beehiiv
beehiiv Inc.
8.4
Overall Score / 10
Substack
Substack Inc.
7.1
Overall Score / 10
Our Verdict
Choose beehiiv if:
- —Newsletter creators serious about growth and monetization
- —Media operators building a newsletter business
- —Anyone who wants built-in referral and ad tools
Choose Substack if:
- —Writers who want the simplest possible setup
- —People who value Substack's built-in network and recommendations
- —Writers focused on paid subscriptions
The biggest difference: beehiiv wins for growth features, monetization control, and no revenue cut. Substack wins for simplicity and built-in network.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Criteria | beehiiv | Substack |
|---|---|---|
| Cheapest Paid Plan | $49/mo (Scale)Source: beehiiv Inc. pricing page → | Free onlySource: Substack Inc. pricing page → |
| Free Tier | Yes 2,500 subscribers, unlimited sends, custom domain, website builder, beehiiv branding | Yes Free to use; Substack takes 10% cut of paid subscriptions + Stripe fees |
| Value for Money | 9 | 7 |
| Ease of Use | 8 | 10 |
| Feature Power | 8 | 4 |
| Setup Ease | 9 | 10 |
| Migration Ease | 8 | 6 |
| Transparency | 8 | 7 |
| Deployment | cloud | cloud |
| API Available | Yes | No |
| Platforms | Web, iOS | Web, iOS, Android |
| Compliance | GDPR tools available | Basic GDPR tools |
Feature Comparison
Feature Comparison Matrix
18 features compared · 17 differences
| Feature | beehiiv | Substack |
|---|---|---|
| Core | ||
| Built-in ad network | Full | None |
| Chat | None | Full |
| Magic links | Full | None |
| Mobile app | None | Full |
| Newsletter editor | Full | None |
| Newsletter publishing | None | Full |
| Podcast hosting | None | Full |
| Polls and surveys | Full | None |
| Recommendations network | None | Full |
| Referral program | Full | None |
| Website builder | Full | None |
| Advanced | ||
| 3D analytics | Full | None |
| Audience segmentation | Full | None |
| Custom domains | Full | None |
| Custom domains (limited) | None | Full |
| Paid subscriptions | Full | Full |
| Integrations | ||
| API access | Full | None |
| Security | ||
| Notes (social feed) | None | Full |
Pricing Comparison
beehiiv Pricing
2,500 subscribers, unlimited sends, website, custom domain
Unlimited subscribers, ad network, referral program, polls, premium themes
Everything in Scale + priority support, API access, advanced analytics, newsroom
Dedicated support, custom migrations, SLA
Substack Pricing
Unlimited subscribers, unlimited sends, 10% of paid subscription revenue
Who Should Choose Which?
Who should choose beehiiv
Best for
- Newsletter creators serious about growth and monetization
- Media operators building a newsletter business
- Anyone who wants built-in referral and ad tools
Avoid if
- You need full marketing automation (sequences, lead scoring)
- You need CRM functionality
- You need deep e-commerce integrations
Who should choose Substack
Best for
- Writers who want the simplest possible setup
- People who value Substack's built-in network and recommendations
- Writers focused on paid subscriptions
Avoid if
- You want full control over your brand and domain
- You need advanced segmentation or automation
- You don't want to give up 10% of revenue
Switching Guidance
Switching from beehiiv
Common triggers to leave:
- •Need full marketing automation
- •Need CRM
- •Need e-commerce integrations beyond Stripe
Potential blockers:
- •Ad network revenue
- •Referral program subscribers
- •Custom website/domain setup
Switching from Substack
Common triggers to leave:
- •Need custom branding
- •Need automation
- •10% revenue cut
- •Need analytics depth
Potential blockers:
- •Built-in subscriber network
- •Substack app readers
- •Community features
Try beehiiv
Start free — no credit card required
Try Substack
Start free — no credit card required