Last updated on March 14th, 2025 at
The Email Marketing Dilemma – Which Platform Should You Choose?
So, you’re stuck between Beehiiv vs Mailchimp for your email marketing? You’re not alone! It’s like being caught between two amazing options, and you’re wondering which one will fit your business best. Both platforms are popular and come with their own set of shiny features, but which one is the one for you?
Whether you’re just dipping your toes into the email marketing waters or thinking about switching things up, this guide is here to clear up the confusion. We’ll break down what each platform offers, how they stack up against each other, and help you make the smartest choice for your needs.
Ready to figure out which platform deserves your love? Let’s dive in and find out!
Beehiiv vs Mailchimp: At a Glance
Feature | Beehiiv | Mailchimp |
---|---|---|
Ease of Use | Winner: Simple, intuitive interface; ideal for beginners. | Lose: Slightly steeper learning curve with more features. |
Templates & Design | Lose: Limited pre-built templates; design from scratch. | Winner: 100+ templates; more versatile for ecommerce. |
Customization | Lose: Basic customization with a code-block option. | Winner: Advanced customization with drag-and-drop editor. |
Monetization Tools | Winner: Paid subscriptions, ads, sponsored content. | Lose: Ecommerce-focused tools like promo blocks & carts. |
Audience Engagement | Winner: Boosts, Recommendations, Referral program. | Lose: Limited, focuses on email campaigns & signup forms. |
List Management | Winner: Advanced segmentation, automatic updates. | Lose: Tagging system; can become messy with multiple lists. |
Automations | Lose: Simple, flexible multi-step journeys. | Winner: Advanced workflows, customer journey builder. |
Analytics & Reporting | Lose: Quick, simple overview; 3D analytics for posts and subscribers. | Winner: Comprehensive with customizable reports and KPIs. |
Pricing | Winner: Free plan up to 2,500 subscribers; affordable paid plans. | Lose: Free plan up to 500 subscribers; paid plans with limits. |
Quick Overview of Beehiiv
If you’re after something simple, straightforward, and built for creators, Beehiiv might just be your new best friend. It’s perfect for newsletter writers and small businesses who want to grow their audience without the hassle of learning a complicated tool. Beehiiv makes it easy to segment your audience, personalize emails, and track performance with simple, easy-to-read analytics. It’s like the “set it and forget it” of email marketing—perfect for those who want to get results without the headache.
Quick Overview of Mailchimp
On the flip side, Mailchimp is a bit of a powerhouse. It’s been around for years and offers a whole suite of marketing tools, not just email. Want automation, deep segmentation, advanced analytics, and integrations with everything under the sun? Mailchimp’s got you covered. But here’s the thing—it can feel like a bit of a beast to tackle at first. If you’re ready to put in the time to learn the ropes, Mailchimp’s rich features can take your email marketing to the next level. It’s the Swiss Army knife of email platforms, but with a steeper learning curve.
Ease of Use: Which Platform Is Simpler to Navigate?
Beehiiv
If you’re a newbie to email marketing or just someone who doesn’t want to get lost in a sea of buttons and options, Beehiiv is like the GPS that takes you straight to your destination. The interface is clean, minimalistic, and honestly, pretty refreshing. You can jump in and start creating your newsletter in minutes—no need to pull your hair out trying to figure out how it works. It’s perfect if you just want to focus on writing your awesome content and not worry about the techy stuff behind the scenes. Seriously, you could almost have a newsletter ready before your coffee even cools down!
Mailchimp
Now, Mailchimp? It’s like a Swiss Army knife of email marketing. It’s got every tool you could need… but, here’s the thing—sometimes, when you open it up, it’s like staring at a tool chest that could use a bit of unpacking. If you’re a first-time user, you might find yourself sitting there thinking, “Wait, what’s all this for?” There are tons of features (and I mean tons), like automation, custom templates, advanced segmentation, and integrations with every app you’ve ever heard of. It’s powerful, but it also means you’ll need to take the time to learn how to use it all. It’s like learning to drive a manual car—once you get the hang of it, you’re good, but it might take a little patience upfront.
