Beehiiv Free Plan – Best Newsletter Tool for Creators!

So, you have actually been toying with the concept of transforming your email list right into an earnings stream, yet you’re overwhelmed by all the choices around. Sound familiar? You’re not alone. If you have actually been using a basic email solution and damaging your head concerning sponsorships, ads, and paid memberships, it may be time to look into beehiiv. In this overview, I’ll walk you via whatever you need to learn about utilizing beehiiv to turn your newsletter into cash money– all from my own experience. Ready? Let’s dive in Beehiiv Free Plan

Why You May be Stuck with Your Current Email System

You have actually most likely tried the usual suspects: Mailchimp, ConvertKit (now Kit), Substack, or something comparable. And if you’re like many small-scale material creators, here’s what likely happened:

• Minimal Money Making Choices

You have a handful of devoted clients– possibly 500 to 1,000 individuals– however no very easy method to make money. Sponsorships seem like an international language, and you’re not keen on cold-emailing brands each month.

• DIY Automation Headaches

You wish to leak campaign brand-new subscribers, send a welcome series, and segment individuals for targeted emails … but establishing those automations feels like you require a computer science level.

• Platform Charges Draw

Whenever you think of paid subscriptions, the system takes a big portion, and the payment configuration is extra complicated than it’s worth.

• Growth Delays

Growth hacks appear to work for everyone else– however except you. You want there was a simple method to locate new clients without manually chasing them down.

I remained in your footwear at the beginning of 2024. I ‘d been utilizing Kit (formerly ConvertKit), however it felt like a dead end for monetization. Don’t get me wrong– Kit is terrific for constructing funnels and establishing standard automations. But when it concerned making even a few hundred bucks a month from a tiny list, there had not been an obvious “on” switch.

Enter beehiiv.

My Switch over to beehiiv: A Reality Check

In January 2024, I lastly shot and moved my newsletter from Kit to beehiiv. Below’s the honest truth: I really did not have time to pursue enrollers, negotiate rates, or construct complicated paid funnels. I run a search engine optimization composing service full time, so my newsletter was always mosting likely to be a side project. I needed something that almost ran itself.

The “Offer Me” Moment

What marketed me on beehiiv was easy:

• Integrated Money making: Right from the beginning, beehiiv shouts, “Hey, you can generate income here!” It had not been an afterthought or a third-party add-on.
• Low-Effort Sponsorships: Rather than me scouring LinkedIn for sponsors, beehiiv brings offers right to my control panel. All I have to do is click “accept,” decrease in the advertisement duplicate, and struck send out.
• Passive Revenue Boosts: By advertising various other e-newsletters in my once a week email, I make $1–$ 3 per referred client. No hefty training, no complex analytics– simply consistent, step-by-step income.

Spoiler alert: It settled. In my very first full year on beehiiv (2024 ), I drew in $940 from advertisement sponsorships and boosts alone– on a list that never ever covered 1,000 customers. I really did not develop a paid program. I didn’t release an item and I simply let beehiiv do its point.

My Partner Program Windfall

As if that wasn’t enough, I likewise signed up with the beehiiv Partner Program– essentially an affiliate program. By covering beehiiv on my blog and sharing my experience with chums, I took $5,108 in referral commissions through completion of 2024. Yep, you check out that right: over 5 grand, simply by discussing the system.

So if you’re questioning whether beehiiv is worth it for tiny creators or newbies, take my word: It’s a game-changer. But, obviously, it isn’t remarkable. Let’s break down the good, the poor, and the great things you need to know.

