Both Beehiiv and Substack offer free tiers to launch newsletters, but they take fundamentally different approaches to monetization and growth. Beehiiv prioritizes creators seeking multiple revenue streams and advanced analytics, while Substack focuses on direct subscriber payments with a built-in audience discovery network. Your choice depends on whether you want flexible monetization tools or a revenue-sharing model with integrated community features.
| Feature | Beehiiv | Substack |
|---|---|---|
| 💰 Pricing | ||
| Free Plan | ✓ | ✓ |
| Starting Price | $39/mo | Free |
| Free Trial | ✗ | ✗ |
| ⚙️ Features | ||
| Email Automation | ✗ | ✗ |
| Visual Workflow Builder | ✗ | ✗ |
| Landing Pages | ✗ | ✗ |
| Built-in CRM | ✗ | ✗ |
| SMS Marketing | ✗ | ✗ |
| A/B Testing | ✗ | ✗ |
| E-commerce Integration | ✗ | ✗ |
| Transactional Email | ✗ | ✗ |
| Remove Branding | ✗ | ✗ |
| 🤖 AI Features | ||
| AI Subject Lines | ✗ | ✗ |
| AI Send-Time Optimisation | ✗ | ✗ |
| 🛎 Support | ||
| Email Support | ✗ | ✓ |
| Live Chat | ✗ | ✗ |
| Phone Support | ✗ | ✗ |
Beehiiv is better for publishers seeking diverse monetization options and growth tools, with higher customer ratings (4.7 vs 4.0 on G2). Substack excels for writers wanting simplicity and direct subscriber payments without upfront fees. The better choice depends on your specific monetization strategy and feature priorities.
Substack is cheaper to start since it's free with zero upfront costs and takes a revenue cut only when you earn money. Beehiiv's paid plans begin at $39/month, though both offer free tiers. For high-earning newsletters, Beehiiv's fixed pricing may become more cost-effective than Substack's revenue-share model.
Yes, you can migrate your subscriber list from Substack to Beehiiv, though the process requires manual export and import. Both platforms support CSV exports, making the transition feasible. However, you'll lose Substack's built-in discovery features and notes functionality in the switch.