Mailchimp vs ConvertKit vs Beehiiv: Which Email Tool is Best in 2026?

Email Marketing Has Fragmented by Use Case

Five years ago, Mailchimp was the default email marketing tool for almost everyone. Today, the market has fractured: Mailchimp serves ecommerce, ConvertKit serves individual creators, and Beehiiv has become the platform of choice for paid newsletters. Choosing the wrong one means paying more for features you don't need while missing the ones you do.

Mailchimp

Pricing (2026)

• Free: 500 contacts, 1,000 sends/month, basic templates
• Essentials: $13/month for 500 contacts — A/B testing, scheduling, 3 audiences
• Standard: $20/month for 500 contacts — automation journeys, predictive segmentation, send time optimization
• Premium: $350/month for 10,000 contacts — unlimited audiences, multivariate testing, phone support

Note: Mailchimp pricing scales steeply with list size. At 10,000 contacts on Standard, you're paying $100/month.

Strengths

• Best ecommerce integrations (Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento)
• Product recommendation blocks, purchase journey automation
• Retargeting ads (Facebook, Instagram, Google) from the same platform
• Largest template library

Weaknesses

• Pricing jumps are punishing as you grow
• Free tier is now very limited (500 contacts)
• Not designed for content creators or newsletters
• UI feels dated compared to newer competitors

ConvertKit (now Kit)

Pricing

• Free: Up to 10,000 subscribers, unlimited emails, basic automations, 1 landing page
• Creator: $25/month for 1,000 subscribers — advanced automations, A/B testing, paid newsletters, free migration
• Creator Pro: $50/month for 1,000 subscribers — subscriber scoring, advanced reporting, Facebook custom audiences

Strengths

• Best free tier in the market — 10,000 subscribers free is extraordinary
• Tag and segment system is the most powerful of the three
• Native paid newsletter feature (Stripe integration)
• Commerce features for selling digital products directly
• Clean, distraction-free email editor

Weaknesses

• Visual template builder is basic — ConvertKit is text-first by design
• Not designed for ecommerce transactional emails
• Creator Pro pricing scales quickly with list size

Beehiiv

Pricing

• Free (Launch): Up to 2,500 subscribers, unlimited emails, web newsletter, referral program
• Scale: $39/month — up to 100,000 subscribers, custom domain, analytics, ad network
• Max: $99/month — up to 100,000 subscribers, 3D analytics, automations, A/B testing, boosts

Strengths

• Purpose-built for newsletter operators — best publishing experience
• Beehiiv Ad Network — built-in monetization via sponsorship marketplace
• Boosts — cross-promote with other newsletters and grow your list
• Best web reader/archive experience of the three
• Referral program built in (free tier)

Weaknesses

• Only 2,500 subscribers on free (vs. ConvertKit's 10,000)
• Not suitable for ecommerce or complex automation sequences
• Ad network CPMs vary — not guaranteed revenue

The Verdict

• Ecommerce store: Mailchimp — product feeds, purchase journeys, Shopify integration
• Individual creator or course seller: ConvertKit — 10K free subscribers, paid content, tagging
• Newsletter operator: Beehiiv — monetization, referrals, web archive, ad network
• Budget-conscious starting out: ConvertKit free (10K subs) beats everything

Compare all email marketing tools at ToolShift.