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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.
Sarah Chen
Editor-in-Chief