Newsletters
beehiiv vs Substack
Substack for writers who want zero setup and access to its recommendation network. beehiiv for anyone treating the newsletter as a business — better growth tools, ad network, and no cut of your subscription revenue.
- No affiliate links
- Public pricing only
- Updated by hand
The financial comparison is simple. Substack is free to start and takes 10% of paid subscriptions plus payment fees. beehiiv charges a monthly fee and takes nothing from subscriptions. Above roughly $500 a month in subscription revenue, beehiiv is cheaper.
The strategic comparison is about ownership. Substack's network sends real signups through recommendations, but readers associate with Substack. beehiiv is your brand, your site, your list.
Side by side
beehiiv and Substack in short.
beehiiv
Newsletter platform with growth tooling, referral programmes, an ad network and website hosting.
- Free
- Free plan up to a few thousand subscribers.
- Paid from
- Paid plans from roughly $39/month
Good at
- Built-in referral programme, recommendation network and boosts for paid subscriber acquisition
- Ad network that matches sponsors to newsletters, so revenue doesn't depend only on subscriptions
- Takes 0% of your subscription revenue
Weak at
- Monthly cost from the start once you pass the free tier
- Less discovery than Substack for pure writing
Substack
Free newsletter and publishing platform funded by a share of paid subscriptions.
- Free
- Free to publish, including paid subscriptions.
- Paid from
- 10% of subscription revenue plus Stripe fees
Good at
- Nothing to pay until you earn, which suits a new writer
- Recommendations and the app drive meaningful organic subscriber growth
- Comments, notes and a reader community you don't have to build
Weak at
- 10% of revenue forever, which becomes expensive at scale
- Limited design control and automations
- Readers belong partly to the platform
The differences
Where they actually diverge.
Pick one
Which one fits you.
Choose beehiiv if
- You plan to sell sponsorships or already have them
- You want referral loops and segmentation
- Paid subscriptions are or will be over ~$500 a month
Choose Substack if
- You're starting from zero and want no fixed costs
- Discovery through other writers matters more than control
- Writing is the product; tooling is a distraction
When neither is the answer
If the newsletter supports a business rather than being one, Kit or Loops slots into the rest of your stack better than either.
Questions
Common questions.
Can I move my list off Substack?
Yes. Substack lets you export subscribers, including paid ones, and Stripe subscriptions can be migrated. It's genuinely portable — the harder loss is the recommendation traffic.
Which grows faster?
Depends on the topic. Substack's network helps essays and commentary. beehiiv's referral and boost tools tend to work better for niche business newsletters where you can pay for a subscriber and make it back on ads.
Prices are list prices published by each vendor and change often — check the linked pricing pages before you buy. We take no affiliate commission and nobody pays to appear here.
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