Actionable Tip:
So here’s the deal: if you’re new to email marketing and just want something that’s quick and easy, Beehiiv is like a walk in the park. You’ll be up and running in no time, with no complicated setup. But if you’re ready to roll up your sleeves and dive into a platform that gives you more control, Mailchimp has the depth you might need—but be prepared to spend a little time getting cozy with its features. Think of it like learning to cook a gourmet meal: you’ll need some practice, but once you do, the possibilities are endless!
Email Editor: Crafting Your Perfect Message
Beehiiv
When it comes to creating emails, Beehiiv really knows how to keep things simple and efficient—perfect for those who want to get their content out there without the hassle. As a content creator, you’ll love Beehiiv’s intuitive all-in-one editor that lets you easily craft newsletters and sign-up forms. You don’t need any technical skills to design sleek, professional-looking emails and landing pages. And if you’re feeling adventurous and want to add some custom flair, Beehiiv also gives you the option to drop in a code block for more advanced tweaks.
What I really like about Beehiiv is how thoughtfully laid out the whole publishing experience is. The editor features a clear, multi-step workflow right at the top, so you never lose track of what needs to be done. You can easily move through the steps: compose your content (where you can collaborate with your team), set your audience preferences (like subscriber permissions), tweak email elements (including A/B tests), adjust web settings (SEO tools and more), and finally, review before scheduling or sharing your email.
Beehiiv’s layout is designed with creators in mind—clean, distraction-free, and super collaborative. Whether you’re crafting a simple newsletter or setting up a sign-up page, Beehiiv ensures you won’t miss any important details.
Speaking of sign-ups, Beehiiv makes customizing those pages a breeze. The sign-up form only has three sections: the main area where people enter their email, a spot for testimonials, and a space for featured posts. The best part? You can toggle the last two off if you don’t want them cluttering up your page.
Now, let’s talk about Mailchimp.
Mailchimp takes a slightly different approach to email building with two powerful editors: the Classic Builder and the New Builder. Both use drag-and-drop content blocks, but they each serve different needs. The Classic Builder is perfect for those who want full control, especially when it comes to custom coding or including RSS feeds. Meanwhile, the New Builder has a more modern design and some cool advanced features like undo/redo, survey content blocks, and Content Optimizer, which gives you live suggestions on how to improve your email content based on best practices. Plus, Mailchimp’s editor comes with a handy help section in case you need a little guidance.
For landing pages, Mailchimp has a separate editor tucked under the Campaigns section. It’s a little tricky to find at first, but once you get started, it’s super intuitive and helps you create optimized pages without much effort.
My Opinion
It’s a bit of a tie here—it really depends on what you need. Beehiiv is ideal for creators and marketers who want simplicity and a laser focus on email content. If you’re looking for something clean and easy, Beehiiv is your go-to. But if you need extra flexibility—like custom coding or integrated landing pages—Mailchimp has you covered with its more advanced features.
Design and Flexibility: Who’s Got the Creative Edge?
Beehiiv
Beehiiv gives you a blank canvas—which is great if you love creating your own designs from scratch. While this offers maximum flexibility, it does come with a bit of a learning curve. You’ll need to design your own newsletter and landing page templates using the editor, and then save them for future use. If you have design skills, this won’t be a problem. But if you’re not well-versed in design, be prepared to invest more time and effort into making things look polished.
Pros:
- Full design control with a customizable editor.
- Clean, minimalistic approach ideal for creators.
- Great for experienced designers who want total creative freedom.
Cons:
- No pre-built templates to get you started.
- Requires more time and effort for those without design expertise.
Mailchimp
Mailchimp, on the other hand, offers over 100 pre-built email templates with any paid plan, and even some basic options on the Free plan. If you don’t have time (or the desire) to design your own templates, Mailchimp has you covered with sleek, professional templates that are mobile-optimized and ready to go. Not quite the right fit? You can always custom-code your template or grab one from the Mailchimp Marketplace.
Mailchimp also offers free landing page templates that are split into basic and themed categories, plus various customizable options for sign-up forms (embedded, pop-up, block). You can tweak everything to match your branding, saving you time and hassle.
