Beehiiv vs Klaviyo — Pricing, Plans, and Verified Costs (2026)
Beehiiv starts at $49/mo. Klaviyo starts at $20/mo. Klaviyo is $29/mo cheaper on the entry tier than Beehiiv.
How pricing works
These two tools don't price the same way, so the headline numbers below aren't directly comparable until you plug in your own volume.
- Beehiiv (Per Usage) — Beehiiv bills on usage — Subscribers on top of a paid plan starting at $49/mo. The plan includes an allowance; anything beyond it is metered.
- Klaviyo (Per Usage) — Klaviyo bills on usage — Contacts on top of a paid plan starting at $20/mo. The plan includes an allowance; anything beyond it is metered.
Per-minute, per-credit and per-token rates exclude any downstream model, speech or telephony costs unless the vendor states otherwise.
Newsletter platform for creators positioned as the alternative to Substack, ConvertKit, and Mailchimp. Distinctive for its founder pedigree (Morning Brew's co-founders and early employees) and features that generalist tools lack: built-in referral programs, ad network, and 3D analytics. Priced free-$99/mo up to 100K subscribers. Popular with newsletter operators building media businesses (not personal newsletters).
Marketing automation built specifically for e-commerce, publicly traded (KVYO), ~$10B market cap. Positioned as the alternative to Mailchimp for e-commerce brands that need behavioral segmentation and revenue attribution. Distinctive for tight Shopify integration and its "attributed revenue" reporting that lets marketers show ROI cleanly. Priced per subscribed profile starting free; scales aggressively past 10K contacts. Real cost bloat comes from SMS add-on and abandoned-cart flows.
All plans compared
| Tier role | Plan | Beehiiv monthly | Beehiiv annual | Klaviyo monthly | Klaviyo annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free / starter | Launch / Free | Free | Free | Free | Free |
| Entry paid | Scale / Email | $49 | $43 | $20 | — |
| Pro / power | Max / Email + SMS | $109 | $96 | $35 | — |
| Enterprise | Enterprise / — | Custom | Custom | — | — |
Tier names differ across vendors. Rows are aligned by tier role, not name. Full tier structures on each tool's page.
What each is best for
Beehiiv is worth it if… newsletter creators (both hobbyist and full-time) who want built-in monetization (paid subs, sponsorships, referrals) plus growth tools baked in — not just ESP-style sending. Launch (free) covers up to 2,500 subscribers; Scale unlocks referrals + custom domains; Max adds AI writer and premium features.
Klaviyo is worth it if… e-commerce brands (Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento) that need product-triggered email + SMS flows — abandoned cart, browse abandonment, post-purchase, winback — with revenue attribution baked in. Free covers up to 250 subscribers; paid tiers scale by subscriber count with email + SMS bundled or separate.
Bottom line: Similar positioning, closer to a preference call than a strategic one.
Choose Beehiiv over Klaviyo if…
Choose Beehiiv if…
- You want to pay only for actual usage (per usage, from $49/mo).
- You match the profile Beehiiv is built for: newsletter creators (both hobbyist and full-time) who want built-in monetization (paid subs, sponsorships, referrals) plus growth tools baked in — not just ESP-style sending.
- You need a general-purpose marketing & email option rather than a vertical-specific one.
Choose Klaviyo if…
- You want to pay only for actual usage (per usage, from $20/mo).
- You match the profile Klaviyo is built for: e-commerce brands (Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento) that need product-triggered email + SMS flows — abandoned cart, browse abandonment, post-purchase, winback — with revenue attribution baked in.
- You need a general-purpose marketing & email option rather than a vertical-specific one.
At a glance
| Beehiiv | Klaviyo | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Entry price | $49/mo | $20/mo |
| Enterprise available | Yes | Yes |
| Pricing model | Per Usage | Per Usage |
| Verification | Pricing under review | Checked October 3, 2026 |
| Full pricing | View full pricing | View full pricing |
Pricing last verified October 3, 2026. Tracked daily.