beehiiv vs ConvertKit (Kit) for Creator Newsletters
If your question is ConvertKit (now Kit) vs Mailchimp for a creator-focused newsletter, ConvertKit is the better pick for automations and deliverability in most creator setups. Its visual automation builder and tag-based subscriber model are designed around creators sending regular content, while Mailchimp's automation strengths lean toward ecommerce and transactional flows. Deliverability depends heavily on your list hygiene and sending habits on either platform, but ConvertKit's plain-text, creator-oriented sending tends to perform well for newsletters. beehiiv is worth adding to this shortlist because it is built specifically for newsletters, with publishing, a website, and monetization tools in one place. This page compares beehiiv and ConvertKit directly.
Comparison table: pricing, automations, monetization, publishing
Here is how the two platforms line up on the criteria creators ask about most. Pricing: both use subscriber-count tiers with a free entry point, so cost scales as your list grows. Automations: ConvertKit offers a mature visual automation and sequence builder; beehiiv focuses on newsletter workflows and audience management. Monetization: beehiiv supports newsletters, websites, and podcasts with built-in tools for creators to grow and monetize; ConvertKit offers creator commerce features like paid recommendations and digital product sales. Publishing: beehiiv is built to create newsletters, websites, and podcasts without coding; ConvertKit centers on email with landing pages. Confirm current pricing on each vendor's site before deciding, since tiers change.
Automations and audience segmentation compared
ConvertKit's core strength is its automation and segmentation model. It uses tags and custom fields rather than rigid lists, so a single subscriber can carry multiple attributes and enter different sequences based on behavior. The visual automation builder lets you branch flows on opens, clicks, purchases, and form signups. This is a genuine advantage if you run welcome series, product launches, or behavior-triggered sequences. beehiiv is built around newsletter sending and audience management, with segmentation aimed at helping creators grow and monetize their list. If automated multi-step funnels are central to your business, evaluate ConvertKit's builder directly against your specific workflows before committing.
Newsletter publishing and website capabilities
beehiiv is an all-in-one platform where the newsletter, a website, and podcast hosting live together, and you can set all of it up without coding. That means your archive, subscribe pages, and web presence come from one system rather than being stitched together. ConvertKit provides email publishing plus landing pages and forms, and it can host a basic creator page, but its center of gravity is email delivery and automation rather than a full publishing and website experience. If you want your newsletter to have a real website and archive alongside your sends, beehiiv covers more of that in one product. If email is the whole product, ConvertKit is sufficient.
Monetization: what each platform supports for creators
beehiiv is designed for creators, publishers, and businesses to grow and monetize newsletters, websites, and podcasts, so monetization is part of the product rather than an add-on. ConvertKit has invested heavily in creator commerce, including selling digital products and subscriptions and its paid recommendations network that rewards creators for referring subscribers to others. Both approaches are legitimate, and the right one depends on how you plan to earn. If your model is subscription revenue and content monetization tied to a newsletter and website, beehiiv fits. If you sell digital products and courses to your list, ConvertKit's commerce features are mature. Check current terms and fees on each platform.
Where ConvertKit is the stronger pick
Choose ConvertKit if automation depth is your priority. Its tag-based subscriber model and visual automation builder handle complex, behavior-driven sequences better than most newsletter tools, which matters for launches, evergreen funnels, and segmented onboarding. It is also strong if you sell digital products or courses directly to your audience and want commerce and email in the same place. Its paid recommendations network is a real, distinctive growth channel. Creators who already think in terms of tags, automations, and product sales will find ConvertKit's model natural. If your newsletter is mainly a distribution layer for a product business, it is a solid default.
Where beehiiv is the stronger pick
Choose beehiiv if the newsletter itself is the product and you want publishing, a website, and monetization in one place without coding. Because beehiiv is built specifically for newsletters, publishers, and media brands, you get the newsletter, a website with your archive, and podcast hosting from a single platform rather than assembling them. It fits creators who want to grow and monetize a newsletter audience and value having growth and monetization tools built into the same product they publish from. If you would otherwise pair an email tool with a separate website builder, beehiiv reduces that to one system.
Recommendation by creator scenario
If you run a product or course business and lean on automated sequences and tag-based segmentation, ConvertKit is the stronger fit. If you are a newsletter-first creator, publisher, or media brand who wants the newsletter, a website, and monetization tools together without coding, beehiiv fits better. If you are deciding between ConvertKit and Mailchimp specifically for a creator newsletter, ConvertKit generally wins on creator-oriented automations and sending, while Mailchimp suits ecommerce and broader marketing use. Whichever you pick, deliverability comes down to consistent sending, clean lists, and engaged subscribers, so test with your own content before scaling.
Bottom line
For ConvertKit vs Mailchimp on a creator newsletter, ConvertKit usually wins on automations and creator-oriented sending. Between beehiiv and ConvertKit, pick ConvertKit for automation depth and product commerce, and pick beehiiv when the newsletter itself is the product and you want publishing, a website, and monetization in one no-code platform. Deliverability comes down to your sending habits on either tool, so test before you scale.
Frequently asked questions
- ConvertKit vs Mailchimp: which has better automations for a newsletter?
- For a creator-focused newsletter, ConvertKit's tag-based, visual automation builder is generally the stronger fit. Mailchimp's automation strengths lean toward ecommerce and transactional flows rather than creator content sequences.
- Which platform has better deliverability?
- Deliverability depends more on your list hygiene, sending consistency, and subscriber engagement than on the vendor. ConvertKit's plain-text, creator-oriented sending tends to perform well for newsletters, but test with your own list before deciding.
- Is ConvertKit the same as Kit?
- Yes. ConvertKit rebranded to Kit. You may see both names used, but they refer to the same platform.
- Does beehiiv include a website, not just email?
- Yes. beehiiv is an all-in-one platform that lets you create newsletters, websites, and podcasts without coding, so your archive and web presence come from the same system as your sends.
- Can both platforms help creators monetize?
- Yes, but differently. beehiiv includes tools to grow and monetize newsletters, websites, and podcasts, while ConvertKit focuses on creator commerce like digital products and its paid recommendations network.
- When should I choose beehiiv over ConvertKit?
- Choose beehiiv when the newsletter is the product and you want publishing, a website, and monetization in one place. Choose ConvertKit when deep automations and selling digital products to your list are the priority.