Beehiiv Pros and Cons – High-Ranked Newsletter Provider!

So, you’ve been dabbling the concept of transforming your e-mail listing into an earnings stream, yet you’re overwhelmed by all the choices out there. Audio acquainted? You’re not the only one. If you’ve been using a standard email service and scraping your head about sponsorships, ads, and paid memberships, it might be time to take a look at beehiiv. In this guide, I’ll walk you through whatever you need to know about using beehiiv to transform your newsletter into cash– all from my own experience. Ready? Let’s dive in Beehiiv Pros and Cons

Why You May be Stuck with Your Current Email Platform

You’ve most likely tried the common suspects: Mailchimp, ConvertKit (now Kit), Substack, or something similar. And if you’re like most small-scale content developers, below’s what likely took place:

Limited Monetization Alternatives

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

Do It Yourself Automation Headaches

You wish to trickle campaign brand-new customers, send out a welcome collection, and sector people for targeted e-mails … however setting up those automations feels like you need a computer technology degree.

System Charges Suck

Each time you think about paid memberships, the platform takes a massive piece, and the repayment configuration is a lot more difficult than it deserves.

Development Stalls

Growth hacks appear to work for everybody else– but not for you. You wish there was a very easy means to locate brand-new subscribers without by hand chasing them down.

I remained in your footwear at the start of 2024. I ‘d been utilizing Kit (formerly ConvertKit), however it felt like a stumbling block for money making. Don’t get me wrong– Kit is wonderful for constructing funnels and setting up standard automations. However when it pertained to making a couple of hundred dollars a month from a little listing, there had not been an apparent “on” button.

Go into beehiiv.

My Change to beehiiv: A Truth Examine

In January 2024, I ultimately pulled the trigger and relocated my e-newsletter from Kit to beehiiv. Right here’s the honest truth: I really did not have time to hound enrollers, discuss rates, or construct difficult paid funnels. I run a SEO writing business full-time, so my e-newsletter was constantly going to be a side project. I needed something that practically ran itself.

The “Offer Me” Minute

What sold me on beehiiv was simple:

Built-In Money making: Right from the beginning, beehiiv yells, “Hey, you can earn money right here!” It had not been an afterthought or a third-party add-on.
Low-Effort Sponsorships: Instead of me scouring LinkedIn for sponsors, beehiiv brings deals directly to my control panel. All I have to do is click “accept,” drop in the advertisement copy, and struck send out.
Easy Earnings Boosts: By advertising various other e-newsletters in my once a week email, I make $1–$ 3 per referred client. No heavy lifting, no challenging analytics– simply constant, step-by-step earnings.

Looter alert: It paid off. In my very first complete year on beehiiv (2024 ), I pulled in $940 from advertisement sponsorships and boosts alone– on a listing that never ever covered 1,000 clients. I didn’t develop a paid training course. I didn’t introduce a product and I simply let beehiiv do its thing.

My Partner Program Windfall

As if that had not been enough, I also joined the beehiiv Partner Program– primarily an affiliate program. By covering beehiiv on my blog site and sharing my experience with buddies, I pocketed $5,108 in referral compensations with completion of 2024. Yep, you review that right: over five grand, simply by discussing the system.

So if you’re wondering whether beehiiv is worth it for little developers or newbies, take my word: It’s a game-changer. But, naturally, it isn’t remarkable. Let’s break down the good, the bad, and the great things you require to recognize.

The Advantage of Using beehiiv

1. Monetization Made Extremely Basic

What I like finest concerning beehiiv is exactly how very easy it is to make money on autopilot. You don’t need a huge target market. Here’s just how it functions:

Ad Network Sponsorships: Once you hit just 1,000 active subscribers, brands start lining up. You get 3– 6 ad requests monthly generally. You pick the ones you like, place the copy, and you’re done. They ppc or see– no difficult invoicing. And due to the fact that beehiiv matches you with relevant brand names, your subscribers are more probable to click.
Boosts Referral Income: Do not have sponsors yet? Not a problem. Promote various other designer e-newsletters for $1–$ 3 per customer. It’s like Amazon’s affiliate program, but also for email lists. I earned numerous hundred bucks this way without breaking a sweat.
Paid Subscriptions (When You’re Ready): Down the line, if you decide to charge for exceptional material, beehiiv takes a very little charge (2.9% + $0.30 per deal by means of Stripe). You can establish numerous pricing rates, run free trials, or even let customers “call their cost.”.
Partner Program Commissions: Not in it for the short haul? Enroll in the affiliate program. Make 60% compensation on beehiiv’s monthly or yearly plans when somebody signs up with your code. It’s actually added cash for sharing something you already love.

