What Is The Difference Between Beehiiv and Substack – 20% Off First 3 Months!

So, you’ve been toying with the concept of transforming your email listing into an income stream, but you’re overwhelmed by all the choices out there. Audio familiar? You’re not alone. If you’ve been using a standard e-mail solution and damaging your head regarding sponsorships, advertisements, and paid subscriptions, it might be time to look into beehiiv. In this guide, I’ll stroll you with everything you require to understand about utilizing beehiiv to turn your e-newsletter into cash money– all from my own experience. Ready? Let’s dive in What Is The Difference Between Beehiiv and Substack

Why You May be Stuck with Your Current Email Platform

You have actually most likely attempted the typical suspects: Mailchimp, ConvertKit (currently Kit), Substack, or something similar. And if you’re like most small content creators, right here’s what likely occurred:

• Limited Money Making Choices

You have a handful of faithful customers– maybe 500 to 1,000 people– however absolutely no simple means to earn money. Sponsorships feel like a foreign language, and you’re not keen on cold-emailing brands on a monthly basis.

• DIY Automation Headaches

You want to drip campaign new clients, send a welcome collection, and segment folks for targeted emails … but establishing those automations feels like you require a computer science level.

• Platform Charges Draw

Whenever you think about paid memberships, the system takes a huge chunk, and the repayment arrangement is much more challenging than it’s worth.

• Growth Delays

Growth hacks appear to benefit everyone else– yet not for you. You want there was a simple way to find new clients without by hand chasing them down.

I was in your footwear at the beginning of 2024. I would certainly been utilizing Kit (formerly ConvertKit), yet it felt like a stumbling block for monetization. Don’t get me wrong– Kit is great for developing funnels and establishing basic automations. But when it pertained to making even a couple of hundred bucks a month from a tiny checklist, there wasn’t a noticeable “on” switch.

Go into beehiiv.

My Switch to beehiiv: A Fact Inspect

In January 2024, I ultimately shot and relocated my newsletter from Kit to beehiiv. Right here’s the honest truth: I didn’t have time to hound enrollers, discuss rates, or build complex paid funnels. I run a SEO composing service full time, so my newsletter was always going to be a side project. I needed something that almost ran itself.

The “Offer Me” Moment

What marketed me on beehiiv was straightforward:

• Integrated Monetization: Right from the beginning, beehiiv shouts, “Hey, you can make money here!” It had not been an afterthought or a third-party add-on.
• Low-Effort Sponsorships: Instead of me scouring LinkedIn for enrollers, beehiiv brings deals straight to my dashboard. All I need to do is click “approve,” decrease in the ad duplicate, and struck send.
• Easy Earnings Boosts: By promoting various other newsletters in my once a week email, I gain $1–$ 3 per referred subscriber. No heavy lifting, no complex analytics– just steady, incremental revenue.

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 checklist that never ever covered 1,000 clients. I really did not produce a paid program. I really did not launch an item and I simply let beehiiv do its point.

My Partner Program Windfall

As if that had not been enough, I additionally joined the beehiiv Partner Program– essentially an affiliate program. By discussing beehiiv on my blog and sharing my experience with friends, I filched $5,108 in referral commissions through completion of 2024. Yep, you read that right: over five grand, just by discussing the system.

So if you’re wondering whether beehiiv is worth it for small 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 amazing things you require to recognize.

The Advantage of Using beehiiv

1. Monetization Made Ridiculously Straightforward

What I love ideal regarding beehiiv is exactly how simple it is to make money on autopilot. You don’t need a big audience. Here’s exactly how it functions:

• Ad Network Sponsorships: When you strike simply 1,000 active customers, brands begin lining up. You obtain 3– 6 ad demands monthly on average. You choose the ones you like, put the copy, and you’re done. They ppc or watch– no difficult invoicing. And because beehiiv matches you with appropriate brands, your customers are more probable to click.
• Boosts Referral Income: Don’t have enrollers yet? No worry. Advertise various other creator e-newsletters for $1–$ 3 per subscriber. It resembles Amazon’s affiliate program, however, for e-mail listings. I made numerous hundred dollars this way without breaking a sweat.
• Paid Subscriptions (When You prepare): Down the line, if you decide to charge for superior web content, beehiiv takes a minimal fee (2.9% + $0.30 per deal via Stripe). You can establish multiple pricing rates, run free tests, and even let clients “call their cost.”.
• Partner Program Compensations: Not in it for the short haul? Enroll in the affiliate program. Make 60% commission on beehiiv’s monthly or annual plans when a person join your code. It’s essentially additional cash for sharing something you already love.

