Beehiiv Vs Substack Vs Mailchimp – Ultimate Breakdown!

So, you’ve been toying with the idea of turning your email checklist into an earnings stream, yet you’re overwhelmed by all the alternatives around. Audio acquainted? You’re not the only one. If you have actually been making use of a basic e-mail service and scratching your head about sponsorships, ads, and paid registrations, it might be time to take a look at beehiiv. In this guide, I’ll walk you with whatever you require to learn about utilizing beehiiv to transform your newsletter right into cash– all from my own experience. Ready? Let’s dive in Beehiiv Vs Substack Vs Mailchimp

Why You May be Stuck with Your Existing Email Platform

You’ve probably tried the usual suspects: Mailchimp, ConvertKit (now Kit), Substack, or something comparable. And if you’re like many small-scale content designers, here’s what likely happened:

• Restricted Monetization Options

You have a handful of faithful customers– perhaps 500 to 1,000 individuals– yet absolutely no easy way to earn money. Sponsorships seem like an international language, and you’re not keen on cold-emailing brands on a monthly basis.

• DIY Automation Headaches

You wish to leak campaign brand-new clients, send out a welcome series, and sector people for targeted e-mails … but setting up those automations seems like you require a computer technology level.

• Platform Charges Suck

Every single time you think of paid memberships, the platform takes a significant piece, and the payment configuration is a lot more difficult than it deserves.

• Growth Stalls

Growth hacks seem to work for every person else– however except you. You wish there was a very easy way to find brand-new subscribers without by hand chasing them down.

I remained in your shoes at the beginning of 2024. I ‘d been utilizing Kit (formerly ConvertKit), however it seemed like a stumbling block for monetization. Don’t get me wrong– Kit is great for developing funnels and setting up fundamental automations. But when it came to making a few hundred bucks a month from a small list, there had not been a noticeable “on” button.

Get in beehiiv.

My Change to beehiiv: A Fact Examine

In January 2024, I finally shot and relocated my newsletter from Kit to beehiiv. Below’s the honest truth: I really did not have time to pursue sponsors, negotiate rates, or develop complex paid funnels. I run a SEO writing organization full time, so my newsletter was constantly going to be a side project. I needed something that almost ran itself.

The “Market Me” Moment

What sold me on beehiiv was straightforward:

• Integrated Monetization: Right from the start, beehiiv shouts, “Hey, you can earn money here!” It wasn’t an afterthought or a third-party add-on.
• Low-Effort Sponsorships: Rather than me combing LinkedIn for sponsors, beehiiv brings deals straight to my dashboard. All I have to do is click “accept,” decrease in the advertisement duplicate, and hit send out.
• Passive Income Boosts: By promoting various other e-newsletters in my once a week e-mail, I gain $1–$ 3 per referred client. No hefty training, no complicated analytics– simply steady, step-by-step earnings.

Looter alert: It repaid. In my initial complete year on beehiiv (2024 ), I drew in $940 from ad sponsorships and boosts alone– on a checklist that never covered 1,000 clients. I really did not produce a paid program. I really did not introduce an item and I just let beehiiv do its thing.

My Partner Program Windfall

As if that had not been sufficient, I additionally joined the beehiiv Partner Program– basically an affiliate program. By blogging about beehiiv on my blog and sharing my experience with buddies, I stole $5,108 in referral payments through the end of 2024. Yep, you check out that right: over five grand, simply by speaking about the platform.

So if you’re asking yourself whether beehiiv is worth it for tiny developers or newbies, take my word: It’s a game-changer. However, certainly, it isn’t perfect. Let’s break down the excellent, the negative, and the great stuff you require to understand.

