Is beehiiv worth paying for in 2026?
Start free; pay the moment you want income. beehiiv's free plan carries a full publication to 2,500 readers, and Lite unlocks paid subscriptions at 0%, ads and automations. Through https://topreferrals.co.uk/go/beehiiv, the first three paid months are 20% off after a 14-day trial.
Key takeaways
- https://topreferrals.co.uk/go/beehiiv: 14-day trial, then 20% off Lite or Pro for 3 months. No code.
- Free: up to 2,500 subscribers, unlimited sends, website and podcast included.
- Lite $49, Pro $95 a month on yearly billing for up to 1,000 subscribers.
- 0% of subscription revenue, against Substack's 10%.
Our pick here: beehiiv pays 20% off for 3 months, verified against its own terms.
Short version: beehiiv is worth paying for as soon as your newsletter is meant to make money, and free until then. Through https://topreferrals.co.uk/go/beehiiv you get 14 days to test the paid tools and 20% off your first three months.
Free carries you a long way
The free plan is not time-limited. It holds up to 2,500 subscribers and includes the editor, a website, a podcast feed, custom domains, unlimited sends and the recommendation network, so a new writer can publish for months before spending anything.
What $49 a month buys
Lite, at $49 a month on yearly billing for up to 1,000 subscribers, is the earning plan. It adds paid subscriptions with beehiiv taking nothing, the Ad Network, paid recommendations, digital products, automations and two team seats. Pro, at $95, removes beehiiv's branding and suits publishers with several titles.
The Substack test
Most people weighing beehiiv are weighing Substack. Substack keeps 10% of paid subscriptions; beehiiv keeps none. beehiiv's own calculator puts the gap at $11,652 a year for 2,000 readers paying $5 a month.
Verdict
Free for building, Lite for earning, Pro for running a media business. Prices and plan contents were read on beehiiv's own pricing page on 2 October 2026.
How it compares
| Free | Lite | Pro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price (yearly, to 1,000 subscribers) | $0 | $49 a month | $95 a month |
| Subscriber limit | 2,500 | 100,000 | 250,000 |
| Paid subscriptions and Ad Network | No | Yes | Yes |
| Remove beehiiv branding | No | No | Yes |
| Through the link | Free anyway | 14-day trial, then 20% off 3 months | 14-day trial, then 20% off 3 months |
Frequently asked questions
Should I pay for beehiiv?
Pay when you want the newsletter to earn: Lite switches on paid subscriptions, the Ad Network and automations. Below 2,500 readers and with no income plans, the free plan is enough.
How much does the discount save?
20% for three months: Lite at $59 a month on monthly billing drops to $47.20 for those months, Pro at $109 to $87.20.
Is there a beehiiv code?
No. The trial and discount are attached to https://topreferrals.co.uk/go/beehiiv.
Is beehiiv better than Substack for paid newsletters?
On revenue, yes: beehiiv keeps 0% of subscriptions and Substack 10%.
Compared, verified and link-tested — here's where to go next.
Last checked 2 October 2026 by Behzad Hosseini, Editor-in-Chief. Figures verified against each brand's own terms. How we check.