The Upside of Using beehiiv

1. Monetization Made Ridiculously Straightforward

What I love ideal about beehiiv is how very easy it is to earn money on autopilot. You don’t need a substantial target market. Right here’s how it works:

• Advertisement Network Sponsorships: When you hit just 1,000 active clients, brands start aligning. You obtain 3– 6 advertisement demands per month on average. You select the ones you like, put the copy, and you’re done. They ppc or check out– no challenging invoicing. And due to the fact that beehiiv matches you with relevant brands, your customers are most likely to click.
• Boosts Referral Revenue: Don’t have enrollers yet? No problem. Advertise other developer e-newsletters for $1–$ 3 per customer. It’s like Amazon’s affiliate program, but for e-mail checklists. I made numerous hundred bucks this way without breaking a sweat.
• Paid Subscriptions (When You’re Ready): Down the line, if you choose to bill for exceptional web content, beehiiv takes a minimal fee (2.9% + $0.30 per transaction via Stripe). You can establish several pricing tiers, run free trials, or perhaps let clients “call their cost.”.
• Partner Program Commissions: Not in it for the brief haul? Sign up for the affiliate program. Earn 60% commission on beehiiv’s regular monthly or yearly plans when a person signs up with your code. It’s literally added money for sharing something you currently love.

Simply put, beehiiv turns monetization right into an integrated feature, rather than a job you fear.

2. Analytics That Do Not Make Your Head Explode

If you’ve ever looked at a control panel reasoning, “What does any of this really indicate?”, you’ll appreciate beehiiv’s approach:.

• Clear Client Growth Graphs: See exactly how many new people joined, how many handed over, and why your checklist reduced (extra on that in a sec).
• Open and Click Rates: Beehiiv breaks down performance over the last 30 days, so you can find fads right away. For instance, I watched on my open rate (hovering around 64%– not bad) and my click-through (around 3.5%). If either statistics dips, I fine-tune my subject lines or calls-to-action.
• Money making Dashboards: Sponsorship earnings, boosts income, companion referral incomes– you understand. Income streams are neatly separated so absolutely nothing gets shed in the shuffle.

It’s like having a sidekick who tells you, “Hey, your January e-mail eliminated it– right here’s why,” or “Uh oh, your February open prices are tanking– let’s repair this.”.

3. Expanding Your Listing Without Selling Your Heart

A lot of newsletter platforms will charge you for each extra customer after a limit. Not so with beehiiv– for approximately 2,500 customers, it’s complimentary. You get:.

• Unlimited email sends.
• Access to the boosts network (grow your audience by promoting your e-newsletter on various other beehiiv e-newsletters).
• Basic analytics and forms.

If you’re a newbie or have a little target market, this is huge. You can explore subject lines, send out frequency, and various lead magnets without stressing over hitting a paywall.

4. Built-In Internet Site & Custom-made Pages

Visualize ditching WordPress, Wix, or Squarespace altogether because your e-newsletter platform functions as a website builder. That’s beehiiv in short:.

• E-newsletter Archive Pages: All your past emails reside on a blog-like web page that’s immediately SEO-optimized.
• Personalized Landing Pages: Need a lead magnet web page? A thank-you page? A web page to offer an item? You can build it right in beehiiv’s website builder.
• Mobile-Friendly Templates: Everything looks excellent on phones– essential considering that a ton of people read e-mails on mobile.

Sure, you won’t obtain every expensive drag-and-drop that a dedicated website builder provides, but also for most makers, it’s more than enough.

5. Referral Program to Supercharge Growth

Beehiiv’s referral program is awesome if you wish to take advantage of a community of similar developers. When your subscriber clicks “Recommend This Newsletter” and signs up with, both you and the referring developer obtain credit history. It’s a smart means to grow your listing without spamming.

The Downsides: What to Keep an eye out for

No product is ideal– and beehiiv has its hiccups. Prior to you dive in, here’s what might journey you up:.

Feature Overload initially

When you log in, there are a lot of alternatives– Forms, Boosts, Ads, Partner Program, Analytics, Website Builder– that it can really feel overwhelming. If you have actually only made use of an easy service that sends one-off e-mails, you could require a number of days to get comfy.

Unnecessary Ad Requests

Often the enrollers beehiiv matches you with have nothing to do with your niche. A pc gaming newsletter may get offered a code-review tool for programmers. Make sure to decline anything that does not jive with your target market, or you’ll storage tank your click-throughs.

