What Is The Difference Between Beehiiv and Ghost

So, you’ve been dabbling the idea of transforming your email checklist into a revenue stream, yet you’re overwhelmed by all the alternatives available. Audio familiar? You’re not alone. If you’ve been making use of a standard email service and scratching your head about sponsorships, ads, and paid subscriptions, it might be time to look into beehiiv. In this overview, I’ll walk you via every little thing you need to understand about making use of beehiiv to turn your newsletter right into cash– all from my very own experience. Ready? Let’s dive in What Is The Difference Between Beehiiv and Ghost

Why You Might Be Stuck with Your Present Email Platform

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

Limited Money Making Options

You have a handful of dedicated subscribers– perhaps 500 to 1,000 individuals– yet no easy method to make money. Sponsorships seem like a foreign language, and you’re not keen on cold-emailing brands monthly.

Do It Yourself Automation Headaches

You intend to drip campaign new customers, send out a welcome collection, and section individuals for targeted e-mails … but establishing those automations feels like you require a computer science degree.

Platform Fees Draw

Every single time you think of paid memberships, the platform takes a massive piece, and the payment arrangement is a lot more complex than it’s worth.

Growth Delays

Growth hacks appear to benefit everyone else– but except you. You wish there was a simple means to discover new subscribers without manually chasing them down.

I was in your footwear at the beginning of 2024. I ‘d been utilizing Kit (previously ConvertKit), however it seemed like a dead end for money making. Don’t get me wrong– Kit is great for developing funnels and establishing basic automations. However when it involved making even a few hundred dollars a month from a small listing, there had not been a noticeable “on” button.

Enter beehiiv.

My Change to beehiiv: A Truth Inspect

In January 2024, I lastly pulled the trigger and relocated my e-newsletter from Kit to beehiiv. Here’s the honest truth: I didn’t have time to hunt down sponsors, negotiate prices, or build difficult paid funnels. I run a search engine optimization creating organization full time, so my newsletter was always mosting likely to be a side project. I required something that virtually ran itself.

The “Market Me” Minute

What marketed me on beehiiv was easy:

Built-In Monetization: Right from the beginning, beehiiv shouts, “Hey, you can make money right here!” It had not been an afterthought or a third-party add-on.
Low-Effort Sponsorships: Instead of me combing LinkedIn for enrollers, beehiiv brings deals straight to my dashboard. All I have to do is click “approve,” decrease in the advertisement copy, and struck send out.
Passive Earnings Boosts: By promoting other newsletters in my weekly email, I make $1–$ 3 per referred customer. No heavy training, no challenging analytics– simply stable, step-by-step revenue.

Looter alert: It settled. In my initial full year on beehiiv (2024 ), I pulled in $940 from ad sponsorships and boosts alone– on a checklist that never topped 1,000 customers. I didn’t develop a paid training course. I really did not launch a product and I simply let beehiiv do its thing.

My Partner Program Windfall

As if that wasn’t enough, I additionally signed up with the beehiiv Partner Program– essentially an affiliate program. By blogging about beehiiv on my blog and sharing my experience with pals, I pocketed $5,108 in referral compensations via the end of 2024. Yep, you read that right: over five grand, simply by speaking about the platform.

So if you’re asking yourself whether beehiiv is worth it for small makers or newbies, take my word: It’s a game-changer. But, certainly, it isn’t flawless. Let’s break down the good, the bad, and the trendy stuff you need to know.

The Upside of Using beehiiv

1. Money Making Made Ridiculously Straightforward

What I enjoy ideal about beehiiv is exactly how very easy it is to make money on autopilot. You don’t require a big target market. Below’s just how it functions:

Advertisement Network Sponsorships: Once you strike just 1,000 energetic subscribers, brand names start lining up. You obtain 3– 6 advertisement demands each month on average. You select the ones you like, put the copy, and you’re done. They ppc or see– no complex invoicing. And because beehiiv matches you with relevant brand names, your subscribers are more probable to click.
Boosts Referral Income: Don’t have enrollers yet? No problem. Advertise various other maker newsletters for $1–$ 3 per customer. It resembles Amazon’s affiliate program, but for e-mail checklists. I gained a number of hundred bucks this way without breaking a sweat.
Paid Subscriptions (When You’re Ready): Down the line, if you make a decision to bill for premium material, beehiiv takes a very little fee (2.9% + $0.30 per deal by means of Stripe). You can establish several pricing tiers, run cost-free tests, or perhaps let subscribers “call their price.”.
Partner Program Compensations: Not in it for the brief haul? Enroll in the affiliate program. Gain 60% compensation on beehiiv’s regular monthly or annual plans when somebody join your code. It’s literally extra cash for sharing something you currently love.

