Side by side
| beehiiv | Substack | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes. Free for up to 2,500 subscribers, with 1 publication, 1 team seat and a 30-day analytics lookback. beehiiv branding stays on the newsletter. | Yes. It is free to start. Charges apply only when a writer takes payments. |
| Starting price | Lite is $49 a month, billed yearly. | Not published. |
| How it charges | By plan tier, with subscriber count setting the limits: Free up to 2,500, Lite up to 100,000, Pro up to 250,000, and Enterprise at a custom price. | A share of revenue. Writers keep 90% of their revenue minus credit card fees, so Substack's share is 10%. |
| Works with | Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Overcast for podcast distribution. It also offers an API, a Send API and an MCP connection compatible with Claude, ChatGPT and Gemini. | Podcasts can be published to Substack, Apple, Spotify and YouTube. |
| AI features | beehiiv AI is part of the Publish tools, and AI can create a website or landing page from a prompt. beehiiv MCP is included on Lite and up, and AI Credits are available on Pro. | Not published. |
Prices and plans change. We checked these figures on October 10, 2026, so confirm them before you buy.
What beehiiv is
beehiiv is an all-in-one platform for newsletters, podcasts, digital products, communities and websites. The tools are grouped into Publish, Grow, Earn, Analyze and Connect.
A newsletter operator can use it to write and send issues, build a website, run a referral program and recommendations, sell paid subscriptions, and earn from ads. It also offers a free plan.
Paid subscriptions carry a 0% take rate, with Stripe's processing fees still applying.
What Substack is
Substack puts writers, creators and subscribers in charge of a new media model. It is free to start and free to leave.
A newsletter operator can publish posts, mark each post free or paid-only, host podcasts, and grow through recommendations, Notes and the Substack app.
Creators own their content and subscriber list.
Which one fits
The two charge in opposite ways. Substack costs nothing until readers pay you, then keeps 10% of that revenue plus card fees. beehiiv is free up to 2,500 subscribers, then moves you to a paid plan that starts at $49 a month billed yearly, and takes 0% of paid subscriptions.
If you expect little paid subscription income, or want to start with no bill at all, Substack's model costs less. If paid subscriptions are the plan, a flat fee overtakes a 10% share as revenue grows, and beehiiv also includes a referral program, recommendations and an ad network in the same product.
Does beehiiv have a free plan?
Yes. The free plan costs $0 and supports up to 2,500 subscribers, 1 publication and 1 team seat. It includes unlimited email sends, landing pages and templates, and beehiiv branding stays on the newsletter.
Does beehiiv take a cut of paid subscriptions?
Paid subscriptions on Lite and up carry a 0% take rate. Stripe's 2.9% plus $0.30 per transaction still applies.
How much does Substack take?
Writers keep 90% of their revenue minus credit card fees. That makes Substack's share 10%, with card fees taken on top.
Do I own my subscriber list?
Yes. Writers own their content and their subscriber list, and Substack is free to leave.