Put simply, beehiiv turns monetization right into a built-in feature, rather than a task you dread.

2. Analytics That Don’t Make Your Head Explode

If you’ve ever stared at a dashboard thinking, “What does any one of this really mean?”, you’ll appreciate beehiiv’s method:.

Clear Subscriber Development Charts: See exactly the amount of brand-new individuals joined, how many left, and why your listing reduced (more on that in a sec).
Open and Click Prices: Beehiiv breaks down efficiency over the last one month, so you can spot fads right away. For example, I kept an eye on my open rate (hovering around 64%– okay) and my click-through (around 3.5%). If either statistics dips, I modify my subject lines or calls-to-action.
Money making Dashboards: Sponsorship profits, boosts income, companion referral earnings– you understand. Revenue streams are nicely divided so nothing gets lost in the shuffle.

It’s like having a sidekick who informs you, “Hey, your January e-mail killed it– right here’s why,” or “Uh oh, your February open rates are tanking– let’s repair this.”.

3. Expanding Your Checklist Without Marketing Your Heart

The majority of e-newsletter systems will charge you for every added customer after a threshold. Not so with beehiiv– for up to 2,500 subscribers, it’s free. You get:.

Unlimited email sends.
Accessibility to the boosts network (grow your target market by advertising your newsletter on various other beehiiv newsletters).
Fundamental analytics and types.

If you’re a beginner or have a small target market, this is huge. You can trying out subject lines, send out frequency, and various lead magnets without bothering with striking a paywall.

4. Built-In Web Site & Customized Pages

Imagine dropping WordPress, Wix, or Squarespace entirely due to the fact that your e-newsletter platform doubles as a website builder. That’s beehiiv in a nutshell:.

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

Certain, you will not get every elegant drag-and-drop that a devoted website builder supplies, however, for most makers, it’s sufficient.

5. Referral Program to Supercharge Growth

Beehiiv’s referral program is outstanding if you wish to take advantage of a community of like-minded developers. When your subscriber clicks “Recommend This E-newsletter” and joins, both you and the referring maker get debt. It’s a wise way to expand your list without spamming.

The Downsides: What to Keep an eye out for

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

Feature Overload initially

When you visit, there are many choices– Kinds, Boosts, Ads, Partner Program, Analytics, Website Builder– that it can really feel frustrating. If you’ve only made use of a basic solution that sends out one-off emails, you may need a number of days to obtain comfy.

Unimportant Advertisement Requests

In some cases the sponsors beehiiv matches you with have nothing to do with your particular niche. A gaming newsletter could get used a code-review tool for designers. Make certain to decline anything that does not jive with your audience, or you’ll tank your click-throughs.

No Time Area– Based Sends Out

If your list is international, you can not instantly schedule e-mails based upon each customer’s time zone. All sends out head out at the same time, so you might awaken to reduced open rates if half your list is asleep.

Customized Web Page Builder Isn’t Incredibly Instinctive

Creating a landing page is possible, yet the UI could be smoother. I invested a few hours (and a useful chat with assistance) obtaining a freebie opt-in web page just right. If you’re impatient or design-averse, you might locate it cumbersome.

Limited Integrations

If you use Gumroad to market products, you run out luck– no direct integration yet. You’ll have to utilize embed codes or a Zapier workaround.

All that stated, beehiiv’s team is continuously rolling out updates– and those cons are slowly yet surely being addressed.

Who Should Think about beehiiv?

Not every person needs a totally included e-newsletter platform. But if any one of the following defines you, beehiiv may be a match made in paradise:.

Absolute Beginners: You’ve never ever sent an email blast, you do not want to invest cash ahead of time, and you need a totally free, easy way to experiment. Beehiiv allows you start absolutely free, send out limitless emails to approximately 2,500 subscribers, and expand naturally with the boosts network.
Small-List Creators: If you currently have a couple of hundred or a pair thousand subscribers yet no idea exactly how to turn that into income, beehiiv’s advertisement and boost programs are custom-made for you. In my very first ten months, I was making regarding $92/month with a ~ 1k listing. Not bad for coffee money, right?
Makers Who Dislike “Salesy” Things: You do not want to pitch products continuously or sling digital programs. You ‘d rather share worth, develop trust, and let the cash come in on autopilot. Beehiiv’s ad network and boosts let you earn without crafting a four-part sales funnel.
Switchers Who Don’t Wish To Rebuild Every Little Thing: Possibly you’re on Substack, Ghost, or Mailchimp, and your e-mail automations are a twisted mess. Beehiiv assures a smooth movement from those platforms. Plus, if you have a big list (state 10k+), you can obtain help from beehiiv’s support team to relocate whatever over without losing your automations.

