beehiiv vs Substack at a glance
| beehiiv | Substack | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Up to 2,500 subscribers, unlimited sends | Free to publish at any size |
| Paid subscriptions | Lite and up, 0% beehiiv take | 10% of revenue |
| Payment processing | Stripe 2.9% + $0.30 | Stripe 2.9% + $0.30 + 0.7% Billing |
| Entry paid plan | Lite $59/mo monthly or $49/mo yearly (≤1,000 subs) | None |
| Monetisation extras | Ad monetisation & automations (Lite+); digital products, podcast, community on all plans | Paid subscriptions, founding members |
| Branding removal | Pro | None |
Official sources, checked Nov 2026. beehiiv · Substack. Prices in USD unless shown otherwise. Vendors change pricing, so confirm on their site before buying.
Cost comparison with real numbers
At very small revenue Substack can be cheaper, because beehiiv’s paid plans have a fixed price. As paid revenue grows, Substack’s 10% overtakes beehiiv’s flat plan. The crossover depends on your list size (beehiiv’s price scales with subscribers), try the fee calculator.
Growth features
Substack’s advantage is its network, recommendations between publications, Notes and the Substack app put your writing in front of readers who already pay for newsletters. beehiiv bundles a newsletter, website, podcast, community and digital products on every plan, a recommendation network, and, from Lite, paid subscriptions at 0% take, ad monetisation, automations and A/B testing. Pro adds branding removal, webinars and coaching, and advanced analytics.
beehiiv
Best for monetising beyond subscriptionsFree up to 2,500 subscribers; paid plans from $49/mo (annual)
- 0% take on paid subscriptions (Lite and up)
- Generous free plan (2,500 subscribers) incl. website, podcast and digital products
- Ad monetisation and automations from Lite
- Paid subscriptions need a paid plan
- Price steps up with list size
- Removing beehiiv branding needs Pro
Substack
Best for starting at $0Free to publish; 10% of paid-subscription revenue
- No monthly bill at any list size
- Built-in discovery network and app
- Simple model, no plans or tiers to choose
- 10% of paid revenue grows with you, it never caps
- Stripe fees are on top of the 10%
- Custom domain is a $50 add-on
Substack to start, beehiiv to scale
If you’re testing an idea with no budget, Substack’s free model is hard to beat. Once you have paying readers, or want ad revenue, beehiiv’s 0% take and growth stack usually win.
Frequently asked questions
Is beehiiv cheaper than Substack?
It depends on revenue. Substack is free until you earn, then takes 10% + Stripe + 0.7% Billing. beehiiv’s paid plans start at $49/mo yearly (≤1,000 subs) with 0% take. Above a few hundred dollars a month in paid revenue, beehiiv is usually cheaper.
Does beehiiv take a percentage of paid subscriptions?
No, beehiiv advertises a 0% take rate on paid subscriptions on paid plans. Stripe’s standard 2.9% + $0.30 still applies.
Can I use beehiiv for free?
Yes, up to 2,500 subscribers with unlimited sends, but paid subscriptions need a paid plan.
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