Growing an audience
Running the business
Both cover newsletter & email. Here is what separates them on price, billing, what you can take with you, and coverage.
| beehiiv | KingSumo | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | From $49 | From $49 |
| Pricing model | Free plan, paid tiers | Free plan, paid tiers |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes |
| Billing | Monthly or annual | One-time purchase |
| Free trial | None | None |
| API | Yes | Not stated |
| Data export | Everything, in an open format | Not stated |
| Their cut | None | Not stated |
| Runs on | Not stated | Web |
| Covers | Newsletter & Email, Monetization & Payments | Giveaways & Referrals, Newsletter & Email |
| Works with | Substack | Nothing in particular |
| Founded | Not listed | Not listed |
| Reader rating | No reviews yet | No reviews yet |
| Live deals | None right now | None right now |
Newsletters with paid subscriptions and referrals
beehiiv handles sending, paid subscriptions, a referral program and a basic website, which covers most of what someone writing a weekly letter actually needs. It was built by people who ran Morning Brew, and it shows in the growth tooling. Automation is thinner than a dedicated email platform.
Our note
If you are starting a newsletter you intend to charge for, start here. The free tier goes further than it looks, the growth tools are the reason people stay, and the export is clean if you decide to leave.
Only on this side
Giveaways with a lifetime price tag
KingSumo runs the bonus-entry giveaway that grew half the email lists of the last decade, and it sells a lifetime licence rather than a subscription. The free tier covers unlimited giveaways with bonus entries and reminder emails. Branding controls, tracking and integrations are all on the paid side, and the sponsored entry stays on your giveaway until you pay.
Only on this side
Ratings are the average of reviews readers left. The facts are stated by each tool’s own listing and are not verified by CloutStack. How we make money.