On this page
  1. What the free plan includes
  2. Step 1: Create the account and publication
  3. Step 2: Set up sender details and branding
  4. Step 3: Build your website and signup page
  5. Step 4: Write a "start here" post
  6. Step 5: Publish issue #1 and test
  7. When to upgrade
Newsletter for $0? A mailbox with its flag up: beehiiv Free covers 2,500 subscribers, with Ava, UiSynce's AI presenter, smiling with excitement

Short answer: you can launch a newsletter on beehiiv's free plan for up to 2,500 subscribers with unlimited email sends (beehiiv.com/pricing, checked 2026-10-21). Here's the setup order we recommend, and what the free plan leaves out.

We haven't finished our own beehiiv walkthrough yet, so menu names may differ slightly from what you see. We'll add first-hand screenshots once we have them.

What the free plan includes

  • Up to 2,500 subscribers, 1 publication, 1 team seat (beehiiv.com/pricing, checked 2026-10-21)
  • Unlimited email sends, email templates, the recommendation network, API and integrations (beehiiv.com/pricing, checked 2026-10-21)
  • A basic website with 1 custom page; more pages and custom domains start on Lite (beehiiv.com/pricing, checked 2026-10-20)
  • A newsletter website, plus podcast, community and digital products, all included on every plan (beehiiv.com/pricing, checked 2026-10-21)
  • 30-day analytics lookback (beehiiv.com/pricing, checked 2026-10-21)
  • Not included on Free: automations, paid subscriptions and A/B testing (Lite and up); removing beehiiv branding (Pro) (beehiiv.com/pricing, checked 2026-10-21)

Step 1: Create the account and publication

Pick a clear name and a one-line description of who the newsletter is for.

Step 2: Set up sender details and branding

Add a logo, colors, and a real sender name and reply-to address, so readers recognize you in their inbox.

Step 3: Build your website and signup page

beehiiv offers two builders: a guided Website Builder (templates, colors and fonts) and an Advanced Website Builder (drag-and-drop), and only one is live at a time (beehiiv help: Website Builder vs Advanced Website Builder, checked 2026-10-13). Start with the guided one: a headline with the reader's benefit, one signup form, and a sample of what they'll get.

Step 4: Write a "start here" post

Automations aren't on the free plan (beehiiv.com/pricing, checked 2026-10-21), so you can't send an automatic welcome email at first. Make your first post a "start here" issue and link it from the signup page instead.

Step 5: Publish issue #1 and test

Send a test to yourself, check it on mobile, then publish to email and web.

When to upgrade

Lite is $49/mo billed yearly at 1,000 subscribers and adds automations, paid subscriptions, and A/B testing (beehiiv.com/pricing, checked 2026-10-21). On paid subscriptions, beehiiv's pricing FAQ says it takes "0% of your paid subscription revenue"; Stripe's standard processing fees still apply (beehiiv.com/pricing FAQ, checked 2026-10-20). Upgrade when you need one of those features, not before.

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