Pros:
- 100+ pre-built templates—perfect for those who want to get started quickly.
- Templates are mobile-optimized and professional.
- Easy-to-use landing page templates with a variety of sign-up form options.
- Custom coding and Mailchimp Marketplace for extra flexibility.
Cons:
- Many templates are geared toward eCommerce (limited options for newsletters).
- Slightly less design freedom compared to Beehiiv if you’re looking for a completely blank slate.
Winner: Mailchimp
While Beehiiv offers the advantage of complete design freedom, Mailchimp steals the show here with its vast library of pre-built templates and design flexibility. If you’re looking for more design variety and want to save time getting up and running, Mailchimp has the edge. Beehiiv is a great choice for those who want simplicity and customization, but Mailchimp makes it easier to jump in without having to design everything yourself.
Monetization Options: Which Platform Helps You Earn?
Beehiiv
Beehiiv has earned its reputation as the go-to platform for “paid newsletters made simple,” and it’s not just about creating content—it’s also about generating revenue. The platform gives you a suite of monetization tools that make it easy to set up multiple tiers of paid subscriptions, integrate sponsored content, and even add ads directly to your newsletter. These features are a game-changer for solo creators, niche publishers, or anyone looking to turn their content into a source of income.
The beauty of Beehiiv lies in its simplicity. You can easily manage and scale your paid subscriptions or monetize in other ways, all within the platform. This makes it an ideal choice for creators who want to focus on growing their audience while also earning from their work.
However, all these monetization features are locked behind paid plans, which means you’ll need to upgrade to access them. But for serious creators looking to earn through their newsletters, the investment is worth it.
Pros:
- Multiple tiers of paid subscriptions.
- Easy integration for sponsored content and ads.
- Streamlined monetization tools for creators and niche publishers.
- Great for solo creators looking to monetize without hassle.
Cons:
- Monetization tools are only available in paid plans.
Mailchimp:
When it comes to monetization, Mailchimp doesn’t quite stack up as well as Beehiiv. While it offers some growth-oriented tools like personalized product recommendations and promo code blocks, these features are mainly geared toward eCommerce businesses. Sure, if you’re selling physical products, digital courses, ebooks, or merchandise, these tools can be handy. But if your goal is to monetize your newsletter content, Mailchimp doesn’t offer the same level of focus or flexibility.
Additionally, Mailchimp has strict policies on affiliate marketing (though affiliate links are generally allowed), so you’ll need to make sure you’re staying on the right side of their rules if you want to earn through affiliate partnerships.
Pros:
- Great for eCommerce monetization (product recommendations, promo codes, etc.).
- Affiliate links are allowed (with some restrictions).
Cons:
- Not ideal for pure newsletter monetization.
- Policies around affiliate marketing can be limiting.
- Growth tools are more geared toward selling products than content.
Winner: Beehiiv
Beehiiv takes the crown when it comes to monetization. With built-in tools for paid subscriptions, sponsored content, and ads, it’s hands-down the better option for creators who want to focus on monetizing their newsletters and building revenue. Mailchimp’s monetization tools are more eCommerce-centric, making it a great option for product-based businesses, but not ideal for creators looking to earn from their newsletter content.
Audience Engagement Tools: Who Helps You Grow and Keep Subscribers?
Beehiiv
Growing and retaining subscribers is key to any successful newsletter, and Beehiiv really takes the cake here with its creative and community-focused approach. It offers several powerful tools designed to help you reach more people and keep your audience engaged:
Boosts: Beehiiv’s Boosts feature is a two-sided marketplace that lets you partner with other creators to cross-promote newsletters. You set your price and only pay for the subscribers who actually engage with your content. Creators using Boosts have reported an average growth of 137% per month. It’s a win-win for everyone involved.
Referral Program: Beehiiv also lets you set up a simple, automated referral program to encourage your existing subscribers to share your newsletter with others. It runs on autopilot, saving you time while you grow your audience organically.
Beehiiv Recommendations: This is a free version of Boosts, where you can exchange recommendations with other newsletters. It’s a great way to cross-promote with a community of creators. Note that active Boosts get priority placement here, so the more engaged you are, the more visibility you get.
