beehiiv vs Substack

Updated October 2026 · AppBreakup editorial

beehiiv

A growth-focused newsletter platform with a website builder, ad network and paid subscriptions.

Free plan + paid

Visit beehiiv beehiiv profile

Substack

A publishing network where writers send newsletters, run paid subscriptions and get discovered through a shared app.

Free plan + paid

Visit Substack Substack profile

The short answer

Substack suits writers who want readers to find them: its app, Notes feed and recommendations bring in subscribers, and it costs nothing until paid subscriptions start, when it keeps 10% of that revenue. beehiiv suits newsletters run as a business, with ads, referrals and analytics, and charges a monthly fee instead of a revenue cut. The core difference is discovery network versus growth and monetisation tools.

beehiiv or Substack: our take

Both start free and both handle the basics of a modern newsletter: an editor, a hosted website, sign-up forms and paid subscriptions. The difference is in what each one is optimised for. Substack is a network as much as a tool. Readers use its iOS and Android apps, follow writers through the Notes feed and get recommended new publications, which helps a new writer grow without any marketing setup. beehiiv, started by early Morning Brew staff, runs in the browser and focuses on the operator: a referral programme, a recommendation network between publications, an ad network that places sponsors in issues, automations, A/B tests and detailed analytics.

The pricing models point in opposite directions. Substack is free for free newsletters and takes 10% of paid subscription revenue on top of card fees, so cost scales with earnings. beehiiv's free plan covers up to 2,500 subscribers with beehiiv branding; paid plans start at $49 a month for Lite and $95 a month for Pro, both billed yearly, and it takes 0% of paid subscriptions. A small paid newsletter often pays less on Substack, while a large paid publication can save a lot on beehiiv. The catch on beehiiv is that the fee rises with subscriber count whether or not the list earns money.

Control also differs. Substack offers limited design and site structure, and the publication sits inside Substack's brand and app. beehiiv gives more control over branding and data, though removing its branding requires the Pro plan. Moving between them is common, and Substack imports from beehiiv among other platforms.

Pick Substack for writing-first projects where audience growth and simplicity matter most. Pick beehiiv when the newsletter is a business that will run on sponsorships, referral campaigns and metrics, and when giving up a share of subscription revenue is the bigger worry.

Choose beehiiv if…

Newsletter operators who want ads, referrals and growth tools without a revenue share
No percentage taken from paid subscriptions
Built-in ad network and referral programme

Choose Substack if…

Writers who want built-in discovery and paid subscriptions without running any tech themselves
You need iOS and Android, which beehiiv doesn't list
Built-in reader network and recommendations help new writers grow
Free to start, with paid subscriptions switched on in minutes

What is beehiiv?

beehiiv was started by early Morning Brew staff and is built around growing and monetising a newsletter. Every account gets a hosted website, a block-based editor, sign-up forms, a referral programme and a recommendation network that swaps subscribers between publications. Paid plans add paid subscriptions with no revenue cut, an ad network that places sponsors in your issues, automations, A/B tests and detailed analytics. Recent additions include podcasts, digital products and community features. Compared with Substack, you pay a monthly fee instead of a share of revenue and get more control over branding and data, but there is no comparable reader app driving discovery. The free plan covers a few thousand subscribers with beehiiv branding; pricing then rises with subscriber count across Lite, Pro and Enterprise tiers. It runs in the browser. It suits newsletter businesses that care about ads, referrals and growth metrics.

What is Substack?

Substack combines a newsletter tool, a website for each publication and a reader app with its own social feed, called Notes. Writers can start for free, publish posts by email and on the web, host podcasts and video, and turn on paid subscriptions when they are ready. Its biggest draw is the network: readers who already use the Substack app can find and subscribe to a new publication through recommendations, which helps new writers grow faster than they would on a standalone tool. The trade-offs are control and cost at scale. Design options are limited compared with Ghost or beehiiv, and the platform keeps a 10% share of paid subscription revenue on top of card fees, which becomes expensive for large paid publications. There is no fee for free newsletters. It runs in the browser, with iOS and Android apps for both writers and readers. It suits writers who value audience growth and simplicity over branding and ownership of the stack.

Side by side

Attribute	beehiiv	Substack
Pricing	Free plan + paid	Free plan + paid
Open source	No	No
Self-hostable	No	No
Platforms	Web	Web, iOS, Android
Best for	Newsletter operators who want ads, referrals and growth tools without a revenue share	Writers who want built-in discovery and paid subscriptions without running any tech themselves
Status	Active	Active

Verified facts, compared

Facts both apps publish, checked on each vendor's own site.

Fact	beehiiv	Substack
Free plan	Up to 2,500 subscribers	Yes, free to start