The Advantage of Using beehiiv

1. Money Making Made Ridiculously Easy

What I like best regarding beehiiv is just how very easy it is to make money on auto-pilot. You don’t need a substantial target market. Right here’s just how it works:

• Advertisement Network Sponsorships: As soon as you hit simply 1,000 active clients, brand names begin lining up. You get 3– 6 ad demands per month generally. You select the ones you like, put the duplicate, and you’re done. They pay per click or view– no challenging invoicing. And due to the fact that beehiiv matches you with relevant brand names, your clients are most likely to click.
• Boosts Referral Revenue: Don’t have enrollers yet? No problem. Advertise other maker newsletters for $1–$ 3 per client. It’s like Amazon’s affiliate program, however, for email lists. I made numerous hundred bucks by doing this without breaking a sweat.
• Paid Subscriptions (When You prepare): Down the line, if you decide to charge for superior content, beehiiv takes a marginal cost (2.9% + $0.30 per transaction via Stripe). You can establish multiple pricing rates, run cost-free trials, or even let subscribers “call their price.”.
• Partner Program Payments: Not in it for the brief haul? Enroll in the affiliate program. Make 60% payment on beehiiv’s monthly or annual plans when somebody join your code. It’s literally extra cash for sharing something you currently like.

Simply put, beehiiv turns money making into a built-in feature, rather than a job you dread.

2. Analytics That Don’t Make Your Head Explode

If you’ve ever before looked at a control panel reasoning, “What does any of this actually mean?”, you’ll appreciate beehiiv’s technique:.

• Clear Subscriber Growth Charts: See specifically the number of brand-new individuals joined, how many handed over, and why your listing shrank (a lot more on that in a sec).
• Open Up and Click Prices: Beehiiv breaks down efficiency over the last thirty day, so you can identify trends as soon as possible. As an example, I kept an eye on my open price (floating around 64%– not bad) and my click-through (around 3.5%). If either statistics dips, I modify my subject lines or calls-to-action.
• Money making Dashboards: Sponsorship revenue, boosts income, companion referral incomes– you get the picture. Earnings streams are neatly separated so nothing gets shed in the shuffle.

It resembles having a partner who informs you, “Hey, your January email eliminated it– right here’s why,” or “Uh oh, your February open prices are tanking– let’s fix this.”.

3. Growing Your List Without Offering Your Heart

A lot of e-newsletter systems will charge you for each extra client after a threshold. Not so with beehiiv– for up to 2,500 clients, it’s totally free. You get:.

• Unlimited email sends out.
• Access to the boosts network (expand your audience by advertising your newsletter on various other beehiiv e-newsletters).
• Basic analytics and forms.

If you’re a novice or have a tiny audience, this is substantial. You can try out subject lines, send frequency, and various lead magnets without stressing over striking a paywall.

4. Integrated Internet Site & Customized Pages

Picture ditching WordPress, Wix, or Squarespace altogether due to the fact that your e-newsletter platform doubles as a website builder. That’s beehiiv in short:.

• E-newsletter Archive Pages: All your past e-mails survive a blog-like page that’s immediately SEO-optimized.
• Customized Landing Pages: Need a lead magnet web page? A thank-you web page? A web page to offer a product? You can construct it right in beehiiv’s website builder.
• Mobile-Friendly Templates: Whatever looks great on phones– critical because a lots of people review emails on mobile.

Certain, you will not get every expensive drag-and-drop that a specialized website builder supplies, however, for many developers, it’s more than enough.

5. Referral Program to Turbo Charge Growth

Beehiiv’s referral program is incredible if you intend to use a community of similar designers. When your customer clicks on “Recommend This E-newsletter” and signs up with, both you and the referring designer obtain debt. It’s a smart method to expand your list without spamming.

The Downsides: What to Watch Out For

No item is best– and beehiiv has its missteps. Prior to you dive in, here’s what could trip you up:.

Feature Overload at First

When you visit, there are a lot of options– Forms, Boosts, Advertisements, Partner Program, Analytics, Website Builder– that it can really feel overwhelming. If you’ve just utilized a basic service that sends one-off emails, you could need a number of days to get comfortable.

