Substack Vs Beehiiv Vs ConvertKit – All-in-One Newsletter Growth System!

So, you’ve been dabbling the idea of transforming your email list into a revenue stream, but you’re bewildered by all the choices out there. Noise acquainted? You’re not the only one. If you have actually been using a standard e-mail service and scratching your head concerning sponsorships, ads, and paid subscriptions, it may be time to have a look at beehiiv. In this overview, I’ll stroll you through everything you need to understand about utilizing beehiiv to turn your newsletter into money– all from my very own experience. Ready? Let’s dive in Substack Vs Beehiiv Vs ConvertKit

Why You May be Stuck with Your Existing Email System

You have actually probably attempted the common suspects: Mailchimp, ConvertKit (currently Kit), Substack, or something similar. And if you’re like many small content developers, here’s what likely took place:

Minimal Monetization Choices

You have a handful of dedicated customers– maybe 500 to 1,000 individuals– yet no easy method to generate income. Sponsorships feel like a foreign language, and you’re not keen on cold-emailing brands each month.

DIY Automation Headaches

You want to trickle campaign new subscribers, send a welcome series, and section individuals for targeted e-mails … but establishing those automations feels like you require a computer technology degree.

Platform Fees Draw

Every time you think of paid subscriptions, the system takes a huge portion, and the repayment arrangement is more complex than it’s worth.

Growth Stalls

Growth hacks seem to benefit everyone else– but not for you. You desire there was an easy method to discover new customers without by hand chasing them down.

I remained in your shoes at the beginning of 2024. I would certainly been making use of Kit (previously ConvertKit), but it seemed like a stumbling block for monetization. Don’t get me wrong– Kit is excellent for developing funnels and setting up fundamental automations. However when it came to making even a few hundred bucks a month from a small list, there had not been a noticeable “on” button.

Enter beehiiv.

My Change to beehiiv: A Fact Inspect

In January 2024, I lastly shot and relocated my newsletter from Kit to beehiiv. Right here’s the honest truth: I didn’t have time to hunt down sponsors, bargain prices, or construct complex paid funnels. I run a search engine optimization writing company full time, so my newsletter was always mosting likely to be a side project. I needed something that almost ran itself.

The “Sell Me” Minute

What offered me on beehiiv was straightforward:

Integrated Monetization: Right from the beginning, beehiiv shouts, “Hey, you can earn money here!” It had not been an afterthought or a third-party add-on.
Low-Effort Sponsorships: As opposed to me scouring LinkedIn for sponsors, beehiiv brings offers directly to my dashboard. All I have to do is click “approve,” decrease in the ad copy, and struck send.
Passive Earnings Boosts: By advertising various other e-newsletters in my regular e-mail, I make $1–$ 3 per referred client. No heavy training, no complicated analytics– simply steady, step-by-step earnings.

Spoiler alert: It settled. In my very first complete year on beehiiv (2024 ), I drew in $940 from advertisement sponsorships and boosts alone– on a list that never topped 1,000 subscribers. I really did not produce a paid program. I didn’t launch an item and I simply let beehiiv do its thing.

My Partner Program Windfall

As if that wasn’t sufficient, I also signed up with the beehiiv Partner Program– essentially an affiliate program. By writing about beehiiv on my blog site and sharing my experience with chums, I took $5,108 in referral commissions through completion of 2024. Yep, you review that right: over five grand, simply by talking about the platform.

So if you’re wondering whether beehiiv deserves it for small creators or newbies, take my word: It’s a game-changer. Yet, certainly, it isn’t flawless. Let’s break down the excellent, the bad, and the great things you require to understand.

The Benefit of Using beehiiv

1. Money Making Made Extremely Easy

What I love best about beehiiv is how simple it is to make money on autopilot. You don’t require a big target market. Right here’s just how it functions:

Ad Network Sponsorships: As soon as you hit just 1,000 active customers, brand names begin lining up. You obtain 3– 6 advertisement demands each month typically. You choose the ones you like, place the duplicate, and you’re done. They ppc or check out– no difficult invoicing. And due to the fact that beehiiv matches you with appropriate brands, your clients are more probable to click.
Boosts Referral Earnings: Do not have sponsors yet? Not a problem. Promote various other developer e-newsletters for $1–$ 3 per customer. It’s like Amazon’s affiliate program, however, for e-mail checklists. I earned numerous hundred bucks by doing this without breaking a sweat.
Paid Subscriptions (When You prepare): Down the line, if you make a decision to charge for premium content, beehiiv takes a minimal fee (2.9% + $0.30 per transaction using Stripe). You can set up several pricing tiers, run cost-free tests, and even let subscribers “name their price.”.
Partner Program Compensations: Not in it for the brief haul? Enroll in the affiliate program. Gain 60% payment on beehiiv’s month-to-month or annual plans when somebody register with your code. It’s essentially additional cash money for sharing something you currently love.

