Beehiiv vs Substack: Features, Pricing and User Reviews 2026
Compare features, pricing, reviews, and more to make an informed decision
Beehiiv
Beehiiv is a newsletter platform that helps creators build, grow, and earn money from their audience with built-in tools.
Substack
Substack is a free newsletter platform that lets writers publish content, build direct reader relationships, and earn money through paid subscriptions.
Beehiiv
Beehiiv is a newsletter platform that helps creators build, grow, and earn money from their audience with built-in tools.
Substack
Substack is a free newsletter platform that lets writers publish content, build direct reader relationships, and earn money through paid subscriptions.
Beehiiv
Newsletter editor with templates and design tools
Custom website builder included
Referral program for audience growth
Built-in ad network for sponsorships
Paid subscription management with no platform fees
Email automation and segmentation
Real-time analytics and performance tracking
AI writing assistant
Team collaboration features
API access for integrations
Magic links for easy signups
Surveys and polls for audience feedback
Substack
Free newsletter publishing with no subscriber limits
Paid subscription options with monthly and annual billing
Podcast hosting and distribution
Video upload and recording tools
Short-form Notes feature for quick updates
Mobile app for readers
Comment sections and community chat
Built-in analytics and growth tracking
Custom domain support
Recommendation network for discovery
Email list ownership and export
Beehiiv
Beehiiv offers four pricing tiers to match different creator needs and audience sizes.
The Launch plan is completely free for up to 2,500 subscribers. You get unlimited email sends, custom newsletters and website, campaign analytics, and access to the recommendation network. This is perfect for creators just starting their newsletter journey.
The Scale plan starts at $49 per month for up to 10,000 subscribers. This adds the ad network, boosts network, zero fees on paid subscriptions, email automations, surveys, polls, webhooks, and three team seats with human support.
The Max plan starts at $109 per month and includes everything from Scale plus removal of Beehiiv branding, AI writing tools, sponsorship storefront, audio newsletters, RSS campaigns, up to 10 publications, unlimited team seats, and priority support.
For larger operations, Enterprise pricing is custom and includes dedicated onboarding, account management, dedicated IP addresses, send API access, custom publication limits, and VIP support for businesses with over 100,000 subscribers.
Substack
Substack uses a simple and transparent pricing model that aligns with creator success. Publishing on Substack is completely free regardless of how many subscribers you have. You can send unlimited free newsletters without any charges.
If you enable paid subscriptions, Substack takes 10% of each transaction plus payment processing fees. The payment processing is handled by Stripe, which charges 2.9% plus 30 cents per transaction for credit card payments. Stripe also charges a 0.7% billing fee for recurring subscriptions (as of July 2024).
For non-credit card payment methods like direct debit, iDEAL, Bancontact, and SEPA Direct, different Stripe fees apply based on your country. Writers keep full control over their subscription prices, which many set between $5 and $20 per month or offer annual plans with discounts.