No Time Area– Based Sends Out

If your checklist is worldwide, you can’t instantly set up e-mails based upon each client’s time zone. All sends go out simultaneously, so you might awaken to low open prices if half your listing is asleep.

Custom Web Page Builder Isn’t Very User-friendly

Producing a landing page is feasible, but the UI could be smoother. I invested a couple of hours (and a practical conversation with support) obtaining a freebie opt-in web page perfect. If you’re impatient or design-averse, you could find it cumbersome.

Limited Integrations

If you make use of Gumroad to sell items, you run out good luck– no straight integration yet. You’ll need to make use of embed codes or a Zapier workaround.

All that stated, beehiiv’s group is constantly rolling out updates– and those disadvantages are gradually however certainly being addressed.

Who Should Take into consideration beehiiv?

Not everybody requires a fully featured newsletter system. However if any one of the adhering to describes you, beehiiv might be a match made in heaven:.

1. Absolute Beginners: You have actually never sent an email blast, you do not want to invest money in advance, and you require a free, simple method to experiment. Beehiiv lets you begin absolutely free, send out endless e-mails to up to 2,500 clients, and expand organically with the boosts network.
2. Small-List Creators: If you already have a couple of hundred or a pair thousand subscribers yet no idea how to turn that right into earnings, beehiiv’s advertisement and boost programs are tailor-made for you. In my first 10 months, I was making about $92/month with a ~ 1k listing. Not bad for coffee cash, right?
3. Designers Who Dislike “Salesy” Things: You do not want to pitch products nonstop or sling digital programs. You prefer to share worth, construct depend on, and let the cash can be found in on autopilot. Beehiiv’s ad network and boosts let you earn without crafting a four-part sales funnel.
4. Switchers Who Do Not Intend To Restore Whatever: Perhaps you’re on Substack, Ghost, or Mailchimp, and your e-mail automations are a tangled mess. Beehiiv promises a smooth migration from those platforms. Plus, if you have a huge list (claim 10k+), you can get assist from beehiiv’s assistance team to move every little thing over without shedding your automations.

Beginning: A Detailed Walkthrough

Sign Up and Check Out the Control panel

As soon as you create an account, beehiiv drops you into a control panel where you see your subscriber count, open prices, click-through rates, and any type of pending advertisement deals. Consider it as your mission control– every little thing you require is simply a click away.

Construct Your Very First Subscribe Kind

Browse to Audience �’ Subscribe Forms �’ Create New Form. You’ll need:

• A headline that hooks site visitors
• A short blurb clarifying what your e-newsletter has to do with
• A call-to-action button (e.g., “Join My E-newsletter”)
• Your logo design or a pertinent picture
• A post-subscribe message or redirect (e.g., “Thanks for joining! Check your inbox in a sec.”)

You can select from various kind styles: full-width, fixed-width, slim embed (simply the email field), or progressed (with monitoring codes). The personalization choices are standard– shades for switches and history pictures– however it’s remarkably reliable for capturing e-mails.

Establish Your Internet Site and Personalized Pages

If you want more than just a kind, jump into Style �’ Website Builder �’ Custom Pages �’ Internal Web Page. Utilize this to:

Host your newsletter archive (all past issues, searchable and SEO-friendly).

Produce a landing page for a giveaway (e.g., “Download my SEO rip off sheet”).

Construct a thank-you page that goes online after a person subscribes.

I invested a few hours tweaking my initial landing page, but once I got the hang of it, I understood exactly how effective it is to have every little thing under one roof covering. Rather than handling Leadpages, WordPress, and Mailchimp, beehiiv does it all.

