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Comparisonbeehiiv vs Substack: the 2026 rundown
Substack is free but keeps 10% of your paid subs. beehiiv keeps 0% but charges a monthly plan. Here's which one leaves you more money, from both companies' own pages.
Researched from official pricing and help pages. Not hands-on tested.
Last checked 30 Oct 2026 against each official pricing and help page (sources below). Prices are in USD, before tax. Plans and fees change, so confirm on the vendor's page before you pick.
Disclosure (#ad): We earn a commission if you sign up for a paid beehiiv plan through links marked “paid link” on this page, at no extra cost to you. Substack doesn't pay us anything: it has no cash affiliate program (its referrals pay in Substack Credits only).[S3] That's exactly why every number below links to its source. How this works.
Quick verdict
Pick Substack if you want to start writing today, pay nothing until you earn, and get found inside Substack's own app and network. You never pay a monthly bill; you give up 10% of paid-subscription revenue instead.[S1]
Pick beehiiv if you plan to earn real money from paid subs, ads or products and want to keep it. beehiiv takes 0% of paid subscriptions on paid plans, but you pay a monthly plan fee from $49–$59 at up to 1,000 subscribers.[B1] Use the calculator below to find your break-even.
The quick rundown
- Free forever: Substack is free to publish at any list size.[S1] beehiiv Free is capped at 2,500 subscribers and can't sell paid subscriptions.[B1]
- Cut of your paid subs: Substack keeps 10%, plus Stripe fees.[S1] beehiiv keeps 0% on Lite and Pro, plus Stripe's 2.9% + $0.30.[B1]
- Custom domain: a one-time $50 on Substack (you still buy the domain yourself).[S2] On beehiiv it's listed in the Free plan's feature list, but the comparison table marks it as Lite and up, so check before you rely on it.[B1]
- Ads and sponsors: beehiiv has a built-in Ad Network on Lite and up, and a sponsorship storefront on Pro.[B1] We didn't find an equivalent ad network on Substack's pricing pages.
This is a comparison of published plans and fees, not a hands-on test. We haven't measured deliverability, discovery or support.
Pricing and fees at a glance
| Substack | beehiiv | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Free to publish, no subscriber limit[S1] | Free: $0, up to 2,500 subscribers, no paid subscriptions[B1] |
| Monthly platform fee | None[S1] | Lite: $59/mo monthly or $588/yr (≈$49/mo). Pro: $109/mo or $1,140/yr (≈$95/mo). Both at up to 1,000 subscribers, rising with list size[B1] |
| Platform cut of paid subs | 10% of each subscription payment[S1] | 0% on paid plans[B1] |
| Payment processing | Stripe: 2.9% + $0.30 per US card payment, plus 0.7% Stripe Billing on recurring payments[S1] | Stripe: 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction[B1] |
| Custom domain | One-time $50, domain not included[S2] | See note above[B1] |
| Email sends | Not limited by plan (free to publish)[S1] | Unlimited on all plans[B1] |
| Remove platform branding | Not listed on the pages we checked | Pro and up[B1] |
| Automations | Not listed on the pages we checked | Lite: 10 live automations. Pro: unlimited[B1] |
| Ad network | Not listed on the pages we checked | Lite and up (not in all regions)[B1] |
| Payout speed | Web payments usually reach your bank within 48 hours; a new Stripe account's first payout takes 7–14 days[S4] | Via your own Stripe account (timing per Stripe) |
Break-even calculator: what you keep each month
Enter your numbers. We apply each platform's published fees from the table above. To keep it fair, we charge the same Stripe fees on both (2.9% + $0.30 per payment, plus 0.7% Billing). beehiiv's page only mentions the 2.9% + $0.30, so beehiiv's real cost could be slightly lower. beehiiv uses the Lite plan price for your total list size (Lite is sold up to 100,000 subscribers).
| Substack | beehiiv Lite | |
|---|---|---|
| Gross paid revenue | – | – |
| Platform fee or cut | – | – |
| Stripe fees (same on both) | – | – |
| You keep | – | – |
Assumes every paid subscriber pays monthly by US card, and ignores tax, refunds, Apple in-app fees and currency conversion. It's arithmetic on published prices, not a forecast of what you'll earn.
Rule of thumb from the arithmetic: beehiiv Lite pays for itself once 10% of your monthly paid revenue is bigger than the Lite price for your list size. At up to 1,000 subscribers on annual billing ($49/mo), that's about $490 a month in paid subscriptions.[B1][S1]
Pros and cons
Substack: what's good
beehiiv: what's good
- 0% take rate on paid subscriptions (Lite and up)[B1]
- More ways to earn: Ad Network, paid recommendations, digital products; sponsorship storefront on Pro[B1]
- Email automations (10 on Lite, unlimited on Pro), A/B testing, segments[B1]
- Free plan includes website, podcast hosting and unlimited sends[B1]
Who should pick which
- Hobby writer, no plans to charge: Substack, or beehiiv Free if you'll stay under 2,500 subscribers.
- Paid newsletter, small but growing: run the calculator. Under the break-even, Substack's 10% is cheaper than a monthly plan.
- Paid newsletter past break-even, or ad/sponsor income: beehiiv, because the 0% take rate and ad tools start paying for the plan.
- Brand or business newsletter: beehiiv Pro if removing platform branding matters to you.
FAQ
Does Substack really take 10%?
Yes, 10% of each subscription payment, and Stripe's fees are separate.[S1]
Does beehiiv take any cut of paid subscriptions?
Not on paid plans. beehiiv says it takes 0% and you pay only Stripe's 2.9% + $0.30. Paid subscriptions aren't available on Free.[B1]
Why does this page link to beehiiv with a paid link and not Substack?
beehiiv runs a partner program that pays referrers; Substack's referrals only pay in Substack Credits.[S3] We still tell you when Substack is the better pick, and the calculator shows it when it is.
Already decided to switch? Follow our step-by-step Substack to beehiiv migration guide.
Sources
- [B1] beehiiv pricing: beehiiv.com/pricing (checked 30 Oct 2026)
- [S1] Substack, “How much does Substack cost?”: support.substack.com (updated 29 Sep 2026, checked 30 Oct 2026)
- [S2] Substack custom domains: support.substack.com (checked 30 Oct 2026)
- [S3] Substack Credits terms: substack.com/credit-tos (checked 30 Oct 2026)
- [S4] Substack Stripe setup and payouts: support.substack.com (checked 30 Oct 2026)
- [S5] Substack subscriber referrals: support.substack.com (checked 30 Oct 2026)