If you’re building a newsletter, you’ve almost certainly landed on the Beehiiv vs Substack question. Both platforms have transformed how independent writers publish and monetize, but they make very different trade-offs. This comparison breaks down exactly where each one wins.
TL;DR
Choose Beehiiv if: You want to own your audience, keep more revenue, and have growth tools built-in.
Choose Substack if: You’re starting from zero and want the easiest possible setup with a built-in reader network.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Beehiiv | Substack |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Up to 2,500 subscribers | Unlimited (free to publish) |
| Paid subscription fee | 0% | 10% |
| Custom domain | ✓ | ✓ |
| Design customization | Good | Very limited |
| Built-in discovery | ✗ | ✓ |
| Referral program | ✓ | ✗ |
| Ad network | ✓ | ✗ |
| Email automations | Basic | None |
| Analytics | Detailed | Basic |
| Paid plan starts at | $42/month | Free (fee on revenue) |
Pricing Deep Dive
This is where the decision often lands.
Substack is free to use — they take 10% of paid subscription revenue plus Stripe fees (~3%). There are no monthly fees. If you’re just starting out and making $0 in subscription revenue, Substack costs nothing.
Beehiiv has a free plan (up to 2,500 subscribers, no paid subscriptions), then paid plans starting at $42/month (Scale) for unlimited subscribers and monetization. They take 0% of your subscription revenue.
The crossover math: If you’re making $420+/month in paid subscriptions, Beehiiv’s Scale plan ($42/month) is cheaper than Substack’s 10% cut. Once you’re making $1,000/month from readers, Substack costs you $100/month more than Beehiiv.
Monetization Options
Beehiiv has built a real monetization ecosystem:
- Paid subscriptions: Keep 100% of revenue
- Beehiiv Boosts: Get paid when another newsletter’s reader subscribes to you (typically $1-3/subscriber)
- Ad network: CPMs of $2-7 for display ads in your newsletter
- Sponsorships: Manage directly through the platform
Substack’s monetization is simpler: paid subscriptions, plus their “Recommendations” feature drives organic growth between newsletters.
Growth Tools
Beehiiv wins on growth tooling. The referral program lets you reward subscribers for referring friends — turning your existing readers into a distribution channel. Combined with Beehiiv Boosts (cross-promotion between newsletters), you have multiple acquisition channels built-in.
Substack’s strength is the existing reader network. Getting featured in Substack’s recommendations or trending lists can drive meaningful subscriber spikes. For a new newsletter with no existing audience, this matters.
Who Should Use Each
Substack makes sense if:
- You’re a first-time newsletter creator
- You value the built-in Substack reader community
- You want zero setup friction
- You’re not planning to monetize aggressively
Beehiiv makes sense if:
- You’re serious about owning your audience and data
- You’re making (or planning to make) paid subscription revenue
- You want advanced growth tools
- You’re migrating from another platform
Migration
If you’re on Substack and want to move to Beehiiv, it’s technically feasible — Beehiiv has a migration tool. The practical challenge is that your Substack subscribers receive a confirmation email, and you’ll typically see 10-30% list churn during migration.
Verdict
For most serious newsletter operators, Beehiiv is the better long-term choice. The economics are better at scale, the growth tools are more powerful, and you have more ownership of your audience. Substack’s advantage is getting started and getting discovered — advantages that diminish once you have an established readership.