beehiiv
Loops
| Feature | beehiiv | Loops |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $39/mo | Free / from $49/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.6 / 5 | 4.4 / 5 |
| Best For | newsletter-writers, media-companies, solopreneurs, content-creators | saas-companies, startups, product-led-growth, developers |
| Founded | 2021 | 2022 |
| Newsletter Editor | ✓ | ✗ |
| Ad Network | ✓ | ✗ |
| Referral Program | ✓ | ✗ |
| Web Hosting | ✓ | ✗ |
| Analytics | ✓ | ✓ |
| Segmentation | ✓ | ✗ |
| Recommendations | ✓ | ✗ |
| Email Campaigns | ✗ | ✓ |
| Automation Loops | ✗ | ✓ |
| Transactional Email | ✗ | ✓ |
| Audience Segments | ✗ | ✓ |
| Api | ✗ | ✓ |
| Templates | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ 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
✓ Loops Pros
- Purpose-built for SaaS (not retrofitted from marketing)
- Beautiful default templates and editor
- Transactional and marketing in one platform
- Free plan with 1,000 contacts
✗ Loops Cons
- Newer platform with fewer integrations
- Limited advanced segmentation compared to mature tools
- Not suited for non-SaaS businesses
The Verdict
beehiiv is built for newsletter writers and media companies, with a focus on newsletter-editor and ad-network. Loops targets saas companies and startups and leads with email-campaigns and automation-loops.
On pricing, beehiiv is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $39/mo compared to $49/mo for Loops. That $10/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.
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.