Unimportant Advertisement Requests

Often the sponsors beehiiv matches you with have nothing to do with your niche. A video gaming newsletter may obtain provided a code-review device for designers. Make sure to decrease anything that doesn’t jive with your audience, or you’ll storage tank your click-throughs.

No Time At All Zone– Based Sends

If your checklist is international, you can not instantly schedule emails based on each customer’s time zone. All sends go out at once, so you may awaken to low open prices if half your list is asleep.

Personalized Web Page Builder Isn’t Extremely Intuitive

Creating a landing page is feasible, however the UI could be smoother. I invested a couple of hours (and a helpful chat with support) obtaining a giveaway opt-in web page ideal. If you’re impatient or design-averse, you might find it cumbersome.

Minimal Integrations

If you make use of Gumroad to market items, you’re out of good luck– no direct integration yet. You’ll have to utilize embed codes or a Zapier workaround.

All that said, beehiiv’s group is constantly turning out updates– and those cons are gradually but surely being dealt with.

Who Should Take into consideration beehiiv?

Not everyone requires a fully featured e-newsletter system. However if any of the following defines you, beehiiv might be a suit made in paradise:.

1. Absolute Beginners: You’ve never ever sent an e-mail blast, you don’t wish to invest money upfront, and you need a totally free, very easy way to experiment. Beehiiv allows you start totally free, send out limitless emails to approximately 2,500 customers, and expand naturally with the boosts network.
2. Small-List Creators: If you currently have a few hundred or a couple thousand clients yet no hint exactly how to turn that into income, beehiiv’s advertisement and boost programs are tailor-made for you. In my initial 10 months, I was making regarding $92/month with a ~ 1k list. Not bad for coffee money, right?
3. Makers Who Despise “Salesy” Things: You do not want to pitch products continuously or sling digital courses. You ‘d rather share value, develop depend on, and let the money been available in on auto-pilot. Beehiiv’s advertisement network and boosts let you make without crafting a four-part sales funnel.
4. Switchers Who Don’t Wish To Reconstruct Everything: Maybe you’re on Substack, Ghost, or Mailchimp, and your e-mail automations are a tangled mess. Beehiiv promises a smooth movement from those systems. And also, if you have a big checklist (state 10k+), you can obtain aid from beehiiv’s assistance group to relocate every little thing over without shedding your automations.

Beginning: A Detailed Walkthrough

Join and Discover the Control panel

Once you produce an account, beehiiv drops you into a dashboard where you see your customer count, open prices, click-through prices, and any pending ad deals. Think of it as your mission control– every little thing you require is just a click away.

Develop Your First Subscribe Type

Browse to Audience �’ Subscribe Types �’ Produce Brand-new Form. You’ll need:

• A headline that hooks site visitors
• A short blurb discussing what your e-newsletter has to do with
• A call-to-action button (e.g., “Join My Newsletter”)
• Your logo or a relevant picture
• A post-subscribe message or redirect (e.g., “Thanks for signing up with! Check your inbox in a sec.”)

You can pick from various type designs: full-width, fixed-width, slim embed (simply the email field), or progressed (with monitoring codes). The modification choices are fundamental– colors for switches and background pictures– yet it’s surprisingly efficient for capturing e-mails.

Set Up Your Website and Custom Pages

If you desire greater than simply a form, jump right into Style �’ Website Builder �’ Customized Pages �’ Internal Page. Utilize this to:

Host your newsletter archive (all previous problems, searchable and SEO-friendly).

Produce a landing page for a free offer (e.g., “Download my search engine optimization rip off sheet”).

Construct a thank-you page that goes real-time after somebody subscribes.

I invested a few hours tweaking my very first landing page, but once I got the hang of it, I realized how effective it is to have everything under one roof covering. Rather than managing Leadpages, WordPress, and Mailchimp, beehiiv does it all.

