First, the obvious: we run BeeDirectory, one of the three options compared here. So we've stuck to what Paved and Beehiiv publish about themselves (checked in October 2026, with links), and we're upfront about where a directory falls short.
The short version: these are three different ways to buy the same thing. Paved is a marketplace with listed prices. The Beehiiv Ad Network is a managed service that buys for you. A directory helps you find newsletters and deal with the creators yourself.
At a glance
| Paved | Beehiiv Ad Network | BeeDirectory | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How you buy | Book listed spots, or bid in its ad network | A specialist runs the campaign | You contact the creator and agree on the deal |
| Minimum | None | Campaigns start at $15k | None |
| Fees for advertisers | None (commission is charged to publishers) | Included in the campaign price | $39 once for full access, nothing on placements |
| Who picks the newsletters | You, or the bidding system | Beehiiv's algorithm and specialist | You |
| Newsletters | Multi-platform | Beehiiv | 700+, Beehiiv first, all platforms |
What $3,000 buys in each
Most advertisers starting out want to test newsletters before committing real budget. So here's the same $3,000 test, three ways.
Beehiiv Ad Network: nothing yet. According to Beehiiv's advertiser page, "campaigns start at $15k", and most strong first buys run $15k to $30k over four to six weeks.
Paved: whatever is listed there in your niche at that budget. You see prices before booking, which is the big advantage.
Direct deals: here's a real example from rate cards we read in October 2026, all for developer and founder audiences:
| Newsletter | Placement | Price | Subscribers |
|---|---|---|---|
| CSS Weekly | Primary sponsor, 1 issue | $700 | 43,000 |
| Dense Discovery | Main sponsor, 1 issue | $649 | 38,000 |
| Failory | Primary sponsor, 1 issue | $700 | 35,800 |
| Devops'ish | 1 week sponsorship | $750 | 6,800 |
That's $2,799 for four tests and about 124,000 subscribers, in four newsletters you chose one by one. Prices change, so check each rate card before you pitch. But that's the kind of test a $15k minimum rules out.
Paved
Paved is a newsletter ad marketplace. Publishers list their spots and prices, advertisers book them on the platform. It also runs an ad network where you set a daily budget (from $50 a day) and bid per click or per thousand impressions.
Pricing. Paved's help center says there is "no fee, subscription, or minimum monthly spend to advertise". The commission is charged to the publisher. An independent review by EmailTooltester puts it at 30%.
That commission matters even though you don't pay it directly. A creator who wants $700 for a slot, and loses 30% on the marketplace, has to list it at $1,000 to get the same amount. Not every creator prices that way, but if a newsletter sells both on Paved and direct, it's worth asking for the direct rate.
Good fit if you want listed prices, one dashboard and no negotiation, and the newsletters you want are on Paved.
Beehiiv Ad Network
Beehiiv's own managed ad product. According to its advertiser page, you start with a strategy call, a dedicated specialist runs the campaign "start to finish", and Beehiiv's algorithm places ads in the newsletters most likely to hit your goal. Beehiiv cites 100M+ readers across thousands of vetted newsletters.
Pricing. Campaigns start at $15k.
Good fit if you have the budget and don't want to manage buying at all. You trade control for scale: you don't hand-pick each newsletter.
BeeDirectory
A directory of 700+ newsletters, Beehiiv first and open to every platform. You filter by niche, audience size, price and frequency, then contact the creator.
Pricing. Browsing is free. All Access is a one-time $39 payment for contact details, AI Match, CSV export and outreach templates. We take nothing on the placements you buy.
Where it falls short. You do the outreach and the negotiation. Not every newsletter is selling sponsorships at a given moment. And our data isn't complete: as of October 2026 we've read a sponsor page for 103 of our 725 newsletters and have a contact email for 80. Every number on a listing says where it comes from, so you know which ones to confirm.
Good fit if you run your own media buying on a small or medium budget, or want things a marketplace can't sell: custom placements, bundles, a recurring slot.
Browse the directory for free →
So which one?
- Under $15k and you want to choose each newsletter: Paved for what's listed there, direct deals for the rest. Plenty of advertisers use both.
- $15k+ and no time: the Beehiiv Ad Network is built for exactly that.
- Custom deals or a long-term partnership: go direct. Exclusivity, bundles and recurring slots get negotiated with a person, not booked in a cart.
If you're a creator
- Paved: you list your spots, Paved takes a commission on bookings.
- Beehiiv Ad Network: Beehiiv sells ads for you and pays out monthly. Eligibility depends on your Beehiiv plan.
- BeeDirectory: your listing is free and sponsors contact you directly, with no commission. Submit your newsletter, or claim your listing if it's already here. You can also verify your audience and get a free media kit.
None of these exclude the others. Many creators run an ad network for baseline revenue and sell their best slots direct.