beehiiv Free Plan Explained (2026): Limits, Features and When to Upgrade
TL;DR
beehiiv's Free plan is free forever with no credit card. It covers up to 2,500 subscribers, 1 team seat and 1 publication, with unlimited email sends, templates, landing pages, the recommendation network, API access, and the website, podcast, community and digital products. It does not include paid subscriptions, the ad network, automations or A/B testing (those start on Lite), and analytics history is limited to 30 days.
How this article was made: This article is research-based. It's built from beehiiv's official pricing page, checked on October 12, 2026. We have not tested the plan hands-on yet.
beehiiv's Free plan is one of the easiest ways to start a newsletter at no cost. Here's exactly what it includes, what it leaves out, and when upgrading makes sense.
What's included on Free
| Feature | beehiiv Free |
|---|---|
| Price | $0, free forever, no credit card |
| Subscribers | Up to 2,500 |
| Email sends | Unlimited |
| Team seats / guest authors / publications | 1 / 1 / 1 |
| Analytics lookback | 30 days |
| Templates, landing pages, recommendation network, API | Included |
| Website, podcast, community, digital products | Included (beehiiv says on every plan) |
| beehiiv branding removal | Not included (Pro and up) |
Source: beehiiv pricing.
Start on beehiiv Free (affiliate link)
What Free doesn't include
According to the pricing page, these start on Lite: paid subscriptions (0% take rate), ad monetization, automations, beehiiv MCP, audience polls and A/B testing. These start on Pro: branding removal, advanced analytics, webhooks, dynamic content and 24/7 priority support.
When to upgrade
- You pass 2,500 subscribers. Lite covers up to 100,000.
- You want to earn. Paid subscriptions and the ad network need Lite.
- You want a welcome sequence. Automations need Lite.
- You want your own brand only. Removing beehiiv branding needs Pro.
beehiiv says Lite and Pro include a free trial with no card, and yearly billing saves up to 20%.
How it compares
Kit's free plan allows up to 10,000 subscribers but focuses on email marketing. Substack is free at any size but takes 10% if you charge. See beehiiv vs Kit and beehiiv vs Substack. New to newsletters? Start with how to start a newsletter in 2026.
Sources (checked October 12, 2026)
FAQ
How many subscribers does beehiiv's free plan allow?
Up to 2,500 subscribers, according to beehiiv's pricing page.
Is there a sending limit on beehiiv Free?
No. beehiiv says every plan includes unlimited email sends.
Can I charge for subscriptions on the free plan?
No. beehiiv's pricing page lists paid subscriptions (0% take rate) starting on the Lite plan.
Do I need a credit card?
No. beehiiv says Free is free forever with no credit card required, and Lite and Pro trials also don't need a card.