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

2. Analytics That Don’t Make Your Head Explode

If you’ve ever looked at a dashboard thinking, “What does any of this really imply?”, you’ll value beehiiv’s strategy:.

• Clear Client Development Charts: See exactly how many new people joined, the number of left, and why your list shrank (a lot more on that in a sec).
• Open Up and Click Rates: Beehiiv breaks down efficiency over the last 30 days, so you can detect trends right away. As an example, I kept an eye on my open price (hovering 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 profits, boosts income, companion referral incomes– you get the picture. Earnings streams are nicely separated so absolutely nothing obtains lost in the shuffle.

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

3. Expanding Your Checklist Without Marketing Your Heart

Many e-newsletter systems will bill you for each extra customer after a limit. Not so with beehiiv– for as much as 2,500 clients, it’s free. You get:.

• Endless email sends out.
• Accessibility to the boosts network (expand your audience by advertising your newsletter on other beehiiv e-newsletters).
• Standard analytics and kinds.

If you’re a beginner or have a small target market, this is significant. You can experiment with subject lines, send regularity, and various lead magnets without bothering with hitting a paywall.

4. Built-In Website & Custom Pages

Imagine dropping WordPress, Wix, or Squarespace entirely since your newsletter platform doubles as a website builder. That’s beehiiv essentially:.

• E-newsletter Archive Pages: All your past e-mails live on a blog-like web page that’s automatically SEO-optimized.
• Customized Landing Pages: Need a lead magnet page? A thank-you web page? A page to market a product? You can construct it right in beehiiv’s website builder.
• Mobile-Friendly Templates: Everything looks great on phones– critical given that a ton of individuals read emails on mobile.

Certain, you will not obtain every elegant drag-and-drop that a dedicated website builder uses, but also for most designers, it’s ample.

5. Referral Program to Supercharge Growth

Beehiiv’s referral program is outstanding if you wish to take advantage of a community of like-minded creators. When your subscriber clicks “Recommend This Newsletter” and signs up with, both you and the referring creator get credit history. It’s a smart means to expand your listing without spamming.

The Downsides: What to Look out for

No product is best– and beehiiv has its hiccups. Prior to you dive in, here’s what may trip you up:.

Feature Overload in the beginning

When you log in, there are a lot of options– Types, Boosts, Ads, Partner Program, Analytics, Website Builder– that it can really feel overwhelming. If you have actually only used a simple solution that sends out one-off e-mails, you might need a number of days to get comfortable.

Unimportant Ad Requests

Occasionally the enrollers beehiiv matches you with have nothing to do with your particular niche. A video gaming e-newsletter could obtain provided a code-review device for programmers. See to it to decline 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 global, you can not instantly set up e-mails based on each client’s time zone. All sends head out at the same time, so you could awaken to reduced open prices if half your list is asleep.

Custom Page Builder Isn’t Very Instinctive

Producing a landing page is possible, yet the UI could be smoother. I invested a couple of hours (and a practical chat with support) obtaining a giveaway opt-in page ideal. If you’re impatient or design-averse, you could find it cumbersome.

Limited Integrations

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

All that stated, beehiiv’s group is constantly presenting updates– and those cons are slowly but definitely being resolved.

Who Should Take into consideration beehiiv?

Not everyone needs a fully featured newsletter system. But if any of the following describes you, beehiiv could be a suit made in heaven:.

1. Absolute Beginners: You have actually never ever sent out an e-mail blast, you don’t wish to invest cash upfront, and you require a free, very easy means to experiment. Beehiiv allows you start totally free, send unrestricted emails to up to 2,500 subscribers, and grow organically with the boosts network.
2. Small-List Creators: If you already have a few hundred or a couple thousand customers yet no hint just how to transform that into earnings, beehiiv’s advertisement and boost programs are custom-made for you. In my first ten months, I was making regarding $92/month with a ~ 1k checklist. Tolerable for coffee cash, right?
3. Makers Who Dislike “Salesy” Stuff: You do not want to pitch products continuously or sling digital programs. You ‘d rather share worth, build count on, and let the cash been available in on autopilot. Beehiiv’s ad network and boosts let you gain without crafting a four-part sales funnel.
4. Switchers Who Don’t Wish To Rebuild Whatever: Maybe you’re on Substack, Ghost, or Mailchimp, and your e-mail automations are a twisted mess. Beehiiv promises a smooth migration from those systems. Plus, if you have a huge list (claim 10k+), you can obtain help from beehiiv’s assistance team to move every little thing over without losing your automations.

