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Substack vs beehiiv
A detailed comparison to help you choose between Substack and beehiiv.
Last reviewed:
| Feature | Substack | beehiiv |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing Model | Free | Freemium |
| Free Tier | Yes | Yes |
| Monthly Cost (Solo) | $0 | $0 |
| Target Audience | creators | solopreneurs, creators |
| Verified | No | Yes |
| Solo-Friendly | Yes | Yes |
| Open Source | No | No |
| Editorial Rating | 4/5 | 4.4/5 |
| Categories | Email Marketing | Email Marketing, Marketing |
| Key Features | Free newsletter publishing, Paid subscription support, Podcast hosting, Community features (Notes, Chat), Custom domains | Newsletter editor, Growth tools (referral, recommendations), Monetization (ads, subscriptions), Custom domains, Analytics |
| Free Tier Quality | excellent | excellent |
Pricing Breakdown
Substack
Free to use. Substack takes 10% of paid subscription revenue. Stripe processing: 2.9% + $0.30. Custom domains: free.
beehiiv
Launch (Free): 2,500 subscribers, unlimited sends. Scale: $49/month (automation, A/B testing). Max: $99/month (advanced analytics). Enterprise: custom.
Integration Overlap
Shared Integrations (1)
Stripe
Only in Substack (4)
Twitter/XCustom domainsRSS feedsSubstack app
Only in beehiiv (7)
ZapierMakeWordPressGoogle AnalyticsFacebook PixelAPI accessCustom HTML embeds
Use Case Fit
Substack
- * Newsletter business creation
- * Paid content and subscription publishing
- * Audience building for writers
- * Podcast distribution
- * Community building for creators
beehiiv
- * Newsletter creation and publishing
- * Subscriber growth and referral programs
- * Newsletter monetization (ads, boosts)
- * Audience building and engagement
- * Newsletter business analytics
Substack
Pros
- + Completely free to start (Substack takes 10% of paid subs)
- + Built-in audience network and discoverability
- + No technical setup required
- + Mobile reader app drives engagement
Cons
- - 10% revenue cut on paid subscriptions
- - Very limited design customization
- - No advanced email automation
- - You don't fully own your audience data
beehiiv
Pros
- + Built for newsletter businesses
- + Excellent growth tools
- + Ad network for monetization
- + Generous free tier (2,500 subscribers)
Cons
- - Newsletter-focused (not full email marketing)
- - Fewer automation features than ConvertKit
- - Newer platform
Editorial Verdict
Both tools are evenly matched on price. Substack excels at newsletter business creation, while beehiiv is stronger for newsletter creation and publishing.
SaaSLens Editorial Team
Editorial Team