Simply put, beehiiv turns money making right into an integrated feature, rather than a task you fear.

2. Analytics That Do Not Make Your Head Explode

If you’ve ever before looked at a control panel reasoning, “What does any one of this in fact suggest?”, you’ll value beehiiv’s method:.

Clear Client Development Graphs: See specifically how many brand-new people joined, the number of handed over, and why your list shrank (more on that in a sec).
Open Up and Click Prices: Beehiiv breaks down efficiency over the last 1 month, so you can identify fads right away. For example, I kept an eye on my open rate (floating around 64%– not bad) and my click-through (around 3.5%). If either metric dips, I fine-tune my subject lines or calls-to-action.
Money making Dashboards: Sponsorship profits, boosts earnings, companion referral profits– you understand. Revenue streams are nicely separated so nothing obtains shed in the shuffle.

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

3. Growing Your List Without Selling Your Heart

Many e-newsletter platforms will certainly charge you for every additional client after a limit. Not so with beehiiv– for up to 2,500 customers, it’s totally free. You obtain:.

Unrestricted e-mail sends.
Accessibility to the boosts network (expand your target market by promoting your e-newsletter on various other beehiiv e-newsletters).
Standard analytics and types.

If you’re a newbie or have a little target market, this is big. You can trying out subject lines, send frequency, and various lead magnets without stressing over striking a paywall.

4. Integrated Web Site & Custom Pages

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

Newsletter Archive Pages: All your past e-mails survive a blog-like page that’s immediately SEO-optimized.
Custom-made Landing Pages: Need a lead magnet web page? A thank-you page? A web page to market an item? You can build it right in beehiiv’s website builder.
Mobile-Friendly Templates: Everything looks terrific on phones– crucial because a ton of people check out emails on mobile.

Sure, you won’t obtain every expensive drag-and-drop that a committed website builder supplies, but also for most makers, it’s ample.

5. Referral Program to Supercharge Growth

Beehiiv’s referral program is remarkable if you wish to use a community of similar makers. When your subscriber clicks “Recommend This Newsletter” and signs up with, both you and the referring developer obtain credit report. It’s a smart way to expand your checklist without spamming.

The Downsides: What to Keep an eye out for

No product is excellent– and beehiiv has its hiccups. Before you dive in, below’s what might trip you up:.

Feature Overload at First

When you visit, there are so many options– Kinds, Boosts, Advertisements, Partner Program, Analytics, Website Builder– that it can feel overwhelming. If you’ve just used a basic solution that sends one-off e-mails, you may need a couple of days to obtain comfy.

Unimportant Advertisement Requests

Sometimes the enrollers beehiiv matches you with have nothing to do with your niche. A pc gaming e-newsletter could get supplied a code-review device for designers. See to it to decrease anything that does not jive with your audience, or you’ll storage tank your click-throughs.

No Time At All Zone– Based Sends Out

If your listing is worldwide, you can’t instantly schedule emails based upon each customer’s time zone. All sends head out simultaneously, so you might awaken to reduced open rates if half your listing is asleep.

Personalized Web Page Builder Isn’t Extremely User-friendly

Creating a landing page is possible, yet the UI could be smoother. I spent a couple of hours (and a helpful conversation with support) obtaining a giveaway opt-in page perfect. If you’re impatient or design-averse, you might discover it confusing.

Limited Integrations

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

All that said, beehiiv’s group is regularly rolling out updates– and those cons are gradually yet certainly being addressed.

Who Should Take into consideration beehiiv?

Not every person needs a totally included e-newsletter platform. However if any of the adhering to explains you, beehiiv may be a match made in paradise:.