Getting Started: A Step-by-Step Walkthrough

Subscribe and Explore the Control panel

Once you produce an account, beehiiv drops you into a control panel where you see your client matter, open prices, click-through rates, and any type of pending ad deals. Think of it as your mission control– whatever you require is simply a click away.

Develop Your First Subscribe Type

Navigate to Target Market �’ Subscribe Types �’ Develop New Type. You’ll require:

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

You can pick from various kind designs: full-width, fixed-width, slim embed (just the email field), or advanced (with monitoring codes). The customization choices are standard– colors for switches and history pictures– but it’s surprisingly efficient for recording e-mails.

Establish Your Web Site and Personalized Pages

If you want greater than simply a form, hop into Style �’ Website Builder �’ Custom-made Pages �’ Internal Page. Utilize this to:

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

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

Develop a thank-you page that goes online after someone subscribes.

I invested a couple of hours tweaking my very first landing page, but once I got the hang of it, I recognized exactly how powerful it is to have every little thing under one roofing. Rather than handling Leadpages, WordPress, and Mailchimp, beehiiv does it all.

Draft Your Very First Newsletter

Click the big “Start 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 Substack
• Put photos, headers, and custom HTML obstructs
• Preview exactly how it’ll look in inboxes and on your web site
• Set up or send out immediately

One catch: Customization is restricted. Every customer sees “Hi there” rather than “Hello [First Name]” If you require hyper-personalization, you might miss out on that. But for most individuals, a pleasant, conversational introductory suffices.

Turn On Money making

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

• Join the Ad Network: Immediately obtain sponsorship requests that match your particular niche. Choose which ones to approve, put the ad copy right into your e-newsletter, and get paid per click/view.
• Set Up Boosts: Relate to advertise other newsletters. If somebody signs up with by means of your web link, you earn $1–$ 3 per client.

For paid newsletters, navigate to Monetization �’ Paid Registrations. You’ll link your Stripe account (beehiiv doesn’t charge extra charges past Stripe’s handling), set your pricing plans (monthly, annual, or “Name Your Rate”), and determine what web content goes behind the paywall.

Monitor and Maximize

Check your analytics weekly. If open prices drop listed below 40%, rethink your subject lines. If a sponsorship gets no clicks, it might be irrelevant to your audience– decrease comparable future advertisements. When a boost transforms well, submit more boost demands or fine-tune your deal.

It may feel like a lot in the beginning, however I promise you’ll get the hang of it within a few days. And the rewards– both financial and in regards to your audience’s development– are worth the preliminary contour.

Deep Dive: beehiiv’s Money making Options

If you’re serious about turning your newsletter into a money-making maker, let’s break down each earnings stream in detail.

1. beehiiv Partner Program (Affiliate Profits)

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

• How It Functions: You enroll in the Partner Program, order your unique referral link, and share it on your blog, Twitter, LinkedIn, anywhere. When a person clicks, enroll in a paid plan (Scale or Max), you gain a payment.
• Payment Rates: Approximately 60% of their first-year payment. If they pay $100, you may see $60. Cha-ching.
• Payout: Beehiiv pays monthly through PayPal. No minimum limit, no hoops to leap through.

In my instance, I published a Medium message walking individuals via my beehiiv experience (looter: this guide right here belongs to that effort). Through a combination of blog site traffic and word-of-mouth, I transformed $5,000 in affiliate compensations by December 2024. All I did was share my authentic experience.

2. Boosts: Make by Helping Others Expand

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

• End Up Being a Boost Sponsor: If you assume your e-newsletter can assist others expand, apply in the Boosts dashboard. You’ll describe why your audience is a good fit and established a cost you ‘d spend for a brand-new subscriber.
• Apply to Boost Others: If you want quick subscribers, you can pay to boost your e-newsletter on other developers’ listings. However what most small makers enjoy is the reverse: you apply to be a boost partner for other e-newsletters. When a person register through your boost, you obtain $1–$ 3
• Restrictions:
  • You can send up to 25 boost uses each month, but beehiiv just surfaces three deals at a time to potential companions.
  • If a boost is carrying out well, various other designers will certainly select it up swiftly.

