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# beehiiv vs Substack (2026): Pricing, Growth Tools and Which to Pick
- URL: https://www.ectobuilder.com/blog/beehiiv-vs-substack/
- Published: 2026-10-09T13:28:13.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-19T15:23:07.000Z
- Description: beehiiv vs Substack compared for 2026: what each costs, the 10% cut vs a monthly fee, growth tools, migration, and which one suits your newsletter.
- Author: Michal Wlosik
- Tags: Guides, Substack

[beehiiv](https://www.beehiiv.com/?via=Michal-Wlosik&ref=ectobuilder.com) and Substack are the two names most writers weigh when they start a newsletter, or when they're thinking about leaving one. They look alike from the outside: both send your posts by email, host them on a website and let readers pay for a subscription. The business model underneath is different. Substack is free and takes a share of what you earn. beehiiv is free up to a point, then charges a monthly fee and takes no share. Considering other tools too? See our [comparison of six newsletter platforms](https://www.ectobuilder.com/blog/best-newsletter-platforms/).

This comparison covers what each costs in 2026, what each is better at, and who should pick which. Prices were checked on 9 October 2026\. Screenshots of beehiiv were taken in a live beehiiv account on its Free plan.

*Disclosure: we make Ectobuilder, a theme builder for Ghost, which we mention at the end as a third option. We have no relationship with beehiiv or Substack.*

## The short answer

- **Choose Substack** if you want readers to find you inside an app and a network, you don't mind giving up 10% of subscription revenue, and you'd rather write than set things up.
- **Choose beehiiv** if you treat your newsletter as a business: you want referral programs, ads and sponsorships, automations and analytics, and you'd rather pay a flat fee than a percentage.

## beehiiv vs Substack at a glance

|                               | Substack                                           | beehiiv                                                               |
| ----------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Cost to start                 | Free at any size                                   | Free up to 2,500 subscribers                                          |
| Paid subscriptions            | Free; Substack keeps 10% + Stripe fees             | Lite plan and up (from $49/month billed yearly); 0% cut + Stripe fees |
| Custom domain                 | One-time $50                                       | Paid plans                                                            |
| Discovery                     | Substack app, Notes, recommendations, leaderboards | Recommendations, paid recommendations, referral program               |
| Ads and sponsorships          | No built-in ad network                             | beehiiv Ad Network on paid plans                                      |
| Reader app                    | Yes, iOS and Android                               | No reader app                                                         |
| Website                       | Substack's layout with colour and logo options     | Website builder with pages and custom layouts                         |
| Podcasts and video            | Built in, including live video                     | Podcast hosting built in                                              |
| Automations, A/B tests, polls | Basic                                              | Yes, on paid plans                                                    |
| Owning your data              | Export posts and subscribers                       | Export posts and subscribers                                          |

## Pricing: a 10% cut vs a monthly fee

Substack costs nothing to use, however large your list gets. When you turn on paid subscriptions, Substack keeps 10% of subscription revenue, and Stripe charges its own processing fees on top.

![Substack's help page stating that Substack keeps 10% of subscription revenue](https://www.ectobuilder.com/content/images/2026/10/substack-fees-2026.webp)

(1) Substack's own help page: 10% of subscription revenue, plus Stripe's fees.

beehiiv's Free plan covers up to 2,500 subscribers and includes a website, a podcast and the recommendation network, with unlimited sends. Paid subscriptions are not on the Free plan. They start on Lite, from $49/month billed yearly at 1,000 subscribers, and beehiiv takes 0% of that revenue. Pro starts at $95/month. Both get more expensive as your list grows.

![beehiiv pricing page with the Free plan and the 0% take rate on paid subscriptions highlighted](https://www.ectobuilder.com/content/images/2026/10/beehiiv-pricing-2026.webp)

beehiiv at 1,000 subscribers. (1) Free plan. (2) Paid subscriptions with a 0% take rate start on Lite.

Inside a Free beehiiv account, the paid subscriptions page makes the trade clear: the feature is locked until you upgrade, and once you do, beehiiv keeps nothing.

![beehiiv's paid subscriptions page saying the feature is part of the Lite plan and that beehiiv doesn't take a cut](https://www.ectobuilder.com/content/images/2026/10/beehiiv-paid-subscriptions-lite.webp)

beehiiv on the Free plan. (1) Paid subscriptions need Lite. (2) "You keep 100% of revenue."

beehiiv renamed its plans in October 2026 (Launch became Free, Scale became Lite and Max became Pro), and creators [reported higher prices at larger list sizes](https://www.netinfluencer.com/beehiiv-raises-prices-faces-pushback-from-creators/?ref=ectobuilder.com). Check beehiiv's pricing calculator for your own list size before you decide.