Simply put, beehiiv transforms monetization into an integrated feature, as opposed to a task you dread.

2. Analytics That Do Not Make Your Head Explode

If you’ve ever looked at a dashboard reasoning, “What does any of this in fact mean?”, you’ll appreciate beehiiv’s approach:.

Clear Client Development Charts: See exactly the amount of new individuals joined, the number of handed over, and why your checklist shrank (more on that in a sec).
Open and Click Prices: Beehiiv breaks down performance over the last one month, so you can spot patterns right now. For example, I watched on my open rate (floating around 64%– not bad) and my click-through (around 3.5%). If either metric dips, I modify my subject lines or calls-to-action.
Monetization Dashboards: Sponsorship earnings, boosts revenue, companion referral revenues– you understand. Earnings streams are nicely separated so nothing obtains lost in the shuffle.

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

3. Expanding Your List Without Selling Your Soul

A lot of newsletter systems will certainly bill you for every added customer after a limit. Not so with beehiiv– for up to 2,500 subscribers, it’s totally free. You obtain:.

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

If you’re a beginner or have a small target market, this is big. You can try out subject lines, send frequency, and various lead magnets without worrying about hitting a paywall.

4. Built-In Site & Custom Pages

Picture dumping WordPress, Wix, or Squarespace altogether since your newsletter system functions as a website builder. That’s beehiiv essentially:.

E-newsletter Archive Pages: All your past e-mails reside on a blog-like page that’s immediately SEO-optimized.
Personalized Landing Pages: Need a lead magnet page? A thank-you web page? A page to offer an item? You can build it right in beehiiv’s website builder.
Mobile-Friendly Templates: Every little thing looks fantastic on phones– essential because a lots of folks read emails on mobile.

Certain, you will not obtain every elegant drag-and-drop that a dedicated website builder uses, however, for many developers, it’s ample.

5. Referral Program to Supercharge Development

Beehiiv’s referral program is outstanding if you want to take advantage of a community of similar designers. When your customer clicks “Recommend This E-newsletter” and signs up with, both you and the referring maker obtain credit history. It’s a wise means to expand your checklist without spamming.

The Downsides: What to Keep an eye out for

No item is excellent– and beehiiv has its hiccups. Before you dive in, here’s what might journey you up:.

Feature Overload in the beginning

When you visit, there are a lot of options– Types, Boosts, Ads, Partner Program, Analytics, Website Builder– that it can feel overwhelming. If you have actually only used a basic service that sends out one-off emails, you might require a number of days to get comfy.

Pointless Advertisement Requests

In some cases the sponsors beehiiv matches you with have nothing to do with your specific niche. A gaming newsletter may obtain supplied a code-review tool for designers. Ensure to decrease anything that does not jive with your audience, or you’ll container your click-throughs.

No Time At All Area– Based Sends

If your list is worldwide, you can’t automatically arrange e-mails based upon each client’s time zone. All sends go out simultaneously, so you could awaken to low open prices if half your listing is asleep.

Custom-made Web Page Builder Isn’t Extremely User-friendly

Developing a landing page is possible, but the UI could be smoother. I spent a few hours (and a handy conversation with support) getting a giveaway opt-in web page just right. If you’re impatient or design-averse, you may locate it cumbersome.

Restricted Integrations

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

All that stated, beehiiv’s team is continuously turning out updates– and those disadvantages are gradually yet certainly being attended to.

Who Should Consider beehiiv?

Not every person needs a totally included e-newsletter platform. But if any one of the complying with describes you, beehiiv might be a suit made in paradise:.