Below’s a quick example: In October 2024, I advertised a fellow search engine optimization creator’s e-newsletter for $1.75 per client. Over 2 weeks, I created 200 new subscribers for them– and gained about $350 at the same time. Win-win.

3. beehiiv Ad Network (Sponsored Advertisements)

This is where the large bucks can be available in, even if your listing is “little.” Here’s just how it goes:

• Qualification: You require at least 1,000 active clients and a constant send timetable (at least one email monthly, though weekly is perfect).
• Automation: When approved, you’ll begin receiving 3– 5 sponsorship demands each month. Beehiiv matches you with brand names based upon your audience’s rate of interests– so a marketing SaaS company may come close to an SEO-focused e-newsletter, for instance.
• Payment Model:
  • Price Per Click (CPC): You earn money whenever a person clicks the ad in your e-mail.
  • Cost Per Mille (CPM): You gain based upon a thousand impressions.
• Ease of Use: You can accept or decrease each deal right from your dashboard. Beehiiv manages all the invoicing. All you do is copy-paste the ad right into your newsletter.

In 2024, I ran 37 sponsored ads, consisting of a few prominent brand names like HubSpot. I made $632 from ads alone, with my top campaign creating $112 from 35 clicks (4.5% click-through). Bear in mind: relevance is king. Irrelevant ads container click-through rates, so be selective.

4. Paid Subscriptions (” Costs Material”)

If you create truly unique web content– deep dive reports, special tutorials, or expert analyses– you could consider a paid tier. Here’s the 101:

• Configuration: Go to Monetization �’ Paid Registrations, link Stripe, and select your pricing:
  • Regular monthly
  • Annual (typically discounted)
  • Single settlement (for a solitary overview or course)
  • Call Your Cost (your customers choose what they can manage)
• Profits Split: Beehiiv doesn’t charge you a system charge; they only pass Stripe’s processing charge (2.9% + $0.30) on to you.
• Instances: If you have 100 clients paying $7/month, that’s $700/month = $8,400/ year (minus Stripe fees). Tolerable, right? Of course, reaching 100 paid customers means you need a loyal, engaged base.

Now, be realistic: Paid memberships are a work. You require regular, high-value content that makes people comfortable pulling out their budgets. If you’re simply starting, the advertisement network and boosts might be quicker success.

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

I understand pricing is a big enigma when you’re considering switching platforms. Here’s the failure as of mid-2025:.

• Free Plan (up to 2,500 customers): Great for pet projects or if you’re examining the waters. You still obtain boosts for list growth, standard analytics, and endless sends– simply no ad network or paid registrations yet.
• Scale ($ 39.20/ month): Ideal if you’re serious about monetizing. You obtain ad network access, boosts, paid subscriptions, and the AI Writing Aide to accelerate your newsletter creation.
• Max ($ 87.29/ month): If AI devices (picture generation, grammar repairing, translation) matter to you, and you want priority support, this is the pleasant spot. Plus, you can release a mobile application for your customers.
• Enterprise (100k+ clients): For brand names and mega-creators who need custom migrations, service-level arrangements, and progressed safety and security. Few small designers require this.

My referral? Start on the Free plan. Obtain a feel for the control panel, grow your list to 1,000, then update to Scale as soon as you know you want ad profits and boosts.

Special Features What Is The Difference Between Beehiiv and Substack

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

1. Audio E-newsletters

Ever considered transforming your email into a podcast-like experience? Beehiiv’s integrated audio e-newsletter feature automatically converts your e-mails right into spoken-word audio. No additional editing and enhancing software application, no outsourcing to Fiverr– simply toggle it on, and your subscribers can listen on the move. For active audiences who drive or exercise, this is a helpful method to stay connected.

2. Custom Mobile Application for Visitors

Most platforms give you a “mobile-optimized internet site.” Beehiiv goes one action additionally: you can release a personalized mobile app for your subscribers. Once they include it to their home display, your newsletter becomes a one-tap experience– no inbox clutter. Envision waking up and seeing app alerts when you go down a brand-new problem. Discuss engagement.

