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News & Media · head to head

Beehiiv vs SmartNews

Beehiiv logo

Beehiiv

News & Media

The all-in-one platform for newsletter creators

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
SmartNews logo

SmartNews

News & Media

Local news and breaking news from top sources

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Beehiiv platform lacks native SMS support; requires third-party integrations via API or webhooks; SmartNews the core app is free, but a premium tier called SmartNews+ exists for business news and coupon aggregation, with no price published on the homepage
  • They diverge on capability: Beehiiv covers Newsletter creation, SmartNews covers Machine learning curation.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Beehiiv and SmartNews actually diverge.

Attributes where Beehiiv and SmartNews differ
AttributeBeehiivSmartNews
Pricing modelsubscriptionfree
PlatformsWebIos, Android
Founded20212012

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (News & Media).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Beehiiv

  • Newsletter creation
  • Email automation
  • Subscriber management
  • Monetization tools
  • Analytics dashboard
  • Referral program
  • A/B testing
  • Spam checking

Only in SmartNews

  • Machine learning curation
  • Smart Mode
  • Local news
  • Breaking alerts
  • Offline reading
  • Social sharing
  • News publishers
  • Ios support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Beehiiv

  • Newsletter creation and hosting with monetizationnot SmartNews
  • Content creator monetisation through ad networks and paid subscriptionsnot SmartNews
  • Podcast hosting and distributionnot SmartNews

SmartNews

  • Daily newsnot Beehiiv
  • Local newsnot Beehiiv
  • Breaking newsnot Beehiiv
  • Quick readingnot Beehiiv

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Beehiiv

  • Platform lacks native SMS support; requires third-party integrations via API or webhooks
  • Free Launch plan offers only read-only AI capabilities

SmartNews

  • The core app is free, but a premium tier called SmartNews+ exists for business news and coupon aggregation, with no price published on the homepage

Pricing, plan by plan

Beehiiv

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Beehiiv review.

SmartNews

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Trending news
    • Local news
    • Smart Mode reading

Which should you pick?

Choose Beehiiv if

  • You need newsletter creation.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want email automation.
Beehiiv review

Choose SmartNews if

  • You need machine learning curation.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Ios, Android.
  • You also want smart mode.
SmartNews review

Questions people ask

Is Beehiiv or SmartNews better?
Neither clearly leads. Beehiiv starts at Free and SmartNews at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Beehiiv or SmartNews?
Beehiiv starts at Free and SmartNews at Free.
Does Beehiiv or SmartNews run on more platforms?
Beehiiv runs on Web. SmartNews runs on Ios, Android.
Can I use Beehiiv for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Beehiiv best used for?
Beehiiv is most often used for newsletter creation and hosting with monetization, content creator monetisation through ad networks and paid subscriptions, podcast hosting and distribution. Of those, newsletter creation and hosting with monetization and content creator monetisation through ad networks and paid subscriptions are not what SmartNews is typically brought in for.
What can Beehiiv do that SmartNews cannot?
Beehiiv covers Newsletter creation, Email automation, Subscriber management, Monetization tools. SmartNews covers Machine learning curation, Smart Mode, Local news, Breaking alerts.
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