I've been running the DevOpsCube newsletter for a long time. Today it has over 19,000 subscribers.
In that time, I have used both Substack and Beehiiv. So I know the pain in choosing a platform that helps you build a business and not just a mailing list.
This post gives you my honest comparison. It is not just a feature checklist but my real experience.
First, let’s understand what Beehiiv and Substack are.
What is Beehiiv?
Most people dont know this. Beehiiv was built by the team behind Morning Brew, a newsletter that sold for $75 million.
So it is pretty clear that didn't build a tool for writers. They built a tool for building a businesses out of a newsletter based on their own experience in building a newsletter with millions of subscribers.
The key focus of the platform is to help you,
- Get more audience,
- Monetize the content in different ways
- Full control of your audience and data.
So in short, if you want to turn your newsletter into a revenue-generating digital asset and not just writing and publishing, then it is the best newsletter platform right now in the market.
This LinkedIn report shows many creators are moving to Beehiiv.
What is Substack?
Substack is another newsletter platform that is very easy to get started with. You will find many tech writers using substack. You just sign up and start publishing. For example The Pragmatic engineer, ByteByteGo are using Substack for their newsletter.
In fact, I started the DevOpsCube newsletter with Substack.
Substack is mainly built for community engagement, and you can monetize your content through paid subscriptions. They take a 10% cut from your subscription revenue.
It is of of the best platform to build a personal brand through writing rather a business-focused newsletter. It is a great choice if you just want to focus on writing, build a loyal and trusted community, and use a platform that is simple and not complex.
Beehiiv vs Substack - Feature Comparison
In the table below, I have compared the key features offered by both platforms.
| Feature | Beehiiv | Substack |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Growth + monetization | Simple writing |
| Ease of use | Medium | Very easy |
| Pricing | Starts free, then fixed monthly/yearly plans | Free & one-time $50 fee for custom domain usage |
| Platform fee | 0% | 10% on paid subscriptions |
| Custom domain & SEO | Full control | Limited |
| Email automation | Yes | No |
| Subscriber segmentation | Yes | Limited |
| Monetization options | Ads + subscriptions + referrals | Subscriptions only |
| Audience discovery | SEO + referrals + Recomendation Network | SEO + Built-in network + Recomendations |
| Customization | High | Low |
| Analytics | Advanced | Basic |
What I have learned from the features is, Beehiiv stands out in SEO. I think it is one of the key factors for technical creators.
Also, you can customize Beehiiv using the website builder and have unique look and feel for your newsletter.
At the same time the monthly subscription fee of Beehiiv is a let down. But if you are serious about building a business out of newsletter, that price is a actually worth it for the features it offers.
Revenue Model
Now lets look at how revenue model works in both platforms.
First lets look at Substack's revenue model.
Substack's Revenue Models
In Substack, you can start completely free. There are no upfront costs, and no subscription plans to pay for.
Here is how it works.
- Paid Subscriptions (core model): Once you are ready, you can enable paid subscriptions for your readers. This means only users who pay can access your premium content.
- From that revenue, Substack takes a 10% cut. For example, lets say you make $1000/month on Substack. Substack takes $100 (10%) as platform fees. Payment processing (like Stripe) takes another ~$60–$80.
So you end up keeping around $820–$840 per month - Sponsorships: Direct brand deals inside your newsletter
Here the main advantage is that you don’t need to pay anything up front. It is completely free to start and grow.
Now, let’s look at Beehiiv’s revenue model.
Beehiiv’s Key Revenue Models
Beehiiv offers the following revenue modele.
- Paid Subscriptions (core model): Beehiiv takes 0% platform fee. So you get to keep all subscription revenue.
- Ads network: Beehiiv connects you with brands internally in the platform and you get paid for displaying ads. You will find ready-to-use ads inside the monetization section. You can simply choose one, add it to your newsletter, and start earning. These ads are listed directly in the dashboard as shown below.
- Boosts: You can earn money by recommending other newsletters. The boosts network looks like the following.
As you can see, one AI tech publication is offering $6.4 for a subscriber. If you are in tech niche, you can make use of these revenue streams.