Starting: A Detailed Walkthrough

Subscribe and Discover the Dashboard

Once you develop an account, beehiiv drops you right into a dashboard where you see your client matter, open rates, click-through prices, and any pending advertisement offers. Consider it as your mission control– every little thing you need is simply a click away.

Develop Your Initial Subscribe Type

Browse to Target Market �’ Subscribe Types �’ Produce New Form. You’ll require:

A headline that hooks site visitors
A brief blurb explaining what your newsletter is about
A call-to-action switch (e.g., “Join My Newsletter”)
Your logo or a pertinent picture
A post-subscribe message or redirect (e.g., “Many thanks for signing up with! Inspect your inbox in a sec.”)

You can select from different type designs: full-width, fixed-width, slim embed (simply the e-mail area), or advanced (with monitoring codes). The customization choices are fundamental– shades for switches and background pictures– but it’s remarkably efficient for capturing emails.

Set Up Your Site and Personalized Pages

If you want greater than simply a form, jump into Design �’ Website Builder �’ Personalized Pages �’ Internal Page. Use this to:

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

Produce a landing page for a giveaway (e.g., “Download my search engine optimization cheat sheet”).

Construct a thank-you page that goes live after someone subscribes.

I invested a couple of hours tweaking my first landing page, but once I mastered it, I recognized exactly how powerful it is to have every little thing under one roof. As opposed to juggling Leadpages, WordPress, and Mailchimp, beehiiv does it all.

Draft Your Initial E-newsletter

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

Create your e-mail copy Beehiiv Pros and Cons
Place pictures, headers, and personalized HTML obstructs
Preview just how it’ll look in inboxes and on your site
Set up or send right away

One catch: Customization is limited. Every subscriber sees “Hello there” as opposed to “Hi there [Given name]” If you need hyper-personalization, you could miss out on that. But also for the majority of folks, a pleasant, conversational introduction suffices.

Switch on Money making

When you strike 1,000 active clients, beehiiv will invite you to:.

Sign Up With the Ad Network: Automatically get sponsorship requests that match your particular niche. Pick which ones to approve, insert the advertisement duplicate right into your newsletter, and make money per click/view.
Set Up Boosts: Relate to advertise other newsletters. If somebody joins using your web link, you gain $1–$ 3 per customer.

For paid e-newsletters, browse to Money making �’ Paid Memberships. You’ll link your Stripe account (beehiiv does not charge extra charges beyond Stripe’s processing), set your pricing plans (monthly, yearly, or “Name Your Cost”), and choose what content goes behind the paywall.

Display and Enhance

Examine your analytics weekly. If open rates go down below 40%, rethink your subject lines. If a sponsorship gets absolutely no clicks, it may be irrelevant to your audience– decline similar future ads. When a boost converts well, send more boost demands or tweak your deal.

It might feel like a lot at first, yet I guarantee you’ll get the hang of it within a couple of days. And the rewards– both economic and in terms of your audience’s growth– deserve the preliminary contour.

Deep Dive: beehiiv’s Monetization Options

If you’re serious about turning your newsletter into an economic machine, let’s break down each earnings stream carefully.

1. beehiiv Partner Program (Affiliate Incomes)

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

How It Functions: You register for the Partner Program, get your distinct referral link, and share it on your blog site, Twitter, LinkedIn, any place. When a person clicks, enroll in a paid plan (Scale or Max), you make a commission.
Compensation Fees: As Much As 60% of their first-year repayment. If they pay $100, you could see $60. Cha-ching.
Payment: Beehiiv pays month-to-month through PayPal. No minimum threshold, no hoops to leap through.

In my instance, I published a Medium blog post strolling individuals via my beehiiv experience (looter: this overview right here becomes part of that effort). Through a mix of blog site traffic and word-of-mouth, I transformed $5,000 in affiliate commissions by December 2024. All I did was share my real experience.

2. Boosts: Make by Aiding Others Expand

Boosts are generally funded promotions– beehiiv’s spin on a “send for pay” model. Here’s the scoop:.

