beehiiv
HubSpot CRM
| Feature | beehiiv | HubSpot CRM |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $39/mo | Free / from $20/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.6 / 5 | 4.5 / 5 |
| Best For | newsletter-writers, media-companies, solopreneurs, content-creators | startups, small-businesses, marketing-teams, sales-teams |
| Founded | 2021 | 2006 |
| Newsletter Editor | ✓ | ✗ |
| Ad Network | ✓ | ✗ |
| Referral Program | ✓ | ✗ |
| Web Hosting | ✓ | ✗ |
| Analytics | ✓ | ✗ |
| Segmentation | ✓ | ✗ |
| Recommendations | ✓ | ✗ |
| Contact Management | ✗ | ✓ |
| Email Tracking | ✗ | ✓ |
| Pipeline Management | ✗ | ✓ |
| Live Chat | ✗ | ✓ |
| Forms | ✗ | ✓ |
| Reporting | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ beehiiv Pros
- Built specifically for newsletters
- Ad network for monetization
- Referral program built-in
- Beautiful web hosting for newsletter archives
✗ beehiiv Cons
- Less suitable for e-commerce email
- Automations less mature than Mailchimp
- Free tier limited to 2,500 subscribers
✓ HubSpot CRM Pros
- Generous free tier
- All-in-one platform
- Great documentation
- Easy to use
✗ HubSpot CRM Cons
- Gets expensive quickly
- Limited customization on free plan
- Contract lock-in
The Verdict
beehiiv is built for newsletter writers and media companies, with a focus on newsletter-editor and ad-network. HubSpot CRM targets startups and small businesses and leads with contact-management and email-tracking.
On pricing, HubSpot CRM is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $20/mo compared to $39/mo for beehiiv. That $19/mo difference adds up quickly for growing teams.
Both offer free plans, so you can test each with your real workflow before committing to a subscription.
Feature-wise, beehiiv offers broader built-in capabilities (7 features vs 6), while HubSpot CRM takes a more focused approach — which can mean a simpler, faster onboarding experience.
This is a genuinely close comparison. If you can, sign up for both free trials (where available) and run a one-week test with your actual team tasks before deciding.