Substack vs Beehiiv: Which Platform is Best for Paid Newsletters?

Intro: Beehiiv vs Substack at a glance (and a quick answer)

What this guide covers in 2 lines

• You want the best platform for paid newsletters, growth, and control. We tested both tools end-to-end and compiled the must-know differences.

• If you’re a creator running a serious newsletter business, you need to understand pricing, monetization, growth levers, and long‑term flexibility.

TL;DR

• Choose Beehiiv if you want built‑in growth levers (referrals, boosts, ad network), advanced analytics/segmentation, and low platform fees as you scale.

• Choose Substack if you want the simplest writing experience, social discovery via its network/Notes, and to start free - especially if monetization is purely paid subscriptions.

• Looking beyond newsletter platforms? BlogBowl gives you a full SEO‑optimized blog + built‑in newsletter + AI content automation to grow organic traffic while you write less.

Comparison at a glance (high-level features and who it’s for)

How we tested

• Set up publications on both platforms and configured branding and domains.

• Imported subscribers and sent multiple campaigns to benchmark deliverability and engagement.

• Tested referrals, recommendations, boosts/ads, and paid subscription flows end-to-end.

• Audited SEO controls, customization limits, and content portability.

• Evaluated integrations, automations, and analytics depth for data-driven growth.

Decision cheat sheet: Which one fits your goals?

Pick Beehiiv if you:

• Treat your newsletter as a business and want multiple revenue streams (ads, boosts, referrals, paid tiers)

• Need segmentation, automations, and granular analytics

• Plan to scale subscriber count without surrendering a platform fee percentage

Pick Substack if you:

• Want the lowest lift to start publishing and monetizing with paid subscriptions

• Value community features (Notes, comments, discussions) and network discovery

• Don’t need advanced automations or heavy customization

Quick persona matches

• Solo creator validating a niche → Substack

• Media/brand with growth targets and sponsor revenue → Beehiiv

• SaaS/startup focused on SEO + owned media hub → Consider BlogBowl for full blog + newsletter + AI content automation

Pricing and fees (and the real break-even math)

Substack pricing model

• Free to use until you charge; then 10% platform fee on paid subscriptions + payment processing fees

• Works best when you’re small or staying free; becomes expensive with many paid subscribers

Beehiiv pricing model

• Tiered monthly plans by features/audience size; 0% platform fee on membership revenue (standard Stripe fees apply)

• Predictable costs; better for scaling paid subs, sponsorships, and ad revenue

Break-even scenarios you should run

• Compare Substack 10% cut vs Beehiiv monthly fee at different paid sub counts (e.g., 500, 1k, 5k)

• Where sponsorship/ads are your main revenue, Beehiiv’s 0% fee is advantageous

Assumptions (illustrative): paid plans priced at $10/month; Beehiiv plan fees approximated by audience tiers (e.g., ~$49 for ≤1k, ~$69 for ≤2.5k, ~$109 for ≤10k). Actual pricing varies by plan/features and payment processor fees.

Rule of thumb: break-even paid subs ≈ Beehiiv monthly fee ÷ (10% × price per sub).
Example: With a $69/mo plan and $10 pricing, break-even ≈ 69 ÷ (0.1 × 10) = 69 paid subs.

Don’t forget hidden costs

• Time to set up growth engines vs. platform convenience (referrals, boosts, ad ops)

• Whether you’ll need integrations/automation (often paywalled on Beehiiv)

Monetization: memberships, ads, boosts, referrals

Substack

• Paid subscriptions (simple to set up; platform takes 10%)

• Manual sponsorships possible (no native ad network)

• Community tools can increase perceived value for paid tiers

Beehiiv

• Paid subscriptions with 0% platform fee (Stripe fees only)

• Native Ad Network for inbound sponsorships

• Boosts (paid recommendations) to buy/grow subs

• Referral program with rewards; pay‑what‑you‑want and lifetime options available on higher tiers

Practical advice

• If you plan mixed monetization (ads + subscriptions + partner promos), Beehiiv compounds revenue streams out of the box

• If your core model is premium content only, Substack’s simplicity can be enough early on

Growth and discovery: network effects vs growth stack

Substack’s discovery engine

• Notes, recommendations, discussions, comments, and follows

• Strong internal network can surface your publication to new readers

Beehiiv’s growth stack

• Native referral program with tiered rewards

• Boosts for paid recommendations and subscriber acquisition

• Magic links for one‑click opt‑ins; A/B tests for subject lines

Which grows faster?

