Tool matchup
beehiiv vs Substack — Substack takes 10% of paid revenue; beehiiv takes 0% from Lite. Lite is $49/mo billed yearly at 1,000 subscribers.
Newsletter platform built for growth — referral programs, a recommendations network, and built-in monetization. Strong analytics, custom domains, and full branding. A community favorite for consultants building thought leadership, now expanding into websites and podcasts.
Prices checked October 23, 2026beehiiv.com pricing page
Newsletter publishing with built-in paid subscriptions and a reader network. Free to publish; Substack takes 10% of paid subscription revenue.
Prices checked October 23, 2026substack.com pricing page
beehiiv scores 88/100 and Substack 81/100. Most of the gap is integrations (12/15 vs 6/15); beehiiv is also a point ahead on outcome (22/25 vs 21/25). Pricing, setup, UX and trust are level. For a consultant running a paid newsletter, the choice is a revenue share or a subscription. Substack's going-paid page says writers keep 90% of their revenue minus credit card fees, so Substack takes 10%. On beehiiv, paid subscriptions start on Lite, which takes 0% of paid revenue (Stripe's 2.9% + $0.30 still applies); Lite is $49/mo billed yearly, or $59 monthly, at 1,000 subscribers, and the price rises with list size. beehiiv's free plan covers up to 2,500 subscribers with unlimited sends but no paid subscriptions. Simple arithmetic at 1,000 subscribers: Lite billed yearly is $588 a year, which equals Substack's 10% of $5,880 in yearly paid revenue. Below that, Substack's share costs less than Lite; above it, Lite costs less. beehiiv is the stronger tool overall, especially if the newsletter needs to connect to the rest of your stack.
Beehiiv leads by 7 points (strong advantage).
Decision shortcuts
Both publish and charge for newsletters. Work out what you will pay: a fixed subscription on beehiiv, or a 10% share on Substack.
Client-ready brief
Send a concise summary of winner, trade-offs, and rollout recommendation.
Best fit
Best for: Consultants building thought leadership through newsletters with built-in growth and monetization features.
Why pick it: Referral programs and a recommendations network grow your list organically. Monetization — paid subscriptions, an ad network, and digital products — lets you earn from your newsletter directly. And it now consolidates newsletter, website, and podcast in one place.
Watch for: If you need advanced automation and CRM-style segmentation, Kit (ConvertKit) or ActiveCampaign offer deeper workflow builders.
Best for: Consultants building authority through regular writing who want readers to find them, not just an email tool.
Why pick it: Free to start, nothing to configure, and the recommendations network can bring readers you would not reach on your own.
Watch for: Little control over design, automations and segmentation, and few integrations. For a business newsletter with sequences and a CRM link, use Kit, MailerLite or Beehiiv.
Swipe sideways to compare all columns.
Beehiiv | Substack | |
|---|---|---|
| Quick facts | ||
| Pricing sanity | Free, paid from $49/mo | Free, usage-based fees |
| Setup speed | 30 min setup | 5 min setup |
| Intelligence | High | Medium |
| Integrations | 3+ | 1+ |
| Score breakdown | ||
| Outcome fit | 22/25 | 21/25 |
| Setup speed | 18/20 | 18/20 |
| Pricing sanity | 14/15 | 14/15 |
| Integrations | 12/15 | 6/15 |
| UX polish | 13/15 | 13/15 |
| Trust & support | 9/10 | 9/10 |
| Summary | ||
| Best for | Consultants building thought leadership through newsletters with built-in growth and monetization features. | Consultants building authority through regular writing who want readers to find them, not just an email tool. |
Pricing
| Plan | Price | Limits (vendor's wording) |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Free | Up to 2,500 subscribers; unlimited email sends; no paid subscriptions |
| Lite | $49 per account / month, billed annually$59 per account / month, billed monthly | Quoted for 1,000 subscribers (up to 100,000); paid subscriptions at 0% take rate, Stripe fees apply; automations; 2 team seats |
| Pro | $95 per account / month, billed annually$109 per account / month, billed monthly | Quoted for 1,000 subscribers (up to 250,000); adds beehiiv branding removal, advanced analytics, webhooks, 24/7 priority support; 10 team seats |
| Enterprise | Contact sales | Custom pricing; SSO/SAML, dedicated IPs, customer success manager, unlimited team seats |
Prices checked October 23, 2026beehiiv.com pricing page
| Plan | Price | Limits (vendor's wording) |
|---|---|---|
| Free newsletter | Free | Unlimited subscribers and posts; website and archive |
| Paid subscriptions | Price not listed | Substack keeps 10% of paid subscription revenue, plus Stripe card fees |
Prices checked October 23, 2026substack.com pricing page
Cost calculator
$49 per month · $588 per year
Cheapest plan that fits: Lite, $49 per seat or user
No paid plan with a listed Annual price fits this team size. Contact sales or check the vendor's page.
Uses list prices from each vendor's pricing page, before tax and discounts. Free plans and custom-quote plans are left out.
Method
Used by consultants
From a consultant who wrote about this tool. This does not affect the score.
Common questions
Substack's going-paid page says writers keep 90% of their revenue minus credit card fees, so Substack's share is 10%. Checked October 23, 2026.
No. Paid subscriptions start on Lite, which takes 0% of paid revenue; Stripe's 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction still applies. Lite is $49/mo billed yearly or $59 monthly at 1,000 subscribers.
At 1,000 subscribers, Lite billed yearly is $588 a year, which is 10% of $5,880. Above about $5,880 a year in paid revenue, Lite costs less than Substack's share; below it, Substack's share costs less. Card fees apply on both.
Beehiiv scores 88/100 and Substack scores 81/100 on Curalo's consultant rubric. The biggest gap is Integrations: Beehiiv 12/15 vs 6/15.
Beehiiv's cheapest paid plan is Lite at $49 per account / month, billed annually. Substack: Free, usage-based fees.
Beehiiv has a free plan: Up to 2,500 subscribers; unlimited email sends; no paid subscriptions. Substack has a free plan (Free newsletter): Unlimited subscribers and posts; website and archive.
Beehiiv: $49 a month on Lite. Substack: no paid plan with a listed price for one user. Annual list prices where available, before tax.
If you need advanced automation and CRM-style segmentation, Kit (ConvertKit) or ActiveCampaign offer deeper workflow builders.
Little control over design, automations and segmentation, and few integrations. For a business newsletter with sequences and a CRM link, use Kit, MailerLite or Beehiiv.
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