beehiiv
beehiiv Inc.
8.4
Overall Score / 10
Brevo
Brevo (formerly Sendinblue)
7.2
Overall Score / 10
Our Verdict
Choose beehiiv if:
- —Newsletter creators serious about growth and monetization
- —Media operators building a newsletter business
- —Anyone who wants built-in referral and ad tools
Choose Brevo if:
- —Businesses with large contact lists on a budget
- —Teams needing email + SMS + CRM in one tool
- —Anyone frustrated by per-contact pricing models
The biggest difference: beehiiv is purpose-built for newsletter businesses with referral programs, ad network, and website builder. Brevo is a multi-channel marketing platform for transactional and marketing email with SMS and WhatsApp at scale.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Criteria | beehiiv | Brevo |
|---|---|---|
| Cheapest Paid Plan | $49/mo (Scale)Source: beehiiv Inc. pricing page → | $9/mo (Starter)Source: Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) pricing page → |
| Free Tier | Yes 2,500 subscribers, unlimited sends, custom domain, website builder, beehiiv branding | Yes Up to 100,000 contacts, 300 emails/day, Brevo branding |
| Value for Money | 9 | 8 |
| Ease of Use | 8 | 7 |
| Feature Power | 8 | 7 |
| Setup Ease | 9 | 7 |
| Migration Ease | 8 | 6 |
| Transparency | 8 | 7 |
| Deployment | cloud | cloud |
| API Available | Yes | Yes |
| Platforms | Web, iOS | Web |
| Compliance | GDPR tools available | GDPR compliant (EU-based), SOC 2 |
Feature Comparison
Feature Comparison Matrix
20 features compared · 19 differences
| Feature | beehiiv | Brevo |
|---|---|---|
| Core | ||
| Built-in ad network | Full | None |
| Chat widget | None | Full |
| CRM | None | Full |
| Landing pages | None | Full |
| Magic links | Full | None |
| Newsletter editor | Full | None |
| Polls and surveys | Full | None |
| Referral program | Full | None |
| SMS marketing | None | Full |
| Website builder | Full | None |
| Advanced | ||
| 3D analytics | Full | None |
| Audience segmentation | Full | None |
| Custom domains | Full | None |
| Email campaigns | None | Full |
| Marketing automation | None | Full |
| Paid subscriptions | Full | None |
| Transactional email | None | Full |
| WhatsApp campaigns | None | Full |
| Integrations | ||
| API access | Full | Full |
| Facebook Ads integration | None | Full |
Pricing Comparison
beehiiv Pricing
2,500 subscribers, unlimited sends, website, custom domain
Unlimited subscribers, ad network, referral program, polls, premium themes
Everything in Scale + priority support, API access, advanced analytics, newsroom
Dedicated support, custom migrations, SLA
Brevo Pricing
Up to 100,000 contacts, 300 emails/day, Brevo branding
5,000 emails/mo, no daily limit, basic reporting
5,000 emails/mo, marketing automation, A/B testing, advanced stats
150,000+ emails, marketing automation, dedicated IP
Custom volume, dedicated IP, SSO, priority support
Who Should Choose Which?
Who should choose beehiiv
Best for
- Newsletter creators serious about growth and monetization
- Media operators building a newsletter business
- Anyone who wants built-in referral and ad tools
Avoid if
- You need full marketing automation (sequences, lead scoring)
- You need CRM functionality
- You need deep e-commerce integrations
Who should choose Brevo
Best for
- Businesses with large contact lists on a budget
- Teams needing email + SMS + CRM in one tool
- Anyone frustrated by per-contact pricing models
Avoid if
- You need deep e-commerce integrations
- You want the most polished email editor
- You need advanced deliverability monitoring tools
Switching Guidance
Switching from beehiiv
Common triggers to leave:
- •Need full marketing automation
- •Need CRM
- •Need e-commerce integrations beyond Stripe
Potential blockers:
- •Ad network revenue
- •Referral program subscribers
- •Custom website/domain setup
Switching from Brevo
Common triggers to leave:
- •Need more polished templates
- •Need deeper analytics
- •Need better deliverability tools
Potential blockers:
- •CRM + email in one platform
- •Transactional email setup
- •SMS campaigns configured
Try beehiiv
Start free — no credit card required
Try Brevo
Start free — no credit card required