beehiiv vs EngageBay
beehiiv is a newsletter platform while EngageBay is a all-in-one marketing platform. EngageBay is the more affordable option at $14.99/mo — that's $28.009999999999998 less than beehiiv's $43/mo entry point. Both offer free plans to get started. EngageBay has the edge with SMS marketing.
Quick Verdict
beehiiv wins on deliverability, integrations.
EngageBay wins on price, rating.
Best for most users: EngageBay (small businesses on a budget).
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%.
EngageBay
All-in-one CRM for marketing, sales & support
EngageBay is a bootstrapped all-in-one CRM platform that bundles marketing automation, sales pipeline management, helpdesk ticketing, and live chat into a single affordable package. Founded in 2018 as a cost-effective alternative to HubSpot, it serves over 150,000 businesses with a free plan supporting up to 15 users. Its strongest differentiator is delivering the full marketing-sales-support stack at a fraction of enterprise CRM pricing, making it particularly attractive to budget-conscious SMBs.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | beehiiv | EngageBay |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.5/5 | 4.7/5 |
| Starting Price | $43/mo | $14.99/mo |
| Free Plan | 2,500 subscribers | 250 contacts, 1,000 branded emails, up to 15 users |
| Founded | 2021 | 2018 |
| Email Templates | 20 | 100 |
| Integrations | 40 | 30 |
| Deliverability Rate | 98% | 95% |
| 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)
EngageBay: Pros & Cons
Pros
- +Exceptionally affordable all-in-one platform combining CRM, marketing, sales, and support — Pro plan at $119.99/mo vs HubSpot at $900+/mo
- +Generous free plan supports up to 15 team members with email marketing, CRM, helpdesk, and live chat included
- +Highly rated customer support (4.8/5 on Capterra) with live chat and real human agents available 24/5
- +Built-in landing page builder with 87 templates, web forms, pop-ups, and SMS marketing included from Basic plan
- +Strong marketing automation with visual workflow builder, lead scoring, and A/B testing on Growth plan and above
Cons
- −Limited email editor widgets and somewhat outdated email template designs compared to modern competitors
- −Reporting module offers only basic analytics — lacks advanced custom reporting depth for data-driven teams
- −Per-user pricing model becomes expensive as teams scale beyond 5-10 users, especially on Growth and Pro plans
- −Occasional performance issues including slow page loads and intermittent bugs reported by users
- −Steep learning curve for advanced features — the breadth of the all-in-one platform can overwhelm new users
The Verdict
EngageBay edges ahead with a 4.7/5 rating compared to beehiiv's 4.5/5. The gap comes mainly from support (4.8 vs 4.1) and value for money (4.8 vs 4.5). On deliverability, beehiiv reports 98% compared to 95% for EngageBay — a meaningful difference if inbox placement is critical for your campaigns.
| Criterion | Weight | beehiiv | EngageBay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | 30% | $43/mo | $14.99/mo |
| Deliverability | 25% | 98% | 95% |
| Rating | 25% | 4.5/5 | 4.7/5 |
| Integrations | 10% | 40 | 30 |
| Free Tier | 10% | Yes | Yes |
Weights determine how much each criterion counts toward the final score. See full methodology
Choose beehiiv if…
- + You're a newsletter creators
- + You're a media companies
- + Purpose-built for newsletter businesses
Choose EngageBay if…
- + You want lower starting costs ($14.99/mo)
- + You need SMS marketing
- + You're a small businesses on a budget
- + You're a startups replacing hubspot