How Beehiiv and Circle compare
Beehiiv treats a newsletter like a media business. Referral programs, Boosts and recommendations, an ad network, paid subscriptions, automations, segmentation, a website with SEO, and deep analytics are all pointed at one thing: growing and monetising a list. Operators who think in subscriber counts and CPMs love it.
Circle is where serious community hosts go when the community is the business. Spaces for discussion and chat, courses and events in the same place, paid memberships with branded checkout, gamification, workflows, Circle AI, and on Circle Plus your own branded iOS and Android apps. It has grown into an all-in-one for membership businesses, and the Website Builder and Email Hub mean many hosts no longer need a second tool for the front door. If your members log in every week to talk to each other, Circle is built for exactly that.
Where they are different
Beehiiv
- Beehiiv's site exists to convert subscribers.
- Beehiiv monetises the list.
- Beehiiv sends.
Circle
- Circle's pages are the front door to a members-only space.
- Circle's Email Hub is an add-on priced per contact on top of the plan.
- Circle's DMs live between members inside the community.
- Circle has courses, live streams, paid tiers for users, and gamification.
Choose Beehiiv when your newsletter is the business and growth loops and ad revenue are the plan.
Choose Circle when a paid, private community with courses and events is the product, and you want members in a branded app.
Compare features
What's on Beehiiv and Circle
A check means that capability is available. Beehiiv and Circle are marked only when the offer is comparable, not the same product.
Site and brand
- Workspace siteBeehiiv: IncludedCircle: Included
- Custom domainBeehiiv: IncludedCircle: Included
- Editor ModeBeehiiv: IncludedCircle: Included
- Theme and fontsBeehiiv: IncludedCircle: Included
- Brand kitBeehiiv: IncludedCircle: Not included
Public content
- BlogBeehiiv: IncludedCircle: Not included
- Reader engagementBeehiiv: IncludedCircle: Included
Reach and quality
- SEOBeehiiv: IncludedCircle: Included
Audience and email
- AudienceBeehiiv: IncludedCircle: Included
- Email templates and From addressesBeehiiv: IncludedCircle: Included
- Marketing emailsBeehiiv: IncludedCircle: Included
- Bulk email workflowsBeehiiv: IncludedCircle: Included
- Campaign workflowsBeehiiv: IncludedCircle: Included
Commerce
- Shop paymentsBeehiiv: Not includedCircle: Included
Team
- Admin usersBeehiiv: IncludedCircle: Included
- Per-admin permissionsBeehiiv: IncludedCircle: Included
- AI AssistantBeehiiv: IncludedCircle: Included
* Note: This table does not capture every feature of Beehiiv or Circle, and is not intended as a comprehensive list. We keep this page current, but Beehiiv or Circle may add or remove features that are not shown here.
Beehiiv vs Circle pricing
Compare plans, prices, and what it costs to get started.
Beehiiv
Current plans and prices
See what Beehiiv charges on their pricing page.
Circle
Current plans and prices
See what Circle charges on their pricing page.
Cardel: An alternative to
Beehiiv and Circle
You don't pay until you publish.
Cardel provides a home for your craft. Share and sell your work, grow your audience, and bring your community together on a site of your own.
Common questions
Is Cardel an alternative to Beehiiv or Circle?
Cardel is a home for your craft: a site of your own with a blog, newsletter, shop, community, and one inbox. It can replace Beehiiv or Circle when you want your work, audience, and sales in one place. The feature list on this page shows where Beehiiv and Circle are marked.
Can I use Cardel with Beehiiv or Circle?
Yes. Cardel pages can link out to other products, so you can keep Beehiiv or Circle for what it does best and bring the rest of your work to Cardel.
How much does Cardel cost compared with Beehiiv and Circle?
You don't pay for Cardel until you publish. Choose Starter, Pro, or Studio when your site goes live. Beehiiv and Circle set their own prices, so check their pricing pages on this page for current plans.
How do I switch from Beehiiv or Circle to Cardel?
Start with Build Your Site, set up your home, and bring your work over at your own pace. You do not have to move everything on day one.