Beehiiv vs. Substack: Which Newsletter Platform is Best for You?
A few years ago, starting a newsletter was simple. You just had to pick a platform, write an email, and send it out. But now, with all the social media rise, with so many tools out there for creators to turn newsletters into full-time businesses, the growth is getting harder and harder, and choosing the right platform has become the key to playing this game.
When I first looked into newsletters, I was totally confused—so many choices, I had no idea what to choose. After my weeks of research, I finally found two platforms that I wanted to start with, but still didn’t know which one. Here’s what I found out: Substack seemed like the obvious choice. It was popular, easy to use, and had a built-in audience. But when I found the other platform, Beehiiv, it was a platform that promised more growth tools, better customization, and monetization options beyond just subscriptions.
So, which one is better? If you’re serious about growing and monetizing your newsletter, in this guide I’ll walk you through which to choose depending on your goals.
Ease of Use: Simple vs. Scalable
If you want a platform that just works right out of the box, Substack wins.
- Substack is designed to be as simple as possible. You sign up, start writing, and hit send. That’s it. There are no complicated settings or design tools to deal with.
- Beehiiv, on the other hand, has a bit of a learning curve. It offers more customization, automation, and analytics—great for people who want to scale their newsletters, but it requires more setup.
Who wins? If you want simplicity, go with Substack. If you’re willing to learn a few extra tools for long-term growth, Beehiiv is the better choice.
Monetization: How Do You Make Money?
If you plan to make money from your newsletter, this is where Beehiiv and Substack take very different approaches.
Substack Monetization
- The main way to make money is through paid subscriptions.
- Substack takes 10% of your revenue from paid subscribers.
- No built-in advertising network, so you have to find sponsorships manually.
Beehiiv Monetization
- No revenue cut—you keep 100% of what you earn.
- Built-in ad network—Beehiiv helps you find advertisers so you can monetize without relying only on subscriptions.
- Referral programs to help grow your audience faster.
Who wins? If you plan to charge for subscriptions and don’t mind paying a 10% fee, Substack is fine. But if you want multiple ways to monetize while keeping all your earnings, Beehiiv is the smarter choice.
Customization & Branding: Who Controls Your Newsletter?
Branding matters. If you want your newsletter to look unique, Beehiiv gives you more control.
Substack Customization
- Minimal design options—every Substack newsletter looks almost the same.
- Limited ability to change fonts, colors, or layouts.
- No custom domains (your newsletter URL will always have "substack" in it).
Beehiiv Customization
- Full design control—change fonts, layouts, and colors to match your brand.
- Custom domains—your newsletter can have a professional, branded URL.
- Better SEO tools, which help new people discover your content organically.
Who wins? If you don’t care about branding and just want a clean, simple look, Substack works fine. But if you want more control over your newsletter’s appearance, Beehiiv is the better choice.
Growth & Audience Building: How Do You Get More Subscribers?
If you’re serious about growing your newsletter, Beehiiv is designed for scale.
Substack Growth Tools
- The main advantage is its built-in audience. Substack recommends your newsletter to people who read similar ones.
- Readers can see what other newsletters their favorite writers subscribe to, which can help with discovery.
- No advanced growth features like automation or audience segmentation.
Beehiiv Growth Tools
- Referral programs—encourages subscribers to invite their friends in exchange for rewards.
- Advanced audience segmentation—send different emails to different groups of subscribers.
- SEO optimization—helps more people find your newsletter via Google search.
Who wins? If you’re starting from scratch and want help getting discovered, Substack’s built-in audience feature is useful. But if you want long-term growth tools and automation, Beehiiv is built for scaling.
Pricing: Free vs. Paid Plans
Substack Pricing
- Free to use—you don’t pay anything unless you start charging for subscriptions.
- Takes 10% of your subscription revenue.
- No extra costs, but limited monetization options.
Beehiiv Pricing
- Free plan for up to 2,500 subscribers.
- $49/month plan for growth features (email segmentation, automation).
- $99/month plan for advanced scaling tools.
- No cut from your revenue—you keep everything you earn.
Who wins? If you want to start for free and only monetize through subscriptions, Substack is a no-cost way to begin. But if you plan to build a business and want more monetization options, Beehiiv’s pricing structure saves you more money in the long run.
Final Verdict: Which One Should You Choose?
Both platforms are great, but they cater to different types of newsletter creators.
Choose Substack If…
- You just want to write without worrying about branding or growth strategies.
- You like the built-in audience feature to help get discovered.
- You don’t mind giving up 10% of your revenue in exchange for a free platform.
Choose Beehiiv If…
- You want more customization to match your branding.
- You want to keep 100% of your revenue and monetize beyond subscriptions.
- You plan to scale and need growth tools like referrals and audience segmentation.
Final Thoughts: Which Newsletter Platform Wins?
At the end of the day, Substack is great for beginners who just want to write, while Beehiiv is better for creators who want to scale and monetize beyond paid subscriptions.
For me, because I already built an audience on Instagram, I chose Beehiiv because it’s more flexible for me, especially when I started thinking about a long-term monetization plan. But I strongly suggest that if you don’t have a built audience and you’re just starting from scratch, I recommend using Substack because you can grow inside the platform, and when you want to change platforms in the future, you can easily switch them and take your email list with you.
So which one are you leaning towards? Let me know in the comments!