While Beehiiv doesn’t currently support discussion forums like Substack, it still lets your audience engage through the comments section of your posts, so they can interact with you and each other.
Pros:
- Boosts marketplace for cross-promotion with other newsletters.
- Referral program that runs on autopilot.
- Recommendations feature for mutual cross-promotion.
- Easy-to-use comments section for engagement.
Cons:
- No discussion forums like Substack (but still some engagement through comments).
Mailchimp:
When it comes to audience engagement, Mailchimp doesn’t quite bring the same magic. While it provides some basic tools like sign-up forms and widgets to help you grow your subscriber list, it lacks the more collaborative and community-building features that Beehiiv offers.
To increase your subscribers, you’ll need to rely on running active campaigns through your emails and use strategies like adding signup forms or embedding widgets on your website or Facebook page. While these are effective for gathering new subscribers, they don’t help much when it comes to creating a deeper sense of community or driving engagement through partnerships or referrals.
Pros:
- Simple signup forms and widgets for growing your list.
- Effective email campaigns for driving engagement.
Cons:
- No collaborative tools for cross-promotion or community engagement.
- No referral programs or Boosts for increasing reach.
Winner: Beehiiv
When it comes to audience engagement, Beehiiv takes the lead with features like Boosts, the Referral Program, and Recommendations. These tools make it easier for creators to expand their reach and build a stronger community. Mailchimp, while great for managing emails, doesn’t offer the same level of collaborative growth and interaction tools, making Beehiiv the clear winner in this round.
List Management: Which Platform Lets You Organize and Engage Better?
Beehiiv
Beehiiv gives you advanced list segmentation and engagement tracking that make it easier to keep your audience organized and engaged. You can really fine-tune your content strategy by segmenting your readers based on their interests, behaviors, and engagement history.
What I personally love is the subscriber profile dashboard—it’s super handy because it shows you individual user metrics and lets you monitor engagement at a personal level. You can track how each subscriber interacts with your content and make adjustments to your approach accordingly.
Beehiiv allows you to manually or automatically update your segment lists, ensuring you’re always sending the right content to the right people. Plus, you can tag subscribers based on various criteria like subscriber type, custom categories, and sign-up origin, making it really flexible for different content strategies. This level of control allows you to tailor your newsletters to specific reader preferences without a hitch.
Pros:
- Advanced segmentation for tailored content.
- Subscriber profile dashboard for individual engagement tracking.
- Easy automatic and manual list updates.
- Flexible tagging options for easy grouping based on custom criteria.
Cons:
- None—this is a well-oiled machine when it comes to list management!
Mailchimp
Mailchimp, on the other hand, has a bit more of a clunky approach to list management. It recommends creating only one list for your entire audience, then sorting them with tags and segments. While this might work for some, it can quickly become a mess if your subscriber base grows large. Think of it like having one big, cluttered drawer—sure, you can toss things in, but it’s not exactly easy to find what you need.
If you decide to create multiple lists (which you can do), be careful—duplicate contacts across lists will increase your contact count and drive up your costs. That can be a real headache if you’re trying to stay within a budget.
On the plus side, Mailchimp does offer Groups, which let you categorize subscribers based on interests and preferences. It’s a great way to group your audience, and it even lets your readers self-select into their own categories, giving them some autonomy over how they engage with your content.
Pros:
- Groups feature for subscriber-driven categorization.
- Let readers self-select their interests.
- Basic segmentation with tags and lists.
Cons:
- Can get messy with multiple lists and tags.
- Duplicate contacts in different lists increase costs.
- Doesn’t offer the same level of granular control over list management.
Winner: Beehiiv
When it comes to list management, Beehiiv wins hands down. Its intuitive system for advanced segmentation, easy-to-use subscriber profile dashboard, and flexibility in tagging give you full control over your audience. Meanwhile, Mailchimp’s approach can be confusing and lead to extra costs if not managed carefully. Beehiiv’s streamlined, cost-effective methods make it a better option for those serious about managing their audience efficiently.
Automations: Who’s Doing the Heavy Lifting for You?
