Kit and beehiiv are both built for newsletters, and both free plans have unlimited sends, no automations and a free footer address. The big difference is size: Kit Free goes up to 10,000 subscribers, beehiiv Free to 2,500. Once you pay, Kit is cheaper at 1,000 and 5,000 subscribers, and the two cost about the same at 10,000. beehiiv takes 0% of paid subscriptions on its paid plans; Kit lists a 3.5% + 30¢ fee that includes card processing.
- You want to stay free longer (up to 10,000 subscribers)
- You want the lower paid price at small sizes ($39 vs $59 a month at 1,000)
- You want unlimited forms and landing pages on Free
Plain link.
- You want a website for your newsletter, included on Free
- You'll sell paid subscriptions and want beehiiv to take 0% (Lite and up)
- You want a welcome email on the free plan
Plain link.
Key facts side by side
Source: Kit pricing (checked 2026-10-19), beehiiv pricing (checked 2026-10-21) · Bars show size only. Paid prices are Kit Creator and beehiiv Lite.
Free plans compared
| Kit Free | beehiiv Free | |
|---|---|---|
| Subscribers | Up to 10,000 | Up to 2,500 |
| Sends | No sending limits | Unlimited |
| Automations | None | None (a welcome email only) |
| Website and pages | Unlimited forms and landing pages | Website with 1 custom page |
| Branding | Kit branding stays | "Powered by beehiiv" stays |
| Free footer address | Yes, Kit's shared address | Yes, beehiiv's business address |
Sources: Kit Free plan, Kit pricing, Kit address alternatives, beehiiv pricing, beehiiv footer address.
Prices as your list grows
Monthly price, with the yearly-billing price per month in brackets. USD.
| Subscribers | Kit Creator | beehiiv Lite | beehiiv Pro |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 | $39 ($33) | $59 ($49) | $109 ($95) |
| 5,000 | $89 ($75) | $109 ($95) | $199 ($169) |
| 10,000 | $139 ($116) | $139 ($119) | $239 ($199) |
Source: kit.com/pricing · www.beehiiv.com/pricing, checked 2026-10-21. Prices change; the vendor's page is the final word.
Kit prices checked 2026-10-19; beehiiv prices checked 2026-10-21. Kit Pro is $79, $139 and $189 a month at the same sizes.
Fees on paid subscriptions: beehiiv takes 0% on Lite and up, and Stripe charges 2.9% + $0.30. Kit lists 3.5% + 30¢ on paid newsletters and digital products, including card processing.
Catches on each side
- Kit: automations are paid. Even one automatic welcome email needs Creator (Kit Free plan).
- Kit: approval before sending. New accounts are asked for a link to their blog or site before sending starts (Kit help).
- beehiiv: no custom domain on Free, and removing the beehiiv branding needs Pro (beehiiv pricing).
- beehiiv: sends may be delayed if you pass your tier without automatic upgrades turned on (beehiiv plan types).
- Refunds differ. Kit says it refunds plans within 30 days of signup (Kit pricing). beehiiv says all sales are final (beehiiv refunds).
Verdict
Pick Kit if you want the biggest free plan and the lower price while your list is small. Kit Free covers four times as many subscribers, and Creator is $20 a month cheaper at 1,000 subscribers.
Pick beehiiv if you want a newsletter website in the same tool and plan to charge readers: on Lite and up, beehiiv takes none of your subscription revenue. At 10,000 subscribers the monthly prices are the same ($139).
Full reviews: Kit review and beehiiv review.
FAQ
Is Kit or beehiiv better for a free newsletter?
Kit Free goes further: up to 10,000 subscribers against beehiiv's 2,500. Both have unlimited sends and no automations on Free.
Which is cheaper once I pay?
Kit at small sizes: Creator is $39 a month at 1,000 subscribers against beehiiv Lite's $59. At 10,000 both cost $139 a month (monthly billing).
Which takes less from paid subscriptions?
beehiiv takes 0% on Lite and up; you still pay Stripe's 2.9% + $0.30. Kit lists 3.5% + 30¢, including card processing.
Do I need my own postal address?
No, on either. Kit lets you use Kit's address, and beehiiv uses its own business address if you leave yours blank.
What changed
- 2026-10-21: Written from Kit's and beehiiv's official pricing and help pages.
Sources
All accessed 2026-10-21 (America/New_York), except where a different check date is shown.
- Kit pricing, fees and FAQ: https://kit.com/pricing (prices checked 2026-10-19; transaction fee checked 2026-10-21)
- Kit, "The Kit Free plan": https://help.kit.com/en/articles/16627071-the-kit-free-plan
- Kit, "Alternatives for your physical address": https://help.kit.com/en/articles/2502494-alternatives-for-your-physical-address
- Kit, "Why do I need to get my account verified?": https://help.kit.com/en/articles/2502678-why-do-i-need-to-get-my-account-verified
- beehiiv pricing and subscriber slider: https://www.beehiiv.com/pricing
- beehiiv, plan types and subscriber counting: https://www.beehiiv.com/support/article/23874462928663
- beehiiv, footer physical address: https://www.beehiiv.com/support/article/12293012097175
- beehiiv, "Am I eligible for a refund?": https://www.beehiiv.com/support/article/13092084756631-am-i-eligible-for-a-refund