Newsletters have long since evolved beyond traditional email marketing. Today, they are the backbone of million-dollar business models, with entire ecosystems built around their subscribers. This is exactly where BeeHiiv comes in. In our detailed BeeHiiv review, we take a close look at the tool’s features – and share our own first-hand experience with it.
Note: We’ve been using BeeHiiv since January 2025 and have sent out well over 1 million emails with it. Our experience is based on real-world usage. If you want to sign up, you can get a 30-day free trial and 20 percent off your first three months with our link. The discount is applied automatically.
Overview: What is BeeHiiv?
BeeHiiv is a modern newsletter platform designed especially for content creators – including blogs, magazines, media companies and influencers. It was launched in 2021 by former employees of Morning Brew, a leading U.S. newsletter brand. The focus is clear: empowering people to grow an audience and generate revenue from their content.
At its core, BeeHiiv offers a minimalist yet smart interface that works for beginners and newsletter pros alike. Unlike many traditional email marketing tools, BeeHiiv does not focus on funnels or product promotion. Instead, it emphasizes editorial storytelling, community building, organic growth and newsletter monetization.
BeeHiiv Review: Getting Started
Starting with BeeHiiv is easy. After signing up, you can set up your own subdomain or connect an existing domain. In our BeeHiiv review, this process worked smoothly and only took a few minutes.
The onboarding is intuitive and walks you through your first functional newsletter setup in just a few steps:
- Naming and branding your newsletter
- Customizing layout and colors
- Importing existing subscriber lists (depending on size, this may take up to 30 minutes for verification)
- Creating your first posts, landing pages or embedded forms for your website (this is how we do it – don’t forget to subscribe!)
A big advantage: BeeHiiv allows you to publish your newsletter as articles on the web – great for SEO reach. If you don’t already have a blog, you can connect BeeHiiv to your domain so that your posts appear under “yourdomain.com” rather than “yournewsletter.beehiiv.com”.
BeeHiiv Editor Review: Writing Like in Notion
The editor is where you’ll spend most of your time on BeeHiiv. Its interface is reminiscent of tools like Notion or Medium – minimal distractions and a clean writing experience. However, BeeHiiv offers more advanced features than tools like Substack, which struggle with even basic formatting.
Content is built modularly. In addition to text and image blocks, you can use:
- Calls-to-action – for newsletter subscriptions, product sales or paid subscriptions (BeeHiiv supports paid newsletters)
- Dividers, quotes, boxes and lists
- Tables and formatting tools
- Embedded content from other platforms
- Buttons and link boxes
Our Experience with BeeHiiv’s Delivery and Automation
BeeHiiv truly shines in the email delivery process. You can send posts immediately, schedule them or automate entire sequences like onboarding emails or welcome series. With its planning tool, editorial scheduling is easy – even for teams.
A standout feature in our BeeHiiv review was A/B testing. You can test different subject lines or content variations – and this feature is included even in the free plan. It’s a simple way to find the subject lines with the highest open rates.
And when it comes to deliverability, we had zero issues after sending over 1 million emails – very impressive.
Growth and Community: Referral Programs at the Core
BeeHiiv puts strong emphasis on referral-based growth. Readers can become active promoters of your newsletter by inviting others – and earning rewards in return.
Here’s how it works:
- Each reader gets a unique referral link
- You can set up reward tiers based on the number of referrals
- The system is fully automated and easy to configure
You can also pay per subscriber or use BeeHiiv’s own “Grow” platform (which includes boosts and other formats) to increase your list.
Full transparency: We haven’t personally tested all these growth features. However, BeeHiiv was developed by former Morning Brew staff, who used these exact tools to build a multi-million-dollar newsletter brand.
It’s a great solution for viral projects – including niche newsletters, community formats or newsletter-first startups.
Monetization: Earn Directly From Your Newsletter
BeeHiiv sets itself apart with built-in monetization tools. You can charge for premium newsletters, gated content or exclusive access – all through Stripe.
