Beehiiv, Campaign Monitor and GetResponse are all genuine email marketing competitors, but they optimize for different jobs beyond sending campaigns. Beehiiv…
Best for: Independent writers and media creators who want to publish a newsletter, host a podcast, and monetize both through a built-in ad network and digital products without stitching together separate tools.
Subscription (tiered by subscriber count) · From From about $13/month (Lite plan)
Best for: Small businesses, agencies managing multiple client accounts, or nonprofits that want a straightforward, design-friendly email builder from an established brand and don't need funnels, webinars, or monetization features.
Freemium · From Free (paid plans from about $19/month)
Best for: Solo creators, coaches, and e-commerce sellers who want one platform covering email, landing pages, sales funnels, abandoned-cart recovery, webinars, and course sales, and want to start on a free plan.
At a Glance
Beehiiv
Campaign Monitor
GetResponse
Primary category
Email Marketing
Email Marketing
Email Marketing
Rating
Not documented
Not documented
Not documented
Pricing model
Freemium
Subscription (tiered by subscriber count)
Freemium
Starting price
Free (paid plans from $43/month)
From about $13/month (Lite plan)
Free (paid plans from about $19/month)
Free plan
Yes
Yes
Yes
Free trial
Yes
Yes
Yes
Platforms
Web
Web
Web
Team collaboration
Not documented
Not documented
Not documented
AI features
Yes
Yes
Yes
Public API
Yes
Yes
Yes
Standout Differences
Beehiiv is built for creators who want to monetize a newsletter and podcast in one place
Beehiiv includes native podcast hosting and an ad network with a 0 percent take rate on paid subscriptions on paid plans, monetization features not documented for Campaign Monitor or GetResponse.
Beehiiv
GetResponse has the widest all-in-one feature set
Beyond email, GetResponse bundles landing pages, sales funnels, webinars for up to 100 attendees, and a paid course creator, a broader toolkit than either Beehiiv or Campaign Monitor is documented as offering.
GetResponse
Campaign Monitor has no permanent free plan
Campaign Monitor only offers a 30-day free trial capped at 500 contacts and 500 sends, while Beehiiv's Launch plan and GetResponse's Free plan are both ongoing free tiers with no expiration.
Campaign Monitor, Beehiiv, GetResponse
Entry paid pricing favors Campaign Monitor, but with send caps
Campaign Monitor's Lite plan starts around $13 per month, cheaper than GetResponse's Starter at $19 per month or Beehiiv's Scale at $43 per month, but Lite caps monthly sends while GetResponse's Starter and Beehiiv's Scale include unlimited sends.
Campaign Monitor, GetResponse, Beehiiv
Only Beehiiv includes native podcast hosting
Podcast hosting is a core Beehiiv feature aimed at converting listeners into subscribers, a capability not documented for Campaign Monitor or GetResponse.
Beehiiv
Feature-by-Feature
Free Tier and Core Sending
Feature
Beehiiv
Campaign Monitor
GetResponse
Genuine ongoing free plan, not just a time-limited trial
Available
Unavailable
Available
AI-assisted email writing tools
Available
Available
Available
Automation and Pages
Feature
Beehiiv
Campaign Monitor
GetResponse
Behavior-triggered marketing automation workflows
Available
Available
Available
Landing page or website builder included
Available
Limited
Available
Monetization and Extras
Feature
Beehiiv
Campaign Monitor
GetResponse
Native monetization tools (ads, digital products, or paid subscriptions)
Available
Unavailable
Limited
Podcast hosting
Available
Unavailable
Unavailable
Webinar hosting
Not documented
Not documented
Available
Pricing Compared
Starting price reflects the lowest paid tier, not the full cost for every team size or usage level.
