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Beehiiv vs The Old Reader

Beehiiv logo

Beehiiv

News

The all-in-one platform for newsletter creators

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
The Old Reader logo

The Old Reader

News

A classic RSS reader for the modern web

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • They diverge on capability: Beehiiv covers Newsletter creation, The Old Reader covers RSS reading.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Beehiiv and The Old Reader actually diverge.

Attributes where Beehiiv and The Old Reader differ
AttributeBeehiivThe Old Reader
PlatformsWebWeb, Ios, Android
Founded20212012

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (freemium), free tier (Yes), 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 The Old Reader

  • RSS reading
  • Social sharing
  • Following friends
  • Keyboard shortcuts
  • OPML import/export
  • Third-party apps
  • Browser bookmarklet
  • Ios support

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Beehiiv

  • Email newsletter publishingnot The Old Reader
  • Content monetizationnot The Old Reader
  • Audience buildingnot The Old Reader

The Old Reader

  • RSS readingnot Beehiiv
  • News aggregationnot Beehiiv
  • Social 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

The Old Reader

Nothing recorded yet. See the The Old Reader review.

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

The Old Reader

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 100 subscriptions
    • Social features
    • Web access
  • Premium$3/month
    • 500 subscriptions
    • Search history
    • Priority refresh
  • Supporter$5/month
    • Unlimited subscriptions
    • All premium features
    • Support development

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 The Old Reader if

  • You need rss reading.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want social sharing.
The Old Reader review

Questions people ask

Is Beehiiv or The Old Reader better?
Neither clearly leads. Beehiiv starts at Free and The Old Reader at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Beehiiv or The Old Reader?
Beehiiv starts at Free and The Old Reader at Free.
Does Beehiiv or The Old Reader run on more platforms?
Beehiiv runs on Web. The Old Reader runs on Web, 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 email newsletter publishing, content monetization, audience building. Of those, email newsletter publishing and content monetization are not what The Old Reader is typically brought in for.
What can Beehiiv do that The Old Reader cannot?
Beehiiv covers Newsletter creation, Email automation, Subscriber management, Monetization tools. The Old Reader covers RSS reading, Social sharing, Following friends, Keyboard shortcuts. Both handle 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
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
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
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
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