Beehiiv vs Substack: Costs, Fees, and Which to Pick

Grow Your Audience · Comparison

Both let you start a newsletter for free. The big difference is how they make money from you once readers start paying.

Beehiiv and Substack are two places where you can start a newsletter. Both are free to start. Both let you charge for paid subscriptions. But they charge you in very different ways.

Beehiiv charges a monthly plan fee and takes 0% of your paid subscriptions. Substack has no plan fee and keeps 10% of paid subscription revenue. On October 22, 2026, I went through Beehiiv's pricing page and Substack's help center. Here is what each costs, the math on when each one is cheaper, and how to choose.

One note up front: I run my own newsletter on beehiiv. I have tried to keep this fair, and every price below comes from each company's own pages.

Beehiiv vs Substack at a glance

• Free start: Beehiiv is free up to 2,500 subscribers. Substack is free at any size.
• Paid subscriptions: Beehiiv needs the Lite plan or higher. Substack lets you turn them on at no plan cost.
• Platform cut: Beehiiv takes 0%. Substack keeps 10%.
• Card fees: both use Stripe, so you pay Stripe's fees either way.

Beehiiv pricing

Beehiiv prices change with your list size. The prices below are for 1,000 subscribers, checked October 22, 2026.

• Free: $0, free forever. Up to 2,500 subscribers, unlimited email sends, templates, landing pages, and the recommendation network.
• Lite: $59 per month billed monthly, or $49 per month billed yearly. Up to 100,000 subscribers. Adds paid subscriptions, automations, polls, and A/B testing.
• Pro: $109 per month billed monthly, or $95 per month billed yearly. Up to 250,000 subscribers. Adds removing beehiiv branding, webinars, advanced analytics, webhooks, and 24/7 priority support.
• Enterprise: custom pricing, with SSO, dedicated IPs, and a customer success manager.

Beehiiv says, "Yearly billing saves up to 20% compared with paying month to month." It also says every plan includes unlimited email sends.

On paid subscriptions, Beehiiv's FAQ says it "takes 0% of your paid subscription and digital product revenue." You still pay Stripe's standard fee of 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction.

Substack pricing

Substack's help center keeps it simple: "Publishing on Substack is free, no matter how many subscribers you have."

When you turn on paid subscriptions, the article says "Substack keeps 10% of subscription revenue, and Stripe charges its own payment processing fees."

Here is the fee breakdown from that help article for a US Stripe account:

• Substack: 10% of each subscription payment.
• Stripe processing: 2.9% + $0.30 per payment for US cards.
• Stripe Billing on recurring payments: 0.7%, per the article, as of July 2024.

Readers pay the price you set. Substack does not add a fee to web payments. Readers who buy in the Substack iOS app may pay more to cover Apple fees.

The math: when is each one cheaper?

If you never charge readers, Substack costs $0 at any size, and Beehiiv costs $0 up to 2,500 subscribers.

Once you charge, the question is simple. Is 10% of your paid revenue more or less than Beehiiv's plan fee? Using Beehiiv Lite at $59 per month (billed monthly, 1,000 subscribers), the two cost the same when readers pay you $590 in a month.

• Readers pay you $200 in a month: Substack keeps $20. Beehiiv Lite costs $59.
• Readers pay you $590 in a month: both cost $59.
• Readers pay you $1,000 in a month: Substack keeps $100. Beehiiv Lite costs $59.
• Readers pay you $3,000 in a month: Substack keeps $300. Beehiiv Lite costs $59.

These are example numbers to show the math, not a forecast of what you will earn. I left out Stripe fees because you pay them on both. Also, Beehiiv's price goes up as your list grows, so check the slider on its pricing page for your size.

Features that matter beyond price

Where Beehiiv stands out

• A built in website, podcast, community, and digital products on every plan.
• A referral program, pop ups, and subscribe forms to grow your list.
• Automations and A/B testing starting on Lite.
• Its own ad network and sponsorship tools.
• An API and integrations, even on Free.

Where Substack stands out

• No plan fee at any size, so it is easy to start.
• Readers can find you through the Substack app and network.
• Setup for paid subscriptions is quick. Substack says you can set them up in just a few minutes.
• Readers can pay with cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Link.

Moving from one to the other

Lots of writers start on one platform and move later. Here is what to know before you switch:

1. Export your subscribers. Download your list as a file from your current platform.
2. Export your posts. Keep a copy of your archive so old posts are not lost.
3. Plan your paid readers. Paid subscriptions run through Stripe on both. Moving them takes care, so read the help docs first.
4. Tell your readers. Send a short note that the newsletter is moving and nothing else changes.
5. Warm up slowly. Your first few sends from a new platform matter for inbox placement.

Beehiiv lists a migration guide in its resources, and it has its own Substack comparison page. Read both before you move.

Team and multiple newsletters

If you write with others or run more than one newsletter, Beehiiv's plan limits matter:

• Free: 1 team seat, 1 guest author, 1 publication.
• Lite: 2 team seats, 3 guest authors, 3 publications.
• Pro: 10 team seats, unlimited guest authors, 10 publications.

Beehiiv's analytics history also grows by plan: 30 days on Free, 12 months on Lite, and unlimited on Pro.

Do you own your list?

This matters more than most people think. Your email list is the one thing no platform can take away, as long as you can export it.

Substack says on its going paid page that you "Own all of your content and your subscriber list." Beehiiv lets you count and manage subscribers in your own account. Either way, export your list now and then and keep a copy.

Which should you pick?

• Pick Substack if you want to start writing today with no monthly bill, and you are not sure you will charge yet.
• Pick Beehiiv if you plan to grow a business around your newsletter, want automations and growth tools, or expect paid revenue above the break even point.
• Not sure? Start free on either one. Both have free plans, and moving later is possible.

My own take: the platform matters less than showing up. Pick one this week, write your first issue, and send it to ten people you know. You can always switch later. A newsletter that ships beats a perfect setup that never sends. If you want a free plan with room to grow, both work. Just do the fee math before you turn on paid subscriptions.

Common mistakes

1. Only looking at the plan fee. Substack's 10% grows as you grow.
2. Forgetting list size. Beehiiv's price is set by how many subscribers you have.
3. Paying yearly too soon. Try monthly first, then switch once you are sure.
4. Never backing up your list. Export it on a schedule.

New to email? Start with my guide on how to build an email list, then see lead magnet ideas and how to use AI for email marketing. If you are looking at Kit too, see my Kit pricing guide.