You have actually decided to develop a newsletter– or perhaps you currently have one. Regardless, the large concern before you is: What tool should you utilize to expand, and perhaps generate income from, your e-newsletter?
And yeah … it’s frustrating. There’s no shortage of options available. Some are too complex. Others are also fundamental. And after that there are 2 names that keep appearing in your research: Beehiiv Website Builder
They both appear solid. They’re both e-mail systems. They both let you write, send, and (hopefully) get paid. Yet when it boils down to picking one, the differences start to matter– a lot.
If you’re attempting to figure out which one is in fact the much better fit 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 edge. It’s a minimalist system created with writers in mind– believe blog site fulfills e-newsletter. You write, you release, you struck send. Boom. Done.
Beehiiv, on the other hand, is the newer, shinier child that’s plainly been constructed for development. It was born out of the Morning Brew team (yes, that Morning Brew), and it’s designed to assist newsletter designers not just create and send emails– but scale like crazy.
Alleviate of Use: Simpleness vs Strategy
Let’s be straightforward– you don’t wish to spend hours learning a brand-new dashboard. You wish to open up the thing, write your piece, and send it off.
Substack nails this.
You open up the editor, and it feels like a Google Doc with fewer distractions. No fuss, no templates. Simply you and your words. It’s strangely comforting. Like journaling.
There’s a factor numerous authors love it– it gets out of the way.
Beehiiv? Still simple– but with even more under the hood.
You obtain a traditional, tidy editor plus the capability to brand name your e-newsletter with custom templates (though these are just available on paid plans). You can modify your blog post setups, change design, and also choose author bylines. So while it’s still easy to use, it’s certainly extra robust.
Judgment:
If you desire pure simplicity, opt for Substack.
If you’re alright with a couple of extra switches in exchange for even more control, Beehiiv wins right here.
Money making: Who Aids You Actually Generate Income?
This one’s vital– specifically if you’re not just writing for enjoyable.
Substack’s version is basic: it’s totally free to use, once you activate paid memberships, Substack takes a 10% cut– plus purchase charges. It’s plug-and-play without a doubt, yet that piece of profits loss can hurt as you expand.
And if you intend to run advertisements? Well, you’re practically by yourself. There’s no indigenous ad network. You’ll need to by hand manage sponsors, settlement terms, and positioning the ads on your own.
Beehiiv goes a different path.
It’s free to get started, yet if you desire accessibility to monetization features (like their advertisement network), you’ll need a paid plan. That stated, they don’t take a cut of your membership revenue (other than Stripe’s common processing costs). So while you pay month-to-month upfront, you keep a lot more as you grow.
Oh– and the money making devices? Method a lot more modern:
- Lifetime subscriptions
- ” Pay What You Want” options
- Built-in referral programs
- An indigenous advertisement network to help you land sponsors without the back-and-forth
Verdict:
If you’re planning to grow and really generate income from, Beehiiv impacts Substack out of the water.
Community & Interaction: Beehiiv Website Builder
Newsletters aren’t almost sending stuff out. They’re about pulling people in.
Substack leans into community hard.
You’ve got comments, suches as, responds, exclusive messages, conversation threads– even a “Notes” section that imitates Twitter-lite. It’s gradually developing into a social platform of its own. Some people like that. Others? Not a lot.
Nonetheless it’s a charming community if you want to build discussions around your web content. It doesn’t harm that Substack users can find you by means of the integrated network, and you can send out viewers to various other authors.
Beehiiv is … quieter.
They have actually recently added comments and suches as, however it’s not as community-driven (yet). Individuals generally just reply to your emails. That’s not a poor thing– it keeps your inbox cleaner, and your material more straight.
However where Beehiiv really shines is in growth auto mechanics:
- Integrated referral programs
- Paid suggestions
- Cross-promotion devices to feature other newsletters
Judgment:
Intend to develop a humming, social room around your newsletter? Substack has the side.
Looking for integrated development engines? Beehiiv takes the lead.
Style & Adaptability: How Much Can You Make It Yours?
Let’s talk visuals. How much freedom do you reach create your e-newsletter?
Substack keeps it marginal.
You can add a logo. Modify a shade. That’s about it. E-mails all have the exact same structure, and your Substack homepage? It resembles a blog site. Clean, however not incredibly adjustable.
Beehiiv supplies a little bit much more flexibility.
There’s a “Layout Lab” where you can set typefaces, styles, and history shades. In the editor, you can include tables, pictures, switches, embeds– the essentials. It’s not Mailchimp-level customization, but it lets you create an e-newsletter that feels even more like your very own brand name.
Verdict:
Substack is much better if you want uniformity without thinking also hard.
Beehiiv gives you the devices to make your newsletter feel you– without overdoing.
Audience Insights & Analytics: What Do You Actually Know About Your Viewers?
This part matters way greater than you assume.
Substack offers you the basics.
Opens, clicks, readers by tool. There’s a high-level view of where clients came from– but it’s not granular. You don’t actually get detailed target market information, which makes it tough to know what’s working.
Beehiiv goes much deeper.
Open up and click rates? Check. But additionally– the number of individuals came from X, Instagram, or your site. You can even see interaction by section, location, or actions. It’s the type of data that helps you in fact expand.
Verdict:
Beehiiv wins hands-down if information matters to you (and it must).
Checklist Management & Automations: Can You Personalize the Experience?
Substack is straightforward.
You create an e-newsletter, and everybody gets it. There’s no segmentation, 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 interaction, signup resource, actions– you name it. Wish to send out a welcome series to new visitors? You can. Intend to mark clients based upon survey responses? Yeah, that as well.
Decision:
Beehiiv is a marketing expert’s desire. Substack is a writer’s notebook.
Pricing
Substack is practically free … till you generate income. After that they take 10%.
Beehiiv’s free plan allows you examine the waters with up to 2,500 clients. Yet to unlock money making, you’ll require to update:
Scale Plan begins at $49/month.
Boost based on your customer count.
Higher tiers offer innovative automations, referral boosts, and custom domain names.
But again– Beehiiv does not take a percent of your income. That’s a big deal.
Judgment:
Substack is great if you want to evaluate the waters and don’t mind giving up 10%.
Beehiiv is better if you plan to range– and maintain even more of what you make.
Which One’s Really Better?
If you’re still uncertain, below’s the no-BS feedback:.
Usage Substack if you’re a single author who intends to send out basic e-mails, communicate with a community, and does not respect layout, data, or monetization Beehiiv Website Builder.
Pick Beehiiv if you want to treat your e-newsletter like a business. It’s far better for severe development, money making, automation, and segmentation. It’s primarily what you ‘d get if ConvertKit and Substack had a baby– with Morning Brew as the godparent.
Last Thoughts
There’s no wrong answer right here – simply tools that serve different objectives.
But if you’re thinking about the lengthy game? Desire more than simply an area to strike “release”? Want the liberty to construct, generate income from, and utilize data to make decisions?
Beehiiv is your finest choice.
It’s modern-day, built for creators and provides you the freedom to grow your checklist just how you pick. So if you’re serious about your e-newsletter experience, Beehiiv isn’t simply a system, it’s your introducing point.