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beehiiv vs Substack 2026: fees, free plans and which to pick
By Top Shelf Picks · October 30, 2026 · Figures from beehiiv.com/pricing and Substack's "How much does Substack cost?" help page on this date. Verdicts are our opinion.
Short answer: Substack is free at any size but takes 10% of paid subscriptions. beehiiv is free up to 2,500 subscribers, then charges a monthly fee but takes 0% of paid subscriptions. Free newsletter that stays small? Either works. Planning to charge readers or sell ads? Do the math below.
The fees
| beehiiv | Substack | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Up to 2,500 subscribers, unlimited sends | Free at any list size |
| Cut of paid subscriptions | 0% (paid plan needed) | 10% |
| Card processing | Stripe 2.9% + $0.30 | Stripe 2.9% + $0.30, plus 0.7% Stripe Billing |
| Paid plan to charge readers | Lite from $59/mo monthly ($49/mo annual) at up to 1,000 subs | None |
| Custom domain | Paid plans (Lite+) | One-time $50 |
| Remove platform branding | Pro plan | n/a |
Break-even: when does beehiiv get cheaper?
Substack's 10% beats beehiiv Lite's $59/month only while paid revenue is under $590/month. Above that, beehiiv's flat fee costs less (ignoring Stripe fees, which both pay, and beehiiv's higher tiers as your list grows: e.g. Lite is $79/mo monthly at up to 2,500 subscribers). This is simple arithmetic on the published prices, not a prediction of what you'll earn.
Where beehiiv is stronger (our opinion)
- Growth and money tools: referral program, ad network and paid recommendations on Lite and up; a recommendation network on Free.
- Owning your brand: custom domains, website builder, and removing beehiiv branding on Pro.
- Automations on paid plans (Lite has 10 live custom automations).
Where Substack is stronger (our opinion)
- Zero cost if you never charge readers, no matter how big you get.
- A built-in reader network and app where people discover new writers.
- Simpler: fewer settings to learn.
Our pick
Writing a free newsletter as a hobby: Substack is hard to beat. Building a newsletter as a business (sponsors, paid tier, products): start on beehiiv's free plan so you don't have to migrate later. Setup steps are in how to start a newsletter, and the full platform verdict in our beehiiv review.
Selling courses or funnels more than writing? Compare Systeme.io vs Kajabi vs ClickFunnels.
Related: beehiiv review 2026 · How to start a newsletter · Black Friday 2026 software deals
Sources
beehiiv.com/pricing (plan table, feature comparison, FAQ) and support.substack.com "How much does Substack cost?" (updated Oct 29, 2026), accessed October 30, 2026. Prices change; check current price before upgrading.