beehiiv vs Campaign Monitor
beehiiv is a newsletter platform while Campaign Monitor is a email marketing platform. Campaign Monitor has been around since 2004, giving it a 17-year head start over beehiiv (founded 2021). Campaign Monitor is the more affordable option at $12/mo, which is $37 less than beehiiv's $49/mo entry point. beehiiv offers a free plan (2,500 subscribers), while Campaign Monitor does not. beehiiv stands out with landing pages, while Campaign Monitor offers SMS marketing.
Quick Verdict
beehiiv wins on deliverability, rating, free tier.
Campaign Monitor wins on price, integrations.
Best for most users: beehiiv (newsletter creators).
beehiiv
The newsletter platform built for growth
beehiiv was built by the team behind Morning Brew's growth to 4 million subscribers. It's specifically designed for newsletter businesses with built-in monetization through ad networks, paid subscriptions, and referral programs. The highest affiliate commission in the space at up to 60%.
Campaign Monitor
Beautifully crafted email marketing
Campaign Monitor is particularly well-suited for agencies and brands that need polished, branded email campaigns. Its client management features and beautiful template builder make it a popular choice for marketing agencies managing multiple client accounts.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | beehiiv | Campaign Monitor |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.5/5 | 4.1/5 |
| Starting Price | $49/mo | $12/mo |
| Free Plan | 2,500 subscribers | No free plan |
| Founded | 2021 | 2004 |
| Email Templates | 20 | 120 |
| Integrations | 40 | 250 |
| Deliverability Rate | 98% | 97.5% |
| Marketing Automation | Yes | Yes |
| A/B Testing | Yes | Yes |
| Landing Pages | Yes | No |
| Segmentation | Yes | Yes |
| Drag & Drop Editor | Yes | Yes |
| SMS Marketing | No | Yes |
| Ecommerce Features | Yes | Yes |
| API Access | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-Language | No | Yes |
| Web Push Notifications | No | No |
| Live Chat | No | No |
| Advanced Analytics | Yes | Yes |
beehiiv: Pros & Cons
Pros
- + Purpose-built for newsletter businesses
- + Built-in ad network for monetization
- + Referral program to grow subscribers
- + Paid subscription support
- + Founded by ex-Morning Brew team
Cons
- − Limited to newsletter use case
- − Fewer templates than established tools
- − Smaller integration ecosystem
- − No SMS marketing
- − Relatively new platform (2021)
Campaign Monitor: Pros & Cons
Pros
- + Excellent email template builder
- + Strong agency features and client management
- + Good deliverability
- + Time zone sending optimization
- + Link review feature prevents broken links
Cons
- − No free plan
- − Lite plan caps at 2,500 emails
- − Premier plan expensive ($159/mo)
- − No landing page builder
- − Limited automation on lower tiers
The Verdict
beehiiv edges ahead with a 4.5/5 rating compared to Campaign Monitor's 4.1/5. The gap comes mainly from ease of use (4.8 vs 4.3) and deliverability (4.5 vs 4). On deliverability, beehiiv reports 98% compared to 97.5% for Campaign Monitor — a meaningful difference if inbox placement is critical for your campaigns.
| Criterion | Weight | beehiiv | Campaign Monitor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | 30% | $49/mo | $12/mo Winner |
| Deliverability | 25% | 98% Winner | 97.5% |
| Rating | 25% | 4.5/5 Winner | 4.1/5 |
| Integrations | 10% | 40 | 250 Winner |
| Free Tier | 10% | Yes Winner | No |
Weights determine how much each criterion counts toward the final score. See full methodology
Choose beehiiv if…
- + You need a free plan to get started
- + You need built-in landing pages
- + You're a newsletter creators
- + You're a media companies
Choose Campaign Monitor if…
- + You want lower starting costs ($12/mo)
- + You need SMS marketing
- + You're a agencies
- + You're a brands