Beehiiv vs Substack: Newsletter Growth vs Writer Platform

Overview

Beehiiv and Substack are both purpose-built for newsletter creators, but they take different approaches. Substack emphasizes simplicity and takes a revenue share. Beehiiv emphasizes growth tools and charges flat fees.

Key Differences

Pricing Philosophy

Substack is free until you charge readers, then takes 10% of your paid subscription revenue. This makes starting risk-free but expensive as you grow.

Beehiiv charges flat monthly fees. The free tier is generous (2,500 subscribers), and paid plans do not take revenue share. Better economics at scale.

Growth Tools

Beehiiv was built by the Morning Brew team with growth in mind. Built-in referral programs, the boost network for cross-promotion, and an ad network for monetization.

Substack relies more on network effects. Readers discover newsletters through the Substack app and recommendations. Fewer active growth tools, but the platform itself drives discovery.

Who Should Choose What

Choose Beehiiv if:

• You want active growth tools like referrals
• You plan to monetize through ads, not just subscriptions
• You want full branding control
• You expect significant paid subscription revenue
• You value owning your platform

Choose Substack if:

• You want zero upfront costs
• You value the Substack brand and discovery
• You prefer simplicity over customization
• Your revenue is modest or just starting
• You want the community feel of Substack

The Bottom Line

For serious newsletter businesses planning to grow, Beehiiv offers better economics and more growth tools. The referral program alone can accelerate subscriber growth significantly.

For writers just starting who want zero friction and zero cost, Substack removes all barriers. Just understand the 10% cut becomes significant if your newsletter succeeds.

For businesses where email broadcasts drive product or service revenue (not newsletter subscriptions), consider Sequenzy instead. Its native billing integrations track real business revenue, not just newsletter subscriptions.