End Up Being a Boost Sponsor: If you assume your newsletter can help others grow, apply in the Boosts dashboard. You’ll clarify why your target market is a good fit and established a cost you would certainly pay for a brand-new customer.
Put on Boost Others: If you want quick customers, you can pay to boost your newsletter on various other makers’ listings. However what the majority of little developers enjoy is the opposite: you relate to be a boost companion for other e-newsletters. When somebody join with your boost, you obtain $1–$ 3
Restrictions:
- You can send up to 25 boost offers each month, yet beehiiv only surface areas three offers at a time to possible companions.
- If a boost is executing well, other makers will pick it up swiftly.

Right here’s a quick instance: In October 2024, I promoted a fellow SEO creator’s newsletter for $1.75 per subscriber. Over two weeks, I generated 200 brand-new customers for them– and made regarding $350 at the same time. Win-win.

3. beehiiv Ad Network (Sponsored Ads)

This is where the big bucks can come in, even if your listing is “tiny.” Below’s exactly how it goes:

Eligibility: You require a minimum of 1,000 energetic subscribers and a constant send out timetable (a minimum of one e-mail monthly, though once a week is perfect).
Automation: As soon as authorized, you’ll begin obtaining 3– 5 sponsorship demands per month. Beehiiv matches you with brand names based upon your target market’s passions– so a marketing SaaS business might approach an SEO-focused e-newsletter, for instance.
Repayment Version:
- Expense Per Click (CPC): You make money each time someone clicks the advertisement in your e-mail.
- Cost Per Mille (CPM): You gain based on a thousand perceptions.
Reduce of Use: You can accept or decline each deal right from your control panel. Beehiiv deals with all the invoicing. All you do is copy-paste the advertisement into your e-newsletter.

In 2024, I ran 37 sponsored advertisements, consisting of a couple of high-profile brand names like HubSpot. I made $632 from advertisements alone, with my leading campaign producing $112 from 35 clicks (4.5% click-through). Bear in mind: relevance is king. Pointless advertisements tank click-through prices, so be careful.

4. Paid Subscriptions (” Costs Material”)

If you produce genuinely unique content– deep dive records, unique tutorials, or insider evaluations– you might think about a paid rate. Right here’s the 101:

Setup: Go to Monetization �’ Paid Registrations, connect Stripe, and choose your pricing:
- Regular monthly
- Yearly (generally marked down)
- One-time payment (for a solitary overview or training course)
- Name Your Price (your clients choose what they can manage)
Income Split: Beehiiv doesn’t bill you a system charge; they just pass Stripe’s processing fee (2.9% + $0.30) on you.
Examples: If you have 100 clients paying $7/month, that’s $700/month = $8,400/ year (minus Stripe fees). Okay, best? Naturally, reaching 100 paid customers implies you need a devoted, involved base.

Currently, be sensible: Paid subscriptions are a grind. You require constant, high-value material that makes people comfy pulling out their budgets. If you’re just starting, the advertisement network and boosts may be quicker success.

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

I recognize pricing is a large question mark when you’re thinking about switching over platforms. Below’s the breakdown as of mid-2025:.

Free Plan (up to 2,500 subscribers): Great for pet projects or if you’re evaluating the waters. You still get boosts for checklist development, fundamental analytics, and unrestricted sends– simply no ad network or paid subscriptions yet.
Scale ($ 39.20/ month): Perfect if you’re serious about monetizing. You obtain ad network access, boosts, paid registrations, and the AI Composing Aide to quicken your e-newsletter development.
Max ($ 87.29/ month): If AI tools (image generation, grammar repairing, translation) matter to you, and you want top priority assistance, this is the wonderful spot. Plus, you can introduce a mobile app for your subscribers.
Enterprise (100k+ clients): For brand names and mega-creators who require customized migrations, service-level contracts, and progressed security. Very few tiny creators need this.

My referral? Begin on the Free plan. Get a feel for the dashboard, expand your checklist to 1,000, then upgrade to Scale once you understand you classifieds income and boosts.

Distinct Features Beehiiv Pros and Cons

You may be assuming, “Okay, ads and boosts are awesome. However what else can beehiiv do that can not?” Let me highlight a couple of standout features:.

1. Audio E-newsletters

Ever before thought of turning your e-mail into a podcast-like experience? Beehiiv’s integrated sound newsletter feature automatically converts your emails right into spoken-word audio. No added editing and enhancing software, no outsourcing to Fiverr– just toggle it on, and your subscribers can pay attention on the go. For busy audiences who drive or exercise, this is a handy method to stay connected.

