beehiiv or Substack: which should you pick?
| If you are | Pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| A writer who wants to start free and only pay once readers pay | Substack | Publishing is free at any subscriber count. Substack keeps 10% of paid subscription revenue, and nothing if you never charge. |
| A paid newsletter earning more than about $490 a month | beehiiv | Lite costs $49 a month billed yearly with a 0% take rate. Above roughly $490 a month in paid revenue, Substack’s 10% share costs more. |
| A publisher who wants ad income, automations and A/B tests | beehiiv | Ad monetization, automations, audience polls and A/B testing all start on Lite. Substack’s features page does not describe an ad product for writers. |
| A writer who wants readers to find them inside an app and social feed | Substack | Substack has its own reader apps, a Notes feed, leaderboards and the Substack Network for discovery. |
beehiiv vs Substack is the big choice for anyone starting a newsletter they hope to charge for. The short answer: Substack is the easier free start and pays for itself with 10% of your paid revenue, while beehiiv charges a flat plan price, takes 0% of paid subscriptions and adds ads, automations and testing tools for growing a newsletter as a business.
This comparison uses beehiiv’s pricing and help pages and Substack’s features and pricing help pages, all read on 14 October 2026. We have not run a publication on either platform for this page, so it is labeled as researched. See how we test for what that means. For beehiiv’s plans in full, read our beehiiv review.
beehiiv vs Substack at a glance
Facts below were checked on each vendor’s site on 14 October 2026.
| beehiiv | Substack | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to publish free newsletters | Free up to 2,500 subscribers | Free at any subscriber count |
| Cost when you charge readers | Lite, $49 a month billed yearly | 10% of paid subscription revenue |
| Share of paid revenue | 0% (Stripe fees apply) | 10% (Stripe fees apply) |
| Paid subscriptions available on | Lite and up | Every publication |
| Ad income | Ad monetization from Lite | Not described on the features page |
| Automations and A/B testing | From Lite | Not described on the features page |
| Discovery | Recommendation network | Substack Network, recommendations, Notes, leaderboards, reader apps |
| Podcast and video | Podcast on every plan | Podcast hosting, video, live streaming |
| Custom domain | Paid plans | One-time $50 |
| Remove platform branding | Pro, $95 a month billed yearly | Not described |
| Several publications | 3 on Lite, 10 on Pro | Not described as a plan limit |
beehiiv vs Substack fees: which costs less?
Substack costs less until your paid newsletter earns about $490 a month; above that, beehiiv usually costs less. Substack keeps 10% of paid subscription revenue. beehiiv’s Lite plan costs $49 a month on yearly billing and keeps 0%. Ten percent of $490 is $49, so that is roughly where the two cross.
| Monthly paid revenue | Substack’s 10% | beehiiv Lite (billed yearly) |
|---|---|---|
| $200 | $20 | $49 |
| $490 | $49 | $49 |
| $1,000 | $100 | $49 |
| $5,000 | $500 | $49 |
Card fees apply on both. Substack’s pricing page lists Stripe’s 2.9% plus $0.30 for US cards and Stripe Billing at 0.7% for recurring payments. beehiiv’s FAQ lists Stripe’s 2.9% plus $0.30. The table leaves card fees out because you pay them either way.
Two caveats. beehiiv’s page showed only yearly-billing prices and says yearly billing saves up to 20%, so monthly billing costs more. And Lite has a subscriber ceiling of 100,000; Pro covers up to 250,000 at $95 a month billed yearly. Substack’s 10% does not change with list size.
Is beehiiv free, and is Substack free?
Both are free to start. Substack is free to publish at any number of subscribers and only charges when readers pay you. beehiiv’s free plan covers up to 2,500 subscribers with unlimited email sends, a website, landing pages and the recommendation network, but paid subscriptions, automations, ads and custom domains need a paid plan.
Where beehiiv beats Substack
No share of your revenue. A 0% take rate means every reader you add after Lite is paid for is yours, minus Stripe’s fee.
