PRICING VERIFIED AUGUST 27, 2026
beehiiv pricing: when should you leave the free plan?
Stay on Launch while sending and a basic publication site are enough. Pay for Scale when paid subscriptions, ads, recommendations, referrals, or automations have a defined role in the publication.
Launch is free for up to 2,500 active subscribers and includes unlimited sends. The pricing page does not include paid subscriptions, the ad network, or automations on Launch.
Paid plans start at $49 month-to-month. The pricing page showed a $43 monthly equivalent at the smallest tier when billed annually; price then changes with active-subscriber count.
The free-to-paid jump is a feature decision as well as a list-size decision. Confirm the exact subscriber tier and annual total before checkout.
WORKED SCENARIOS
Match the plan to the constraint.
These scenarios use the verified starting figures above. They are planning examples, not quotes or predictions.
| Situation | Plan to check | Price anchor | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2,000 subscribers · free publication | Launch | $0/mo | Unlimited sends fit; monetization and automation tools stay unavailable. |
| 1,000 subscribers · paid subscriptions | Scale | $49/mo monthly | Scale is the documented entry point for paid subscriptions. |
| 1,000 subscribers · annual commitment | Scale | $43/mo equivalent | The displayed annual total was $517; compare commitment, not only the monthly equivalent. |
CATALOG COVERAGE
Prices and limits used by our calculator.
We store only tiers directly supported by a primary source. “Starting” and annual-equivalent prices are not extrapolated to larger lists.
| Plan | Planning price | Audience cap | Email cap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Launch | $0 free tier | 2,500 | No cap stated in source |
| Scale · 1,000 tier | $49/mo monthly billing | 1,000 | No cap stated in source |
| Scale · 2,500 tier | $69/mo monthly billing | 2,500 | No cap stated in source |
| Scale · 5,000 tier | $89/mo monthly billing | 5,000 | No cap stated in source |
| Scale · 10,000 tier | $109/mo monthly billing | 10,000 | No cap stated in source |
| Scale · 25,000 tier | $169/mo monthly billing | 25,000 | No cap stated in source |
| Scale · 50,000 tier | $249/mo monthly billing | 50,000 | No cap stated in source |
| Scale · 75,000 tier | $289/mo monthly billing | 75,000 | No cap stated in source |
| Scale · 100,000 tier | $329/mo monthly billing | 100,000 | No cap stated in source |
LIKELY FIT
beehiiv makes more sense when…
- The newsletter itself is a product or media property.
- Referrals, recommendations, ads, or paid subscriptions have a defined role.
- You want the publication site and newsletter workflow together.
COMPARE ANOTHER OPTION
Look elsewhere when…
- You mainly need lower-cost email campaigns and forms.
- Complex commerce funnels are the core requirement.
- You would upgrade without using a paid-plan feature.
FINAL PRICE CHECK
Price your actual list before choosing.
Confirm billing cadence, subscriber band, sending allowance, tax, and checkout total. This direct link is tracked as a vendor click but is not currently an affiliate link.