If you’re reading this, chances are you’re a beehiiv user looking for an alternative or you’re thinking about starting a newsletter. Either way, you’ve come to the right place.

Creating a newsletter is an exciting step for content creators aiming to take their writing to the next level, build a loyal subscriber base, and make great money from their craft. To set yourself up for success, you need an newsletter platform that makes it easy to create a visually stunning newsletter that delights and engages your audience.

Here at Marketer Milk, we use and love beehiiv, and we’re not planning to migrate to another provider anytime soon. However, different business needs dictate which platform works best for each content creator.

So, we’ve rounded up our top five beehiiv alternatives to help you in your research. At the top of our list is MailerLite, our second-best choice next to beehiiv for newsletter platforms. From drag-and-drop email design to automation and segmentation, these platforms offer a variety of features for various use cases. Check out the complete list below to start evaluating your options.

What to look for in a beehiiv alternative

When looking for an alternative to beehiiv, there are a few key features you should be on the lookout for. Let’s go over them.

Essential features

Start your search for a beehiiv alternative by evaluating the priorities that matter most to you. Whether it's automation, design options, personalization, beautiful templates, CRM capabilities, or landing page functionality, create a wishlist and compare alternatives.

Scalability

If you build it right, they will come, and you must anticipate growth to create a successful, self-sustaining newsletter. Select a newsletter platform that can grow with your business, automate processes, and accommodate subscriber increases without imposing major price hikes.

Ease of use

Evaluate the user interface and overall user experience. A user-friendly platform saves time and resources during onboarding and ongoing use, especially if you or your team have minimal technical know-how. Also, responsive customer support goes hand-in-hand with a user-friendly platform, helping remove roadblocks and keep your newsletter creation on track.

Pricing structure

What’s your budget, and how does it compare with the pricing structure of each beehiiv alternative? Balancing affordability with desired features will help you create the newsletter you want without breaking the bank.

Integration capabilities

Assess how well each alternative integrates with your existing tech and marketing stack for ease of setup and use. If a platform lacks a particular integration, note whether the platform accepts integration requests.

User reviews and reputation

No platform can hide from real-world user feedback. Reading reviews on Capterra, G2, and independent websites can help you get a feel for each platform’s strengths and weaknesses. As with anything, take each review with a grain of salt; one negative experience does not equate to throwing the entire platform out the window (nor does a glowing review mean it’s the best platform for you).

The best beehiiv alternatives in 2024

Creating content and sharing it with the world is much easier with a fantastic newsletter platform in your back pocket. As you explore the beehiiv alternatives below, ask yourself: Does it make my life easier? If the answer is yes, keep it on your shortlist; otherwise, move on to the next option.

Here are our favorite beehiiv alternatives:

1. MailerLite
2. Substack
3. ConvertKit
4. Ghost
5. Mailmodo

Alright, let’s take a deeper look at each platform.

1. MailerLite

User-friendly tools and powerful automations make MailerLite our top choice for beehiiv alternatives. From email newsletters and signup forms to landing pages and websites, MailerLite handles a wide range of digital marketing functions at an affordable price that’s ideal for startups and solo creators.

With MailerLite, you can leverage advanced functionalities like embedded surveys, multi-trigger automations, pop-ups, Facebook custom audiences, and auto-resend. Comprehensive reporting accessible from your dashboard helps you evaluate your campaigns’ success.

MailerLite notable features

• Drag-and-drop editor: Create engaging and responsive campaigns using MailerLite's drag-and-drop editor, AI email generator, or customizable HTML editor. Utilize pre-designed templates and a free image library for visually stunning emails.
• Monetization tools: Integrate e-commerce platforms like Shopify and WooCommerce to embed custom product blocks and create email campaigns based on customer buying behaviors. Monetize your newsletter by selling subscriptions through Stripe on MailerLite landing pages.
• Automation builder: Build advanced marketing workflows with the intuitive automation builder. To enhance engagement, utilize triggers, set up RSS campaigns, and implement auto-resend campaigns. Take advantage of features such as Facebook custom audiences and API documentation.
• Targeted campaigns: Ensure personalized content delivery with segmentation, tagging, and personalization features. Tailor content based on interests, geography, behavior, and more. Manage campaigns and subscribers on desktop or through the app using features like signup forms and custom post-unsubscribe survey pages.

MailerLite use cases

From writers and freelancers to SMBs, nonprofits, and large enterprises, MailerLite attracts a wide range of users seeking a value-packed, affordable newsletter platform. Check out how template designer Notionway, which serves the no-code productivity app Notion, used MailerLite to grow a five-figure digital product business. The Wall of Love is a great place to read more real-world case studies.

