beehiiv vs Flodesk
beehiiv is a newsletter platform while Flodesk is a email marketing platform. Flodesk is the more affordable option at $25/mo — that's $24 less than beehiiv's $49/mo entry point. Both offer free plans to get started. beehiiv has the edge with A/B testing, advanced analytics, API access. Both tools work well for bloggers and new and rising.
Quick Verdict
beehiiv wins on deliverability, integrations.
Flodesk wins on price, rating.
Best for most users: Flodesk (designers).
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%.
Flodesk
Design emails people love to get
Flodesk is a design-first email marketing platform known for its stunning templates and unusually simple builder. It's particularly popular among creative professionals who prioritize visual design over advanced marketing features. Its long-running flat-rate, unlimited-subscriber plan was retired for new members in December 2025 — pricing now scales with list size, so judge it on the design tooling rather than the old pricing story.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | beehiiv | Flodesk |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.5/5 | 4.6/5 |
| Starting Price | $49/mo | $25/mo |
| Free Plan | 2,500 subscribers | Free list-building tools (forms, landing pages, audience tools); email sending requires paid plan |
| Founded | 2021 | 2019 |
| Email Templates | 20 | 40 |
| Integrations | 40 | 20 |
| Deliverability Rate | 98% | 96% |
| 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)
Flodesk: Pros & Cons
Pros
- +Beautiful, design-focused email templates
- +Flat-rate pricing regardless of list size
- +Unlimited subscribers on all plans
- +Simple and intuitive interface
- +Built-in checkout and digital product sales
Cons
- −No A/B testing
- −No API access
- −Very limited integrations
- −No SMS marketing
- −Basic automation compared to competitors
The Verdict
beehiiv and Flodesk 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. On deliverability, beehiiv reports 98% compared to 96% for Flodesk — a meaningful difference if inbox placement is critical for your campaigns.
| Criterion | Weight | beehiiv | Flodesk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | 30% | $49/mo | $25/mo |
| Deliverability | 25% | 98% | 96% |
| Rating | 25% | 4.5/5 | 4.6/5 |
| Integrations | 10% | 40 | 20 |
| Free Tier | 10% | Yes | Yes |
Weights determine how much each criterion counts toward the final score. See full methodology
Choose beehiiv if…
- + You need API access for custom integrations
- + You need A/B testing
- + You need advanced analytics
- + You're a newsletter creators
Choose Flodesk if…
- + You want lower starting costs ($25/mo)
- + You're a designers
- + You're a creatives