beehiiv is cheaper, but covers only 1 of 5 compared capabilities
$0/mo (Free) vs Mailchimp Essentials · 2.5k at $45/mo — covering 20% of the 5 compared capabilities.
Cheaper. Not the same job.
Comparison scenario
Every cheaper-than claim is tied to a defined scenario — never a bare list price.
2,500 contacts, 10,000 emails/month, monthly billing · USD · prices as observed on official pricing pages.
Essentials · 2.5k plan at $45/mo, the cheapest paid plan.
Free: 0 USD/monthly.
Mailchimp costs $45/mo on the Essentials · 2.5k plan at 2,500 contacts, 10,000 emails/month, monthly billing. We found 1 assessed alternative that is cheaper in this scenario; 0 of them cover at least 75% of the 5 compared capabilities.
Capability comparison
beehiiv covers 20% of the 5 capabilities compared against Mailchimp. ✓ native · ◐ via integration · ✗ not found.
| Capability | beehiiv | Mailchimp |
|---|---|---|
| Marketing automation | ↑ Lite | ✓ |
| Email templates | ✓ | ✓ |
| Remove branding | ↑ Pro | ✓ |
| A/B testing | ↑ Lite | ✓ |
| SMS marketing | ✗ | ✓ |
What you give up
Capabilities Mailchimp has that beehiiv lacks.
- Marketing automation — Automate email sends based on triggers and customer behavior.Missing from beehiiv.
- Remove branding — Remove the provider's branding from sent emails.Missing from beehiiv.
- A/B testing — Test variations of an email to see which performs better.Missing from beehiiv.
- SMS marketing — Send marketing messages by text message.Missing from beehiiv.
Price at your volume
The same comparison recomputed at three sizes. Plan caps change who is cheapest.
| Usage | Mailchimp | beehiiv |
|---|---|---|
| 1,000 contacts, 4,000 emails/month | $26.50/moEssentials · 1.5k | $0/mocheaperFree |
| 2,500 contacts, 10,000 emails/month | $45/moEssentials · 2.5k | $0/mocheaperFree |
| 10,000 contacts, 40,000 emails/month | $110/moEssentials · 10k | $139/mocosts moreLite · 10k |
Plans & pricing, side by side
Advertised prices in USD as observed on the official pricing pages — per-seat and transaction-fee plans are marked.
| Free | Free |
| Lite | $59/mo |
| Lite · 2.5k | $79/mo |
| Lite · 10k | $139/mo |
| Lite · 5k | $109/mo |
| Lite · 25k | $199/mo |
| Pro | $109/mo |
| Pro · 2.5k | $149/mo |
| Pro · 10k | $239/mo |
| Pro · 5k | $199/mo |
| Pro · 25k | $349/mo |
| Enterprise | Contact sales |
| Free | Free |
| Essentials | $13/mo |
| Essentials · 1.5k | $26.50/mo |
| Essentials · 2.5k | $45/mo |
| Essentials · 10k | $110/mo |
| Essentials · 5k | $75/mo |
| Essentials · 15k | $180/mo |
| Essentials · 20k | $230/mo |
| Essentials · 25k | $270/mo |
| Standard | $20/mo |
| Standard · 1.5k | $45/mo |
| Standard · 2.5k | $60/mo |
| Standard · 10k | $135/mo |
| Standard · 5k | $100/mo |
| Standard · 15k | $230/mo |
| Standard · 20k | $285/mo |
| Standard · 25k | $310/mo |
| Premium | $350/mo |
| Premium · 1.5k | $350/mo |
| Premium · 2.5k | $350/mo |
| Premium · 10k | $350/mo |
| Premium · 5k | $350/mo |
| Premium · 15k | $465/mo |
| Premium · 20k | $535/mo |
| Premium · 25k | $620/mo |
| Pay As You Go | Contact sales |
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Frequently asked
How much cheaper is beehiiv than Mailchimp?
100% cheaper in our scenario (2,500 contacts, 10,000 emails/month, monthly billing): $0/mo on Free vs $45/mo on Essentials · 2.5k. That is $540 a year. But it covers only 1 of 5 compared capabilities, so it isn't a like-for-like replacement.
What does beehiiv lack compared with Mailchimp?
Marketing automation, Remove branding, A/B testing, SMS marketing — 4 of the 5 compared capabilities.
When were these prices checked?
Mailchimp: 2026-11-01; beehiiv: 2026-11-01 — on the official pricing pages.
Who switched
Anonymous: no account, no email, no IP stored. Reports are shown once a switch has 3 or more and never change ranking or order — alternatives are computed from prices and capabilities only.
Sources & freshness
- https://mailchimp.com/pricing/marketing/ (official_pricing, checked 2026-11-01)
- https://mailchimp.com/pricing/marketing/#content (official_pricing, checked 2026-10-26)
- beehiiv data last verified 2026-11-01