If you’re trying to decide between Beehiiv vs Substack for a paid newsletter, the honest answer depends on one thing more than anything else: how much you care about keeping 100% of your subscription revenue.

I run TrendSpends on Beehiiv, so I’ll be upfront about that. But I’ve dug into how Substack actually works for paid creators too, because the two platforms solve the “get paid for your writing” problem in very different ways.

Here’s the short version: Substack has a lower barrier to entry and a built-in discovery network that can help you find readers. Beehiiv charges a flat monthly fee but takes 0% of your subscription revenue, which matters a lot more once you’re actually making money.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you sign up through my link, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend tools I actually use.

Beehiiv vs Substack: How Paid Subscriptions Work

Substack’s Model

Substack is free to join and free to publish on. When you turn on paid subscriptions, Substack takes a 10% cut of your subscription revenue, on top of standard payment processing fees (via Stripe). There’s no monthly fee, so if you’re not making money yet, you’re not paying anything.

Beehiiv’s Model

Beehiiv charges a monthly subscription fee starting at the free Launch tier, but paid subscriptions on the Scale plan come with 0% revenue share — Beehiiv doesn’t take a cut of what your paying subscribers pay you, beyond standard processing fees.

The math that matters: if you’re earning $500/month from paid subscribers, Substack’s 10% cut costs you $50/month. Beehiiv’s Scale plan starts at $34.40/month (billed annually) at the lowest subscriber tier, regardless of how much you earn from subscriptions. Past a certain revenue point, Beehiiv becomes meaningfully cheaper — the crossover happens earlier than most people expect.

Before diving into the numbers, here’s how Beehiiv vs Substack stack up feature by feature.

Beehiiv vs Substack Comparison Table

Where Substack Wins: Discovery

This is Substack’s real advantage, and it’s not small. On the Beehiiv vs Substack discovery question, this is where Substack pulls ahead. Substack has a built-in network effect — recommendations from other Substack writers, a native app with a following feed, and cross-promotion tools that can send you real subscribers without any ad spend.

If you’re starting from zero and don’t have an existing audience anywhere else, Substack’s discovery tools can get you initial traction that Beehiiv’s Boosts referral system doesn’t match as easily, at least not yet.

Where Beehiiv Wins: Keeping Your Revenue

Once you have paying subscribers, the 10% Substack takes adds up fast, and it compounds as you grow. Beehiiv’s flat fee model means your costs stay predictable and your revenue share stays yours, no matter how large your paid subscriber base gets.

Beehiiv also throws in monetization options Substack doesn’t have at all — the built-in Ad Network lets you earn from sponsors even before you turn on paid subscriptions, which gives you a second revenue stream Substack simply doesn’t offer.

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Design and Website Ownership

Beehiiv gives you a full website builder with your newsletter, including SEO-friendly pages, custom domains, and more design flexibility. Substack’s site builder is more limited — functional, but clearly secondary to the writing/publishing experience.

If you want your newsletter to double as a real website that ranks in Google (which is part of how TrendSpends works), Beehiiv’s approach fits better.

Who Should Choose Substack

• You’re starting with zero audience and want built-in discovery tools
• You want the absolute simplest setup with no monthly fee
• Community and social discovery matter more to you than owning a standalone website
• You’re not yet sure paid subscriptions will work, and don’t want fixed costs

Who Should Choose Beehiiv

• You expect meaningful subscription revenue and want to keep more of it
• You want a real website, not just an email + basic page
• You want ad network access as an additional revenue stream
• You already have some way to drive traffic (SEO, social, existing audience) and don’t need Substack’s discovery network as much

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I switch from Substack to Beehiiv later?
Yes, Beehiiv supports subscriber list imports from Substack, including paid subscriber data in most cases.

Does Substack really take 10% of everything?
Yes, Substack takes a 10% platform fee on paid subscription revenue, in addition to standard Stripe processing fees.

Which is cheaper for a small paid newsletter?
For very small paid subscriber counts, Substack can be cheaper since there’s no monthly fee. As paid revenue grows, Beehiiv’s flat fee usually becomes the better deal.

Does Beehiiv have a way to gain new readers like Substack’s network?
Beehiiv has Boosts, a referral system where other newsletters can recommend you for a fee, but it’s not as built-in or automatic as Substack’s discovery feed.

Final Verdict

If discovery and audience-building from scratch matter most to you right now, Substack’s network gives you a real advantage. But if you’re serious about a paid newsletter as a long-term income source, Beehiiv’s 0% revenue share and built-in ad network mean you keep more of what you earn as you grow.

For TrendSpends and most creators building a newsletter as an actual business rather than a side hobby, Beehiiv’s model pays off faster than it might seem at first glance.

My rating: Beehiiv 4.4/5 for revenue-focused creators, Substack 4/5 for discovery-focused creators just starting out

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