2. Custom Mobile Apps for Readers

Many platforms offer you a “mobile-optimized website.” Beehiiv goes one action further: you can launch a custom mobile application for your subscribers. Once they add it to their home display, your newsletter comes to be a one-tap experience– no inbox clutter. Think of waking up and seeing application alerts when you drop a brand-new problem. Discuss interaction.

3. “Name Your Price” Subscriptions

Instead of requiring every person right into $5 or $7 tiers, let your most loyal fans determine what to pay. It’s a trust-building relocation and can bring about greater life time value. I have not evaluated this feature personally yet, but for creators who really feel a bit worried about rate factors, it’s a sweet alternative to try out.

4. beehiiv AI Suite

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

AI Composing Assistant: Create e-newsletter drafts based on bullet points or subjects. For days when you’re staring at a blank page, this jumpstarts your imagination.
AI Text Tool: Grammar, punctuation, tone checks– no requirement for Grammarly. You get a clean, polished draft that really feels human Beehiiv Pros and Cons.
AI Picture Tool: Develop custom-made header pictures or pictures without acquiring stock photos. Simply type a punctual, and voila.
AI Translator: Wish to send your e-newsletter in numerous languages? Convert your material into Spanish, French, German, Italian, or Portuguese instantaneously.

These features can shave hours off content development and aid you trying out new formats.

Pro Tips For Doing well on beehiiv

Since you recognize what beehiiv can do, right here are some insider hacks to make the most of it:

Clean Your Checklist for Better Performance

In August 2024, I cut my client matter in half (from concerning 2,400 to 1,200) by eliminating inactive e-mails– people who had not opened up anything in 6 months. My open prices leapt from ~ 45% to over 60%, which implied advertisers paid more per click. It hurt to shed customers, however a lean, engaged checklist is worth greater than a puffed up, passive one.

Trying Out Topic Lines Like a Pro

Subject lines make or burst rates. Do A/B tests on small segments before sending out to your entire listing. Short, punchy, question-based topics (” Ready to increase your traffic?”) typically outperform generic ones (” April Newsletter”).

Be Pickier with Advertisement Offers

If an ad doesn’t resonate with your niche, say no. Unimportant ads irritate readers and storage tank click metrics. In time, beehiiv’s algorithm will learn what fits your audience– decrease sufficient off-topic deals, and they’ll stop sending them.

Use Boosts to Evaluate New Audiences

Obtained a new classification you wish to discover? Attempt enhancing your newsletter in a related niche. The cost per customer standards $1.63– yet if those subscribers stick around, it deserves it. I once improved a search engine optimization e-newsletter in a digital marketing target market and obtained a shocking uptick in retention.

Utilize AI for Faster Production

On nights when I’m burnt out, I ask the AI Composing Assistant to draft a rough outline: intro, three main points, conclusion. After that I flesh it out with my own anecdotes and design tweaks. It’s not perfect, but it’s a solid structure that conserves me 30– 45 minutes per email.

Make use of the Mobile Application

Encourage clients to install your newsletter’s mobile app. In your next e-mail, compose a quick “Exactly how to Add Our E-newsletter to Your Home Display” tutorial. More app mounts mean more presence, and press alerts defeat inbox sound.

Offer Periodic Paid-Only Content

Rather than making every issue cost-free, tease a “incentive record” once a quarter behind a paywall ($ 5–$ 7). Promote it heavily to your list. Even if you only offer 20 copies, that’s $100–$ 140 that offsets your regular monthly beehiiv costs.

Completing: Is beehiiv Right for You?

If you’ve stuck with me this far, you possibly fall into among these camps:

You’ve never ever sent an e-newsletter, however you’re itching to start– beehiiv’s free plan and intuitive devices are best for learning the ropes.
You have a tiny checklist (< 2,500) and intend to monetize without headaches-- beehiiv's advertisement network and boosts pay you for doing virtually absolutely nothing additional.
You’re a mid-sized creator (1k+ customers) aiming to scale– beehiiv’s analytics, AI devices, and referral program assist you expand quicker and earn a lot more.
You dislike complex email systems– beehiiv strikes an equilibrium between powerful features and user-friendly layout.

Certain, the feature collection can really feel daunting at first, and you may get a couple of unnecessary advertisement demands. Yet consider this: in under a year, I made virtually $1,000 on a tiny listing and over $5,000 in affiliate compensations simply by sharing my experience. I’ve seen adequate to understand that if you spend a little bit of time learning the system, the returns can be considerable.

So, what are you waiting on? Sign up for beehiiv, discover the control panel, and let the monetization engines transform. Your future self will certainly thank you when the checks roll in.