Mailchimp vs ConvertKit vs Beehiiv: Best Email Platform for Airbnb & Short-Term Rentals
For Airbnb hosts and short-term rental operators, email isn't just marketing—it's essential for guest communication, automating booking details, and building direct relationships. The right email platform ensures your pre-arrival guides, check-in instructions, and post-stay review requests reach guests reliably. We compare Mailchimp, ConvertKit, and Beehiiv to help first-time hosts choose the best tool for their property.
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The Quick Answer
Pick Mailchimp if you're a new Airbnb host needing simple, reliable emails for guests. It's good for sending check-in details, thank-you notes, and basic promotions. Its free plan works well for your first property and early guest lists. Choose ConvertKit if you want to build a direct booking list, send personalized offers, and automate sequences for return guests or longer stays, especially for unique properties. Consider Beehiiv if you plan to create a full-blown local travel guide or experience newsletter that happens to feature your property. It's built for growing a large audience and selling subscriptions, which is usually beyond a single short-term rental's direct needs.
Side-by-Side Breakdown
Mailchimp: Free for up to 500 guest contacts. Costs $13-350/month as your guest list grows. It has a simple drag-and-drop builder perfect for welcome emails, check-in guides, and thank-you notes. It handles standard guest messages and property promotions well. Automation for things like "send check-in details 48 hours before arrival" is limited on free plans but stronger on paid tiers. Integrates with many booking management systems for contact export. ConvertKit: Free for up to 1,000 past guest or direct inquiry contacts. Paid plans start around $25/month. It offers strong "tag-based automation" which lets you group guests (e.g., "winter travelers," "long-stay guests," "pet owners"). This is great for sending personalized direct booking offers or promoting specific add-on services like a local experience package. Beehiiv: Free for up to 2,500 subscribers. Paid plans are $39-99/month. This platform is built for publishing a regular "local guide" newsletter that highlights area attractions, restaurants, and, yes, your property. It includes features like referral programs (e.g., "refer a friend to our local guide, get a discount on your next direct booking") and ways to earn money from ads in your newsletter.
When to Choose Mailchimp
Choose Mailchimp if you're a new host with one short-term rental property. You need to send critical guest messages: booking confirmations, detailed pre-arrival guides with key codes, WiFi passwords, and polite post-stay review requests. You want a free tool to manage your first 500 guest contacts. It's suitable if you don't need to sort guests into many small groups (like "guests who booked for a ski trip" versus "guests who booked for a summer festival"). Mailchimp works well for guests coming from Airbnb or VRBO, and can connect through tools like Zapier to common property management systems (PMS) to help automate guest list updates.
When to Choose ConvertKit
Select ConvertKit if your goal is to build a strong list of past guests and inquiries for direct bookings, reducing platform fees over time. It's perfect for sending personalized offers, such as "15% off your next visit if you stayed during the holidays last year." You can use its "tag-based automation" to segment guests (e.g., "families with kids," "pet owners," "winter sports enthusiasts"). This helps you send very specific promotions. If you plan to sell small digital products like a "Local's Guide to Hidden Gems" or add-on experiences directly through your emails, ConvertKit supports that. It’s for hosts who want to turn one-time guests into repeat visitors through tailored communication.
When to Choose Beehiiv
Consider Beehiiv if you aim to launch a separate, content-driven "local's guide" or "destination tips" newsletter for your area that also promotes your short-term rental property. This platform is ideal for growing a large audience of potential travelers, not just your past guests. It includes strong tools for list growth, like referral programs (e.g., "refer a new subscriber to our local guide and get a discount on your next direct booking"). You can also earn money by selling ad space in your newsletter to local businesses. Beehiiv is for hosts thinking bigger than just guest emails, looking to establish a media presence around their location.
The Verdict
For most first-time Airbnb and short-term rental hosts, Mailchimp is the easiest and most practical choice for essential guest communication. It handles booking confirmations, pre-arrival details, and simple follow-ups reliably. If your goal is to build a strong list for direct bookings, send custom offers, and encourage repeat stays, ConvertKit is the superior option, especially for unique properties. Beehiiv is only suitable if you plan to launch a full-scale local tourism newsletter that promotes your property as part of a wider content strategy. Do not use Beehiiv if you just need to send check-in instructions or basic guest emails; it's designed for media businesses, not simple property communication.
How to Get Started
Mailchimp: Sign up for their free plan. Upload any direct inquiry emails or past guest contacts you have from other sources. Then, create your first automated "Welcome & Pre-Arrival Guide" email sequence using a template. ConvertKit: Begin with the free plan. Set up a simple landing page or a form on your property's direct booking website (if you have one) to collect emails for "exclusive direct booking offers." Then, design a short automated email sequence to engage these potential guests. Beehiiv: Create your "Local's Guide to [Your Destination]" publication. Design a clean newsletter template. Set up a referral program to encourage new sign-ups, and then include a feature about your short-term rental in your first newsletter issue.
RECOMMENDED TOOLS
ConvertKit
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Beehiiv
The newsletter platform built to grow
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Is Mailchimp's free plan worth using?
For a business just starting email marketing, yes. The free plan allows 500 contacts and 1,000 sends per month. The limitations (no automation on free, Mailchimp branding) become restrictive as you grow, but it is a valid starting point.
How does Beehiiv make money?
Beehiiv charges a monthly fee ($39-99) and takes a revenue share on ads booked through their ad network. They do not take a cut of paid subscriptions.
Can I move my list between platforms?
Yes. You can export subscribers as a CSV and import them to any platform. Some subscribers may need to reconfirm if GDPR compliance requires re-consent. Sequences and tags do not transfer and need to be rebuilt.