You’ve made a decision to develop a newsletter– or possibly you currently have one. Regardless, the huge concern before you is: What tool should you utilize to expand, and probably generate income from, your newsletter?
And yeah … it’s frustrating. There’s no lack of choices around. Some are as well complex. Others are also basic. And then there are two names that maintain turning up in your study: Beehiiv and WordPress
They both appear strong. They’re both email platforms. They both let you create, send out, and (ideally) earn money. But when it comes down to picking one, the distinctions start to matter– a whole lot.
If you’re attempting to find out which one is in fact the better suitable for you, you remain in the ideal area. Let’s dive in.
What Are Beehiiv and Substack?
Substack resembles the digital variation of a writer’s relaxing corner. It’s a minimal system produced with authors in mind– believe blog site meets e-newsletter. You compose, you release, you struck send. Boom. Done.
Beehiiv, on the other hand, is the newer, shinier youngster that’s clearly been developed for growth. It was born out of the Morning Brew team (yes, that Morning Brew), and it’s designed to help newsletter developers not only create and send out emails– but range like crazy.
Reduce of Use: Simplicity vs Method
Let’s be straightforward– you don’t want to invest hours learning a new control panel. You wish to open up the thing, compose your piece, and send it off.
Substack nails this.
You open up the editor, and it seems like a Google Doc with fewer disturbances. No frills, no templates. Simply you and your words. It’s strangely comforting. Like journaling.
There’s a reason so many authors enjoy it– it gets out of the way.
Beehiiv? Still easy– but with more under the hood.
You get a timeless, clean editor plus the ability to brand your e-newsletter with custom templates (though these are just available on paid plans). You can tweak your message settings, readjust format, and also choose author bylines. So while it’s still straightforward, it’s certainly extra robust.
Judgment:
If you desire pure simplicity, go with Substack.
If you’re okay with a few extra switches for even more control, Beehiiv wins here.
Monetization: Who Assists You Actually Make Money?
This set’s important– particularly if you’re not just composing for enjoyable.
Substack’s model is easy: it’s complimentary to use, but once you turn on paid subscriptions, Substack takes a 10% cut– plus transaction costs. It’s plug-and-play without a doubt, yet that piece of revenue loss can sting as you expand.
And if you intend to run ads? Well, you’re virtually by yourself. There’s no indigenous ad network. You’ll need to by hand take care of enrollers, settlement terms, and positioning the ads on your own.
Beehiiv goes a different route.
It’s free to get going, yet if you desire access 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 earnings (other than Stripe’s standard handling costs). So while you pay regular monthly upfront, you keep extra as you grow.
Oh– and the money making tools? Method much more modern:
- Lifetime registrations
- ” Pay What You Desired” alternatives
- Integrated referral programs
- A native ad network to assist you land sponsors without the back-and-forth
Verdict:
If you’re planning to expand and really monetize, Beehiiv strikes Substack out of the water.
Community & Interaction: Beehiiv and WordPress
E-newsletters aren’t practically sending stuff out. They have to do with drawing people in.
Substack leans right into community hard.
You have actually got comments, likes, responds, private messages, discussion strings– also a “Notes” section that acts like Twitter-lite. It’s slowly becoming a social system of its own. Some individuals like that. Others? Not so much.
Nevertheless it’s a beautiful community if you wish to build discussions around your content. It does not hurt that Substack individuals can uncover you through the integrated network, and you can send viewers to various other authors.
Beehiiv is … quieter.
They’ve lately included remarks and likes, but it’s not as community-driven (yet). Individuals typically simply respond to your emails. That’s not a negative thing– it keeps your inbox cleaner, and your web content extra straight.
Yet where Beehiiv actually beams is in development auto mechanics:
- Integrated referral programs
- Paid referrals
- Cross-promotion devices to feature other e-newsletters
Judgment:
Want to create a humming, social area around your e-newsletter? Substack has the edge.
Looking for integrated growth engines? Beehiiv takes the lead.
Design & Adaptability: How Much Can You Make It Yours?
Let’s speak visuals. How much flexibility do you get to create your newsletter?
Substack keeps it minimal.
You can add a logo. Modify a color. That has to do with it. Emails all have the exact same structure, and your Substack homepage? It appears like a blog site. Clean, yet not very personalized.
Beehiiv supplies a bit a lot more flexibility.
There’s a “Style Laboratory” where you can establish fonts, designs, and history colors. In the editor, you can add tables, pictures, switches, installs– the essentials. It’s not Mailchimp-level personalization, but it lets you create an e-newsletter that feels more like your very own brand name.
Decision:
Substack is better if you want consistency without believing too hard.
Beehiiv offers you the devices to make your newsletter feel you– without overdoing it.
Target Market Insights & Analytics: What Do You In fact Find Out About Your Readers?
This part matters means greater than you think.
Substack provides you the essentials.
Opens, clicks, readers by gadget. There’s a top-level view of where customers came from– but it’s not granular. You do not actually get detailed target market data, that makes it difficult to know what’s functioning.
Beehiiv goes deeper.
Open up and click prices? Examine. Yet also– the number of people came from X, Instagram, or your site. You can even see involvement by segment, area, or behavior. It’s the kind of data that aids you in fact grow.
Decision:
Beehiiv wins hands-down if information matters to you (and it ought to).
Checklist Management & Automations: Can You Individualize the Experience?
Substack is straightforward.
You write an e-newsletter, and everybody gets it. There’s no division, no tags, no automations. It’s a one-size-fits-all model. Basic, yes. Adaptable, not so much.
Beehiiv, though?
You can sector your checklist based on interaction, signup source, habits– you name it. Want to send out a welcome sequence to brand-new readers? You can. Want to identify customers based on study responses? Yes, that as well.
Verdict:
Beehiiv is a marketer’s desire. Substack is a writer’s notebook.
Pricing
Substack is technically complimentary … up until you generate income. Then they take 10%.
Beehiiv’s free plan lets you evaluate the waters with as much as 2,500 subscribers. But to open monetization, you’ll require to update:
Scale Plan starts at $49/month.
Costs increase based on your subscriber matter.
Higher tiers provide advanced automations, referral boosts, and custom-made domains.
However again– Beehiiv does not take a percent of your earnings. That’s a big deal.
Judgment:
Substack is fantastic if you intend to test the waters and don’t mind surrendering 10%.
Beehiiv is much better if you plan to range– and maintain even more of what you earn.
Which One’s In fact Better?
If you’re still unsure, below’s the no-BS response:.
Usage Substack if you’re a single writer who wants to send basic emails, interact with a community, and does not respect design, information, or money making Beehiiv and WordPress.
Select Beehiiv if you wish to treat your newsletter like a business. It’s far better for serious development, monetization, automation, and segmentation. It’s basically what you would certainly get if ConvertKit and Substack had an infant– with Morning Brew as the godparent.
Last Ideas
There’s no wrong solution right here – just tools that offer different objectives.
But if you’re taking into consideration the lengthy video game? Desire greater than simply a place to strike “release”? Desire the liberty to develop, monetize, and make use of data to choose?
Beehiiv is your best choice.
It’s modern-day, built for creators and provides you the liberty to expand your listing just how you choose. So if you’re serious about your newsletter experience, Beehiiv isn’t simply a platform, it’s your launching factor.