---
title: "SendHQ vs beehiiv for Newsletters: Price and Features"
description: A weekly newsletter to 10,000 subscribers costs $139 a month on beehiiv and $19 on SendHQ (checked October 2026). Prices at every list size, what beehiiv does better, and how to move your list.
canonical: https://sendhq.cc/compare/beehiiv
last-updated: 2026-10-29
updated: 2026-10-29
---
# SendHQ vs beehiiv for newsletters

beehiiv is free up to 2,500 subscribers, then prices its Lite and Pro plans by subscriber count. SendHQ prices by emails sent, so the gap opens as your list grows past the free tier.

[Start for $19 a month](https://sendhq.cc/app?plan=indie_hackers_marketing&price=19) [See SendHQ for newsletters](https://sendhq.cc/newsletter.md)

## Price at every list size

| Subscribers | Emails a month | beehiiv | SendHQ | Difference |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1,000 | 4,334 | $0 Free | $19 Starter | $19 more |
| 2,500 | 10,834 | $0 Free | $19 Starter | $19 more |
| 5,000 | 21,667 | $109 Lite | $19 Starter | $90 less |
| 10,000 | 43,334 | $139 Lite | $19 Starter | $120 less |
| 25,000 | 108,334 | $199 Lite | $39 Scale | $160 less |

beehiiv fees: 0% beehiiv take on paid subscriptions; Stripe 2.9% + $0.30 still applies. Paid subs require Lite or above.

beehiiv free plan: Up to 2,500 subscribers; 1 seat, 1 publication; website builder and recommendation network included; no custom domain, ad network, referral program, automations or paid subscriptions. SendHQ has no free plan.

## Where beehiiv does more

- Hosted website builder with custom pages and custom domain
- beehiiv Ad Network (paid plans)
- Recommendation network plus paid recommendations
- Built-in referral program with milestone rewards
- Custom automations (10 on Lite, unlimited on Pro)
- Paid subscriptions, tiers, metered paywall, group subs, paid trials
- Multiple publications per account

If any of these is central to how you grow, beehiiv is likely the better fit, and that is fine.

## Where SendHQ fits better

- **You pay for what you send.** 50,000 emails for $19 a month, however many subscribers you keep between issues.
- **Your own domain and inbox.** Issues go out from your verified domain, and replies can land in a SendHQ inbox on that domain.
- **Built for developers and agents.** The same lists and broadcasts work from the REST API, the CLI and an MCP server for Claude, ChatGPT and Cursor.
- **Consent and guardrails built in.** Double opt-in forms, a consent basis on every import, automatic suppression and published pause rules.

## Moving from beehiiv

1. Settings > Export Data > 'Export All Basic Subscribers' (quick) or 'Export All Subscribers' (full). Emailed link valid 24h. Also via API on paid plans (variant full/basic).
2. In SendHQ, add and verify your sending domain.
3. Create a list, then import the CSV with a consent basis such as "Subscribed to our newsletter on beehiiv".
4. Write your issue with merge tags such as `{{first_name | there}}` and send it.

beehiiv exports columns such as `email`, `status`, `tier`. SendHQ needs an `email` column and reads `name`, or `first_name` and `last_name`; other columns become custom fields you can use in merge tags.

New workspaces start at 100 emails a day and ramp up with healthy sending, so a large list's first issues go out over a few days.

## Questions

**Is SendHQ cheaper than beehiiv for a newsletter?**

For a weekly newsletter to 10,000 subscribers, beehiiv lists $139 a month (Lite) and SendHQ Starter Marketing is $19 a month for 50,000 emails, checked October 2026. SendHQ charges by emails sent, so the gap is largest for big lists sent weekly or less.

**How do I move my subscribers from beehiiv to SendHQ?**

Settings > Export Data > 'Export All Basic Subscribers' (quick) or 'Export All Subscribers' (full). Emailed link valid 24h. Also via API on paid plans (variant full/basic). Then import the CSV into a SendHQ list with a consent basis such as 'Subscribed on our beehiiv newsletter', verify your sending domain, and send.

**What does beehiiv do that SendHQ does not?**

Hosted website builder with custom pages and custom domain; beehiiv Ad Network (paid plans); Recommendation network plus paid recommendations; Built-in referral program with milestone rewards; Custom automations (10 on Lite, unlimited on Pro); Paid subscriptions, tiers, metered paywall, group subs, paid trials; Multiple publications per account.

**Will my first issue go out to the whole list at once?**

New SendHQ workspaces start at 100 emails a day and climb as healthy sending builds trust, up to 50,000 a day. A larger broadcast keeps sending as the limit allows, so plan the first issues of a large list over a few days.

## Sources

- [https://www.beehiiv.com/pricing](https://www.beehiiv.com/pricing)
- [https://www.beehiiv.com/support/article/12258595483543](https://www.beehiiv.com/support/article/12258595483543)
- [SendHQ pricing](https://sendhq.cc/pricing.md)

Checked 2026-10-29. Prices change; tell us at [/contact](https://sendhq.cc/contact.md) if one is out of date and we will correct it.