the easiest platforms to use if you’re just getting into email newsletters or coming from Substack.

Does Beehiiv support A/B testing?
Only on the Scale and Enterprise plans. Mailchimp includes it earlier on the Essentials plan.

Still deciding?
Test Beehiiv’s free plan and see why thousands of creators have made the switch.

👉 Try Beehiiv Free