Beehiiv vs Substack (Nov 2026): Free to 2,500 subs, Lite $49, Pro $95 vs free with a 10% cut — when a flat plan beats a revenue share

What this comparison covers

This page is for writers, creators, founders, and small media teams choosing between Beehiiv and Substack for a newsletter, free or paid. A named person owns each send and the subscriber list.

Facts come from the Beehiiv pricing page and Substack’s going-paid page, both read on 7 November 2026. We did not move your list, so run one real issue on whichever you shortlist.

The core difference is how cost grows. Beehiiv charges a plan fee that rises with subscriber count and lists a 0% take rate on paid subscriptions. Substack is free to publish and keeps a 10% share of paid revenue. Which is cheaper depends on your paid revenue, not your free list alone.

Ground rules: every scheduled send has an owner; pricing, sponsor, and results claims get a human check before publish. This page is not a ranking.

Major features (with how someone uses them)

Examples at a glance: each feature has a concrete example from a real job plus a short Try this you can run this week.

1. Flat plan vs revenue share

What it is: Beehiiv shows Free at $0 up to 2,500 subscribers, Lite $49 a month up to 100,000, and Pro $95 a month up to 250,000, displayed with yearly billing; its FAQ says yearly saves up to 20% versus monthly (Beehiiv pricing). Substack says writers keep 90% of their revenue minus credit card fees (Substack going-paid).

At $500 a month in paid subscriptions, Substack’s 10% share is about $50 before card fees, close to Beehiiv Lite. At $5,000 a month, the share is about $500 while Beehiiv Pro stays $95. With no paid subscriptions, Substack costs nothing and Beehiiv Free covers up to 2,500 readers.

Concrete example (writer with 3,000 free and 120 paid subscribers) She multiplies 120 paid readers by $8 a month, takes 10% for Substack, and compares the result with Beehiiv Lite before deciding whether a move is worth the work.

Try this

Do the math once:

Write down your subscriber count, how many paid subscribers you expect in 12 months, and your planned monthly price. Work out Substack’s 10% cut on that revenue and compare it with Beehiiv’s plan price for your list size before you move a single subscriber.

2. Who owns the list and the domain

What it is: Both let you publish a newsletter with a web archive; Beehiiv’s plans add custom features as you move up (Beehiiv pricing). Substack frames the platform around writers getting paid directly by readers (Substack going-paid).

Export your subscriber list on day one in whichever tool you pick, and store a copy where your team can find it. A list nobody can export is a risk no matter which logo you choose.

Concrete example (founder running a company newsletter) He exports the subscriber CSV monthly to a shared drive and notes which domain the archive lives on, so a future move is a one-afternoon job.

Try this

Export a copy:

Export your current subscriber list today. Save it with the date, and write who is allowed to import or delete subscribers.

3. Discovery vs growth tools

What it is: Substack’s pitch centers paid subscriptions and direct reader support (Substack going-paid). Beehiiv’s pricing page lists growth and monetization features such as a recommendation network, ad monetization, and paid subscriptions on paid plans (Beehiiv pricing).

Pick the growth path you will actually run. Recommendations and ads need someone to manage them weekly; a paid-subscription push needs someone to write the offer and handle churn.

Concrete example (creator testing two growth paths) She runs one month of cross-recommendations and one month of a paid-tier push, then keeps whichever produced more paying readers for the hours spent.

Try this

Name the growth owner:

Write the one growth tactic you will run next month, who runs it, and how you will count new paying readers.

4. Ads, sponsors, and paid tiers

What it is: Beehiiv lists a 0% take rate and ad monetization on Lite and Pro; Stripe’s 2.9% + $0.30 still applies to payments (Beehiiv pricing). Substack’s 10% share applies to paid subscription revenue (Substack going-paid).

If sponsors are your main revenue, the plan fee is what matters. If paid subscriptions are the main revenue, the percentage matters. Write which one you expect before comparing.

Concrete example (newsletter operator mixing sponsors and paid subs) He splits last quarter’s revenue into sponsor and subscription lines, then prices both tools on that split instead of guessing.