Outright Beginners: You’ve never sent out an e-mail blast, you do not wish to spend cash ahead of time, and you need a totally free, easy method to experiment. Beehiiv lets you begin absolutely free, send unlimited e-mails to approximately 2,500 clients, and grow organically with the boosts network.
Small-List Creators: If you currently have a few hundred or a couple thousand clients but no idea just how to transform that into earnings, beehiiv’s ad and boost programs are tailor-made for you. In my initial 10 months, I was making about $92/month with a ~ 1k checklist. Tolerable for coffee money, right?
Creators Who Hate “Salesy” Stuff: You do not wish to pitch items nonstop or sling digital training courses. You prefer to share value, build trust, and let the money come in on auto-pilot. Beehiiv’s ad network and boosts let you make without crafting a four-part sales funnel.
Switchers Who Do Not Want to Rebuild Everything: Maybe you get on Substack, Ghost, or Mailchimp, and your e-mail automations are a twisted mess. Beehiiv promises a smooth movement from those platforms. Plus, if you have a large listing (claim 10k+), you can get assist from beehiiv’s assistance group to relocate whatever over without shedding your automations.

Getting going: A Step-by-Step Walkthrough

Subscribe and Discover the Dashboard

When you develop an account, beehiiv drops you right into a control panel where you see your subscriber matter, open prices, click-through prices, and any pending ad deals. Think about it as your mission control– whatever you require is simply a click away.

Build Your Very First Subscribe Type

Browse to Target Market �’ Subscribe Kinds �’ Create New Form. You’ll need:

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

You can pick from various form styles: full-width, fixed-width, slim embed (just the email area), or advanced (with monitoring codes). The modification alternatives are standard– shades for buttons and background images– however it’s remarkably reliable for capturing emails.

Set Up Your Site and Personalized Pages

If you want more than just a kind, hop right into Style �’ Website Builder �’ Personalized Pages �’ Internal Web Page. Utilize this to:

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

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

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

I spent a few hours tweaking my very first landing page, but once I got the hang of it, I realized exactly how powerful it is to have whatever under one roof. Rather than juggling Leadpages, WordPress, and Mailchimp, beehiiv does it all.

Draft Your Very First E-newsletter

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

Write your email duplicate What Is The Difference Between Beehiiv and Ghost
Insert pictures, headers, and custom-made HTML obstructs
Preview exactly how it’ll look in inboxes and on your website
Set up or send instantly

One catch: Customization is restricted. Every client sees “Hello there” rather than “Hey there [Given name]” If you require hyper-personalization, you could miss that. But for the majority of people, a pleasant, conversational introductory is enough.

Turn On Monetization

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

Sign Up With the Ad Network: Immediately receive sponsorship demands that match your particular niche. Select which ones to accept, insert the advertisement duplicate right into your newsletter, and earn money per click/view.
Set Up Boosts: Relate to advertise various other newsletters. If a person joins via your link, you gain $1–$ 3 per client.

For paid newsletters, browse to Monetization �’ Paid Registrations. You’ll attach your Stripe account (beehiiv does not charge added costs beyond Stripe’s processing), establish your pricing plans (monthly, yearly, or “Name Your Price”), and decide what web content goes behind the paywall.

Display and Optimize

Check your analytics weekly. If open rates go down listed below 40%, reassess your subject lines. If a sponsorship obtains no clicks, it could be unimportant to your target market– decline similar future ads. When a boost converts well, send even more boost demands or tweak your offer.

It could seem like a lot initially, however I promise you’ll master it within a few days. And the rewards– 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 turning your newsletter right into a profitable machine, let’s break down each revenue stream in detail.

1. beehiiv Partner Program (Affiliate Earnings)

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

How It Works: You sign up for the Partner Program, order your unique referral web link, and share it on your blog, Twitter, LinkedIn, anywhere. When a person clicks, signs up for a paid plan (Range or Max), you make a compensation.
Payment Fees: As Much As 60% of their first-year payment. If they pay $100, you could see $60. Cha-ching.
Payment: Beehiiv pays regular monthly using PayPal. No minimum limit, no hoops to leap via.

In my situation, I published a Medium article walking individuals via my beehiiv experience (looter: this guide right here belongs to that initiative). With a mix of blog website traffic and word-of-mouth, I transformed $5,000 in affiliate commissions by December 2024. All I did was share my genuine experience.