Draft Your Initial E-newsletter

Click the huge “Begin Composing” button in the top-right corner. You’ll see a clean, distraction-free editor where you can:

• Create your e-mail copy Beehiiv Vs Substack Vs Mailchimp
• Insert images, headers, and customized HTML blocks
• Preview how it’ll look in inboxes and on your website
• Schedule or send quickly

One catch: Personalization is limited. Every customer sees “Hello there” rather than “Hi there [First Name]” If you require hyper-personalization, you may miss that. However, for most people, a pleasant, conversational introduction suffices.

Activate Monetization

Once you strike 1,000 energetic subscribers, beehiiv will welcome you to:.

• Sign Up With the Advertisement Network: Automatically obtain sponsorship requests that match your specific niche. Select which ones to approve, put the ad duplicate into your newsletter, and make money per click/view.
• Establish Boosts: Put on advertise various other newsletters. If someone joins by means of your link, you gain $1–$ 3 per subscriber.

For paid e-newsletters, navigate to Money making �’ Paid Subscriptions. You’ll connect your Stripe account (beehiiv doesn’t bill additional fees beyond Stripe’s processing), establish your pricing plans (monthly, yearly, or “Call Your Price”), and determine what material goes behind the paywall.

Display and Enhance

Examine your analytics weekly. If open prices go down below 40%, reassess your subject lines. If a sponsorship gets absolutely no clicks, it could be pointless to your audience– decrease similar future ads. When a boost transforms well, send even more boost requests or tweak your deal.

It might seem like a lot in the beginning, yet I guarantee you’ll get the hang of it within a couple of days. And the incentives– both financial and in terms of your audience’s growth– deserve the preliminary contour.

Deep Dive: beehiiv’s Monetization Options

If you’re serious about transforming your e-newsletter into a money-making machine, let’s break down each earnings stream thoroughly.

1. beehiiv Partner Program (Affiliate Earnings)

Think of this as beehiiv’s affiliate program. Right here’s the lowdown:.

• How It Functions: You enroll in the Partner Program, get your special referral web link, and share it on your blog, Twitter, LinkedIn, anywhere. When somebody clicks, register for a paid plan (Scale or Max), you gain a compensation.
• Payment Rates: As Much As 60% of their first-year payment. If they pay $100, you could see $60. Cha-ching.
• Payment: Beehiiv pays regular monthly via PayPal. No minimum limit, no hoops to leap with.

In my situation, I published a Medium message walking individuals with my beehiiv experience (spoiler: this guide right here becomes part of that effort). With a mix of blog site website traffic and word-of-mouth, I transformed $5,000 in associate compensations by December 2024. All I did was share my genuine experience.

2. Boosts: Make by Helping Others Grow

Boosts are essentially funded promos– beehiiv’s spin on a “send for pay” version. Below’s the scoop:.

• Become a Boost Sponsor: If you think your e-newsletter can aid others grow, use in the Boosts dashboard. You’ll clarify why your audience is a good fit and established a price you would certainly pay for a brand-new customer.
• Apply to Boost Others: If you want fast subscribers, you can pay to boost your newsletter on other designers’ lists. However what a lot of tiny makers love is the reverse: you apply to be a boost companion for other e-newsletters. When somebody subscribe via your boost, you obtain $1–$ 3
• Limits:
  • You can send up to 25 boost uses per month, but beehiiv only surface areas three deals at once to prospective companions.
  • If a boost is performing well, various other creators will certainly pick it up promptly.

Below’s a quick example: In October 2024, I advertised a fellow search engine optimization developer’s newsletter for $1.75 per client. Over 2 weeks, I produced 200 brand-new clients for them– and made about $350 in the process. Win-win.

3. beehiiv Ad Network (Sponsored Ads)

This is where the big dollars can be available in, even if your checklist is “small.” Below’s just how it goes:

• Qualification: You need a minimum of 1,000 active customers and a consistent send out routine (at least one e-mail per month, though once a week is suitable).
• Automation: As soon as authorized, you’ll begin obtaining 3– 5 sponsorship requests each month. Beehiiv matches you with brands based on your audience’s interests– so a marketing SaaS firm may approach an SEO-focused e-newsletter, for instance.
• Payment Version:
  • Cost Per Click (CPC): You generate income every time somebody clicks the advertisement in your email.
  • Price Per Mille (CPM): You gain based on a thousand impacts.
• Ease of Use: You can approve or decrease each offer right from your dashboard. Beehiiv handles all the invoicing. All you do is copy-paste the advertisement right into your e-newsletter.

