beehiiv vs Substack (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Substack grades higher than beehiiv: 3.2 against 2.4 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
beehiiv grades higher on features. Substack grades higher on value for money, the free plan and ease of use. They get the same grade on platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
beehiiv
Newsletter platform with paid subscriptions, ads, website and podcast
Substack
Newsletter, podcast and video publishing with paid subscriptions
Which one is for you
Pick beehiiv if
- Fits if you want to charge for your newsletter, with beehiiv taking 0% and Stripe its fee
- Works for writers who want the newsletter, a website, a podcast and an ad network in one place
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you only need a paid plan for automations, at $49 a month to start
- Tight if you want your own branding, as removing beehiiv's needs the $95 Pro plan
- Skip it if your list will pass 2,500 before you're ready to pay, as the free plan stops there
- Watch out: Lite caps you at 10 automations and 100,000 subscribers, and webinars and the Send API need Pro
- Watch out: the free plan keeps only 30 days of analytics and has 1 seat
Pick Substack if
- Fits if you want to start writing for free and let readers find you in the network
- Works for writers who plan to charge, as no monthly fee applies
Look elsewhere if
- Watch out: Substack keeps 10% of paid-subscription revenue, on top of card fees
- Skip it if you want drip sequences or segmentation, which the pages read do not describe
- Not for you if you want a custom site or heavy design control
- Watch out: there are no paid plans, so features and limits are the same for every publication
- Skip it if you want a desktop app, as only web and phone apps are listed
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAbeehiivFair | 3.2GPASubstackVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | DLite is $49 a month for 1,000 subscribers on yearly billing, or $59 monthly. That's in the dearest tenth of email tools, nearly four times the middle. Taking the beehiiv branding off needs Pro at $95. | AFree to start with no tiers, and no cost until you charge subscribers. Then Substack keeps 10% of paid-subscription revenue, and card fees come out of your share too. |
| Free plan and trial | BUp to 2,500 subscribers with unlimited sends, a website, a podcast and a welcome email, free for good. One writer could live on that for a while. The wall is money: no paid subscriptions, no ad network and no custom automations. | AFree outright, with no paid plans or tiers listed and the same features for every publication. |
| Features | BA block editor, paid tiers and paywalls, an ad network, recommendations, a website, a podcast and digital products, plus automations from Lite. It covers the newsletter job end to end. Lite caps you at 10 live automations, though; Pro lifts the cap. | CPaid subscriptions, newsletter, podcast and video, a reader network and subscriber chats. The pages read describe no drip sequences or list segmentation. |
| Ease of use | CNo App Store rating on record. It's a web app where you build the newsletter, the site and the automations yourself, so there's some setting up before your first send. | BNo rating on record, but nothing to set up: sign up, write and publish. Apps are listed for iPhone and Android. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, with Stripe, Zapier, Make, Shopify and Luma connections and an API. No desktop or phone app is listed. | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with no desktop app and no integration list on the pages read. |
| Best for | newsletters you plan to make money from | writers who want to start a paid newsletter free |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: beehiiv and Substack. How we grade
Price against what you get
beehiiv starts at $49 a month and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Substack has no paid plan and scores 2.7.
They score the same, and Substack starts $49 a month lower. Of the other email marketing and newsletter tools on the chart, 3 score higher than beehiiv for less, and none scores higher than Substack for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- beehiiv also covers marketing automation and forms.
- Substack also covers community.
At a glance
| beehiiv | Substack | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free |
| Starts at | $49 per month for up to 1,000 subscribers, billed yearly ($59 monthly) | Free |
| Free plan | Up to 2,500 subscribers with unlimited sends, 1 seat, 1 publication, a website, a podcast and 30 days of analytics. No paid subscriptions or automations. | Free to start, with no platform fees or tiers; Substack keeps 10% of paid-subscription revenue. |
| Free trial | Free trial of Lite and Pro, no credit card required | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | beehiiv | Substack Inc. |
| Price read from | beehiiv.com | substack.com |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
beehiiv
- The Free plan stops at 2,500 subscribers and has no paid subscriptions, ad network or custom automations.