Draft Your Initial E-newsletter

Click the huge “Beginning Writing” button in the top-right edge. You’ll see a tidy, distraction-free editor where you can:

• Create your e-mail copy Beehiiv Free Plan
• Insert pictures, headers, and customized HTML obstructs
• Preview exactly how it’ll search in inboxes and on your web site
• Set up or send out instantly

One catch: Personalization is restricted. Every client sees “Hello there” rather than “Hi [First Name]” If you need hyper-personalization, you could miss that. But also for many folks, a friendly, conversational introduction is enough.

Activate Money making

Once you hit 1,000 active customers, beehiiv will certainly welcome you to:.

• Sign Up With the Ad Network: Automatically get sponsorship requests that match your specific niche. Select which ones to accept, place the advertisement duplicate into your newsletter, and get paid per click/view.
• Set Up Boosts: Relate to advertise other newsletters. If someone signs up with by means of your link, you make $1–$ 3 per customer.

For paid e-newsletters, navigate to Monetization �’ Paid Registrations. You’ll connect your Stripe account (beehiiv doesn’t bill added costs beyond Stripe’s handling), establish your pricing plans (monthly, annual, or “Name Your Price”), and decide what content goes behind the paywall.

Display and Maximize

Examine your analytics weekly. If open rates go down listed below 40%, rethink your subject lines. If a sponsorship gets no clicks, it might be irrelevant to your target market– decrease similar future ads. When a boost converts well, submit more boost requests or modify your deal.

It may seem like a great deal in the beginning, however I promise you’ll master it within a few days. And the benefits– both monetary and in terms of your target market’s growth– deserve the first contour.

Deep Dive: beehiiv’s Monetization Options

If you’re serious about turning your newsletter into a money-making machine, let’s break down each profits stream carefully.

1. beehiiv Partner Program (Affiliate Earnings)

Think of this as beehiiv’s affiliate program. Right here’s the lowdown:.

• How It Works: You register for the Partner Program, get your distinct referral link, and share it on your blog site, Twitter, LinkedIn, wherever. When a person clicks, register for a paid plan (Range or Max), you earn a commission.
• Payment Rates: Approximately 60% of their first-year repayment. If they pay $100, you may see $60. Cha-ching.
• Payout: Beehiiv pays month-to-month through PayPal. No minimum limit, no hoops to leap through.

In my instance, I published a Medium article strolling individuals through my beehiiv experience (spoiler: this overview right here is part of that effort). With a mix of blog site web traffic and word-of-mouth, I made over $5,000 in affiliate payments by December 2024. All I did was share my authentic experience.

2. Boosts: Make by Assisting Others Grow

Boosts are essentially sponsored promotions– beehiiv’s spin on a “send for pay” model. Right here’s the scoop:.

• Come To Be a Boost Sponsor: If you believe your newsletter can aid others grow, apply in the Boosts dashboard. You’ll discuss why your audience is a great fit and set a price you ‘d pay for a new subscriber.
• Relate to Boost Others: If you desire quick clients, you can pay to boost your newsletter on other creators’ checklists. But what a lot of tiny developers enjoy is the opposite: you put on be a boost partner for other newsletters. When someone register via your boost, you get $1–$ 3
• Limits:
  • You can send up to 25 boost provides per month, but beehiiv just surface areas three offers each time to possible companions.
  • If a boost is performing well, various other designers will pick it up promptly.

Right here’s a quick example: In October 2024, I promoted a fellow search engine optimization maker’s e-newsletter for $1.75 per client. Over two weeks, I produced 200 brand-new clients for them– and earned about $350 while doing so. Win-win.

3. beehiiv Ad Network (Sponsored Ads)

This is where the big dollars can come in, even if your list is “tiny.” Right here’s exactly how it goes:

• Qualification: You require at least 1,000 active subscribers and a consistent send schedule (at least one e-mail monthly, though regular is optimal).
• Automation: As soon as authorized, you’ll start getting 3– 5 sponsorship demands per month. Beehiiv matches you with brands based on your target market’s rate of interests– so a marketing SaaS business may come close to an SEO-focused e-newsletter, for example.
• Payment Model:
  • Expense Per Click (CPC): You earn money whenever a person clicks the ad in your e-mail.
  • Price Per Mille (CPM): You gain based on a thousand impacts.
• Relieve of Use: You can accept or decrease each deal right from your dashboard. Beehiiv handles all the invoicing. All you do is copy-paste the advertisement right into your e-newsletter.

