Creator Publishing network with a revenue share
Free to publish at any size. Newsletters, podcasts, video, live streams, Notes and chat in one place, with a reader app for discovery. Substack takes 10% of paid subscriptions, plus Stripe fees.
Beehiiv vs Substack (2026): fees, free plans and which one fits your newsletter
Substack and Beehiiv both host newsletters with paid subscriptions, but they charge in opposite ways. Substack is free to run and takes a share when you earn. Beehiiv charges a monthly plan fee once you need paid features and takes no share. Here's how the fees, discovery, ownership and money-making options compare.
How I made this page: I worked from each company’s own pricing pages, product pages and help center articles, checked on September 26, 2026 (sources at the bottom). I have not done hands-on paid testing of either platform, and I don’t claim to. Each company’s comparison page argues for itself, so for each platform’s features I relied on its own docs. Affiliate status: My Beehiiv links are partner referral links; Substack is not an affiliate, and I link to its plain official site. See the disclosure.
Quick verdict
- Pick Substack if you want readers to find you inside a network and you'd rather pay nothing up front. Publishing is free at any list size, and Substack's app, Notes, recommendations and leaderboards are built to send you readers. Substack says more than half of new subscribers on the platform come from inside Substack itself.
- Pick Beehiiv if you want to keep more of your paid revenue and run the newsletter like a business. On its Scale and Max plans, Beehiiv takes 0% of paid subscriptions, and it adds an ad network, paid recommendations, a referral program, automations and your own sending domain.
- The money flips at a predictable point. Substack's 10% costs less than Beehiiv's plan fee until your monthly paid revenue passes about ten times that fee. For a list of up to 1,000 subscribers, that's about $490 a month on monthly billing.
- Growing a free list only: Substack is free with no subscriber cap. Beehiiv's free Launch plan stops at 2,500 subscribers, and after that you need a paid plan even if you don't charge readers.
Newsletter platform with a flat monthly fee
Free up to 2,500 subscribers with a website, podcast and custom domain. Paid subscriptions, ads, automations and paid recommendations start on Scale ($49/month on monthly billing at up to 1,000 subscribers), with a 0% take rate.
Beehiiv vs Substack side by side
Everything in this table comes from each company's official pricing page or help center, checked September 26, 2026.
| What you're comparing | Substack | Beehiiv |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to start | Free, no monthly platform fee, at any list size | Launch: $0 up to 2,500 subscribers |
| Paid plans | None; Substack earns through its revenue share | Scale from $49/month (monthly) or $43/month (annual) at up to 1,000 subscribers; Max from $109/month (monthly) |
| Cut of paid subscriptions | 10% of each paid transaction | 0% on Scale and Max (paid subscriptions aren't on Launch) |
| Card processing | Stripe: 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction, plus a Billing fee on recurring payments (0.5% or 0.7%, depending on the Substack help article) | Stripe: 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction, as quoted in Beehiiv's pricing FAQ |
| Built-in discovery | Reader app, Notes, recommendations, category leaderboards, search | Free recommendation network on all plans; paid recommendations and referral program on Scale and up |
| Custom domain | One-time $50 fee; must be a subdomain such as www | Included on all plans, including Launch |
| Sending address | Always sent from an @substack.com address | Custom email sending domain available on all plans |
| Data export | Posts, subscriber list and stats as a zip; subscriber CSV (no full names) | Posts and subscribers as CSV (Quick or Full) on all plans, plus an API |
| Advertising | No built-in ad tools for emails; a brand sponsorship program with select partners | Ad Network and programmatic ads on Scale and up (not in all regions); sponsorship storefront on Max |
| Email automations | Drip campaigns triggered by subscriber events | Welcome email on Launch; full automations on Scale; click-triggered on Max |
| Podcasts and video | Podcasts, video posts and live video | Podcasts on every plan (1 episode a month on Launch, 4 on Scale, unlimited on Max) |
| Community | Comments, Chat, direct messages, Notes | Discussions, DMs and group chats on Scale and up |
Fees: Substack's 10% vs Beehiiv's 0% (checked 2026-09-26)
Substack's help center says it takes 10% of each paid transaction, and that Stripe charges 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction plus a Billing fee for recurring payments. One Substack help article gives that Billing fee as 0.5%; another gives 0.7% (as of July 2024). Substack's own revenue calculator puts it as "writers keep 90% of their revenue minus credit card fees." There's no monthly fee, so a free newsletter costs nothing on Substack at any size.
Beehiiv's pricing FAQ says it takes 0% of paid subscription revenue, leaving only Stripe's 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction. The catch is that paid subscriptions need a paid plan, and the plan price rises with your total list, free readers included. Scale costs $49 a month on monthly billing at up to 1,000 subscribers, $69 at 2,500, $109 at 10,000 and $249 at 50,000. Billed yearly, those are $43, $61, $96 and $219 a month.