Absolute Beginners: You’ve never sent out an email blast, you don’t want to spend cash ahead of time, and you need a free, very easy means to experiment. Beehiiv allows you start completely free, send limitless e-mails to as much as 2,500 subscribers, and expand organically with the boosts network.
Small-List Creators: If you already have a few hundred or a couple thousand customers but no hint just how to turn that right into income, beehiiv’s ad and boost programs are tailor-made for you. In my initial ten months, I was making about $92/month with a ~ 1k listing. Tolerable for coffee money, right?
Designers Who Despise “Salesy” Things: You do not wish to pitch products nonstop or sling digital programs. You prefer to share value, develop count on, and let the money been available in on auto-pilot. Beehiiv’s advertisement network and boosts let you earn without crafting a four-part sales funnel.
Switchers Who Don’t Intend To Reconstruct Every Little Thing: Perhaps you get on Substack, Ghost, or Mailchimp, and your e-mail automations are a tangled mess. Beehiiv guarantees a smooth movement from those platforms. And also, if you have a large checklist (claim 10k+), you can get help from beehiiv’s assistance group to relocate everything over without losing your automations.

Getting Started: A Step-by-Step Walkthrough

Join and Check Out the Dashboard

When you create an account, beehiiv drops you into a dashboard where you see your client matter, open rates, click-through rates, and any kind of pending advertisement offers. Consider it as your mission control– everything you require is simply a click away.

Build Your Initial Subscribe Kind

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

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

You can choose from different form designs: full-width, fixed-width, slim embed (just the e-mail area), or progressed (with monitoring codes). The customization choices are fundamental– shades for switches and history pictures– however it’s remarkably reliable for catching e-mails.

Set Up Your Site and Personalized Pages

If you want greater than simply a type, hop into Layout �’ Website Builder �’ Customized Pages �’ Internal Web Page. Use this to:

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

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

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

I invested a couple of hours tweaking my initial landing page, but once I got the hang of it, I realized exactly how effective it is to have whatever under one roofing system. Rather than handling Leadpages, WordPress, and Mailchimp, beehiiv does it all.

Draft Your First E-newsletter

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

Create your e-mail copy Substack Vs Beehiiv Vs ConvertKit
Put photos, headers, and customized HTML blocks
Preview exactly how it’ll look in inboxes and on your web site
Schedule or send out promptly

One catch: Personalization is restricted. Every customer sees “Hello there” as opposed to “Hi [Given name]” If you need hyper-personalization, you may miss out on that. But also for many people, a pleasant, conversational introduction is enough.

Activate Monetization

As soon as you hit 1,000 energetic customers, beehiiv will welcome you to:.

Sign Up With the Advertisement Network: Automatically receive sponsorship demands that match your particular niche. Choose which ones to accept, put the ad duplicate right into your e-newsletter, and get paid per click/view.
Set Up Boosts: Relate to advertise various other e-newsletters. If someone signs up with via your web link, you make $1–$ 3 per client.

For paid e-newsletters, browse to Monetization �’ Paid Registrations. You’ll attach your Stripe account (beehiiv does not charge extra fees past Stripe’s handling), establish your pricing plans (monthly, yearly, or “Call Your Cost”), and choose what content goes behind the paywall.

Monitor and Optimize

Check your analytics weekly. If open prices go down below 40%, rethink your subject lines. If a sponsorship gets absolutely no clicks, it could be pointless to your target market– decrease comparable future ads. When a boost transforms well, send even more boost demands or tweak your deal.

It might seem like a lot at first, but I promise you’ll master it within a few days. And the incentives– both financial and in regards to your audience’s growth– deserve the first contour.

Deep Dive: beehiiv’s Money making Options

If you’re serious about turning your e-newsletter right into a money-making device, let’s break down each earnings stream carefully.

1. beehiiv Partner Program (Affiliate Incomes)

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

How It Functions: You sign up for the Partner Program, get your one-of-a-kind referral link, and share it on your blog, Twitter, LinkedIn, any place. When somebody clicks, signs up for a paid plan (Range or Max), you gain a compensation.
Payment Rates: Approximately 60% of their first-year repayment. If they pay $100, you may see $60. Cha-ching.
Payment: Beehiiv pays monthly using PayPal. No minimum limit, no hoops to jump with.

In my instance, I released a Medium post walking people through my beehiiv experience (looter: this overview right here becomes part of that initiative). Via a combination of blog website traffic and word-of-mouth, I made over $5,000 in affiliate payments by December 2024. All I did was share my real experience.