In 2024, I ran 37 sponsored ads, consisting of a couple of top-level brand names like HubSpot. I made $632 from advertisements alone, with my top campaign creating $112 from 35 clicks (4.5% click-through). Keep in mind: relevance is king. Pointless advertisements storage tank click-through prices, so be careful.

4. Paid Subscriptions (” Costs Material”)

If you produce truly one-of-a-kind content– deep dive reports, unique tutorials, or insider analyses– you may think about a paid rate. Right here’s the 101:

• Arrangement: Most Likely To Monetization �’ Paid Memberships, link Stripe, and pick your pricing:
  • Monthly
  • Annual (usually marked down)
  • One-time repayment (for a solitary overview or program)
  • Call Your Price (your clients pick what they can pay for)
• Income Split: Beehiiv doesn’t bill you a platform charge; they just pass Stripe’s handling fee (2.9% + $0.30) on you.
• Examples: If you have 100 clients paying $7/month, that’s $700/month = $8,400/ year (minus Stripe costs). Okay, right? Certainly, getting to 100 paid subscribers implies you need a loyal, involved base.

Now, be reasonable: Paid registrations are a work. You need constant, high-value web content that makes individuals comfy taking out their wallets. If you’re simply beginning, the advertisement network and boosts might be quicker success.

Pricing Plans: What You’ll Pay (and Obtain)

I recognize pricing is a large question mark when you’re considering switching over systems. Right here’s the failure since mid-2025:.

• Free Plan (approximately 2,500 clients): Great for pet projects or if you’re examining the waters. You still obtain boosts for checklist growth, fundamental analytics, and unrestricted sends– just no advertisement network or paid registrations yet.
• Scale ($ 39.20/ month): Perfect if you’re serious about monetizing. You obtain ad network access, boosts, paid subscriptions, and the AI Creating Assistant to speed up your newsletter production.
• Max ($ 87.29/ month): If AI tools (photo generation, grammar repairing, translation) matter to you, and you desire top priority assistance, this is the wonderful area. And also, you can release a mobile application for your customers.
• Enterprise (100k+ clients): For brand names and mega-creators who require personalized migrations, service-level contracts, and advanced security. Few tiny designers require this.

My recommendation? Start on the Free plan. Obtain a feel for the control panel, expand your checklist to 1,000, after that update to Scale as soon as you recognize you classifieds revenue and boosts.

Distinct Features Beehiiv Free Plan

You might be believing, “Okay, ads and boosts are cool. But what else can beehiiv do that others can’t?” Let me highlight a few standout features:.

1. Audio E-newsletters

Ever thought of turning your email into a podcast-like experience? Beehiiv’s integrated audio e-newsletter feature immediately converts your emails right into spoken-word sound. No added editing software program, no outsourcing to Fiverr– just toggle it on, and your subscribers can pay attention on the go. For hectic target markets who drive or work out, this is a helpful means to remain linked.

2. Custom Mobile Apps for Visitors

A lot of platforms give you a “mobile-optimized website.” Beehiiv goes one action further: you can introduce a custom-made mobile app for your clients. Once they add it to their home screen, your newsletter ends up being a one-tap experience– no inbox mess. Envision awakening and seeing app alerts when you drop a brand-new issue. Talk about engagement.

3. “Call Your Rate” Memberships

As opposed to forcing every person right into $5 or $7 rates, let your most faithful fans decide what to pay. It’s a trust-building relocation and can lead to higher lifetime worth. I have not evaluated this feature personally yet, however, for developers who feel a bit anxious about rate factors, it’s a pleasant option to explore.