Break-even math
Substack's fee equals Beehiiv's plan fee when 10% of your monthly paid revenue matches the Scale price for your list size. That means you break even at ten times the plan price. Card processing applies on both platforms, so I've left it out. Exact Stripe charges depend on your account and country.
| Total subscribers (Beehiiv tier) | Beehiiv Scale, monthly / yearly billing | Substack's 10% matches it at this monthly paid revenue |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 1,000 | $49 / $43 a month | $490 / $430 |
| Up to 2,500 | $69 / $61 a month | $690 / $610 |
| Up to 10,000 | $109 / $96 a month | $1,090 / $960 |
| Up to 50,000 | $249 / $219 a month | $2,490 / $2,190 |
Three worked examples (illustrative numbers, monthly billing). (1) 1,000 subscribers, 40 of them paying $8 a month: $320 in revenue, so Substack's share is $32 against Beehiiv Scale's $49. Substack costs less. (2) 10,000 subscribers, 300 paying $8: $2,400 in revenue, so Substack's share is $240 against $109. Beehiiv saves about $131 a month. (3) 50,000 subscribers, 1,000 paying $8: $8,000 in revenue, so $800 against $249. Beehiiv saves about $551 a month. If you don't charge readers at all and have more than 2,500 subscribers, Substack costs $0 while Beehiiv needs a paid plan.
One more wrinkle on Substack: iOS in-app purchases. Readers can subscribe inside Substack's iOS app through Apple's in-app payments. Apple's service fee comes out of your take-home revenue along with Substack's fee, and Substack says Apple charges an extra 15–30%. Substack raises in-app prices to offset it by default (you can switch that off), in-app payments can't be disabled while payments are connected, and Apple pays out up to 45 days after each month ends. In the U.S., the app can also send readers to web checkout.
Discovery and network effects
This is Substack's strongest argument, and it's worth taking seriously. Substack's comparison page says more than half of new subscribers on Substack come from inside the platform. Its growth page says the Substack Network drives 25% of paid subscriptions and that more than 25% of subscriptions start in its apps. These are Substack's own platform-wide figures, which I can't check independently, and your results will vary. The discovery tools are real, though: a reader app for iOS and Android, Notes (a social feed), recommendations shown in the subscribe flow and in digest emails, category leaderboards, and reader referrals.
Beehiiv's discovery runs mostly through other newsletters rather than a reader app. Every plan includes the free Recommendation Network, where publications recommend each other, plus magic links. On paid plans you can also buy subscribers through paid recommendations, paying other publishers per verified subscriber, or earn by recommending others. Scale also adds a reader referral program. Beehiiv's pricing page doesn't list a reader app, so outside recommendations, growth comes from your own marketing.
Ownership and custom domains
Both companies say you own your list; Substack's switch page promises "Own all your content. Own your subscriber list." The practical differences are about branding:
- Substack: a custom domain costs a one-time $50 per publication. It must be a subdomain such as www, with the root domain redirected. Substack's help center says newsletters "will always be sent" from an @substack.com address, even with a custom domain.
- Beehiiv: custom domains are included on all plans, including the free one. You can use one as your web domain, your email sending domain and your branded links. Removing Beehiiv branding requires Max.
Data export and switching
You can leave either platform with your list. On Substack, Settings → Exports creates a zip of your posts, subscriber list and related statistics, and the subscriber page exports a CSV, though Substack says it can't include subscriber names. On Beehiiv, Settings → Export Data gives you all posts and a Quick or Full subscriber CSV (Full adds custom fields and stats) on every plan, and the API can export subscribers too.
Both also import from the other. Beehiiv's Substack migration guide covers content, free subscribers and paid subscribers. Paid subscribers move by transferring customer data between Stripe accounts. It lists limits too: video posts, podcast posts, comments and previous paywall placements don't come across. Substack's comparison page says you can import subscribers, posts and Stripe customers from Beehiiv.
Monetization options: paid subs, ads, "boosts" and recommendations
- Paid subscriptions: available on Substack from day one, with monthly, annual, founding-member and group options. On Beehiiv they start on Scale; group subscriptions need Max.
- Ads and sponsorships: Substack's help center says Substack is "entirely focused on subscriptions" and doesn't build tools for affiliate links or advertising in emails. It has since launched a brand sponsorship initiative with "a select group of flagship partners." Beehiiv has an Ad Network and programmatic ads on Scale and up (not in all regions) and a sponsorship storefront on Max.
- "Boost" means different things on each platform. Substack Boost is an opt-out program that automatically offers discounts, trials and similar deals to readers to lift paid conversions and reduce cancellations. Beehiiv used the name Boosts for what it now calls paid recommendations: paying, or getting paid, per verified subscriber.
- Recommendations: free on both. Beehiiv adds paid recommendations on paid plans.
Which fits your kind of creator?
Writers starting from zero
Substack is hard to beat on cost and reach: free at any size, with the app and Notes. Beehiiv's free plan also works up to 2,500 subscribers, with your own domain from day one.
Writers with a growing paid newsletter
Run the break-even math above. Once your paid revenue passes about ten times the Beehiiv Scale price for your list size, Beehiiv's flat fee costs less than Substack's 10%.
Ad-supported and sponsor-funded newsletters
Beehiiv. Its Ad Network, programmatic ads and sponsorship storefront are built for this. Substack's help center says it doesn't build advertising tools for emails.