2. Boosts: Make by Assisting Others Grow

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

Become a Boost Sponsor: If you believe your newsletter can help others grow, use in the Boosts dashboard. You’ll explain why your target market is a good fit and set a price you ‘d spend for a new customer.
Relate to Boost Others: If you want quick customers, you can pay to boost your e-newsletter on various other makers’ lists. However what most tiny developers like is the opposite: you apply to be a boost companion for various other e-newsletters. When somebody join through your boost, you obtain $1–$ 3
Limits:
- You can send up to 25 boost provides monthly, yet beehiiv only surfaces 3 deals at once to possible partners.
- If a boost is carrying out well, various other designers will certainly select it up swiftly.

Below’s a quick instance: In October 2024, I promoted a fellow SEO creator’s newsletter for $1.75 per subscriber. Over 2 weeks, I produced 200 new customers for them– and made concerning $350 at the same time. Win-win.

3. beehiiv Ad Network (Sponsored Advertisements)

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

Qualification: You need a minimum of 1,000 active customers and a constant send schedule (at least one email monthly, though once a week is perfect).
Automation: As soon as accepted, you’ll begin getting 3– 5 sponsorship requests monthly. Beehiiv matches you with brand names based on your audience’s interests– so a marketing SaaS company may approach an SEO-focused e-newsletter, for instance.
Settlement Version:
- Price Per Click (CPC): You generate income every time someone clicks the advertisement in your e-mail.
- Expense Per Mille (CPM): You gain based on a thousand impacts.
Reduce of Use: You can accept or decline each offer right from your dashboard. Beehiiv manages all the invoicing. All you do is copy-paste the advertisement into your newsletter.

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

4. Paid Subscriptions (” Costs Material”)

If you produce genuinely special material– deep dive reports, special tutorials, or expert analyses– you may take into consideration a paid rate. Right here’s the 101:

Configuration: Most Likely To Money Making �’ Paid Subscriptions, attach Stripe, and pick your pricing:
- Month-to-month
- Yearly (typically discounted)
- Single repayment (for a solitary overview or course)
- Call Your Price (your clients choose what they can pay for)
Income Split: Beehiiv does not bill you a system cost; they only pass Stripe’s processing cost (2.9% + $0.30) on to you.
Examples: If you have 100 customers paying $7/month, that’s $700/month = $8,400/ year (minus Stripe costs). Not bad, ideal? Obviously, getting to 100 paid clients implies you need a dedicated, engaged base.

Currently, be practical: Paid subscriptions are a grind. You need consistent, high-value material that makes people comfy taking out their wallets. If you’re just starting, the advertisement network and boosts could be quicker victories.

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

I know pricing is a large enigma when you’re thinking about switching systems. Right here’s the break down as of mid-2025:.

Free Plan (up to 2,500 clients): Great for pet projects or if you’re examining the waters. You still obtain boosts for checklist development, standard analytics, and endless sends– simply no advertisement network or paid subscriptions yet.
Scale ($ 39.20/ month): Perfect if you’re serious about generating income from. You get ad network accessibility, boosts, paid registrations, and the AI Creating Aide to speed up your e-newsletter creation.
Max ($ 87.29/ month): If AI devices (image generation, grammar taking care of, translation) matter to you, and you desire priority assistance, this is the wonderful place. Plus, you can launch a mobile application for your subscribers.
Enterprise (100k+ customers): For brand names and mega-creators who require custom-made migrations, service-level contracts, and advanced safety. Not many little makers need this.

My suggestion? Begin on the Free plan. Obtain a feel for the dashboard, expand your list to 1,000, after that update to Scale when you recognize you want ad revenue and boosts.

One-of-a-kind Features What Is The Difference Between Beehiiv and Ghost

You may be assuming, “Okay, advertisements and boosts are trendy. But what else can beehiiv do that can’t?” Let me highlight a couple of standout features:.

1. Audio E-newsletters

Ever before thought of transforming your email into a podcast-like experience? Beehiiv’s integrated sound newsletter feature instantly transforms your e-mails right into spoken-word audio. No added editing software, no outsourcing to Fiverr– simply toggle it on, and your customers can listen on the move. For busy audiences who drive or exercise, this is a useful means to stay linked.

