How Beehiiv and Heartbeat 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.
Heartbeat is a friendly place to start a paid community without a big budget. For $49 a month you get channels, threads, chat, voice rooms, DMs, unlimited courses and events, a custom domain, checkout pages, five automation workflows, and Pulse, an AI that actually sets up channels, offers, and pages for you. Grow adds unlimited workflows, DM rules, an affiliate program, and white-label email; Scale adds a branded app. For a founder with a small group who wants courses and calls next to the conversation, Heartbeat covers a lot for the price.
Where they are different
Beehiiv
- Beehiiv's site exists to convert subscribers.
- Beehiiv monetises the list.
- Beehiiv sends.
Heartbeat
- Heartbeat's landing page is the door to a private space.
- Heartbeat emails members through workflows and a weekly digest.
- Heartbeat's events sync to members' calendars.
- Heartbeat charges 5% to 1.25% on payments.
Choose Beehiiv when your newsletter is the business and growth loops and ad revenue are the plan.
Choose Heartbeat when a small paid community with courses, calls, and member chat is the product.
Compare features
What's on Beehiiv and Heartbeat
A check means that capability is available. Beehiiv and Heartbeat are marked only when the offer is comparable, not the same product.
Site and brand
- Workspace siteBeehiiv: IncludedHeartbeat: Included
- Custom domainBeehiiv: IncludedHeartbeat: Included
- Theme and fontsBeehiiv: IncludedHeartbeat: Included
- Brand kitBeehiiv: IncludedHeartbeat: Not included
Public content
- BlogBeehiiv: IncludedHeartbeat: Not included
- Reader engagementBeehiiv: IncludedHeartbeat: Not included
Audience and email
- AudienceBeehiiv: IncludedHeartbeat: Included
- Marketing emailsBeehiiv: IncludedHeartbeat: Included
- Bulk email workflowsBeehiiv: IncludedHeartbeat: Included
- Campaign workflowsBeehiiv: IncludedHeartbeat: Included
Commerce
- Shop paymentsBeehiiv: Not includedHeartbeat: Included
Team
- Admin usersBeehiiv: IncludedHeartbeat: Included
- Per-admin permissionsBeehiiv: IncludedHeartbeat: Included
- AI AssistantBeehiiv: IncludedHeartbeat: Included
* Note: This table does not capture every feature of Beehiiv or Heartbeat, and is not intended as a comprehensive list. We keep this page current, but Beehiiv or Heartbeat may add or remove features that are not shown here.
Beehiiv vs Heartbeat pricing
Compare plans, prices, and what it costs to get started.
Beehiiv
Current plans and prices
See what Beehiiv charges on their pricing page.
Heartbeat
Current plans and prices
See what Heartbeat charges on their pricing page.
Cardel: An alternative to
Beehiiv and Heartbeat
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 Heartbeat?
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 Heartbeat when you want your work, audience, and sales in one place. The feature list on this page shows where Beehiiv and Heartbeat are marked.
Can I use Cardel with Beehiiv or Heartbeat?
Yes. Cardel pages can link out to other products, so you can keep Beehiiv or Heartbeat for what it does best and bring the rest of your work to Cardel.
How much does Cardel cost compared with Beehiiv and Heartbeat?
You don't pay for Cardel until you publish. Choose Starter, Pro, or Studio when your site goes live. Beehiiv and Heartbeat set their own prices, so check their pricing pages on this page for current plans.
How do I switch from Beehiiv or Heartbeat 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.