Tools for running a business. Lite adds ad monetization, automations, audience polls, A/B testing and beehiiv’s MCP connection. Pro adds dynamic content, webhooks, webinars and coaching tools, unlimited analytics history and priority support. Substack’s features page does not describe ads, automations or A/B tests for writers.
More than one newsletter. beehiiv lists 3 publications on Lite and 10 on Pro, handy if you run a main title and side projects.
A referral program for readers. beehiiv’s referral program, where readers earn rewards for bringing friends, is on paid plans. Substack also lists a reader referral program, so this is closer to a tie.
Where Substack beats beehiiv
Free forever at any size. If you never charge, Substack never charges you. beehiiv’s free plan stops at 2,500 subscribers.
Built-in readers. Substack has iOS and Android reader apps, the Notes social feed, leaderboards, an explore page and the Substack Network, where publications recommend each other. That gives new writers a way to be found inside the platform.
More formats in one place. Substack lists podcast hosting with distribution to Apple Podcasts and Spotify, native video with captions and clipping tools, live streaming with chat, and community chat threads.
Cheaper custom domain. Substack charges a one-time $50. beehiiv puts custom domains on paid plans.
Paid-plan extras. Substack lists founding member tiers, free trials, coupons, gift subscriptions and group billing.
Can I move from Substack to beehiiv?
Yes. beehiiv’s help center has a migration guide that works on all plans. It imports free posts from your Substack address, paid posts from a Substack export file, free subscribers from a CSV, and paid subscribers by moving your Stripe customers to the Stripe account connected to beehiiv. Plan for some clean-up: paywall positions, comments, categories, galleries, and video and podcast-type posts do not migrate, and you must pause billing on Substack so readers are not charged twice. Readers who subscribed through Substack’s iOS app have to cancel through the App Store.
Going the other way is possible too: Substack lists imports from more than 12 platforms, including beehiiv, and says creators own their content and subscriber list.
Who should skip beehiiv, and who should skip Substack
Skip beehiiv if you are writing for fun, never plan to charge, and expect your list to pass 2,500 readers. Substack will cost you nothing.
Skip Substack if your newsletter already earns, or will soon earn, a few hundred dollars a month, or if you want ads, automations and testing. A 10% share grows with every new paying reader.
Consider Kit instead if you mainly sell courses, coaching or digital products. Our beehiiv vs Kit comparison and Kit review cover that case, and our best email marketing software for small business covers the wider field.
How to choose between beehiiv and Substack
- Will you charge readers? If not, or not for a long time, start on Substack.
- Will paid revenue pass about $490 a month? If yes, or if you want ads and automations, start on beehiiv so you do not have to migrate later.
- Do you want discovery inside an app? Substack’s Notes and network are its strongest card for a new writer with no audience.
beehiiv changed its plans on 1 October 2026, and both platforms change features often, so confirm prices and fees on each vendor’s own page before you commit.
beehiiv: check current pricingSubstack: check current pricing
beehiiv vs Substack: frequently asked questions
Is beehiiv better than Substack?
beehiiv is better if you want to run your newsletter as a business with ads, automations and no share of paid revenue. Substack is better if you want to publish free with no setup and be found through its app and Notes feed. The more you earn from paid subscriptions, the more beehiiv’s flat price tends to save.
How much does Substack take?
Substack keeps 10% of paid subscription revenue. Stripe card fees (2.9% plus $0.30 for US cards) and Stripe Billing (0.7%) come on top. Publishing free newsletters costs nothing.
Does beehiiv take a percentage of paid subscriptions?
No. beehiiv lists a 0% take rate on paid subscriptions and digital products; you pay only Stripe’s 2.9% plus $0.30 per transaction. Paid subscriptions need the Lite plan, listed at $49 a month billed yearly.
Can I move from Substack to beehiiv?
Yes. beehiiv’s help center has a step-by-step guide that imports posts, free subscribers from a CSV, and paid subscribers through Stripe. Paywall placement, comments, video and podcast-type posts do not carry over, and you must pause Substack billing to avoid charging readers twice.
Do I own my subscriber list on Substack?
Substack says creators own their content and subscriber list, and lets you export posts and subscribers. beehiiv also imports Substack exports directly.
