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Beehiiv vs Steno

Beehiiv logo

Beehiiv

News

The all-in-one platform for newsletter creators

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Steno logo

Steno

News

AI transcription and analysis for news and media

From
$500/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Beehiiv has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Beehiiv platform lacks native SMS support; requires third-party integrations via API or webhooks; Steno no free tier available; entry point at $500/month
  • They diverge on capability: Beehiiv covers Newsletter creation, Steno covers AI transcription.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Beehiiv and Steno actually diverge.

Attributes where Beehiiv and Steno differ
AttributeBeehiivSteno
Starting priceFree$500/month
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
Free tierYesNo
Founded20212020

Identical on both: platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated), category (News).

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 Steno

  • AI transcription
  • Broadcast search
  • Real-time monitoring
  • Clip creation
  • Media analysis
  • Email
  • API

Both cover

  • Slack
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Beehiiv

  • Email newsletter publishingnot Steno
  • Content monetizationnot Steno
  • Audience buildingnot Steno

Steno

  • AI-powered content creation platformnot Beehiiv
  • Voice and text content generationnot Beehiiv
  • Multi-channel content distributionnot Beehiiv
  • Programmatic content syndicationnot 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

Steno

  • No free tier available; entry point at $500/month
  • Enterprise plan pricing not published; requires custom quote
  • Premium add-ons (iOS/Android app, Pro Voice) pricing not disclosed

Pricing, plan by plan

Beehiiv

Free
  • LaunchFree
    • Up to 2,500 subscribers
    • Newsletters, website, podcast
    • Unlimited email sends
  • Scale$43/month
    • Up to 100,000 subscribers
    • Ad Network
    • 0% take rate on paid subscriptions
  • Max$96/month
    • Up to 100,000 subscribers
    • Remove branding, sponsorship storefront
    • Audio newsletters, RSS-to-send
  • Enterprise$null/mo
    • 100K+ subscribers
    • Dedicated account manager
    • Custom publication limits

Steno

$500/month
  • Starter$500/month
    • 16,500 credits per month
    • 1 Twin
    • Web app deployment
  • Growth$1000/month
    • 40,000 credits per month
    • 2 Twins
    • Web app deployment
  • Scale$2000/month
    • 100,000 credits per month
    • 3 Twins
    • Web app deployment
  • Enterprise$null/month
    • 200,000+ credits per month
    • 5 Twins
    • Web app deployment

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 Steno if

  • You need ai transcription.
  • You also want broadcast search.
Steno review

Questions people ask

Is Beehiiv or Steno better?
Neither clearly leads. Beehiiv starts at Free and Steno at $500/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Beehiiv or Steno?
Beehiiv has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Beehiiv and $500/month for Steno.
Does Beehiiv or Steno run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Beehiiv for free?
Yes. Beehiiv has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Steno starts at $500/month.
What is Beehiiv best used for?
Beehiiv is most often used for email newsletter publishing, content monetization, audience building. Of those, email newsletter publishing and content monetization are not what Steno is typically brought in for.
What can Beehiiv do that Steno cannot?
Beehiiv covers Newsletter creation, Email automation, Subscriber management, Monetization tools. Steno covers AI transcription, Broadcast search, Real-time monitoring, Clip creation. Both handle Slack, Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Beehiiv: How much does beehiiv cost?

Launch is free for up to 2,500 subscribers. Scale plan is $43/month for up to 100,000 subscribers. Max plan is $96/month. Enterprise has custom pricing for 100,000+ subscribers.

Source
Steno: What is the minimum cost to start using Steno?

The Starter plan is $500/month with 16,500 monthly credits. Steno does not offer a free tier, and monthly billing options include annual subscriptions with 10-15% savings.

Source
Beehiiv: What does beehiiv's free Launch plan include?

Free Launch plan supports up to 2,500 subscribers and includes newsletters, website builder, podcast hosting, campaign analytics, unlimited email sends, custom domains, and API access.

Source
Steno: What are Steno credits and how many do I get?

Credits are the universal currency used for content processing, training, and user interactions across text, voice, and video. Starter includes 16,500/month, Growth 40,000/month, Scale 100,000/month, and Enterprise 200,000+/month.

Source
Beehiiv: What commission does beehiiv take from subscription revenue?

beehiiv takes 0% of paid subscription revenue you collect. Only Stripe's processing fees (2.9% + $0.30 per transaction) apply.

Source
Steno: What is a Twin in Steno's pricing?

Twins are included in Steno plans at different quantities: Starter includes 1 Twin, Growth 2, Scale 3, and Enterprise 5. Specific features of Twins are not detailed on the pricing page.

Source
Beehiiv: What's the difference between beehiiv's Scale and Max plans?

Both support up to 100,000 subscribers. Scale ($43/month) includes Ad Network and 3 team seats. Max ($96/month) adds branding removal, sponsorship storefront, audio newsletters, up to 10 publications, and unlimited team seats.

Source
Steno: What are Steno's platform fees?

Steno charges monetization platform fees that decrease with plan tier: Starter at 9%, Growth at 8%, Scale at 7%, and Enterprise at 6%.

Source
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