2. Boosts: Make by Aiding Others Grow

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

Come To Be a Boost Sponsor: If you assume your newsletter can assist others expand, apply in the Boosts control panel. You’ll discuss why your target market is an excellent fit and established a rate you ‘d spend for a brand-new customer.
Relate to Boost Others: If you want quick clients, you can pay to boost your e-newsletter on various other developers’ listings. But what a lot of tiny designers like is the reverse: you relate to be a boost partner for other newsletters. When somebody subscribe with your boost, you obtain $1–$ 3
Limits:
- You can send up to 25 boost provides each month, however beehiiv only surfaces 3 deals at once to potential partners.
- If a boost is doing well, other makers will certainly pick it up swiftly.

Here’s a quick example: In October 2024, I advertised a fellow SEO creator’s newsletter for $1.75 per subscriber. Over 2 weeks, I generated 200 brand-new customers for them– and made concerning $350 in the process. Win-win.

3. beehiiv Ad Network (Sponsored Ads)

This is where the huge dollars can can be found in, even if your list is “tiny.” Right here’s exactly how it goes:

Eligibility: You require a minimum of 1,000 active clients and a regular send out routine (a minimum of one email monthly, though weekly is excellent).
Automation: When authorized, you’ll start getting 3– 5 sponsorship requests monthly. Beehiiv matches you with brands based on your audience’s interests– so a marketing SaaS firm might come close to an SEO-focused e-newsletter, for instance.
Payment Model:
- Cost Per Click (CPC): You generate income whenever a person clicks the ad in your e-mail.
- Price Per Mille (CPM): You earn based on a thousand impacts.
Alleviate 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 ad right into your e-newsletter.

In 2024, I ran 37 funded ads, including a couple of high-profile brands like HubSpot. I made $632 from ads alone, with my top campaign generating $112 from 35 clicks (4.5% click-through). Keep in mind: significance is king. Pointless advertisements storage tank click-through prices, so be careful.

4. Paid Subscriptions (” Costs Material”)

If you develop genuinely one-of-a-kind material– deep dive reports, unique tutorials, or insider evaluations– you might take into consideration a paid rate. Right here’s the 101:

Configuration: Go to Money Making �’ Paid Memberships, connect Stripe, and pick your pricing:
- Regular monthly
- Yearly (typically marked down)
- Single payment (for a solitary guide or training course)
- Name Your Rate (your subscribers choose what they can manage)
Profits Split: Beehiiv does not bill you a system fee; they only pass Stripe’s processing cost (2.9% + $0.30) on to you.
Examples: If you have 100 subscribers paying $7/month, that’s $700/month = $8,400/ year (minus Stripe charges). Okay, right? Obviously, reaching 100 paid customers suggests you require a dedicated, involved base.

Currently, be reasonable: Paid registrations are a grind. You need consistent, high-value material that makes individuals comfortable pulling out their pocketbooks. If you’re simply beginning, the advertisement network and boosts might be quicker success.

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

I know pricing is a huge question mark when you’re thinking about switching systems. Below’s the malfunction as of mid-2025:.

Free Plan (up to 2,500 subscribers): Great for pet projects or if you’re testing the waters. You still get boosts for checklist development, fundamental analytics, and endless sends– just no ad network or paid memberships yet.
Scale ($ 39.20/ month): Perfect if you’re serious about monetizing. You obtain ad network gain access to, boosts, paid subscriptions, and the AI Writing Aide to speed up your newsletter production.
Max ($ 87.29/ month): If AI devices (photo generation, grammar taking care of, translation) issue to you, and you desire concern support, this is the pleasant place. And also, you can launch a mobile app for your customers.
Enterprise (100k+ subscribers): For brand names and mega-creators who need personalized migrations, service-level arrangements, and advanced safety. Very few little designers need this.

My referral? Start on the Free plan. Obtain a feel for the control panel, expand your checklist to 1,000, after that upgrade to Scale as soon as you understand you classifieds income and boosts.

Unique Features Substack Vs Beehiiv Vs ConvertKit

You could be assuming, “Okay, advertisements and boosts are amazing. However what else can beehiiv do that can’t?” Let me highlight a few standout features:.

1. Audio Newsletters

Ever before thought of turning your e-mail into a podcast-like experience? Beehiiv’s integrated audio e-newsletter feature instantly converts your emails into spoken-word audio. No additional editing software program, no outsourcing to Fiverr– simply toggle it on, and your clients can pay attention on the go. For hectic target markets who drive or exercise, this is a convenient method to remain linked.