Beehiiv
Launch — $0 N/A
Scale — $43/month monthly ($517/year annual)
Max — $96/month monthly ($1,151/year annual)
Enterprise — Custom custom
Campaign Monitor
Free Trial — $0 30-day trial
Lite — From ~$13/month monthly or annual
Essentials — From ~$31/month monthly or annual
Premier — From ~$171/month monthly or annual
Enterprise — Custom annual
GetResponse
Free — $0 Monthly
Starter — From $19/month Monthly or annual (annual discount ~18%)
Marketer — From $54/month Monthly or annual (annual discount ~18%)
Creator — From $62/month Monthly or annual (annual discount ~18%)
Enterprise / Max — Custom pricing Custom
Pros & Cons
Beehiiv
Pros
Generous free plan supporting up to 2,500 subscribers
Combines email, website, podcast, and monetization tools in one platform
Native ad network helps creators monetize without separate sponsorship deals
Advanced analytics and A/B testing built in
Cons
Higher subscriber limits and automation features require paid plans
beehiiv branding remains until the Max plan
Enterprise-level features (SSO, dedicated IP) require custom/contact pricing
Campaign Monitor
Pros
Established platform with a long track record dating back to 2004
Easy-to-use drag-and-drop builder suited to non-technical marketers
Unlimited sends on Essentials and higher tiers
15% discount available for nonprofit organizations
Cons
Pricing scales with subscriber list size, which can get expensive for larger lists
The entry Lite plan caps monthly sends rather than offering unlimited sending
Ownership changes (CM Group to Marigold, and the 2025 sale of the enterprise business to Zeta Global) have added brand confusion
Fewer advanced e-commerce automation features than commerce-focused competitors
GetResponse
Pros
Genuinely usable free plan and 30-day free trial with no credit card required
Broad all-in-one feature set (email, funnels, webinars, courses) reduces need for separate tools
Strong deliverability reputation and two decades of email infrastructure experience
Competitive pricing relative to the breadth of included features
E-commerce integrations with Shopify, WooCommerce, and other major platforms
Cons
Automation builder and reporting are less advanced than dedicated enterprise platforms like HubSpot or Marketo
Interface and template design can feel dated compared to newer competitors
Pricing scales quickly as contact list size grows
Some advanced features (custom IP, dedicated account management) are locked behind the custom-priced Enterprise tier
Free plan is limited enough that most serious users will need to upgrade quickly
Use Cases
Choose Beehiiv: Independent writers and media creators who want to publish a newsletter, host a podcast, and monetize both through a built-in ad network and digital products without stitching together separate tools.
Choose Campaign Monitor: Small businesses, agencies managing multiple client accounts, or nonprofits that want a straightforward, design-friendly email builder from an established brand and don't need funnels, webinars, or monetization features.
Choose GetResponse: Solo creators, coaches, and e-commerce sellers who want one platform covering email, landing pages, sales funnels, abandoned-cart recovery, webinars, and course sales, and want to start on a free plan.
Beehiiv
Launching a new newsletter — Independent writers starting a newsletter from scratch using the free plan's tools.
Growing and monetizing an audience — Established newsletter operators using automations, the ad network, and digital products to generate revenue.
Media and publisher operations — Larger publishers managing multiple publications, teams, and advanced analytics.
Campaign Monitor
Small Business Newsletters — Small businesses use Campaign Monitor's templates and segmentation to run regular email newsletters and promotions.
Agency Client Management — Marketing agencies use Campaign Monitor to manage email campaigns for multiple clients from one account.
Nonprofit Donor Communications — Nonprofits use Campaign Monitor's discounted plans to run donor newsletters and fundraising campaigns.
GetResponse
Small business email marketing — Running newsletters, promotions, and automated welcome sequences for a growing customer list.
E-commerce conversion funnels — Building abandoned cart recovery flows and sales funnels integrated with Shopify or WooCommerce stores.
Course and webinar delivery — Hosting webinars and selling online courses directly through the platform without third-party tools.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which of these has a genuinely free ongoing plan?
Beehiiv's Launch plan (up to 2,500 subscribers) and GetResponse's Free plan are both ongoing free tiers. Campaign Monitor only offers a 30-day free trial capped at 500 contacts and 500 sends.
Which is best for a newsletter that also has a podcast?
Beehiiv, since podcast hosting is a core listed feature. Podcast hosting is not documented for Campaign Monitor or GetResponse.
Which one includes webinars and online courses?
GetResponse, through its Creator plan, which adds a course creator for up to about 500 students and webinar hosting for up to 100 attendees.
How does entry-level paid pricing compare?
Campaign Monitor's Lite plan is the cheapest entry point at around $13 per month but caps monthly sends. GetResponse's Starter plan starts around $19 per month and Beehiiv's Scale plan starts at $43 per month, both with unlimited sends included.
Does any of them include a built-in ad network for monetizing content?
Beehiiv does, with a native ad network offering a 0 percent take rate on paid subscriptions on paid plans. This is not documented for Campaign Monitor or GetResponse.
Which platform has been around the longest?
GetResponse has the longest history, founded in 1998, followed by Campaign Monitor in 2004 and Beehiiv in 2021.