Top 10 Beehiiv Alternatives for Newsletter Creators in 2025

‍TL;DR: Letterpal, Substack, Ghost, ConvertKit, MailerLite, EmailOctopus, Flodesk, Brevo, GetResponse, Buttondown, and Sendy are currently the strongest Beehiiv alternatives. Scroll down for detailed pros, cons, and pricing.

Beehiiv burst onto the scene in 2021 by promising an all‑in‑one toolkit built by newsletter operators, for newsletter operators. And for many creators, it delivers—especially if you lean on its Boosts marketplace and referral engine.

But pricing jumps in early 2025 (Scale from $39 → $49/month and Max from $79 → $96/month) and feature gaps like limited design control and lightweight automation have some users wondering whether it’s still the right home for their list.

If you’re one of them, this guide is for you. Below you’ll find battle‑tested Beehiiv competitors, each dissected by use‑case, price, strengths, and shortcomings so you can migrate with confidence.

How We Chose These Alternatives

• Real‑world creator feedback (Reddit, Indie Hackers, private communities)
• Transparent pricing at ≤ 50 k subscribers
• Deliverability records for the last 12 months
• Road‑map momentum—platforms shipping meaningful updates in 2024–2025

1. Letterpal

Why Letterpal May Replace Beehiiv

• AI‑first writing workflow. Letterpal’s content engine surfaces trending or evergreen stories in your niche, then co‑writes full newsletter issues—headlines, summaries, and takes—rather than basic “make it shorter” prompts.
• One‑click send. The AI drafts live inside the same editor you use to schedule, so you never copy‑paste between tools.
• Deliverability you can trust. Letterpal adopts industry-wide standards so you can be sure your sends are optimal.
• Full subscriber management stack. Add contacts, embed signup forms, segment and tag readers, and audit performance with real‑time analytics.

Pricing (June 2025)

• $39/mo base subscription + affordable sending packages scaled to your subscriber count.

2. Substack

Why Substack May Replace Beehiiv

• Audience network effect. Your newsletter can be recommended inside the Substack app, exposing you to millions of potential readers.
• Zero platform fee—unless you monetise with paid subscriptions (10% cut versus Beehiiv’s $0 cut but higher SaaS fees).
• Audio, video, and community chats baked in.

Watch‑outs: Limited design control, no custom domains on free tier, and email automations are still basic.

Pricing (June 2025)

• Free forever for newsletters that are free.
• Paid newsletters: 10% of revenue + Stripe fees.

3. Ghost (Pro)

A mature, open‑source CMS with a slick managed‑hosting option.

Strengths

• Full website builder (blogs, landing pages, podcasts) with memberships.
• Native paid newsletters + tiers.
• Markdown editor with dynamic blocks.

Caveats

• No native list‑growth marketplace like Beehiiv Boosts.
• Automations require Zapier or n8n.

Pricing (Starter Plan): From $29/mo for 1 k members, billed annually.

4. ConvertKit

ConvertKit has spent the last decade serving creators—from YouTubers to course sellers.

Why It Stands Out

• Intuitive visual automation builder (tags, events, conditions).
• Built‑in commerce: sell ebooks, coaching, or mini‑courses without extra tools.
• Creator Network recommendation engine (Beehiiv‑style) launched late 2024.

Pricing (Creator Plan): From $29/mo for 1 k subscribers.

5. MailerLite

A wallet‑friendly option that punches above its weight.

"MailerLite’s drag‑and‑drop editor rivals tools 3× the price." — G2 Review, May 2025

Highlights

• Modern editor for emails, websites, and pop‑ups.
• Basic automations and A/B testing even on free tier.

Pricing: Free for 1 k subs & 12 k emails/mo; paid plans from $15/mo.

6. EmailOctopus

Best blend of price + deliverability thanks to optional Amazon SES routing.

Pros

• 2.5 k free subscribers.
• Integrates with Zapier, Make, and Pabbly.

Cons

• No page builder—landing pages are basic.

Pricing: $12/mo for 1 k subscribers (Pro plan).

7. Flodesk

Design‑centric and flat‑rate pricing—perfect if you’re scaling quickly.

Stand‑outs

• Unlimited subscribers on all paid tiers.
• Beautiful templates and robust checkout pages.

Pricing: $35/mo flat (30‑day trial available).

8. Brevo (formerly Sendinblue)

An omnichannel platform covering email, SMS, WhatsApp, and push notifications.

Strengths

• Transactional email API and SMTP relay.
• Built‑in CRM and live chat.

Pricing: Free up to 300 emails/day; paid from $25/mo for Starter 20 k emails.

9. GetResponse

A veteran tool that’s shifted towards funnels, webinars, and AI subject‑line optimisation.

Pros

• Autoresponder engine among the most advanced.
• Built‑in webinar rooms (up to 100 attendees on Plus plan).

Pricing: Free for 500 subs; paid from $19/mo for Email Marketing plan (1 k subs).

10. Buttondown

Developer‑friendly with a minimalist vibe.

Why People Love It

• Pure Markdown writing experience.
• API‑first; easily hooks into static‑site generators.

Pricing: $9/mo for 1 k subscribers; pay‑as‑you‑grow ($29/mo for 10 k subs).

11. Sendy (Self‑Hosted)

If you’re comfortable spinning up an EC2 instance, Sendy can cut monthly costs to near‑zero by piggybacking on Amazon SES (≈ $0.10 per 1 k emails).

Considerations

• You manage updates, deliverability, and backups.
• No community or templates.

Pricing: $69 one‑time license + AWS usage.

When Should You Stick With Beehiiv?

If you rely heavily on Boosts referrals, need multi‑publication support, or want an all‑in‑one option without touch‑points to external tools, staying on Beehiiv (or upgrading to Max) still makes sense—especially after the 30‑day trial.

Migration Checklist

1. Export your Beehiiv CSV (subscribers & segments).
2. Clean the list—remove bounces & disengaged readers.
3. Import to the new platform.
4. Set up DKIM & SPF to maintain deliverability.
5. Redirect your domain’s /newsletter slug to the new subscribe page.
6. Notify readers one week before the switch and again on launch day.

Final Thoughts

The email landscape in 2025 is rich with options. Whether you crave community discovery (Substack), a full CMS (Ghost), or advanced automations (ConvertKit), there’s a Beehiiv alternative built for your workflow and budget.

Pro tip: Sign up for free trials back‑to‑back, send a mini‑campaign, and measure open rate, click‑through, and creation UX in the same week. The data—and your writing flow—will reveal the right fit.

Ready to make the leap? Drop your experience below or tweet @yourhandle—I'd love to hear which platform you picked and why.

Happy writing & shipping!

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