Beehiiv vs MailerLite: Which Email Platform Fits Your Needs?
Last updated August 21, 2026
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Still deciding between Beehiiv and MailerLite?
Beehiiv's free Launch plan allows up to 2,500 subscribers and includes the email builder, API access, and deliverability tools at no cost, but it gates automation, landing pages, A/B testing, and its AI writing tool behind the $43/month Scale plan, with transactional sending reserved for the $96/month Max plan. This fits publishers who want a generous free tier for building an audience before paying for growth features. MailerLite's Free plan caps at 250 subscribers but bundles automation (3 workflows), landing pages, and A/B testing into every tier, including Free and the $12/month Comfort plan, making it a fit for smaller lists that need automation and testing immediately without a big spend. MailerLite pushes deliverability support to its custom Enterprise plan and treats transactional email as a separate MailerSend product, while Beehiiv includes deliverability tools on all plans. Choose based on whether a larger free subscriber cap or lower-cost access to automation and testing matters more to you.
Compare current plans and feature availability directly with each vendor before committing, since pricing and feature tiers can change.
Feature-by-feature comparison
| Feature | Beehiiv | MailerLite | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drag-and-drop email builder | 5/5 | 5/5 | Beehiiv includes its custom email builder on all plans including the free Launch tier. MailerLite offers its drag & drop editor across Free, Comfort, and Power plans. |
| Marketing automation workflows | 3/5 | 4/5 | Beehiiv automations are unavailable on the free Launch plan and require Scale ($43/month) or above. MailerLite includes automation on every plan, with limits ranging from 3 automations on Free to unlimited on Power. |
| Landing page builder | 3/5 | 4/5 | Beehiiv custom webpages require Scale or above; not available on Launch. MailerLite includes landing pages on all plans, from 1 on Free up to unlimited on Power. |
| A/B testing | 3/5 | 5/5 | Beehiiv A/B testing is unavailable on Launch and requires Scale or above. MailerLite lists email, multivariate, forms, and landing page A/B testing as available. |
| AI content assistant | 3/5 | 3/5 | Beehiiv's 'beehiiv AI' feature needs Scale or above, though a separate AI Assistant with daily credit limits is present on all plans. MailerLite's AI writing assistant is added starting at Comfort, not on Free. |
| Transactional email API | 2/5 | 2/5 | Beehiiv's Send API is unavailable on Launch and Scale, only enabled on Max ($96/month) or Enterprise. MailerLite routes transactional email to its separate MailerSend product rather than a built-in feature. |
| Deliverability tools (warm-up, monitoring) | 5/5 | 2/5 | Beehiiv lists 'Optimized deliverability' as included on all plans. MailerLite lists deliverability support only as part of its custom Enterprise plan. |
| Free forever plan | 5/5 | 4/5 | Beehiiv's Launch plan is free forever for up to 2,500 subscribers. MailerLite's Free plan caps at 250 subscribers and 2,500 monthly emails with 2 user seats. |
| Public REST API | 4/5 | 3/5 | Beehiiv includes API access (excluding the Send API) on all plans. MailerLite's API, MCP Server, and webhooks are marked 'Limited' on Free, with full access implied on Comfort and Power. |
Frequently asked questions
How does Beehiiv pricing compare to MailerLite pricing?
Beehiiv's paid tiers start at Scale for $43/month (up to 100,000 subscribers, 3 publications, 3 team seats) and Max for $96/month (10 publications, unlimited team seats), with custom Enterprise pricing above that. MailerLite's paid tiers start at Comfort for $12/month (500 subscribers, 5,000 monthly emails, 3 user seats) and Power for $25/month (500 subscribers, unlimited monthly emails, unlimited user seats), with custom Enterprise pricing for 200K+ subscribers.
Do Beehiiv and MailerLite both have free plans?
Yes. Beehiiv's Launch plan is $0/month for up to 2,500 subscribers and includes the email builder, API access, and deliverability tools. MailerLite's Free plan is $0/month for up to 250 subscribers, 2,500 monthly emails, and 2 user seats, and includes automation (up to 3 workflows) and 1 landing page.
Can I switch from MailerLite to Beehiiv or vice versa?
The provided vendor data does not detail a specific migration or import process between the two platforms. Check each vendor's current documentation or support resources for subscriber list import and migration guidance before switching.
Who is Beehiiv best suited for?
Based on the listed features, Beehiiv suits users who want a larger free-tier subscriber cap (2,500) with built-in deliverability tools and API access from the start, and who are willing to upgrade to Scale or Max for automation, landing pages, A/B testing, or transactional sending.
Who is MailerLite best suited for?
Based on the listed features, MailerLite suits users with smaller lists who want automation, landing pages, and A/B testing available even on entry-level paid plans (or Free, in the case of automation and landing pages), rather than needing a higher-tier plan to unlock those tools.
Does either platform include transactional email natively?
Neither includes it as a fully built-in feature at lower tiers. Beehiiv's Send API is only available on the Max plan ($96/month) or Enterprise. MailerLite directs users to its separate MailerSend product for transactional email rather than including it directly in MailerLite plans.