Kit vs beehiiv: which newsletter platform pays off
Pick Kit if your newsletter exists to sell your own products, courses or services, because its automated sequences and built-in product sales do that job well. Pick beehiiv if the newsletter is the product and you want it to earn from sponsors and paid subscriptions. beehiiv publishes every issue to a web archive, rewards readers who refer friends and places ads in your issues through its network. Both start on a free plan, so the deciding question is where your income will come from.
Which one to pick
You sell an ebook, a course or coaching and want subscribers from a landing page to receive a welcome sequence that leads to your offer.
You run a media-style newsletter, want readers to recruit readers through a referral programme, and plan to earn from sponsors placed by an ad network.
Side by side
Questions
Are Kit and beehiiv free to start?
Yes, you can start on either for $0. Free tiers cap your subscriber count and hold back some features, such as advanced automations or monetisation tools. Paid plans are billed in US dollars and rise with the size of your list.
Can I sell digital products with beehiiv?
beehiiv lets you charge for paid subscriptions to your newsletter. Kit goes further for creators who sell: you can sell digital products and paid subscriptions from the same account. If a course or template pack is your main income, Kit fits better.
How hard is it to move from Kit to beehiiv?
You export your subscribers from Kit as a file and import them into beehiiv, keeping tags where possible. Automated sequences and forms have to be rebuilt by hand. Warm up the new sending account with your most engaged readers first.
Which is better for a solo creator?
Both suit solo creators and small teams and are rated easy to use. A coach or educator who sells their own products leans towards Kit. A writer building an audience to sell ad space leans towards beehiiv, whose referral and ad tools are central to the product.
Can I run a newsletter in Spanish, German, French or Italian on them?
European senders can use either, and you write your issues in any language. Check that sign-up forms, unsubscribe links and footers are translated, since some default text is in English. Under GDPR you need clear consent at sign-up, which both tools support with opt-in forms.