You’ve made a decision to develop an e-newsletter– or maybe you currently have one. No matter, the big question in front of you is: What device should you utilize to grow, and possibly generate income from, your e-newsletter?
And yeah … it’s frustrating. There’s no scarcity of choices around. Some are as well complicated. Others are too fundamental. And after that there are two names that maintain popping up in your research: EJ White Beehiiv
They both appear solid. They’re both email platforms. They both let you write, send out, and (hopefully) earn money. But when it boils down to selecting one, the distinctions start to matter– a great deal.
If you’re trying to determine which one is actually the much better suitable for you, you’re in the ideal location. Let’s dive in.
What Are Beehiiv and Substack?
Substack resembles the digital variation of an author’s cozy corner. It’s a minimal platform created with writers in mind– believe blog site satisfies newsletter. You write, you publish, you hit send out. Boom. Done.
Beehiiv, on the other hand, is the newer, shinier kid that’s clearly been constructed for growth. It was substantiated of the Morning Brew group (yes, that Morning Brew), and it’s developed to assist e-newsletter creators not only compose and send e-mails– but range like crazy.
Reduce of Use: Simplicity vs Strategy
Let’s be sincere– you do not intend to invest hours learning a brand-new dashboard. You wish to open up the important things, create your piece, and send it off.
Substack nails this.
You open up the editor, and it seems like a Google Doc with fewer distractions. No frills, no templates. Simply you and your words. It’s oddly calming. Like journaling.
There’s a factor numerous writers enjoy it– it gets out of the way.
Beehiiv? Still straightforward– yet with even more under the hood.
You obtain a traditional, clean editor plus the capability to brand name your e-newsletter with personalized templates (though these are only offered on paid plans). You can tweak your message setups, adjust design, and even choose author bylines. So while it’s still easy to use, it’s absolutely much more robust.
Decision:
If you desire pure simpleness, opt for Substack.
If you’re alright with a couple of additional buttons in exchange for more control, Beehiiv wins below.
Money making: Who Helps You Really Earn Money?
This set’s vital– particularly if you’re not simply composing for enjoyable.
Substack’s design is simple: it’s cost-free to utilize, but once you turn on paid subscriptions, Substack takes a 10% cut– plus transaction charges. It’s plug-and-play for certain, yet that portion of revenue loss can hurt as you grow.
And if you intend to run advertisements? Well, you’re basically by yourself. There’s no indigenous ad network. You’ll have to manually manage sponsors, repayment terms, and placing the advertisements on your own.
Beehiiv goes a different course.
It’s complimentary to begin, yet if you desire accessibility to money making features (like their advertisement network), you’ll require a paid plan. That claimed, they do not take a cut of your membership earnings (other than Stripe’s typical processing fees). So while you pay monthly upfront, you maintain a lot more as you grow.
Oh– and the money making tools? Method extra contemporary:
- Life time memberships
- ” Pay What You Desired” options
- Built-in referral programs
- An indigenous ad network to help you land enrollers without the back-and-forth
Decision:
If you’re intending to expand and really monetize, Beehiiv strikes Substack out of the water.
Community & Engagement: EJ White Beehiiv
E-newsletters aren’t practically sending stuff out. They have to do with pulling people in.
Substack leans into community hard.
You’ve got remarks, likes, responds, exclusive messages, discussion threads– even a “Notes” area that imitates Twitter-lite. It’s gradually developing into a social system of its very own. Some people love that. Others? Not so much.
Nevertheless it’s a beautiful community if you wish to build conversations around your content. It doesn’t harm that Substack customers can find you via the integrated network, and you can send out viewers to other writers.
Beehiiv is … quieter.
They’ve recently added comments and suches as, 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 content extra straight.
Yet where Beehiiv actually shines is in growth mechanics:
- Built-in referral programs
- Paid recommendations
- Cross-promotion devices to feature other newsletters
Verdict:
Intend to create a humming, social room around your newsletter? Substack has the edge.
Seeking built-in development engines? Beehiiv takes the lead.
Layout & Versatility: How Much Can You Make It Yours?
Let’s talk visuals. Just how much flexibility do you get to create your newsletter?
Substack keeps it marginal.
You can include a logo. Modify a shade. That has to do with it. E-mails all have the exact same structure, and your Substack homepage? It appears like a blog. Tidy, yet not incredibly adjustable.
Beehiiv offers a little bit a lot more flexibility.
There’s a “Layout Lab” where you can establish font styles, styles, and history shades. In the editor, you can include tables, pictures, switches, embeds– the basics. It’s not Mailchimp-level personalization, but it allows you produce a newsletter that feels even more like your own brand name.
Decision:
Substack is better if you want uniformity without thinking too hard.
Beehiiv provides you the tools to make your newsletter feel you– without going overboard.
Audience Insights & Analytics: What Do You In fact Understand About Your Readers?
This component matters means more than you think.
Substack gives you the fundamentals.
Opens, clicks, viewers by device. There’s a high-level sight of where subscribers originated from– yet it’s not granular. You don’t actually get detailed target market data, which makes it hard to know what’s functioning.
Beehiiv goes deeper.
Open and click prices? Check. Yet likewise– how many individuals came from X, Instagram, or your site. You can even see interaction by sector, area, or actions. It’s the sort of data that assists you really grow.
Verdict:
Beehiiv wins hands-down if data matters to you (and it should).
Listing Administration & Automations: Can You Individualize the Experience?
Substack is straightforward.
You create a newsletter, and every person gets it. There’s no segmentation, no tags, no automations. It’s a one-size-fits-all design. Basic, yes. Flexible, not so much.
Beehiiv, though?
You can sector your list based on engagement, signup resource, behavior– you call it. Wish to send a welcome sequence to new visitors? You can. Wish to identify customers based on study responses? Yep, that also.
Verdict:
Beehiiv is a marketer’s dream. Substack is a writer’s notebook.
Pricing
Substack is technically totally free … up until you earn money. Then they take 10%.
Beehiiv’s free plan lets you examine the waters with up to 2,500 customers. However to open money making, you’ll need to upgrade:
Scale Plan starts at $49/month.
Boost based on your client matter.
Higher tiers supply sophisticated automations, referral boosts, and custom-made domains.
However once again– Beehiiv does not take a portion of your revenue. That’s a big deal.
Decision:
Substack is wonderful if you intend to evaluate the waters and do not mind giving up 10%.
Beehiiv is much better if you plan to scale– and keep even more of what you earn.
Which One’s In fact Better?
If you’re still unsure, here’s the no-BS reaction:.
Usage Substack if you’re a solitary writer who wants to send out basic emails, engage with a community, and doesn’t appreciate style, data, or money making EJ White Beehiiv.
Pick Beehiiv if you want to treat your newsletter like a company. It’s much better for major growth, monetization, automation, and segmentation. It’s essentially what you ‘d get if ConvertKit and Substack had a baby– with Morning Brew as the godparent.
Final Thoughts
There’s no wrong answer right here – just tools that serve various goals.
But if you’re thinking about the long game? Want greater than just an area to hit “publish”? Desire the freedom to construct, generate income from, and make use of data to make decisions?
Beehiiv is your ideal option.
It’s modern-day, constructed for developers and provides you the flexibility to expand your list just how you select. So if you’re serious about your e-newsletter experience, Beehiiv isn’t simply a system, it’s your establishing point.