3. “Call Your Rate” Memberships

Instead of forcing everybody right into $5 or $7 rates, let your most faithful followers choose what to pay. It’s a trust-building action and can result in higher lifetime worth. I haven’t evaluated this feature personally yet, but for developers who feel a little bit anxious concerning cost points, it’s a wonderful choice to trying out.

4. beehiiv AI Suite

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

• AI Writing Aide: Produce newsletter drafts based upon bullet factors or subjects. For days when you’re staring at a blank page, this boosts your creativity.
• AI Text Tool: Grammar, spelling, tone checks– no requirement for Grammarly. You get a tidy, sleek draft that feels human What Is The Difference Between Beehiiv and Substack.
• AI Picture Device: Create custom header pictures or illustrations without buying supply photos. Simply type a timely, and voila.
• AI Translator: Want to send your e-newsletter in numerous languages? Convert your web content right into Spanish, French, German, Italian, or Portuguese quickly.

These features can cut hours off material creation and help you try out brand-new styles.

Pro Tips For Doing well on beehiiv

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

Clean Your List for Better Performance

In August 2024, I cut my client matter in half (from concerning 2,400 to 1,200) by removing inactive emails– people who had not opened anything in six months. My open prices leapt from ~ 45% to over 60%, which indicated advertisers paid even more per click. It harmed to lose subscribers, yet a lean, engaged listing deserves more than a bloated, easy one.

Try Out Subject Lines Like a Pro

Subject lines make or break open prices. Do A/B tests on tiny sectors before sending to your entire checklist. Short, punchy, question-based subjects (” Ready to increase your traffic?”) often outperform generic ones (” April E-newsletter”).

Be Pickier with Ad Offers

If an ad doesn’t reverberate with your niche, say no. Irrelevant advertisements irritate viewers and tank click metrics. Over time, beehiiv’s formula will certainly learn what fits your target market– decrease enough off-topic deals, and they’ll stop sending them.

Use Boosts to Check New Audiences

Got a brand-new classification you wish to explore? Try increasing your newsletter in an associated particular niche. The price per subscriber averages $1.63– however if those clients linger, it’s worth it. I when boosted a search engine optimization e-newsletter in a digital marketing target market and got a shocking uptick in retention.

Leverage AI for Faster Production

On nights when I’m stressed out, I ask the AI Creating Assistant to prepare a rough outline: introductory, three bottom lines, final thought. After that I flesh it out with my own anecdotes and style tweaks. It’s not perfect, however it’s a strong structure that saves me 30– 45 minutes per email.

Take Advantage of the Mobile Application

Motivate subscribers to install your newsletter’s mobile app. In your following e-mail, create a quick “How to Add Our E-newsletter to Your Home Display” tutorial. Even more app installs indicate even more presence, and press notices defeat inbox noise.

Deal Periodic Paid-Only Web Content

As opposed to making every problem complimentary, tease a “incentive record” once a quarter behind a paywall ($ 5–$ 7). Promote it greatly to your checklist. Even if you just market 20 duplicates, that’s $100–$ 140 that offsets your month-to-month beehiiv bill.

Completing: Is beehiiv Right for You?

If you’ve stuck to me this much, you probably come under one of these camps:

• You have actually never sent a newsletter, yet you’re itching to begin– beehiiv’s free plan and instinctive devices are ideal for learning the ropes.
• You have a little listing (< 2,500) and intend to monetize without frustrations-- beehiiv's ad network and boosts pay you for doing virtually absolutely nothing extra.
• You’re a mid-sized developer (1k+ customers) seeking to range– beehiiv’s analytics, AI tools, and referral program aid you grow faster and gain more.
• You despise complex e-mail platforms– beehiiv strikes a balance in between powerful features and straightforward layout.

Certain, the feature collection can really feel intimidating in the beginning, and you could get a few irrelevant ad demands. However consider this: in under a year, I made practically $1,000 on a tiny listing and over $5,000 in affiliate commissions simply by sharing my experience. I have actually seen sufficient to recognize that if you spend a bit of time learning the platform, the returns can be considerable.

So, what are you awaiting? Enroll in beehiiv, check out the dashboard, and let the monetization engines transform. Your future self will thanks when the checks roll in.