4. beehiiv AI Collection

For those on Scale and Max plans, beehiiv’s AI devices are a godsend:

• AI Creating Aide: Generate newsletter drafts based upon bullet factors or subjects. For days when you’re staring at a blank web page, this jumpstarts your creativity.
• AI Text Device: Grammar, punctuation, tone checks– no requirement for Grammarly. You obtain a clean, refined draft that really feels human Beehiiv Free Plan.
• AI Image Device: Produce custom header photos or pictures without acquiring stock images. Simply type a punctual, and voila.
• AI Translator: Intend to send your newsletter in multiple languages? Equate your material right into Spanish, French, German, Italian, or Portuguese promptly.

These features can shave hours off material creation and assist you trying out brand-new layouts.

Pro Tips For Being successful on beehiiv

Since you understand what beehiiv can do, below are some insider hacks to maximize it:

Tidy Your Listing for Better Performance

In August 2024, I reduced my subscriber count in half (from concerning 2,400 down to 1,200) by eliminating inactive emails– people who hadn’t opened anything in 6 months. My open prices leapt from ~ 45% to over 60%, which meant advertisers paid more per click. It hurt to lose subscribers, yet a lean, engaged checklist deserves more than a bloated, easy one.

Try Out Topic Lines Like a Pro

Subject lines make or break open prices. Do A/B tests on little sectors before sending out to your entire list. Short, punchy, question-based topics (” Ready to increase your website traffic?”) frequently outperform generic ones (” April E-newsletter”).

Be Pickier with Advertisement Offers

If an advertisement doesn’t resonate with your particular niche, say no. Unimportant ads irritate readers and tank click metrics. With time, beehiiv’s formula will certainly learn what fits your audience– decrease enough off-topic deals, and they’ll stop sending them.

Use Boosts to Check New Audiences

Obtained a new category you wish to check out? Attempt increasing your newsletter in a related particular niche. The cost per client standards $1.63– but if those clients remain, it deserves it. I when boosted a SEO newsletter in a digital marketing target market and obtained an unusual uptick in retention.

Take Advantage Of AI for Faster Production

On evenings when I’m worn out, I ask the AI Writing Aide to prepare a rough outline: intro, 3 main points, conclusion. Then I flesh it out with my very own anecdotes and design tweaks. It’s not perfect, yet it’s a strong structure that saves me 30– 45 minutes per e-mail.

Benefit from the Mobile Application

Urge clients to mount your e-newsletter’s mobile app. In your following e-mail, create a quick “How to Include Our Newsletter to Your Home Display” tutorial. More application sets up suggest even more presence, and push notices defeat inbox sound.

Deal Periodic Paid-Only Content

As opposed to making every problem free, tease a “bonus record” once a quarter behind a paywall ($ 5–$ 7). Advertise it greatly to your list. Even if you only sell 20 duplicates, that’s $100–$ 140 that offsets your monthly beehiiv costs.

Wrapping Up: Is beehiiv Right for You?

If you have actually stuck with me this far, you probably fall under among these camps:

• You have actually never ever sent out an e-newsletter, but you’re itching to start– beehiiv’s free plan and instinctive tools are perfect for learning the ropes.
• You have a tiny listing (< 2,500) and want to monetize without migraines-- beehiiv's advertisement network and boosts pay you for doing almost nothing extra.
• You’re a mid-sized creator (1k+ customers) aiming to scale– beehiiv’s analytics, AI tools, and referral program assist you expand quicker and earn much more.
• You dislike intricate email platforms– beehiiv strikes a balance between powerful features and easy to use design.

Certain, the feature collection can really feel intimidating initially, and you could obtain a few unnecessary ad requests. However consider this: in under a year, I made almost $1,000 on a tiny list and over $5,000 in affiliate payments simply by sharing my experience. I have actually seen sufficient to recognize that if you spend a bit of time learning the system, the returns can be substantial.

So, what are you waiting for? Sign up for beehiiv, explore the dashboard, and let the money making engines transform. Your future self will certainly thanks when the checks roll in.