MailerLite pricing

After a 30-day trial, sign up for a free plan, which includes 1,000 subscribers. Paid plans start at $9 monthly, billed annually.

MailerLite reviews

Here are a few pros and cons from real MailerLite users (sourced from actual review sites):

Pros:

• Beginner-friendly
• Free for the first 1,000 subscribers
• Friendly, helpful customer support

Cons:

• Deliverability issues (potentially impacting existing lists when migrating)
• Slow campaign delivery
• Potential technical glitches

Read more MailerLite reviews on Capterra and G2.

2. Substack

As “The home for great writers and readers,” Substack has set itself apart as a go-to subscription network for creators. The platform combines elements of a newsletter, blog, payment system, and customer support team in one user-friendly interface. Substack handles administrative tasks, billing, and technical aspects, freeing you to focus on your creative endeavors.

Substack notable features

• Creative control: Once you create your own Substack, you can build it out however you want — maintaining ownership over your intellectual property, mailing list, and subscriber payments. You have complete editorial control.
• Reader engagement: With no ads or algorithms getting in the way, you can build direct relationships with readers.
• Brand recognition: People know what it means to start a Substack — it’s the equivalent of “Let’s start a newsletter.” Brand recognition goes a long way toward building a loyal audience.
• Easy migration: If you have an existing audience on another platform like WordPress or Medium, you can import your posts and email list during Substack setup.

Substack use cases

Anyone wanting to share their knowledge, ideas, and tips in newsletter form and maintain editorial control over their content may find Substack to be the perfect fit. Choosing a niche, getting creative with it, and marketing yourself off the platform is essential for success. This roundup of Substack success stories provides some inspiration, including one creator making $3 million per year.

Substack pricing

Substack is free to use, making it easy for writers, authors, journalists, and other professionals to launch a newsletter. If you choose the paid subscription route, Substack will take a 10% cut from your earnings.

Related reads: Best Substack alternatives for your newsletter

Substack reviews

Here are a few pros and cons from real Substack users (sourced from actual review sites):

Pros:

• No technical knowledge required
• Ample documentation and support as you get started
• Monetization options

Cons:

• Potential email deliverability issues
• Competition can make it challenging to grow
• No personalization tags

Read more at G2 (no reviews on Capterra as of this writing), and check out this comprehensive review by Nick Wolny.

3. ConvertKit

For those seeking audience growth, marketing automation, and digital product sales, consider ConvertKit as a viable beehiiv alternative. Many independent writers, bloggers, artists, coaches, and musicians rely on ConvertKit for automation, pop-ups, sales funnels, landing pages, and templates. The tagline “We exist to help creators earn a living” is encouraging — but you needn’t stop at just “getting by” once you set up ConvertKit to do the heavy lifting.

ConvertKit notable features

• Easy migration: Free migration concierge services help you transition your audience from another platform.
• Monetization options: Like Substack, ConvertKit offers a paid newsletter feature for monetizing content. Easily sell digital products via one-time payments, subscriptions, or “pay what you want” pricing.
• Visual workflows: Visual automation tools allow you to build automated subscriber journeys — from evergreen sequences to automated course pitches. Map out how you want to segment and engage with your audience, and keep an eye on how subscribers enter and exit your workflows for deeper insights into the subscriber experience.
• Behavioral targeting: Behavior-based triggers facilitate the delivery of the most relevant content at just the right moments. Whether users purchase a new product, click a link, or complete your online form, you can send them content that keeps them engaged with your brand.

ConvertKit use cases

Various creators and coaches turn to ConvertKit for their newsletter needs. One author used ConvertKit to create a passive income via online course creation and work 50% less; after tragedy struck, one artist used his creative passion to heal and built a $45K paid newsletter. Read more creator stories here.

ConvertKit pricing

A free 14-day trial gives you a chance to try out the platform and grow your list. Once you reach 1,000 subscribers, plans start at $9 monthly, paid annually.

Related reads: Best ConvertKit to build an email list

ConvertKit reviews

Here are a few pros and cons from real ConvertKit users (sourced from actual review sites):

Pros:

• Visual automation builders
• Simple setup
• Referral program helps you grow by incentivizing subscribers to share your content

Cons:

• More technically complex compared to alternatives
• Pricier than other options when you start scaling and need more advanced tools
• Limited customization options for emails and landing pages

Read more at Capterra and G2.