- Sponsorships: Direct brand deals inside your newsletter
- Digital Products: You can natively sell you digital products at the time they subscribe without paying any commission.
As you can see, to build multiple revenue streams, Beehiiv is usually the better option.
Pricing & Plans
I have broken down the pricing and plans of both newsletter platforms.
Beehiiv Pricing
| Plan | Price | Subscribers |
|---|---|---|
| Launch (Free) | $0 | Up to 2,500 |
| Scale | $49/Month ($43/mo annual) | Up to 100K |
| Max | $109/Month ($96/mo annual) | Up to 100K |
| Enterprise | Custom | 100K+ |
Substack Pricing
Substack is free to use. You don’t pay anything up front, but they take a 10% cut from your paid subscriptions.
To use custom domain with substack, you need to pay a one time fee of $50
Which Platform is the Best For You? (My honest advice)
Beehiiv will suit you if you are a creator, running a business, an affiliate marketer, a newsletter, or a SaaS founder. Because with Beehiiv, you are not just writing and publishing content or building a community. You are actually building a business and testing growth strategies.
Another important point is that Beehiiv is not just a newsletter or email marketing platform. It also works as an SEO-focused blogging platform.
In the beginning, it may feel a bit expensive. But once you start generating revenue, it wont be a major issue. You just need patience and a clear strategy to scale.
- Want a technical or business focussed newsletter/distribution channel.
- Want to monetize via ads, boosts, or paid subs
- Care about SEO and organic traffic & subsribers
- Need segmentation and automations
On the other hand, Substack is ideal for writing and building a loyal audience. This platform is best suited for writers, journalists, and people focused on personal brand building. If you fall into this category, Substack is a good place to start.
So, if your goal is to focus purely on content and your subscribers, then Substack is the better choice.
- Just want to write and publish fast
- Are a journalist or personal brand writer
- Want built-in community and Notes feed
- Need zero upfront cost, any list size
What Real Users Say
The best place to get the feedback of real users of these platform is reddit.
Check out this thread
1. Beehiiv is mainly designed as a newsletter-focused business platform.
2. Substack is best if you simply want to write and publish.
3. Beehiiv offers better monetization options.
As you can see, users are sharing the same insights that I discussed earlier. These real user opinions that gives you a clear understanding of both platforms.
FAQs
Here are the frequently asked questions about Beehiiv and Substack.
1. Does Substack have a public API to create posts?
No, Substack does not have a public API to create posts.
2. Is Beehiiv better than Substack?
Yes, Beehiiv is better than Substack from a monetization prespective. It offers multiple monetization options, and it is more of a creator and business-friendly platform.
3. Can you make money on Substack?
Yes, you can make money on Substack by offering paid subscriptions and sponsorships for your content.
4. Does Beehiiv take subscription revenue?
No, Beehiiv does not take any cut from your subscription revenue. But, you will need to pay Stripe’s processing fee, which is typically around 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction.
5. Can I migrate subscribers from Substack to Beehiiv?
Yes, you can migrate your subscribers from Substack to Beehiiv without losing the audience you have built. We have done it once.
6. Which platform is better for SEO?
Beehiiv is a much better option for SEO. You can add a title, meta description, customize the URL. Substack is more focused on email + internal discovery.
7. What is Beehiiv boosts?
Boosts is a paid cross-promotion model. Creators bid on a cost-per-subscriber basis, and other newsletters show their recommendations. Beehiiv takes a 20% fee from these transactions. So, you can both gain subscribers and earn revenue at the same time.
Conclusion
To be honest, Substack was the king of newsletters when this space started growing. It showed that writers can earn money just by writing.
But now, in 2026, things have changed a lot. With AI and declining search traffic, revenue of many creators have declined. Because of that, every creator needs a platform that offer multiple revenue streams. That is the key reason I moved from Substack to Beehiiv.
Also, with the different revenue models offered by Beehiiv, you can start earning even with a smaller audience. Getting paid sponsorships is not easy, especially in the beginning.
From my experience, Beehiiv is now ahead in many areas. It has become one of the top newsletter platforms today.
If you still have doubts about these platforms, drop them in the comments. I can help you out with my experiences.