- Removing beehiiv branding, dynamic content, webinars and the Send API all need Pro.
- Lite tops out at 100,000 subscribers and Pro at 250,000; larger lists go to Enterprise through sales.
- beehiiv takes no cut of paid subscriptions, but Stripe charges 2.9% plus $0.30 per transaction.
Substack
- Substack keeps 10% of paid-subscription revenue, and credit card processing fees come out of the writer's share as well.
- There are no paid plans or add-on tiers listed, so features and limits are the same for every publication.
- It is a publishing platform rather than a marketing-automation tool; the pages read do not describe drip sequences or list segmentation workflows.
Key features
beehiiv
- Newsletter editor
- A custom block editor with templates and unlimited sends on every plan. Lite adds A/B tests, polls, custom HTML and publishing to segments.
- Paid subscriptions and ads
- From Lite: paid tiers, metered paywalls, coupons and the beehiiv ad network. beehiiv takes 0% of subscription revenue; Stripe's fees still apply.
- Website, podcast and community
- Every plan hosts a website, a podcast feed and a member community. Custom pages, shows and private podcast feeds grow with the plan.
- Digital products
- Sell downloads and other one-time products from every plan; Lite raises the product limit to 3 and Pro removes it and adds webinars and coaching.
- Growth tools
- A recommendation network on all plans, plus a referral program, surveys and paid recommendations from Lite.
- Automations
- Welcome emails on Free. Lite allows 10 live automations triggered by sign-ups, tags, segments or purchases; Pro has no limit and adds click triggers.
Substack
- Paid subscriptions
- Writers choose which posts are free and which are for paid subscribers only, and Substack handles the sign-up and payment side.
- Newsletter, podcast and video
- A publication can carry written posts, podcasts and video shows, with live video available for creators who want it.
- Built-in reader network
- Substack publishes a reader app and a discovery network, and says more than half of new subscribers arrive through that network.
- Subscriber chats and community
- The app includes discussions and chats hosted by writers, so subscribers can talk with the writer and each other.
- Own your list
- Substack states that writers own their content and their subscriber list, and that the platform is free to leave.
Plans
beehiiv
Free$0
Up to 2,500 subscribers, unlimited sends, 1 seat, 1 publication, website and podcast, beehiiv branding.
Lite$49
per month for up to 1,000 subscribers, billed yearly ($59 monthly)
Paid subscriptions, ad network, 10 automations, 2 seats, 3 publications, up to 100,000 subscribers. $119 a month at 10,000 subscribers, billed yearly.
Pro$95
per month for up to 1,000 subscribers, billed yearly ($109 monthly)
No beehiiv branding, unlimited automations, webinars, dynamic content, Send API, 10 seats, up to 250,000 subscribers. $199 a month at 10,000, billed yearly.
EnterpriseCustom
Custom subscriber volume, SSO and SAML, dedicated IPs, concierge onboarding and a customer success manager, through sales.
Substack
Substack$0
Free to start with no tiers or contracts. Writers keep 90% of paid-subscription revenue, minus credit card fees.
Ways to pay less
beehiiv
- Annual discount
Save up to 20% with yearly billing
beehiiv's pricing page says yearly billing saves up to 20%: at 1,000 subscribers Lite is $49 a month billed yearly against $59 monthly.
Substack
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, beehiiv or Substack?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Substack is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $49 a month for beehiiv. beehiiv starts at $49 per month for up to 1,000 subscribers, billed yearly ($59 monthly), and Substack is free.
Which has a free plan, beehiiv or Substack?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both beehiiv and Substack have a free plan.
Which platforms do beehiiv and Substack run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Substack lists iOS and Android apps. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.