4. Ghost

Ghost is a modern publishing solution that empowers creators to build, share, and grow their content with ease. As an open-source and investor-free app, Ghost offers publishers complete control over website design, advanced creator tools for both web and email newsletters, and audience growth features. With a lightweight and fast CMS, sleek and minimal design, and robust metrics and analytics tracking, Ghost is among the top beehiiv alternatives in our book.

Ghost notable features

• Creator-first platform: Ghost is an all-in-one solution for creators looking to build a website with an accompanying newsletter and paid membership options. Anyone dipping their toes into premium subscriptions should consider this platform for establishing and growing an online presence.
• Versatile content editing: The Ghost editor supports various content types, including writing, photography, videos, podcasts, and more. If you can imagine a medium, there’s likely a home for it on Ghost.
• Ownership and access: Creators retain full ownership of their content rights and have total control over their intellectual property and data.
• Premium tiers with 0% fees: Keep more of what you make. Ghost allows you to publish private content for paying members and generate revenue without losing a percentage to payment fees.

Ghost use cases

If you’re a creator planning to create a blog alongside your newsletter, Ghost is worth checking out. The all-in-one nature of the platform gives you one spot to create, manage, and monetize a media business. Be sure to read through Ghost’s creator collection — organized by those with the highest revenue, most members, trending, and other categories — for creative inspiration.

Ghost pricing

Get started for free; paid plans start at $9 monthly, paid annually, for up to 500 members.

Ghost reviews

Here are a few pros and cons from real Ghost users (sourced from actual review sites):

Pros:

• Modern user interface
• Writer-centric, lightning-fast content editor
• Complete solution for launching a media business

Cons:

• Pricier than other options once you scale beyond 500 members
• Limited payment processing options; a Stripe account is required to create multiple membership tiers
• Lacks the plug-ins and customization options you’d find with WordPress

Read more at Capterra and G2.

5. Mailmodo

Mailmodo, a recent entrant among email marketing platforms, is an excellent choice for those aiming to create interactive subscriber emails. Its WYSIWYG editor lets you build AMP and HTML email templates with a drag-and-drop builder. With automations, conversion tracking, surveys, and quizzes, Mailmodo requires no coding, but it may not be as intuitive to set up as other options on our list. If you’re OK with a learning curve, you may find Mailmodo to be a feature-rich, powerful tool.

Mailmodo notable features

• Gamify the user experience: Incorporate surveys, quizzes, and other interactive features that engage your target audience, increase conversions, and boost return on investment.
• Pre-built journeys: Automate drip sequences with time-based delivery without sacrificing personalization. Leverage user data and behaviors to tailor sequences with a range of custom fields, conditional logic, and advanced segmentation.
• Visual campaign builder: Get real-time views of what your campaigns look like, and easily edit campaigns using the built-in WYSIWYG editor.
• Integrations: Sync your marketing stack with Mailmodo, integrating with 1,000+ tools to create trigger-based campaigns that run on autopilot.

Mailmodo use cases

Businesses of all sizes use Mailmodo to create and send interactive AMP and HTML emails, automate campaigns, and access rich analytics. Financial solutions provider Razorpay used Mailmodo to achieve 257% higher survey responses and an 87% increase in generated leads. Digital marketing agency Pixl saw 137% higher conversions by using Mailmodo’s interactive emails. Read more case studies here.

Mailmodo pricing

Try Mailmodo for free. Paid plans start at $39 monthly, billed annually, for 2,500 contacts, and pricing scales up as you grow your subscriber list.

Mailmodo reviews

Here are a few pros and cons from real Mailmodo users (sourced from actual review sites):

Pros:

• Excellent deliverability via Sparkpost, with a 21% average open rate
• Great integrations
• AMP feature is a rarity among email platforms

Cons:

• Steeper learning curve than others
• No recurring campaign option
• Some users say they want more template options

Read more at Capterra and G2.

Which is the best alternative to beehiiv?

If you’re a content creator tasked with evaluating heehiiv alternatives in 2024, this shortlist of platforms should make your work simpler.

While beehiiv is our go-to platform at Marketer Milk, we understand that different platforms cater to diverse needs. One noteworthy alternative is MailerLite, offering advanced automations, diverse email designs, and monetization features. It’s also an affordable beehiiv alternative that won’t break the bank for new creators getting started with newsletter creation.

Finding the email platform that suits your needs depends on your priorities — whether you value simplicity, advanced automations, interactivity, or personalization. Free trials and lower-tier plans are the best way to jump in and discover how each platform works — and ultimately find the one that works best for you.