Last updated: 2026-06-08 · By Shash Eran
Beehiiv Review 2026 — Why I Picked It Over Substack and ConvertKit
TL;DR
Beehiiv is the pick if you want to grow a newsletter as a business. Free up to 2,500 subscribers, custom domain included, Boosts marketplace for list growth. Falls short on automations — don't pick it if complex sequences are your thing. Start free, decide later.
Quick context: I'm setting up a newsletter for this site. I evaluated Beehiiv, Substack, ConvertKit (now Kit), and Ghost. I picked Beehiiv. This page is why.
I'm not going to pretend I've been on it for two years. I've been using it for a few months. But I've spent enough time inside the editor, the audience tools, and the Boosts network to know what's real and what's marketing copy. (And yes, I've seen plenty of both.)
The short answer
Pick Beehiiv if you want to grow a list and treat your newsletter like a business. Pick Substack if you want to publish writing and don't care about list ownership. Pick Kit (ConvertKit) if you're already deep in their automation ecosystem. Pick Ghost if you want to self-host everything.
The rest of this review is the reasoning behind that. If you already know you want Beehiiv, the affiliate link gets you 14 days free plus 20% off — skip to pricing if that's what you need.
Why I didn't pick Substack
Substack is genuinely good at what it is — a writing platform with built-in audience discovery. The Notes feed brings real readers. The network effects are real.
My problem: Substack owns the relationship more than you do. When you grow on Substack, you're growing their user base as much as your own. Platforms change the deal. They always do. I've been around long enough to know that the deal you sign up for is rarely the deal you're on three years later.
Customization is also locked. You can change a few colors. That's it. For any site where branding matters, that's a hard no.
Why I didn't pick Kit (ConvertKit)
Kit is a serious tool. The automation builder is the best in the newsletter category — if you need multi-branch conditional logic, Kit is the answer and nothing else comes close.
For a content-first newsletter, it's overkill. Expensive at scale. The editor still feels like 2018. I tested it for two weeks and kept clicking around looking for things that weren't where I expected them. That's a sign.
I reckon Kit is the right call if automations are your whole game. For everything else, Beehiiv is the more focused tool.
What Beehiiv actually does well
- The Boosts marketplace. Other newsletters pay you to acquire their subscribers, and vice versa. I haven't run a Boost myself yet, but I've subscribed through newsletters that do — the experience is clean and the concept is sound. This is a list-growth mechanism you genuinely don't get on Substack or Kit.
- The recommendations widget. When someone subscribes, they're shown 3–5 other newsletters they might like. Newsletter operators reciprocate. My subscriber count moved before I'd sent the first issue. That's worth something.
- The editor. It feels like Notion-meets-Mailchimp — which sounds bad but is good. Block-based, drag-and-drop, the formatting actually renders the way you wrote it. (This sounds obvious. It isn't, with most ESPs.)
- Custom domain on the free plan. ConvertKit charges extra. Substack barely lets you. Beehiiv just gives it to you. Most newsletter platforms treat this as an upgrade — Beehiiv treats it as table stakes.
- Real analytics. Open rates, click rates, click maps, growth source breakdowns. Not pretty charts hiding the actual numbers. The dashboards are honest in a way that some platforms specifically aren't.
- Monetization built in. Sponsorships, paid subscriptions, ads — all in one place. I'm not running ads yet but the option being there without a third-party integration matters.
Where it falls down
- Automation is basic. Welcome sequences, yes. Conditional logic — if subscriber clicked X, send Y three days later unless they already purchased — no. If your funnel is complex, this will be the wall you hit.
- The free plan ceiling. 2,500 subs free. Once you cross it, you're on a paid plan whether you're earning anything yet or not. Plan for that before you hit it, not after.
- Deliverability wobbles occasionally. Most campaigns land fine. Once in a while, one doesn't perform as expected in inbox placement. Every ESP has this. Worth knowing it isn't immune.
- Mobile editor is rough. If you write on your phone, you will hate it. This is a desktop tool and it doesn't apologize for that.
Pricing reality
The free tier is genuinely usable, not a crippled trial. 2,500 subscribers, custom domain, recommendations widget, basic analytics. You don't need a credit card to start.
| Plan | Price | Subs | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Launch | Free | 2,500 | Start here. Honest free tier. |
| Grow | $42/mo | 10K | Worth it once you're actually growing. |
| Scale | $84/mo | 100K | For newsletters running as a real business. |
Via our affiliate link, any paid plan gets you 14 days free + 20% off the first 3 months. That's $8.40 off Grow per month for three months. Not life-changing but it's real.
Beehiiv vs Substack vs Kit — quick table
| Feature | Beehiiv | Substack | Kit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free tier | 2,500 subs | Unlimited (free publications) | 10K (limited features) |
| Custom domain | Yes, on free plan | $50/yr add-on | Paid plans only |
| List ownership | Yours | Yours (but inside their platform) | Yours |
| Growth tools | Boosts + recommendations | Notes + discovery | Creator network |
| Automation | Basic | Minimal | Best in class |
| Best for | Newsletter as business | Writers | Course and product creators |
Bottom line
Start on Beehiiv free. You won't outgrow the free tier for months. By then you'll know whether to upgrade or move. If you haven't decided yet, that's your answer — start, then decide.
Frequently asked questions
Is Beehiiv free to use?
Yes. The Launch plan is free up to 2,500 subscribers and includes a custom domain, the recommendations widget, and basic analytics. No credit card required. Once you cross 2,500 subs, Scale is $39/mo (10K subs) or Max is $99/mo (100K subs).
Is Beehiiv better than Substack?
Depends on what you need. Beehiiv is better for list ownership, growth tools, and customization. Substack is better if you want built-in discovery and don't care about branding. The thing that matters most: on Beehiiv your audience is genuinely yours. On Substack you're growing inside their platform.
Can you migrate from Substack or ConvertKit to Beehiiv?
Yes. Beehiiv has a built-in migration tool that imports subscriber lists via CSV. Substack and ConvertKit both export cleanly. You will rebuild automations from scratch since those don't transfer — but for a basic newsletter setup, migration takes under an hour.
Does Beehiiv have good deliverability?
Generally yes. Most campaigns land fine. Occasionally a send lands lower in inboxes than expected — that's true of every ESP, not unique to Beehiiv. Warming up a new sending domain before large blasts still applies, same as anywhere.
Who should not use Beehiiv?
Anyone who needs complex conditional automation — multi-branch sequences with "if subscriber clicked X but didn't buy Y, wait 3 days then send Z" logic. Kit (ConvertKit) or ActiveCampaign handle that far better. Also: if you primarily want built-in readers without building a list yourself, Substack's discovery engine is the better fit.
What commission does Beehiiv pay affiliates?
60% recurring for 12 months. If someone you refer stays on Grow ($42/mo), that's $25.20/mo for a year. One of the better structures in the newsletter space — it rewards sending people to a product they actually stick with, not just a one-time click.
Written by Shash
Founder, Infinfy Solutions. I use these tools on real work, then write about what actually happened.