You’ve chosen to develop an e-newsletter– or probably you already have one. Regardless, the huge question before you is: What device should you utilize to expand, and possibly monetize, your e-newsletter?
And yeah … it’s frustrating. There’s no shortage of options available. Some are too complicated. Others are as well fundamental. And afterwards there are 2 names that maintain appearing in your research: Alex & Books Beehiiv
They both appear strong. They’re both e-mail platforms. They both let you create, send out, and (with any luck) make money. However when it boils down to selecting one, the differences start to matter– a great deal.
If you’re trying to determine which one is actually the much better suitable for you, you remain in the best location. Let’s dive in.
What Are Beehiiv and Substack?
Substack resembles the digital version of a writer’s relaxing corner. It’s a minimalist system created with writers in mind– believe blog site fulfills newsletter. You write, you publish, you hit send out. Boom. Done.
Beehiiv, on the other hand, is the newer, shinier youngster that’s plainly been built for development. It was born out of the Morning Brew team (yes, that Morning Brew), and it’s created to assist e-newsletter designers not only create and send emails– however scale like crazy.
Relieve of Use: Simplicity vs Method
Let’s be honest– you do not intend to invest hours learning a new dashboard. You intend to open up the important things, write your item, and send it off.
Substack nails this.
You open up the editor, and it feels like a Google Doc with fewer interruptions. No fuss, no templates. Just you and your words. It’s oddly calming. Like journaling.
There’s a factor a lot of writers like it– it gets out of the way.
Beehiiv? Still easy– but with even more under the hood.
You obtain a traditional, clean editor plus the capability to brand your newsletter with custom templates (though these are only available on paid plans). You can fine-tune your blog post settings, change layout, and also select author bylines. So while it’s still straightforward, it’s most definitely extra robust.
Decision:
If you want pure simpleness, select Substack.
If you’re alright with a few additional switches for more control, Beehiiv wins below.
Money making: Who Assists You Actually Make Money?
This set’s essential– specifically if you’re not simply writing for fun.
Substack’s model is easy: it’s totally free to make use of, but once you activate paid memberships, Substack takes a 10% cut– plus purchase costs. It’s plug-and-play for certain, however that portion of earnings loss can hurt as you expand.
And if you want to run advertisements? Well, you’re practically by yourself. There’s no indigenous advertisement network. You’ll need to by hand take care of enrollers, payment terms, and putting the ads on your own.
Beehiiv goes a different course.
It’s free to begin, however if you want accessibility to money making features (like their advertisement network), you’ll need a paid plan. That claimed, they don’t take a cut of your registration income (except Stripe’s typical processing fees). So while you pay monthly upfront, you keep more as you grow.
Oh– and the money making devices? Means much more contemporary:
- Lifetime memberships
- ” Pay What You Desired” options
- Built-in referral programs
- An indigenous ad network to aid you land enrollers without the back-and-forth
Decision:
If you’re intending to grow and truly generate income from, Beehiiv blows Substack out of the water.
Community & Interaction: Alex & Books Beehiiv
Newsletters aren’t practically sending stuff out. They have to do with pulling individuals in.
Substack leans right into community hard.
You’ve got comments, likes, replies, personal messages, conversation threads– also a “Notes” area that acts like Twitter-lite. It’s gradually turning into a social system of its very own. Some individuals love that. Others? Not a lot.
However it’s a charming environment if you want to construct conversations around your content. It doesn’t injure that Substack users can discover you via the built-in network, and you can send readers to other authors.
Beehiiv is … quieter.
They have actually lately added comments and likes, yet it’s not as community-driven (yet). People generally just respond to your e-mails. That’s not a negative point– it keeps your inbox cleaner, and your web content a lot more direct.
However where Beehiiv actually beams is in growth auto mechanics:
- Built-in referral programs
- Paid suggestions
- Cross-promotion devices to feature other e-newsletters
Decision:
Want to produce a buzzing, social room around your e-newsletter? Substack has the side.
Seeking integrated growth engines? Beehiiv takes the lead.
Layout & Versatility: How Much Can You Make It Yours?
Let’s speak visuals. How much freedom do you reach create your e-newsletter?
Substack keeps it minimal.
You can add a logo. Modify a color. That has to do with it. Emails all have the same structure, and your Substack homepage? It looks like a blog. Clean, yet not incredibly customizable.
Beehiiv provides a bit a lot more adaptability.
There’s a “Design Lab” where you can set typefaces, styles, and background colors. In the editor, you can include tables, images, switches, embeds– the essentials. It’s not Mailchimp-level modification, however it lets you produce a newsletter that feels even more like your very own brand name.
Decision:
Substack is much better if you want consistency without assuming as well hard.
Beehiiv provides you the devices to make your newsletter feel you– without overdoing it.
Target Market Insights & Analytics: What Do You Actually Learn About Your Readers?
This part matters method greater than you believe.
Substack provides you the basics.
Opens, clicks, viewers by gadget. There’s a top-level sight of where clients came from– but it’s not granular. You don’t truly get detailed target market data, that makes it hard to know what’s functioning.
Beehiiv goes deeper.
Open and click rates? Inspect. But also– the amount of individuals originated from X, Instagram, or your internet site. You can even see engagement by sector, location, or habits. It’s the kind of information that helps you really grow.
Decision:
Beehiiv wins hands-down if information matters to you (and it ought to).
List Management & Automations: Can You Personalize the Experience?
Substack is straightforward.
You create an e-newsletter, and everyone gets it. There’s no division, no tags, no automations. It’s a one-size-fits-all model. Easy, yes. Flexible, not a lot.
Beehiiv, though?
You can section your listing based on involvement, signup source, behavior– you call it. Want to send out a welcome sequence to new viewers? You can. Wish to tag clients based upon study responses? Yeah, that as well.
Judgment:
Beehiiv is an online marketer’s desire. Substack is a writer’s note pad.
Pricing
Substack is practically cost-free … until you generate income. Then they take 10%.
Beehiiv’s free plan lets you test the waters with approximately 2,500 subscribers. But to open monetization, you’ll need to upgrade:
Scale Plan starts at $49/month.
Costs increase based on your customer matter.
Higher tiers supply innovative automations, referral boosts, and custom domains.
But again– Beehiiv does not take a percentage of your revenue. That’s a big deal.
Judgment:
Substack is excellent if you intend to examine the waters and don’t mind giving up 10%.
Beehiiv is much better if you plan to range– and maintain more of what you earn.
Which One’s Actually Much better?
If you’re still unsure, right here’s the no-BS reaction:.
Usage Substack if you’re a solitary writer who wishes to send out basic e-mails, communicate with a community, and does not appreciate design, data, or money making Alex & Books Beehiiv.
Select Beehiiv if you intend to treat your e-newsletter like an organization. It’s better for severe growth, monetization, automation, and segmentation. It’s essentially what you would certainly obtain if ConvertKit and Substack had an infant– with Morning Brew as the godparent.
Last Ideas
There’s no wrong response right here – just devices that offer different goals.
However if you’re thinking about the lengthy video game? Desire greater than just a location to hit “release”? Want the flexibility to develop, monetize, and use data to make decisions?
Beehiiv is your ideal alternative.
It’s contemporary, developed for makers and gives you the liberty to expand your listing how you select. So if you’re serious about your newsletter experience, Beehiiv isn’t simply a system, it’s your introducing factor.