Beehiiv
When it comes to automations, Beehiiv keeps it simple and sweet—kind of like your favorite coffee order: not too complicated, but just right. Beehiiv lets you create multistep journeys for your subscribers, based on actions they take, like signing up, filling out forms, or upgrading to premium. It’s like setting up a little robot that sends the right content to the right person at the right time, so you don’t have to.
You can also add time delays and conditional branches, so you can be sure your subscribers get exactly what they need when they need it. And the best part? Beehiiv’s tools are super beginner-friendly, so you don’t need to be a tech wizard to set it up. It’s like the platform is holding your hand, walking you through every step!
Pros:
- Easy-to-use, multistep automation to set up journeys based on your subscribers’ actions.
- Add time delays and conditional branches for tailored experiences.
- Simple enough for beginners—no tech degree required!
Cons:
- Doesn’t have all the advanced bells and whistles that other platforms might offer.
Mailchimp
Now, Mailchimp? Oh boy, if Beehiiv is the cool, chill option, then Mailchimp is the automation powerhouse that comes with all the bells and whistles. It’s like the Swiss Army knife of email automations—there’s almost nothing you can’t do!
Mailchimp’s Classic Automation handles the essentials—like welcome emails, birthday greetings, or those handy abandoned cart reminders. But where Mailchimp really gets fancy is with its Customer Journey Builder. You can create custom workflows based on how your subscribers behave, so you can send them content that’s perfectly in sync with their actions. For example, if someone didn’t open your last email about your big sale, you can set up an automation to nudge them with a follow-up email!
And if you’re not in the mood to reinvent the wheel, Mailchimp also has pre-built journeys ready to go. Just plug them in, and you’re good to go. It’s like having a personal assistant who can handle all your subscriber needs—while you sit back and relax.
Pros:
- Customer Journey Builder for fully customizable workflows.
- Pre-built automation journeys for common tasks like welcome emails and reminders.
- Perfect for advanced users who want more control.
Cons:
- A bit overwhelming if you’re just starting out and don’t need that much complexity.
Winner: Mailchimp
When it comes to automations, Mailchimp wins the race. It’s got all the advanced features you could ask for, from Customer Journey Builders to pre-built campaigns, making it super easy to automate everything. Beehiiv is perfect for those who want something straightforward and easy, but if you want to create complex, behavior-driven workflows, Mailchimp is your go-to.
Analytics and Reporting: Who Gives You the Best Insights?
Beehiiv
Beehiiv keeps things straightforward and easy when it comes to tracking your performance. Right when you land on the dashboard, you get a quick snapshot of your publication’s performance based on the time frame you select—whether that’s the last 7 days, last 4 weeks, or whatever works for you. It’s kind of like the headlines of your email marketing world—everything you need to know in one glance.
If you want to dig deeper, you can toggle between overview mode and more detailed insights like audience growth, engagement rates, and even monetization performance—right from the home screen. No digging through menus or going down a rabbit hole to find what you’re looking for. It’s quick and efficient, which is a huge time-saver when you’re juggling other tasks.
One of Beehiiv’s standout features is its 3D analytics, which separates the reporting into two distinct panels:
- Posts Reports: Track performance and engagement for each of your posts.
- Subscribers Reports: Monitor how you’re growing your subscriber base and which acquisition channels are working.
You can also check out Clicks Reports, which tells you which links are getting the most love from your readers. It’s near real-time data, which makes it super easy to adjust your content strategy on the fly.
Pros:
- Quick access to critical performance metrics right on the dashboard.
- Simple 3D analytics for tracking content and audience.
- Clicks Reports to see which links are getting attention.
- User-friendly and easy for beginners.
Cons:
- Lacks the granularity and customization that some advanced marketers might crave.
Mailchimp
When it comes to analytics, Mailchimp is like the Swiss Army knife—it’s got a tool for everything! If you’re a numbers person and love diving deep into the data, Mailchimp is where you’ll feel right at home.
Their marketing dashboard gives you an in-depth look at your overall performance, tracking everything from open rates to bounce rates to revenue. You can even see performance metrics for individual messages, so you’ll know exactly how each email is performing.