There’s also a built-in ad network. Under the “Earn” section, you can apply for sponsored posts, display ads and more. You might also receive direct ad offers (we get about two invitations per week – though we haven’t accepted any yet).
Payments are processed through BeeHiiv and Stripe. You can cash out to your wallet – or reinvest in your own newsletter growth. This creates a self-sustaining loop of revenue and marketing.
Analytics and Performance Insights
Understanding your newsletter’s success requires strong analytics – and BeeHiiv delivers. You get detailed reports on opens, clicks, growth, conversions and more. Compared to other platforms, the stats are both clean and meaningful. For deeper analysis, Google Analytics integration is available.
You can also set up exit surveys for unsubscribers – a smart way to gather feedback and improve quality based on real responses.
Design and Templates: Minimalist Yet Flexible
BeeHiiv follows a minimalist design philosophy. The templates are functional, modern and fully customizable. Landing pages, referral programs and opt-in forms can be tailored to your brand. Mobile optimization is built in by default – a major plus.
We tested our BeeHiiv newsletters across multiple devices – and the design held up every time. Still, you should always send yourself a preview before publishing (easy to do via BeeHiiv).
Target Audience: Who Is BeeHiiv Built For?
BeeHiiv isn’t for everyone. Based on our BeeHiiv experience, the platform is best suited for:
- Content creators, bloggers, influencers and niche publishers
- Newsletter-first projects with strong growth potential
- Publishers looking to expand to a new channel
- Entrepreneurs focused on communities or subscription models
BeeHiiv is less suitable for large-scale e-commerce setups, traditional marketing funnels or CRM-heavy use cases.
BeeHiiv Review: Pricing and Plans
BeeHiiv offers three different plans with varying features, pricing and audience sizes. Good to know: You can start for free. If you sign up via this link, you get a 30-day free trial plus 20 percent off your first three months.
Launch: Start for Free
The free plan is perfect for testing BeeHiiv or running a small newsletter. It already includes many key features:
- Up to 2,500 subscribers
- Unlimited emails
- Up to three publications
- Custom newsletter layout and website
- Access to the referral network
- Basic analytics and API access
- Custom domains, segmentation and tags
This plan gives you a solid foundation to build a professional newsletter – with zero cost or commitment.
Scale: For Serious Projects
At 34.40 US dollars per month (when billed annually), the Scale plan unlocks everything needed for growth, automation and monetization. It includes all Launch features, plus:
- Ad network and boost network
- Paid subscriptions
- Email automations
- Referral programs for audience growth
- BeeHiiv AI for content optimization
- 3D analytics, webhooks & Slack community
- Teams with up to three users
- Forms and surveys
- Access to live support
The Scale plan is ideal for ambitious projects and small teams who want to grow and monetize their newsletter actively.
Max: The Full Pro Experience
The Max plan is built for advanced publishers and media brands. Starting at 76.80 US dollars per month (billed annually), it includes all features from “Scale” – and more:
- Up to 100,000 subscribers (custom tiers available)
- Advanced segmentation and dynamic content
- Dedicated onboarding and priority support
- Multiple publications under one account
- Custom API limits and enterprise integrations
- Priority access to new features
For large editorial teams and established newsletter businesses, Max offers the flexibility and scalability required for long-term success. Even enterprise solutions are available upon request.
BeeHiiv Review: Our Final Verdict
BeeHiiv is one of the most exciting newsletter tools on the market – and rightly so. It combines powerful publishing, intuitive UX, and advanced monetization features in a single, focused platform. We’ve tested it extensively and now use it daily for our own newsletter.
If you’re looking for a modern, scalable solution to grow and monetize your newsletter business, this software is an excellent choice. The tool is especially worthwhile for:
- Solo creators and teams with editorial focus
- Newsletter-first brands
- Anyone looking to build community and recurring revenue
Note: We use BeeHiiv ourselves and recommend the platform based on real-world experience. If you sign up via this link, you’ll receive a 30-day free trial and 20 percent off your first three months. Thanks for supporting independent content.