• If you can leverage social network effects and write for a creator‑centric audience, Substack’s built‑in discovery helps

• If you have a budget and want controlled, trackable acquisition with analytics, Beehiiv’s Boosts + referrals are purpose-built

Content, editing, and publishing control

Writing experience

• Substack: minimalist editor, fast to publish, supports podcasts and discussions

• Beehiiv: clean editor with templates/blocks; supports email‑only posts (choose not to publish to site feed)

Publishing flexibility

• Beehiiv: send newsletter‑only messages or public posts; organize archives; brand control through templates

• Substack: posts appear on your publication page; toggle email delivery per post

Branding and customization

• Beehiiv: more control over layout, typography, and email design

• Substack: intentionally simple, limited design variance

Automations, integrations, and workflows

Automations

• Beehiiv: visual workflows, multi‑email sequences, triggers (paid plans)

• Substack: basic welcome email; no full autoresponder builder

Integrations and API

• Beehiiv: API access and popular no‑code integrations; easier to plug into a broader marketing stack

• Substack: limited native integrations; best used standalone with light third‑party help

Team and multi‑pub management

• Beehiiv: roles/permissions, multiple publications on higher tiers

• Substack: simple contributor/admin roles for single publications

Analytics and list management

Analytics depth

• Beehiiv: acquisition/source tracking, campaign performance by channel, cohort insights, and more granular dashboards

• Substack: core stats (opens, clicks, growth) with limited channel/source breakdown

Segmentation and targeting

• Beehiiv: rich segmentation (attributes, behaviors), send to targeted cohorts

• Substack: basic filters; primarily free vs paid audience split

What this means in practice

• For optimization and attribution, Beehiiv enables tighter feedback loops

• For simple publishing with minimal data work, Substack is sufficient

SEO and domain control

Domains and structure

• Both support custom domains and public archives; setup is straightforward

• Beehiiv: finer control over what’s email‑only vs indexed posts; category organization can aid site structure

On‑page controls

• Both provide the basics (slugs, metadata, alt text) and sitemaps

• Beehiiv leans into site organization for newsletter‑as‑blog strategies

Practical SEO guidance

• If search is a core growth channel, Beehiiv’s structure and email‑only options provide flexible content workflows

• For social/network-first audiences, Substack’s discovery can offset lighter SEO control needs

Final verdict: Which should you choose? (+ an alternative)

Choose Beehiiv if

• You plan to monetize through multiple streams (ads, boosts, referrals, subscriptions)

• You want segmentation, automations, and detailed analytics to scale

• Predictable costs (0% platform fee) matter as paid subs grow

Choose Substack if

• You want the fastest path to publishing and paid subscriptions

• You’ll lean on network effects (Notes, recommendations) and a writer‑centric community

• You don’t need advanced automations or deep customization

A smart third option: BlogBowl

• If you want an SEO‑optimized blog with a built‑in newsletter, AI‑generated daily articles, keyword research, internal linking, and privacy‑friendly analytics - all in one place - BlogBowl is designed for SaaS and startups to grow organic traffic while publishing less manually.

• Ideal if your newsletter is part of a broader owned‑media strategy (blog + changelog + help docs) and you want growth on autopilot.

Bottom line

• Creators who treat their newsletter like a business usually outgrow Substack’s simplicity and benefit from Beehiiv’s growth/monetization stack.

• If your priority is writing quickly with a supportive network and paid subs, Substack remains a great pick.