In 2024, I ran 37 sponsored advertisements, consisting of a couple of high-profile brands like HubSpot. I made $632 from ads alone, with my top campaign creating $112 from 35 clicks (4.5% click-through). Keep in mind: significance is king. Unimportant advertisements container click-through prices, so be discerning.

4. Paid Subscriptions (” Premium Material”)

If you create truly unique material– deep dive reports, exclusive tutorials, or expert evaluations– you might consider a paid rate. Here’s the 101:

• Configuration: Go to Money Making �’ Paid Memberships, attach Stripe, and pick your pricing:
  • Monthly
  • Yearly (typically discounted)
  • One-time settlement (for a single overview or program)
  • Call Your Rate (your clients select what they can afford)
• Revenue Split: Beehiiv does not charge you a platform charge; they just pass Stripe’s processing fee (2.9% + $0.30) on you.
• Instances: If you have 100 customers paying $7/month, that’s $700/month = $8,400/ year (minus Stripe charges). Not bad, ideal? Certainly, getting to 100 paid subscribers suggests you require a devoted, involved base.

Now, be practical: Paid subscriptions are a grind. You require regular, high-value web content that makes individuals comfortable taking out their purses. If you’re just beginning, the advertisement network and boosts may be quicker success.

Pricing Plans: What You’ll Pay (and Get)

I understand pricing is a huge question mark when you’re thinking about changing platforms. Below’s the failure as of mid-2025:.

• Free Plan (approximately 2,500 clients): Great for pet projects or if you’re checking the waters. You still get boosts for listing growth, standard analytics, and unlimited sends out– just no ad network or paid subscriptions yet.
• Scale ($ 39.20/ month): Suitable if you’re serious about monetizing. You get advertisement network gain access to, boosts, paid subscriptions, and the AI Composing Aide to quicken your newsletter production.
• Max ($ 87.29/ month): If AI tools (image generation, grammar fixing, translation) matter to you, and you desire concern assistance, this is the wonderful area. And also, you can release a mobile application for your subscribers.
• Enterprise (100k+ subscribers): For brands and mega-creators who require customized movements, service-level arrangements, and advanced safety. Very few tiny designers need this.

My suggestion? Start on the Free plan. Obtain a feel for the dashboard, grow your list to 1,000, after that upgrade to Scale as soon as you recognize you classifieds income and boosts.

Distinct Features Beehiiv Vs Substack Vs Mailchimp

You may be believing, “Okay, ads and boosts are awesome. However what else can beehiiv do that can’t?” Let me highlight a few standout features:.

1. Sound E-newsletters

Ever thought about turning your email right into a podcast-like experience? Beehiiv’s integrated audio newsletter feature automatically transforms your e-mails into spoken-word audio. No extra editing software program, no outsourcing to Fiverr– just toggle it on, and your clients can pay attention on the go. For hectic audiences who drive or work out, this is a handy way to stay linked.

2. Custom Mobile Application for Visitors

The majority of platforms offer you a “mobile-optimized internet site.” Beehiiv goes one step better: you can introduce a custom mobile application for your customers. Once they add it to their home screen, your e-newsletter ends up being a one-tap experience– no inbox mess. Imagine getting up and seeing app notifications when you drop a brand-new issue. Talk about involvement.

3. “Name Your Price” Memberships

As opposed to forcing everybody right into $5 or $7 rates, let your most dedicated fans determine what to pay. It’s a trust-building move and can bring about higher life time value. I have not checked this feature personally yet, but also for designers who feel a bit worried concerning cost factors, it’s a pleasant option to try out.