Try this

Split your revenue:

List last quarter’s newsletter revenue by source: sponsors, paid subscriptions, products. Price Beehiiv and Substack on that split.

5. When moving is worth it

What it is: Moving a newsletter means moving subscribers, paid billing, the archive, and the sending domain. Check the import and export steps on each side before you commit (Beehiiv pricing; Substack going-paid).

Move only when the numbers or a missing feature cost you money this year, and someone owns the migration date. A nicer editor is not enough reason.

Concrete example (small media team with two publications) They move one smaller publication first, check that paid billing and the archive carried over, and only then schedule the main one.

Try this

Write the reason to move:

Write the one number or missing feature that justifies moving. If you cannot name it, stay put and revisit next quarter.

6. One owner per publication

What it is: Beehiiv and Substack both keep sending on schedule after the person who set it up has moved on (Beehiiv pricing; Substack going-paid).

A named owner matters more than the platform. A scheduled issue with an outdated offer still reaches every reader.

Concrete example (ops lead supporting a founder newsletter) She keeps a one-line record of the publication owner, the backup editor, and the last date offers and links were checked.

Try this

List the owners:

Write each publication, its owner, a backup editor, and the last date pricing and links were checked. Review it monthly.

Pricing context (November 2026)

Beehiiv (pricing page, read 7 Nov 2026): Free $0 up to 2,500 subscribers; Lite $49 a month up to 100,000; Pro $95 a month up to 250,000 (shown with yearly billing; FAQ says yearly saves up to 20%); Enterprise custom. 0% take rate on paid plans; Stripe 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction.

Substack (going-paid page, read 7 Nov 2026): free to publish; writers keep 90% of revenue minus credit card fees.

For the single-tool view, see the Beehiiv review. For an email tool priced by subscribers with a free tier, see MailerLite.

Uncertainty: Beehiiv’s displayed prices use yearly billing; monthly billing costs more and the page toggle can change. Substack’s revenue share and card fees are stated on its marketing page; confirm on your dashboard before you price. Check both live pages on the day you decide.

When it’s useful (honest take)

Beehiiv tends to fit when paid or sponsor revenue is large enough that a flat plan costs less than a 10% share, or when you want its growth and ad tools. Substack tends to fit when you want to start free, paid revenue is modest, and you value its reader network.

Neither helps if nobody owns the send calendar. Export your list either way, and cancel any email tool the winner replaces.

Related options (educational)

FAQ

Is Beehiiv cheaper than Substack?

It depends on paid revenue. Substack is free to publish and keeps 10% of paid revenue; Beehiiv charges Lite $49 or Pro $95 a month on yearly billing with a 0% take rate, as listed on 7 November 2026. At low paid revenue Substack often costs less; at higher paid revenue a flat plan can. This page is not a ranking.

Does Beehiiv have a free plan like Substack?

Yes. Beehiiv Free is listed at $0 for up to 2,500 subscribers. Substack is free to publish.

How much does Substack take?

Substack’s going-paid page says writers keep 90% of their revenue minus credit card fees, as read on 7 November 2026.

Can I move from Substack to Beehiiv?

Moving means carrying over subscribers, paid billing, the archive, and the domain. Test with a smaller publication or a copy first and confirm each step on both platforms.

Who should own a newsletter after a move?

One named person per publication, with a backup editor and a monthly check that offers and links still match the website.

Optional next step (if seats overlap)

If you pay for a newsletter tool plus another email platform, map which one Beehiiv or Substack would replace before you move subscribers. Map the overlap with the $19 AI toolkit audit or the $9 AI toolkit spreadsheet. Email Audit $19 or Toolkit spreadsheet $9.

Checkout is live via Stripe. After you pay, we email delivery (spreadsheet) or intake next steps (audit).

Related: Instantly alternatives · MailerLite · Beehiiv review · ManyChat review · Systeme.io review · Taplio review · Three checks before another AI seat · Sales & marketing hub