You’ve made a decision to produce a newsletter– or perhaps you currently have one. Regardless, the large question before you is: What tool should you utilize to grow, and possibly monetize, your newsletter?
And yeah … it’s frustrating. There’s no shortage of options out there. Some are too complicated. Others are too basic. And after that there are two names that keep turning up in your study: Substack or Beehiiv
They both seem solid. They’re both e-mail systems. They both let you write, send out, and (hopefully) make money. But when it comes down to choosing one, the distinctions begin to matter– a great deal.
If you’re attempting to identify which one is really the far better fit for you, you’re in the right place. Let’s dive in.
What Are Beehiiv and Substack?
Substack is like the digital version of an author’s comfortable edge. It’s a minimalist platform created with writers in mind– believe blog fulfills e-newsletter. You write, you publish, you struck send. Boom. Done.
Beehiiv, on the other hand, is the newer, shinier kid that’s clearly been built for growth. It was born out of the Morning Brew group (yes, that Morning Brew), and it’s developed to aid e-newsletter makers not just write and send emails– however range like crazy.
Alleviate of Use: Simpleness vs Method
Let’s be sincere– you do not wish to invest hours learning a brand-new control panel. You wish to open things, create your item, and send it off.
Substack nails this.
You open up the editor, and it feels like a Google Doc with fewer diversions. No frills, no templates. Simply you and your words. It’s unusually calming. Like journaling.
There’s a reason many authors like it– it finishes.
Beehiiv? Still straightforward– however with even more under the hood.
You obtain a timeless, tidy editor plus the capacity to brand your e-newsletter with custom templates (though these are just readily available on paid plans). You can fine-tune your post setups, adjust design, and also pick author bylines. So while it’s still easy to use, it’s most definitely extra robust.
Judgment:
If you want pure simplicity, select Substack.
If you’re okay with a few additional switches in exchange for more control, Beehiiv wins below.
Monetization: Who Aids You Really Make Money?
This’s essential– especially if you’re not simply writing for fun.
Substack’s design is easy: it’s free to use, but once you activate paid memberships, Substack takes a 10% cut– plus purchase fees. It’s plug-and-play without a doubt, yet that chunk of revenue loss can hurt as you grow.
And if you intend to run ads? Well, you’re virtually on your own. There’s no indigenous ad network. You’ll need to manually handle enrollers, payment terms, and placing the advertisements yourself.
Beehiiv goes a different course.
It’s cost-free to begin, however if you want accessibility to monetization features (like their advertisement network), you’ll require a paid plan. That claimed, they don’t take a cut of your membership income (other than Stripe’s common processing fees). So while you pay month-to-month upfront, you maintain more as you grow.
Oh– and the money making tools? Means a lot more modern-day:
- Life time subscriptions
- ” Pay What You Desired” options
- Built-in referral programs
- An indigenous ad network to assist you land sponsors without the back-and-forth
Decision:
If you’re intending to grow and truly monetize, Beehiiv blows Substack out of the water.
Community & Interaction: Substack or Beehiiv
E-newsletters aren’t just about sending out stuff out. They have to do with pulling individuals in.
Substack leans right into community hard.
You’ve got comments, suches as, replies, personal messages, conversation strings– also a “Notes” section that imitates Twitter-lite. It’s slowly developing into a social system of its very own. Some individuals enjoy that. Others? Not so much.
Nonetheless it’s a beautiful environment if you want to develop discussions around your content. It does not harm that Substack users can uncover you by means of the integrated network, and you can send out visitors to various other writers.
Beehiiv is … quieter.
They’ve lately included comments and likes, but it’s not as community-driven (yet). People generally simply reply to your e-mails. That’s not a negative thing– it keeps your inbox cleaner, and your content more straight.
Yet where Beehiiv actually radiates is in growth mechanics:
- Built-in referral programs
- Paid suggestions
- Cross-promotion devices to feature other newsletters
Decision:
Wish to produce a buzzing, social space around your e-newsletter? Substack has the edge.
Trying to find integrated development engines? Beehiiv takes the lead.
Design & Versatility: How Much Can You Make It Yours?
Let’s speak visuals. Just how much flexibility do you reach design your e-newsletter?
Substack keeps it minimal.
You can include a logo design. Fine-tune a color. That has to do with it. E-mails all have the exact same structure, and your Substack homepage? It appears like a blog. Tidy, but not incredibly customizable.
Beehiiv provides a little bit much more adaptability.
There’s a “Design Lab” where you can set font styles, designs, and history shades. In the editor, you can add tables, photos, buttons, installs– the essentials. It’s not Mailchimp-level personalization, yet it allows you produce an e-newsletter that really feels more like your own brand.
Decision:
Substack is much better if you desire uniformity without believing also hard.
Beehiiv provides you the tools to make your newsletter feel you– without overdoing.
Target Market Insights & Analytics: What Do You Actually Understand About Your Readers?
This part matters method more than you believe.
Substack provides you the essentials.
Opens, clicks, visitors by gadget. There’s a high-level sight of where subscribers came from– however it’s not granular. You do not truly get detailed target market information, which makes it tough to recognize what’s working.
Beehiiv goes much deeper.
Open and click prices? Check. Yet also– the amount of people originated from X, Instagram, or your web site. You can also see interaction by section, area, or habits. It’s the sort of information that assists you in fact expand.
Decision:
Beehiiv wins hands-down if data issues to you (and it must).
Checklist Monitoring & Automations: Can You Individualize the Experience?
Substack is straightforward.
You write an e-newsletter, and everyone gets it. There’s no segmentation, no tags, no automations. It’s a one-size-fits-all design. Basic, yes. Flexible, not a lot.
Beehiiv, though?
You can section your listing based on involvement, signup resource, habits– you name it. Want to send out a welcome sequence to new readers? You can. Intend to mark customers based upon survey actions? Yeah, that also.
Judgment:
Beehiiv is a marketing professional’s desire. Substack is a writer’s notebook.
Pricing
Substack is practically complimentary … until you make money. After that they take 10%.
Beehiiv’s free plan lets you check the waters with up to 2,500 subscribers. But to open monetization, you’ll need to update:
Scale Plan starts at $49/month.
Boost based on your subscriber matter.
Higher tiers provide innovative automations, referral boosts, and customized domain names.
However again– Beehiiv doesn’t take a percentage of your revenue. That’s a big deal.
Decision:
Substack is great if you wish to check the waters and do not mind quiting 10%.
Beehiiv is much better if you plan to scale– and maintain more of what you make.
Which One’s Really Much better?
If you’re still undecided, below’s the no-BS reaction:.
Use Substack if you’re a single author who wishes to send out standard emails, communicate with a community, and does not appreciate design, information, or monetization Substack or Beehiiv.
Choose Beehiiv if you intend to treat your newsletter like an organization. It’s far better for significant development, money making, automation, and segmentation. It’s primarily what you would certainly get if ConvertKit and Substack had a baby– with Morning Brew as the godparent.
Last Ideas
There’s no wrong response right here – just tools that offer different objectives.
Yet if you’re considering the lengthy game? Want greater than simply an area to hit “release”? Desire the flexibility to construct, generate income from, and utilize data to choose?
Beehiiv is your best option.
It’s contemporary, built for makers and provides you the freedom to grow your listing exactly how you pick. So if you’re serious about your newsletter journey, Beehiiv isn’t simply a system, it’s your introducing factor.