Podcasters and video creators
Substack publishes podcasts, video and live streams alongside posts. Beehiiv hosts podcasts on every plan, with episode caps on Launch and Scale, and doesn't list video hosting on its pricing page.
Brand-conscious creators and businesses
Beehiiv. You get a custom sending domain on every plan and can remove branding on Max. Substack emails always come from @substack.com.
Creators who value community
Substack offers Notes, Chat, comments and DMs, all tied into its app. Beehiiv lists discussions, DMs and group chats on Scale and up.
FAQ
Is Beehiiv better than Substack?
Neither is better for everyone. Beehiiv fits when a flat fee leaves you more money, or you want ads, automations and your own sending domain. Substack fits when you want free publishing and a built-in reader network. For the full plan breakdown, see my Beehiiv guide.
Is Substack free?
Yes, for writers: Substack's help center says publishing is free no matter how many subscribers you have. If you turn on paid subscriptions, Substack takes 10% of each transaction and Stripe charges its own fees. Substack doesn't charge readers extra fees, and free posts are free to read.
Beehiiv vs Substack pricing: which is cheaper?
For a free newsletter, Substack ($0 at any size). Beehiiv is also $0 until 2,500 subscribers. For a paid newsletter, Substack is cheaper until your monthly paid revenue passes about ten times Beehiiv Scale's price, which is $490 at up to 1,000 subscribers on monthly billing. Above that, Beehiiv is cheaper.
Why do some writers move from Substack to Beehiiv?
Usually for the 0% take rate once revenue grows, plus ads, automations and custom sending domains. Beehiiv publishes a Substack migration guide for this. Substack also imports from Beehiiv, so the move can go either way.
What about Beehiiv vs Substack vs Ghost?
Ghost is the third common option. Ghost(Pro) takes 0% on paid subscriptions from its Publisher plan, which costs $29 a month billed yearly. My best newsletter tools roundup covers Ghost alongside both of these.
See beehiiv's plans Visit Substack
Related
- Beehiiv for creators: pricing, free plan limits and setup
- Kit vs Beehiiv
- Beehiiv vs MailerLite
- Best newsletter tools for creators
- How to choose a newsletter tool
- All comparisons · All guides
Sources (checked September 26, 2026)
- https://support.substack.com/hc/en-us/articles/360037607131-How-much-does-Substack-cost: free to publish; 10% plus Stripe fees, including a 0.7% Billing fee
- https://support.substack.com/hc/en-us/articles/18687769631252: Substack's 10%, Stripe's 2.9% + $0.30 and 0.5% Billing fee; plan types
- https://substack.com/going-paid: "Writers keep 90%"
- https://substack.com/substack-vs-beehiiv: Substack's comparison page, in-platform subscriber share, importing from Beehiiv
- https://substack.com/growthfeatures: Substack Network and app figures, recommendations, referrals
- https://substack.com/features: formats, drip campaigns, group subscriptions
- https://substack.com/switch: ownership statement
- https://support.substack.com/hc/en-us/articles/360051222571-How-do-I-set-up-my-custom-domain-on-Substack: $50 custom domain, @substack.com sending
- https://support.substack.com/hc/en-us/articles/360037466012-How-do-I-export-my-posts and https://support.substack.com/hc/en-us/articles/6314498343700-How-do-I-export-my-email-list-on-Substack: exports
- https://support.substack.com/hc/en-us/articles/19718129670420-Can-my-subscribers-pay-on-the-Substack-iOS-app: iOS in-app payments
- https://support.substack.com/hc/en-us/articles/9674586580244-What-is-Substack-Boost: Substack Boost
- https://support.substack.com/hc/en-us/articles/5036794583828-How-can-I-recommend-other-publications-on-Substack: Substack recommendations
- https://support.substack.com/hc/en-us/articles/360037455072-Can-I-use-affiliate-links-or-advertising-in-my-emails and https://substack.com/sponsorships: advertising and sponsorships
- https://www.beehiiv.com/pricing and https://www.beehiiv.com/pricing.md: Beehiiv plans, tier prices, feature comparison, 0% take rate
- https://www.beehiiv.com/support/article/14492990172823-how-to-use-a-custom-domain-for-your-publication: custom web and sending domains, all plans
- https://www.beehiiv.com/support/article/12258595483543-exporting-post-content-or-subscriber-data-from-beehiiv: Beehiiv exports
- https://www.beehiiv.com/support/article/14194737991319 and https://www.beehiiv.com/support/article/41790356251159-boosts-to-paid-recommendations-what-changed: free and paid recommendations (formerly Boosts)
- https://www.beehiiv.com/support/article/14966988360215-how-to-migrate-from-substack-to-beehiiv: migration steps and limits
- https://www.beehiiv.com/ad-network: Beehiiv Ad Network
- https://ghost.org/pricing/: Ghost(Pro) Publisher plan
Substack and beehiiv are trademarks of their respective owners. I run Creator Mail Stack independently, and neither company endorses it. Found something out of date? Tell me.