But it doesn’t stop there! Mailchimp’s reporting is like a treasure chest of advanced metrics, such as:
- Email forwards and forwards opens (who’s sharing your content?).
- Average revenue per automation (you’ll know exactly what’s making money).
- Top subscriber locations and email clients (so you can see exactly where your audience is and how they’re reading your emails).
What really sets Mailchimp apart is that you can customize and organize reports to focus on the metrics that matter most to you. Whether you want to track landing page performance, automations, or even social media posts, Mailchimp gives you the flexibility to see everything from a broader marketing perspective.
Pros:
- Comprehensive and detailed analytics for every aspect of email marketing.
- Customizable reports so you can focus on what matters most to you.
- In-depth tracking for emails, landing pages, automations, and social posts.
Cons:
- Can feel overwhelming if you don’t need all the complex metrics and options.
Winner: Mailchimp
When it comes to analytics and reporting, Mailchimp is the heavyweight champion. It offers granular insights and a customizable reporting suite, perfect for data-driven marketers who need to dig deep into their performance. Beehiiv is great for quick overviews and simplicity, but if you’re looking to track every possible metric and build data-driven strategies, Mailchimp is the way to go.
Pricing: Who Offers the Best Bang for Your Buck?
Beehiiv
Let’s talk pricing, shall we? Beehiiv makes its mark right from the start with a super generous free plan. If you’re just starting out, Beehiiv’s free plan lets you manage up to 2,500 subscribers—and that’s a huge deal compared to most platforms. Plus, you get goodies like audience segmentation and the ability to send customized emails, all at no cost. It’s a dream for creators and small publishers who want to test the waters without dropping a dime.
When you’re ready to scale, Beehiiv’s Scale plan is a great next step. For just $39/month, you can manage 1,000 contacts with unlimited email sends. You’re also getting access to cool features like Beehiiv AI, audio newsletters, and a recommendation network to boost your audience growth.
And if you want to go all out with the Max plan? It’ll run you $99/month. Still not bad for the features you get, and scaling up is a lot easier on the wallet than some other platforms.
Pros:
- Free plan supports up to 2,500 subscribers.
- Unlimited sends with paid plans, no email-sending limits.
- Access to growth-friendly tools like Beehiiv AI and audio newsletters.
- Affordable Max plan at $99/month.
Mailchimp:
Now, Mailchimp isn’t shy when it comes to offering a free plan either. You can use the free plan for up to 500 subscribers with a 1,000 sends/month limit. It’s decent for getting started, but once you start hitting those limits, you’ll need to step up to a paid plan.
The Standard plan on Mailchimp comes in at $20/month for 500 contacts. But here’s the catch: Mailchimp’s plans come with monthly email-sending limits. For example, you get 50,000 sends a month on the Standard plan—sounds like a lot, right? But depending on your list size and frequency, you might hit that limit faster than you’d expect.
Mailchimp’s Standard plan offers advanced features like abandoned cart recovery (great for ecommerce), customer journey building, and MMS marketing. However, if you’re not running an ecommerce business, many of these tools might feel a little like extra baggage.
As for scaling? Mailchimp’s Premium plan starts at $350/month, which is a pretty big leap compared to Beehiiv’s $99/month Max plan. Yikes!
Pros:
- Affordable Standard plan at $20/month for 500 contacts.
- Advanced ecommerce tools for cart recovery and customer journeys.
- Great for businesses with ecommerce needs.
Winner: Beehiiv
If you’re all about creating content-driven newsletters, Beehiiv’s pricing plan is way more beneficial for individual creators. You get unlimited sends, plus a clear path to scale without breaking the bank. Plus, with that generous free plan (up to 2,500 subscribers), Beehiiv is a no-brainer for small creators looking to grow without the pressure of constantly worrying about limits.
Mailchimp, on the other hand, is better suited for those who need more advanced ecommerce features or don’t mind navigating some sending limits. But when it comes to value for content-focused creators, Beehiiv takes the cake!
Support & Resources: Which Platform Offers Better Customer Assistance?
