I tested Beehiiv and MailerLite side by side, and the big takeaway is that they look similar on the surface, but they’re built for totally different outcomes. Choosing the wrong one usually doesn’t feel wrong on day one—it shows up months later as slow growth, messy workflows, or missed monetization. So in this video I don’t just list features. I break it down by what you’re actually trying to achieve. Here’s the simplest decision rule: Beehiiv is built to grow and monetize a newsletter, and MailerLite is built to run email marketing for a business. With Beehiiv, the newsletter is the product—so you get built-in growth tools like referrals and recommendations, native monetization (ads, sponsorships, paid subscriptions), and a clean writing/publishing flow. The trade-off is that automations are more limited and it’s not designed for complex funnels or transactional email. MailerLite, on the other hand, treats email as part of a bigger system—strong automation, segmentation/tagging, forms, landing pages, and more design control—great when email supports sales, onboarding, or retention. Deliverability is solid on both when used correctly, and pricing depends on list size and how complex your automation needs are.