How to Migrate from Mailchimp to beehiiv
Newsletter creators switch from Mailchimp to beehiiv because beehiiv is purpose-built for newsletter businesses. It includes a referral program, recommendation network, ad network for monetization, and growth tools that Mailchimp simply doesn't offer. For creators focused on growing and monetizing a newsletter audience, beehiiv provides specialized tools in one platform instead of cobbling together Mailchimp with third-party referral and monetization tools.
What Transfers?
Method: CSV export/import
Export Mailchimp audience, import into beehiiv. beehiiv accepts CSV with email and custom fields.
beehiiv uses its own newsletter editor. Templates must be recreated using beehiiv's blocks.
beehiiv has limited automation compared to Mailchimp. Recreate welcome sequences using beehiiv's automation features.
Use beehiiv's built-in subscribe pages and embeddable forms. Replace Mailchimp form codes.
Historical data stays in Mailchimp. beehiiv tracks analytics from your first send.
beehiiv uses a simpler subscriber model without traditional tagging. Segment using custom fields or subscription date.
Step-by-Step Migration Guide
- 1
Export subscribers from Mailchimp
Go to Audience > Export Audience. Download the CSV. You'll primarily need the email column and any relevant custom fields.
- 2
Create your beehiiv publication
Sign up for beehiiv and set up your publication. Configure your publication name, description, colors, and logo. Set up your custom domain if you have one.
- 3
Import subscribers into beehiiv
Go to Audience > Import in beehiiv. Upload your CSV. Map the email field and any custom fields. beehiiv will process the import and deduplicate.
- 4
Set up your newsletter design
Customize your newsletter template in beehiiv's editor. beehiiv focuses on content-driven newsletters with built-in features like recommendation networks and referral programs.
- 5
Configure monetization (optional)
Set up beehiiv's ad network, paid subscriptions via Stripe, or boosts if you want to monetize. These are features Mailchimp does not offer natively.
- 6
Update DNS for custom domain
If using a custom domain for your newsletter, add the required DNS records. Verify domain ownership in beehiiv settings.
- 7
Send your first newsletter
Compose and send your first edition in beehiiv. Monitor deliverability and subscriber engagement.
Watch Out For
beehiiv is a newsletter platform, not a full email marketing suite. It lacks advanced automation, e-commerce integrations, and traditional drip campaigns that Mailchimp offers.
beehiiv's free plan is limited to 2,500 subscribers. The Scale plan (required for full features like ad network and referral program) starts at $39/month.
beehiiv does not support traditional tagging and segmentation at the same depth as Mailchimp. If you rely heavily on segments and targeted campaigns, this may be a limitation.
Ready to switch to beehiiv?
Start with beehiiv's free plan and import your contacts.
What You Get with beehiiv
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)