When it comes to customer support, both Beehiiv and Mailchimp have their strengths—let’s take a look!
Beehiiv
- Support Channels: Beehiiv offers email support and access to a detailed knowledge base and help center.
- Personalized Assistance: Since Beehiiv is a smaller platform, you’ll often receive more personalized support from their team. This can be a huge plus for creators who prefer one-on-one attention.
- Community Support: The Beehiiv community is active, and you can usually rely on them for quick answers or ideas—especially in the more niche areas of content creation.
Mailchimp
- Support Channels: Mailchimp shines with its 24/7 support for paid plans, offering email and live chat options. This is a major advantage for users who need help outside of regular business hours.
- Extensive Resources: You’ll also have access to an extensive knowledge base, community forums, webinars, and tutorials. There’s a lot of self-help material here if you prefer to solve things on your own.
- Premium Support: For those on higher-tier plans, Mailchimp offers premium support with quicker response times—a huge perk for businesses that need fast assistance.
Example:
If you’re on a paid Mailchimp plan, you’ll get quicker responses through their 24/7 live chat. But, if you’re after a personalized touch, Beehiiv’s smaller team might be more hands-on and direct in helping you out.
Actionable Tip:
If customer support is a top priority for you, Mailchimp takes the crown with its round-the-clock support and premium options. But if you prefer a more personal, boutique-style service, Beehiiv will likely win you over with its smaller team and tailored assistance.
Beehiiv vs Mailchimp – Pros and Cons
Beehiiv: Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Simplicity: Beehiiv’s clean, intuitive interface makes it a breeze for beginners. You don’t need to be a tech expert to create beautiful newsletters or landing pages.
- Generous Free Plan: Beehiiv’s free plan allows you to manage up to 2,500 subscribers, giving it a huge edge for creators starting out.
- Monetization Tools: Beehiiv provides built-in tools for paid newsletters, sponsored content, and ad placements. These options help creators generate revenue with ease.
- Personalized Support: Beehiiv offers a more personalized support experience, thanks to its smaller team. You can often get faster, more tailored responses.
- Audience Growth Tools: Features like Boosts (cross-promotion with other newsletters), Recommendations, and a referral program make growing your audience a lot easier.
Cons:
- Limited Templates: Beehiiv doesn’t offer a wide range of pre-built email templates, so you’ll need to design your newsletters from scratch or invest time in creating templates.
- Basic Customization: While it’s easy to use, Beehiiv lacks some advanced customization options unless you’re familiar with coding (via a code-block feature).
- No Advanced Automation: Beehiiv’s automation features are simple but lack the depth and complexity found in other platforms like Mailchimp.
- Paid Plans Only for Full Features: Monetization tools like paid subscriptions are only available with a paid plan, so you’ll need to upgrade if you want to make money from your newsletter.
Mailchimp: Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Powerful Features: Mailchimp is an all-in-one marketing tool with features that cater to small and large businesses alike. From email marketing to ecommerce, it has it all.
- 24/7 Support: Mailchimp offers round-the-clock support via email and live chat for paid plans, making it easy to get help when you need it.
- Comprehensive Analytics: With advanced reporting and customizable dashboards, Mailchimp allows you to dive deep into your metrics to optimize your campaigns.
- Email Templates: Mailchimp provides over 100+ professional email templates (great for ecommerce, but also decent for newsletters), saving time when creating visually appealing campaigns.
- Advanced Automation: Mailchimp’s customer journey builder and advanced automation features are perfect for creating personalized, data-driven campaigns.
Cons:
- Steep Learning Curve: With its vast range of features, Mailchimp can be overwhelming for beginners. It requires a bit of time to get the hang of its interface and features.
- Expensive for Larger Audiences: While Mailchimp offers a free plan, its pricing can get expensive as your list grows, especially with multiple lists or a large contact base.
- Ecommerce-Centric Features: Mailchimp’s features are often skewed toward ecommerce businesses (like product recommendations and cart recovery), making it less ideal for content-focused creators.
- Limited Customization on Free Plan: For free plan users, Mailchimp restricts certain features, like advanced automation, making it harder to tap into all of its potential.