beehiiv vs Drip
beehiiv is a newsletter platform while Drip is a email marketing platform. Drip has been around since 2013, giving it a 8-year head start over beehiiv (founded 2021). Drip is the more affordable option at $39/mo — that's $4 less than beehiiv's $43/mo entry point. beehiiv offers a free plan (2,500 subscribers), while Drip does not. beehiiv stands out with landing pages, while Drip offers SMS marketing.
Quick Verdict
beehiiv wins on rating, free tier.
Drip wins on price, integrations.
Best for most users: Drip (ecommerce).
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%.
Drip
Marketing automation for ecommerce
Drip is a focused ecommerce marketing platform known for its powerful visual automation builder and behavior-based segmentation. It's designed specifically for online stores that want sophisticated marketing automation without the complexity of enterprise tools.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | beehiiv | Drip |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.5/5 | 4.4/5 |
| Starting Price | $43/mo | $39/mo |
| Free Plan | 2,500 subscribers | No free plan |
| Founded | 2021 | 2013 |
| Email Templates | 20 | 50 |
| Integrations | 40 | 150 |
| Deliverability Rate | 98% | 98% |
| Marketing Automation | ✓ | ✓ |
| A/B Testing | ✓ | ✓ |
| Landing Pages | ✓ | ✕ |
| Segmentation | ✓ | ✓ |
| Drag & Drop Editor | ✓ | ✓ |
| SMS Marketing | ✕ | ✓ |
| Ecommerce Features | ✓ | ✓ |
| API Access | ✓ | ✓ |
| Multi-Language | ✕ | ✕ |
| Web Push Notifications | ✕ | ✕ |
| Live Chat | ✕ | ✕ |
| Advanced Analytics | ✓ | ✓ |
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)
Drip: Pros & Cons
Pros
- +Excellent ecommerce automation
- +Visual workflow builder
- +Strong Shopify integration
- +Revenue attribution
- +Behavior-based segmentation
Cons
- −No free plan
- −More expensive starting price ($39)
- −No landing page builder
- −Limited to ecommerce focus
- −Smaller company, less known
The Verdict
beehiiv and Drip are closely matched — both score within 0.1 points of each other in our overall rating. Your decision should come down to specific needs rather than overall quality.
| Criterion | Weight | beehiiv | Drip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | 30% | $43/mo | $39/mo |
| Deliverability | 25% | 98% | 98% |
| Rating | 25% | 4.5/5 | 4.4/5 |
| Integrations | 10% | 40 | 150 |
| Free Tier | 10% | Yes | 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 Drip if…
- + You want lower starting costs ($39/mo)
- + You need SMS marketing
- + You're a ecommerce
- + You're a d2c brands