2. Customized Mobile Application for Readers

A lot of platforms offer you a “mobile-optimized internet site.” Beehiiv goes one action better: you can release a personalized mobile application for your subscribers. Once they add it to their home display, your e-newsletter comes to be a one-tap experience– no inbox mess. Picture getting up and seeing app notifications when you drop a new concern. Speak about involvement.

3. “Call Your Price” Registrations

Rather than forcing everyone right into $5 or $7 tiers, let your most loyal followers determine what to pay. It’s a trust-building action and can lead to higher lifetime worth. I haven’t evaluated this feature directly yet, however, for creators who feel a little bit anxious about cost points, it’s a sweet choice to explore.

4. beehiiv AI Collection

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

AI Composing Aide: Create e-newsletter drafts based on bullet factors or subjects. For days when you’re staring at an empty page, this starts your creativity.
AI Text Tool: Grammar, punctuation, tone checks– no demand for Grammarly. You obtain a tidy, refined draft that really feels human What Is The Difference Between Beehiiv and Ghost.
AI Photo Tool: Create custom-made header images or images without acquiring stock images. Simply type a prompt, and voila.
AI Translator: Want to send your e-newsletter in multiple languages? Convert your content right into Spanish, French, German, Italian, or Portuguese instantly.

These features can shave hours off web content development and assist you try out new formats.

Pro Tips For Prospering on beehiiv

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

Tidy Your Listing for Better Performance

In August 2024, I reduced my client matter in half (from about 2,400 to 1,200) by removing non-active e-mails– people who had not opened anything in six months. My open rates jumped from ~ 45% to over 60%, which suggested marketers paid more per click. It harmed to lose customers, however a lean, involved list is worth more than a puffed up, easy one.

Try Out Subject Lines Like a Pro

Subject lines make or burst prices. Do A/B examinations on little segments before sending out to your entire listing. Short, punchy, question-based subjects (” Ready to increase your web traffic?”) usually outperform common ones (” April Newsletter”).

Be Pickier with Advertisement Offers

If an advertisement does not reverberate with your particular niche, say no. Irrelevant advertisements irritate readers and storage tank click metrics. With time, beehiiv’s formula will certainly learn what fits your audience– decline sufficient off-topic deals, and they’ll stop sending them.

Usage Boosts to Check New Audiences

Obtained a new classification you intend to discover? Try improving your e-newsletter in an associated specific niche. The price per customer averages $1.63– yet if those subscribers stick around, it’s worth it. I when increased a search engine optimization newsletter in a digital marketing audience and got an unusual uptick in retention.

Leverage AI for Faster Production

On nights when I’m stressed out, I ask the AI Creating Aide to compose a rough outline: introductory, 3 bottom lines, conclusion. Then I flesh it out with my own narratives and design tweaks. It’s not ideal, yet it’s a solid structure that saves me 30– 45 minutes per email.

Take Advantage of the Mobile Application

Motivate subscribers to install your e-newsletter’s mobile application. In your following email, create a quick “Just how to Include Our Newsletter to Your Home Screen” tutorial. More app sets up indicate more presence, and push notices beat inbox sound.

Deal Periodic Paid-Only Content

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

Finishing up: Is beehiiv Right for You?

If you have actually stuck to me this far, you possibly fall into among these camps:

You have actually never sent out an e-newsletter, however you’re itching to start– beehiiv’s free plan and intuitive tools are best for learning the ropes.
You have a tiny checklist (< 2,500) and want to monetize without frustrations-- beehiiv's ad network and boosts pay you for doing almost nothing added.
You’re a mid-sized designer (1k+ clients) looking to scale– beehiiv’s analytics, AI devices, and referral program assist you expand quicker and earn a lot more.
You despise intricate e-mail systems– beehiiv strikes a balance in between powerful features and easy to use style.

Sure, the feature set can really feel discouraging in the beginning, and you may get a few irrelevant advertisement demands. However 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 have actually seen sufficient to know that if you invest a little bit of time learning the system, the returns can be considerable.

So, what are you waiting for? Enroll in beehiiv, explore the control panel, and let the monetization engines transform. Your future self will thank you when the checks roll in.