beehiiv vs Mailchimp pricing: subscribers, sends and limits
beehiiv is free up to 2,500 subscribers and does not cap sends. Mailchimp is free under 250 contacts and caps monthly sends. Prices from 1,000 to 25,000 contacts, read October 5, 2026.
About this guide
Published by StackOnSale. Publisher: Emmanuel Grenier. Guide updated: 2026-10-05.
Research based on official vendor pages, not a hands-on review.
StackOnSale may earn a commission through disclosed affiliate links on the site. This does not decide which tool fits your needs.
The two offers we list
US dollars, before tax. Your cost depends on list size and, on Mailchimp, on how many emails you send each month.
Sources reviewed 2026-10-05. These are dated plan details, not a live checkout quote. Confirm current pricing and eligibility on the official pages.
Some vendor links on offer pages are disclosed affiliate links; this is not a paid ranking.
| Plan | Recorded price | Billing and limits | Before choosing |
|---|---|---|---|
| beehiiv Lite | $588/year | 1,000 subscribers, $49 a month billed yearly; $59 billed monthly | Paid subscriptions and automations start on Lite. The Free plan covers up to 2,500 subscribers. |
| Mailchimp nonprofit discount | 15% off | Verified nonprofits, on paid marketing plans | Request it before you buy a plan. Mailchimp says it cannot apply the discount retroactively. |
The short answer
beehiiv prices by subscriber count and lists email sends as unlimited on every plan. Mailchimp prices by contact count and sets a monthly send limit on each plan: at 1,500 contacts, 15,000 sends on Essentials and 18,000 on Standard.
beehiiv's Free plan covers up to 2,500 subscribers, without paid subscriptions, automations or A/B testing. Mailchimp's free plan covers fewer than 250 contacts.
On paid plans billed monthly, Mailchimp Essentials costs less than beehiiv Lite up to 10,000 contacts, and beehiiv Lite costs less at 25,000, in the tiers we read.
Both pricing pages were read on October 5, 2026, Mailchimp's in US dollars. Since our September comparison, beehiiv has replaced its Launch, Scale and Max plans with Free, Lite and Pro. StackOnSale has not tested either product.
How each one counts
beehiiv: the price follows your subscriber count, set on a slider. Its pricing FAQ says every plan includes unlimited email sends.
Mailchimp: the price follows your contact count, in ranges such as 501 to 1,500 or 5,001 to 10,000. Each plan also has a monthly email send limit that grows with the range. Mailchimp's page says overages apply on paid plans when you exceed the contact or send limit, and that sending is paused on the free plan. It does not state the overage rate on that page.
A weekly newsletter to 1,500 contacts is about 6,500 sends a month, within both Mailchimp limits at that range. A daily newsletter to the same list is about 45,000 sends and exceeds them.
Monthly prices by list size
The table puts each beehiiv slider position next to the Mailchimp contact range that contains it. beehiiv Pro and Mailchimp Premium are the upper plans; Mailchimp Premium is $350 a month up to 10,000 contacts and $620 at 20,001 to 25,000.
| List size | beehiiv Lite | beehiiv Pro | Mailchimp Essentials | Mailchimp Standard |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 (Mailchimp range 501 to 1,500) | $59 | $109 | $29 | $45 |
| 2,500 (Mailchimp range 1,501 to 2,500) | $79 | $149 | $49 | $60 |
| 5,000 (Mailchimp range 2,501 to 5,000) | $109 | $199 | $83 | $100 |
| 10,000 (Mailchimp range 5,001 to 10,000) | $139 | $239 | $110 | $135 |
| 25,000 (Mailchimp range 20,001 to 25,000) | $199 | $349 | $270, or $229.50 a month for 12 months | $340, or $289 a month for 12 months |
beehiiv: monthly billing prices from the subscriber slider on beehiiv.com/pricing. Mailchimp: prices from the contacts menu on mailchimp.com/pricing/marketing in US dollars. Both read October 5, 2026. The 12-month prices are Mailchimp's offer of 15% off on 10,000+ contacts.
Annual billing and discounts
beehiiv sells yearly billing: Lite at 1,000 subscribers is $49 a month billed yearly, $588 for the year, and $169 a month at 25,000. The Mailchimp prices we read are per month; we did not see an annual price on its page.
Mailchimp's current offer is 15% off for 12 months on 10,000 or more contacts. It also gives verified nonprofits a 15% discount, which you must request before you buy a plan: Mailchimp says it cannot provide the discount retroactively.
Free plans and plan limits
The free plans differ by a factor of ten in list size: 2,500 subscribers on beehiiv Free, fewer than 250 contacts on Mailchimp Free. beehiiv Free excludes paid subscriptions, automations and A/B testing; those start on Lite. On Mailchimp, Essentials allows automation flows of up to 4 steps and Standard up to 200 flows.
beehiiv takes 0% of paid subscription revenue; Stripe charges its own 2.9% + $0.30.
| Item | beehiiv | Mailchimp |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan ceiling | 2,500 subscribers (Free) | Fewer than 250 contacts |
| Email sends | Unlimited on every plan | At 1,500 contacts: 15,000 a month on Essentials, 18,000 on Standard, 150,000 on Premium |
| Automations | Not on Free, included on Lite | Up to 4 flow steps on Essentials, up to 200 flows on Standard |
| Team members | 1 on Free, 2 on Lite, 10 on Pro | 3 seats on Essentials, 5 on Standard, unlimited on Premium |
Read on beehiiv.com/pricing and on mailchimp.com/pricing/marketing with the 501 to 1,500 contacts range selected, October 5, 2026.
What we could not verify
Mailchimp's overage rate when you exceed a contact or send limit. Mailchimp's free plan send limit, which its pricing page does not show. beehiiv prices between its slider positions. Whether either price holds at renewal. How Mailchimp counts unsubscribed contacts toward the price; beehiiv's help centre says it counts active subscribers.
StackOnSale earns a commission if you buy beehiiv through our link. Our Mailchimp links are direct and pay us nothing.
Questions
Is beehiiv or Mailchimp cheaper?
It depends on list size. Billed monthly, Mailchimp Essentials is $29 at 1,000 contacts against $59 for beehiiv Lite, and $110 against $139 at 10,000. At 25,000, beehiiv Lite is $199 against $270 for Mailchimp Essentials, or $229.50 a month for its first 12 months. Read October 5, 2026.
Does beehiiv limit email sends?
No. beehiiv's pricing FAQ says every plan includes unlimited email sends.
How many emails can I send on Mailchimp?
Each plan has a monthly send limit tied to your contact range. At 1,500 contacts it is 15,000 on Essentials, 18,000 on Standard and 150,000 on Premium.
Which one has a bigger free plan?
beehiiv Free covers up to 2,500 subscribers, without paid subscriptions or automations. Mailchimp is free under 250 contacts.
Does Mailchimp have a nonprofit discount?
Yes, 15% for verified nonprofits. Mailchimp says to request it before you buy a plan, because it cannot provide it retroactively.
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- What email marketing actually costs at 1,000 subscribers
Sources
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