Here's how the two compare for a few typical newsletters, before Stripe's fees, which you pay on both:

| Your newsletter                     | Monthly revenue | Substack takes | beehiiv costs                             |
| ----------------------------------- | --------------- | -------------- | ----------------------------------------- |
| 2,000 subscribers, free only        | $0              | $0             | $0 (Free)                                 |
| 1,000 subscribers, 100 paying $8    | $800            | $80            | $49 (Lite, billed yearly)                 |
| 10,000 subscribers, 1,000 paying $8 | $8,000          | $800           | Lite or Pro priced for 10,000 subscribers |

For a free newsletter under 2,500 subscribers, both cost nothing. Above that, a free newsletter is still free on Substack but needs a paid plan on beehiiv. For a paid newsletter, beehiiv's flat fee usually beats Substack's 10% once you bring in a few hundred dollars a month, and the difference grows with your revenue.

## Where Substack is better

- **Discovery.** Substack's app, Notes and recommendation network put your writing in front of readers who already pay for newsletters. beehiiv has nothing quite like it.
- **Free at any size.** A free newsletter costs nothing, whether it has 500 readers or 500,000.
- **Paid subscriptions from day one.** No upgrade needed; you pay only when you earn.
- **A reader app.** Readers follow you alongside everyone else they read, and get your posts as app notifications.
- **Video and live video.** Built in, along with podcasts.
- **Simplicity.** There are fewer settings, and fewer decisions to make.

[![CTA Image](https://www.ectobuilder.com/content/images/size/w256h256/2026/06/Ecto_builder_logo_sq_small.png)](https://editor.ectobuilder.com/login?mode=signup&plan=free&ref=ectobuilder.com) 

****Moving your newsletter to Ghost?** Ectobuilder lets you design your Ghost site visually, from a Substack-style layout to a full homepage, without touching theme code.

[Try it free ](https://editor.ectobuilder.com/login?mode=signup&plan=free&ref=ectobuilder.com) 

## Where beehiiv is better

- **No revenue cut.** On Lite and Pro, you keep all subscription revenue apart from Stripe's fees.
- **Growth tools.** A referral program with rewards, a recommendation network, and paid recommendations, where other publishers can send you subscribers and get paid for each verified one.
- **Ads and sponsorships.** The beehiiv Ad Network matches you with sponsors, so you can earn without a paywall.
- **Marketing features.** Automations, segments, A/B tests, polls and detailed analytics.
- **Your own brand.** A website builder with more control over layout than Substack, plus a custom domain on paid plans.

![beehiiv's recommendations page with free recommendations and paid recommendations](https://www.ectobuilder.com/content/images/2026/10/beehiiv-recommendations.webp)

beehiiv's growth tools. (1) Free recommendations from other publications. (2) Paid recommendations, where you pay publishers for each verified subscriber they send.

New to beehiiv? [Sign up with our link](https://www.beehiiv.com/?via=Michal-Wlosik&ref=ectobuilder.com) and get 20% off for your first 3 months. It’s an affiliate link: we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.

AFFILIATE 

[![CTA Image](https://www.ectobuilder.com/content/images/2026/10/wpalt-beehiiv-hero.png)](https://www.beehiiv.com/?via=Michal-Wlosik&ref=ectobuilder.com) 

****Going with beehiiv?** New users get 20% off for their first 3 months through our link. It's an affiliate link: we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.

[Get 20% off beehiiv ](https://www.beehiiv.com/?via=Michal-Wlosik&ref=ectobuilder.com) 

## The catch with each

**Substack's catch** is that the 10% grows with your success, and you're building inside someone else's network. Readers who pay through Apple in the Substack iOS app can't be moved to another platform with their subscription. Your design is mostly Substack's design.

**beehiiv's catch** is cost as you grow. The Free plan stops at 2,500 subscribers, paid subscriptions and a custom domain need a paid plan, and prices climb with list size. Without Substack's app, most new readers have to come from your own promotion, referrals and recommendations.

## Moving from Substack to beehiiv

beehiiv has a content importer with Substack as one of its sources. It brings your posts over, and you import your free subscribers from Substack's CSV export. Paid subscribers move with a Stripe migration, so their subscriptions keep running. Comments, likes, Notes and app-only followers stay behind.