2. Custom Mobile Apps for Visitors

The majority of platforms provide you a “mobile-optimized web site.” Beehiiv goes one action even more: you can introduce a personalized mobile application for your subscribers. Once they include it to their home display, your e-newsletter comes to be a one-tap experience– no inbox clutter. Visualize waking up and seeing application notifications when you go down a brand-new concern. Talk about engagement.

3. “Call Your Cost” Subscriptions

As opposed to forcing everyone right into $5 or $7 tiers, let your most dedicated followers determine what to pay. It’s a trust-building step and can cause higher lifetime worth. I haven’t examined this feature directly yet, but for designers who really feel a bit anxious regarding rate points, it’s a sweet option to explore.

4. beehiiv AI Suite

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

AI Creating Assistant: Produce newsletter drafts based on bullet points or topics. For days when you’re looking at an empty web page, this boosts your imagination.
AI Text Tool: Grammar, spelling, tone checks– no requirement for Grammarly. You obtain a tidy, refined draft that feels human Substack Vs Beehiiv Vs ConvertKit.
AI Picture Device: Produce personalized header pictures or illustrations without buying supply images. Just type a prompt, and voila.
AI Translator: Wish to send your newsletter in several languages? Convert your content right into Spanish, French, German, Italian, or Portuguese promptly.

These features can cut hours off content creation and aid you experiment with new styles.

Pro Tips For Prospering on beehiiv

Since you understand what beehiiv can do, here are some insider hacks to maximize it:

Clean Your Listing for Better Efficiency

In August 2024, I cut my subscriber matter in half (from regarding 2,400 down to 1,200) by removing non-active e-mails– people who had not opened up anything in six months. My open rates leapt from ~ 45% to over 60%, which indicated marketers paid even more per click. It injured to shed customers, but a lean, engaged listing deserves greater than a puffed up, passive one.

Experiment with Subject Lines Like a Pro

Subject lines make or break open prices. Do A/B tests on tiny sectors prior to sending out to your whole listing. Short, punchy, question-based topics (” Ready to double your traffic?”) frequently outperform generic ones (” April Newsletter”).

Be Pickier with Ad Offers

If an advertisement doesn’t resonate with your niche, say no. Unnecessary ads annoy readers and tank click metrics. Over time, beehiiv’s algorithm will certainly discover what fits your target market– decline sufficient off-topic deals, and they’ll quit sending them.

Use Boosts to Evaluate New Audiences

Obtained a brand-new classification you intend to discover? Try improving your newsletter in a related niche. The price per client standards $1.63– but if those customers remain, it’s worth it. I when increased a SEO e-newsletter in a digital marketing target market and got a shocking uptick in retention.

Take Advantage Of AI for Faster Production

On evenings when I’m stressed out, I ask the AI Creating Aide to prepare a rough outline: introductory, 3 main points, conclusion. Then I flesh it out with my own narratives and design tweaks. It’s not perfect, yet it’s a solid structure that conserves me 30– 45 mins per e-mail.

Take Advantage of the Mobile Application

Motivate subscribers to install your e-newsletter’s mobile app. In your next e-mail, create a quick “Exactly how to Add Our Newsletter to Your Home Screen” tutorial. Even more app sets up indicate more presence, and push notices beat inbox noise.

Offer Periodic Paid-Only Content

As opposed to making every concern cost-free, tease a “benefit report” once a quarter behind a paywall ($ 5–$ 7). Advertise it heavily to your list. Even if you only sell 20 copies, that’s $100–$ 140 that offsets your month-to-month beehiiv costs.

Wrapping Up: Is beehiiv Right for You?

If you have actually stuck with me this far, you most likely fall under one of these camps:

You’ve never ever sent an e-newsletter, however you’re itching to begin– beehiiv’s free plan and user-friendly devices are perfect for learning the ropes.
You have a tiny list (< 2,500) and want to monetize without headaches-- beehiiv's ad network and boosts pay you for doing virtually nothing added.
You’re a mid-sized maker (1k+ clients) wanting to range– beehiiv’s analytics, AI tools, and referral program help you grow quicker and make a lot more.
You dislike intricate e-mail systems– beehiiv strikes an equilibrium between powerful features and easy to use style.

Certain, the feature collection can really feel daunting initially, and you may get a couple of unimportant ad demands. But consider this: in under a year, I made virtually $1,000 on a little list and over $5,000 in associate commissions simply by sharing my experience. I’ve seen enough to recognize that if you invest a little time learning the system, the returns can be significant.

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