AppAdvize
newsletter platform

beehiiv vs Substack

Side-by-side comparison — pricing, ease of use, integrations, and which tool wins for your business.

beehiiv

The newsletter platform built for growth

9.2

AppAdvize Score /10

Higher rated

Substack

Start a newsletter, build a paid subscription

7.8

AppAdvize Score /10

Score Comparison

8.5
Ease of UseWinner
9.5
9.5
Value for MoneyWinner
8
8
Support QualityWinner
6.5
7.5
IntegrationsWinner
5
9.5
ScalabilityWinner
7.5

Pricing

beehiiv

Free

Free up to 2,500 subscribers

Free plan available

Try beehiiv

Substack

Free

Free — 10% cut on paid subscriptions

Free plan available

beehiiv

Pros

  • Best-in-class growth tools (referral program, boosts, recommendations)
  • Built-in ad network for monetization
  • Generous free tier up to 2,500 subscribers
  • Clean writing and editing experience
  • Web presence included (newsletter as website)

Cons

  • Less mature than ConvertKit for complex automations
  • Limited third-party integrations vs Mailchimp
  • Paid subscriptions require Scale plan ($99/mo)

Substack

Pros

  • Absolute easiest setup — live in minutes
  • Built-in paid subscription model
  • Discovery through Substack network
  • No monthly fees

Cons

  • 10% revenue cut becomes expensive at scale
  • Very limited customization
  • No advanced analytics or growth tools
  • Hard to migrate subscribers out

Who Should Use Each

Choose beehiiv if…

  • Newsletter-first creators
  • Creators wanting audience monetization built in
  • Anyone coming from Substack wanting more control

Choose Substack if…

  • Writers starting a paid newsletter with minimal tech
  • Creators wanting built-in Substack audience discovery

Bottom Line

beehiiv is our pick for most users.

beehiiv scores higher overall (9.2/10 vs 7.8/10) and leads on Value for Money and Support Quality. It's the stronger choice if you newsletter-first creators.

Choose beehiiv if…

  • Newsletter-first creators
  • Creators wanting audience monetization built in
  • Anyone coming from Substack wanting more control

Choose Substack if…

  • Writers starting a paid newsletter with minimal tech
  • Creators wanting built-in Substack audience discovery