![beehiiv's content import screen with Substack selected as one of the sources](https://www.ectobuilder.com/content/images/2026/10/beehiiv-import-from-substack.webp)

beehiiv's content importer. (1) Substack is one of the built-in sources. Imported posts appear on your site but aren't emailed to subscribers.

Going the other way works too. Substack lets you export your posts and subscriber list at any time, and beehiiv lets you export your subscribers.

## A third option: Ghost

If neither feels right, [Ghost](https://ghost.org/?via=michal-207c22&ref=ectobuilder.com) sits between the two. Like beehiiv, it charges a flat fee and takes 0% of subscription revenue. Unlike either, it's open-source software: you can host it yourself or move your whole site, members and all, to another host. It's a full website platform too, with pages, tags, authors and complete control over design and SEO.

**Why Ghost(Pro)?** It’s the official hosting, run by the non-profit Ghost Foundation, so your subscription funds Ghost itself. Updates, backups, security and a worldwide CDN are handled for you, newsletter sending is included with no Mailgun account to set up, analytics work out of the box, and new features reach you first. Ghost takes 0% of your paid subscriptions. One thing to know: Starter runs only Ghost’s official themes, so choose Publisher for a custom theme. [Try Ghost(Pro) free for 14 days](https://ghost.org/pricing/?via=michal-207c22&ref=ectobuilder.com).

You can build a Ghost theme visually with [Ectobuilder](https://www.ectobuilder.com/), from ready-made sections and without code, and edit your posts and pages through its MCP connector by asking Claude or another AI assistant. Read our full [Ghost vs Substack comparison](https://www.ectobuilder.com/blog/ghost-vs-substack/), or the wider list of [Substack alternatives in 2026](https://www.ectobuilder.com/blog/substack-alternatives/).

[![CTA Image](https://www.ectobuilder.com/content/images/size/w256h256/2026/06/Ecto_builder_logo_sq_small.png)](https://editor.ectobuilder.com/login?mode=signup&plan=free&ref=ectobuilder.com) 

****Build your Ghost theme without code.** Pick a theme from the Ectobuilder gallery or start from scratch, change it by clicking, and publish it to your Ghost site. Start free and only pay if you’re happy with it.

[Start free ](https://editor.ectobuilder.com/login?mode=signup&plan=free&ref=ectobuilder.com) 

## Which should you choose?

- **Writing for readers first, and want them to find you:** Substack.
- **Growing a list to sell sponsorships or ads:** beehiiv.
- **Earning a few hundred dollars a month or more from paid subscriptions:** beehiiv (or Ghost) will usually cost less than Substack's 10%.
- **A free newsletter with more than 2,500 readers and no budget:** Substack.
- **Want to own your platform and website, not just your list:** Ghost.

## FAQ

#### Is beehiiv cheaper than Substack?

For a free newsletter under 2,500 subscribers, both are free. Above that, Substack stays free and beehiiv doesn't. For a paid newsletter, beehiiv is usually cheaper once revenue passes a few hundred dollars a month, because it charges a flat fee instead of 10%.

#### Does beehiiv take a percentage of subscriptions?

No. On Lite and Pro, beehiiv takes 0% of subscription revenue. Stripe's card fees still apply.

#### Can I move from Substack to beehiiv?

Yes. beehiiv's importer brings over your posts, you upload your subscribers from Substack's export, and paid subscribers move through Stripe. Subscriptions bought through Apple in Substack's iOS app can't be moved.

#### Does beehiiv have a reader app like Substack?

No. Readers get your posts by email and on your website.

#### Which is better for growth?

It depends where growth comes from. Substack's network and app bring readers to you. beehiiv gives you more tools to grow yourself: referral programs, recommendations, paid recommendations and an ad network.

## Sources

- [Substack: How much does Substack cost?](https://support.substack.com/hc/en-us/articles/360037607131-How-much-does-Substack-cost)
- [beehiiv pricing](https://www.beehiiv.com/pricing?via=Michal-Wlosik&ref=ectobuilder.com)
- [Net Influencer on beehiiv's 2026 price changes](https://www.netinfluencer.com/beehiiv-raises-prices-faces-pushback-from-creators/?ref=ectobuilder.com)
- [journalism.co.uk on Substack's in-app purchases](https://www.journalism.co.uk/substack-changes-frustrate-publishers-one-option-is-terrible-for-us-the-other-is-terrible-for-our-readers/?ref=ectobuilder.com)
- beehiiv app screenshots, taken 9 October 2026