4. beehiiv AI Suite

For those on Scale and Max plans, beehiiv’s AI devices are a blessing:

• AI Creating Aide: Create e-newsletter drafts based on bullet factors or topics. For days when you’re looking at an empty web page, this starts your creativity.
• AI Text Tool: Grammar, punctuation, tone checks– no demand for Grammarly. You obtain a clean, polished draft that really feels human Beehiiv Vs Substack Vs Mailchimp.
• AI Picture Tool: Develop personalized header photos or images without acquiring supply pictures. Simply type a prompt, and voila.
• AI Translator: Want to send your newsletter in multiple languages? Equate your material into Spanish, French, German, Italian, or Portuguese promptly.

These features can shave hours off web content production and help you trying out brand-new layouts.

Pro Tips For Prospering on beehiiv

Since you know what beehiiv can do, below are some insider hacks to take advantage of it:

Tidy Your List for Better Performance

In August 2024, I reduced my client count in half (from about 2,400 down to 1,200) by getting rid of inactive e-mails– people who had not opened up anything in six months. My open rates leapt from ~ 45% to over 60%, which indicated advertisers paid more per click. It harmed to lose clients, but a lean, involved checklist deserves greater than a puffed up, easy one.

Explore Topic Lines Like a Pro

Subject lines make or break open rates. Do A/B tests on tiny sections before sending out to your entire listing. Brief, punchy, question-based subjects (” Ready to increase your web traffic?”) often outperform common ones (” April Newsletter”).

Be Pickier with Advertisement Offers

If an ad does not resonate with your niche, say no. Irrelevant ads frustrate viewers and tank click metrics. In time, beehiiv’s formula will certainly discover what fits your audience– decrease sufficient off-topic deals, and they’ll stop sending them.

Usage Boosts to Evaluate New Audiences

Obtained a new category you want to discover? Attempt improving your newsletter in a related specific niche. The cost per customer averages $1.63– but if those customers linger, it deserves it. I when improved a search engine optimization newsletter in a digital marketing audience and got a shocking uptick in retention.

Take Advantage Of AI for Faster Manufacturing

On evenings when I’m stressed out, I ask the AI Writing Aide to prepare a rough outline: introduction, three main points, conclusion. Then I flesh it out with my own stories and style tweaks. It’s not ideal, but it’s a solid foundation that saves me 30– 45 minutes per email.

Make use of the Mobile Application

Encourage customers to mount your newsletter’s mobile app. In your next email, create a quick “Just how to Include Our Newsletter to Your Home Screen” tutorial. Even more app installs imply even more presence, and push notifications beat inbox sound.

Deal Periodic Paid-Only Material

Instead of making every issue free, tease a “bonus report” once a quarter behind a paywall ($ 5–$ 7). Promote it heavily to your list. Even if you only market 20 copies, that’s $100–$ 140 that offsets your monthly beehiiv bill.

Wrapping Up: Is beehiiv Right for You?

If you’ve stuck with me this far, you most likely come under among these camps:

• You’ve never sent out a newsletter, however you’re itching to start– beehiiv’s free plan and user-friendly devices are perfect for learning the ropes.
• You have a little list (< 2,500) and intend to generate income from without frustrations-- beehiiv's advertisement network and boosts pay you for doing practically nothing extra.
• You’re a mid-sized designer (1k+ subscribers) looking to range– beehiiv’s analytics, AI tools, and referral program help you grow quicker and make extra.
• You hate intricate e-mail platforms– beehiiv strikes an equilibrium between powerful features and easy to use style.

Certain, the feature collection can really feel discouraging initially, and you might get a few irrelevant advertisement demands. Yet consider this: in under a year, I made practically $1,000 on a tiny listing and over $5,000 in associate compensations just by sharing my experience. I have actually seen sufficient to recognize that if you spend a little bit of time learning the platform, the returns can be significant.

So, what are you waiting on? Register for beehiiv, explore the control panel, and let the money making engines turn. Your future self will certainly thank you when the checks roll in.