Beehiiv vs. Substack: Choosing the Right Newsletter Platform for You

Publishing newsletters can be a rewarding way for writers and journalists to build an audience and generate income. However, finding the right newsletter platform is key to making this a viable pursuit. Two of the biggest names in this rapidly growing industry are Beehiiv and Substack. This article provides an in-depth, side-by-side analysis to help you determine which platform is the better fit.

Introducing Beehiiv: The Newcomer

Founded in 2021, Beehiiv is still the new kid on the block. But its intuitive interface and generous revenue sharing have already attracted over 50k monthly active writers.

Beehiiv aims to provide an accessible yet feature-rich platform for creators at any stage to turn their talents into sustainable independent businesses. The breadth of monetization options gives writers flexibility in how they fund themselves. This includes subscriptions with tiered pricing and payment options, tipping, and even tokenized community incentives.

Sleek menus and widgets make customizing design, branding, and content distribution simple yet visually appealing. Writers have full control over layouts, email delivery cadence, behind-the-scenes analytics, and more. An integrated community fosters networking and support between independent writers chasing the same dream.

The Giant in the Space: Substack

Since launching in 2017, Substack has rapidly become synonymous with the rise of the creator economy. Their email newsletter model simplified what was previously complex, allowing over a million paying subscribers to fund over 250k individual writers.

Substack’s stripped-down approach centers all design and functionality around writers sharing their work through email newsletters. Readers can subscribe to receive content directly in their inbox. Pricing options determine the level of access. This core offering has resonated widely thanks to its simplicity.

The hands-off approach has also worked financially. Substack’s pre-set revenue split heavily favors writers, allowing creators to take home up to 97% of subscription earnings. Popular writers have made 6-figure salaries purely from newsletter subscriptions. This enticing incentive scheme explains Substack’s dominance.

Head-to-Head Comparison

While both platforms aim to help independent writers thrive, they differ significantly across user experience, customization, monetization potential, and community engagement.

User Experience

Beehiiv offers more flexibility through customizable templates, widgets, and themes to tailor newsletters. The interface also connects email newsletters to a broader creator ecosystem including articles, podcasts, and community forums.

Substack opts for simplicity in user experience. Their minimalist email newsletter template ensures the focus stays on a writer’s content rather than design elements. The streamlined interface has benefits, especially for less tech-savvy writers.

Customization and Control

Content creators on Beehiiv get more opportunities to customize design and distribute content across multiple channels. Features like branded templates, automated posting schedules across platforms, and granular analytics dashboards provide additional insight and control.

Meanwhile, Substack intentionally limits options to keep the workflow focused exclusively on email newsletters. Writers have access to basic templates and subscriber metrics. Those wanting more customization or multimedia options may find Beehiiv better suits these needs.

Monetization Potential

Substack has an established reputation for newsletter writers earning high incomes. Top performers make millions per year. Its hands-off revenue split model also means writers keep up to 97% of subscription earnings.

However, Beehiiv offers writers more flexibility between subscription tiers and alternative funding options. These include membership levels with exclusive perks, tipping, payment plans, and even Web3 models involving community tokens. This diversity caters to more use cases.

Both platforms provide time to build an audience before mandating paid subscriptions, aiding stability especially for new writers.

Sense of Community

Beehiiv actively fosters community bonding and networking. Writers can interact via messages and public forums. Analytic comparisons also benchmark your progress against peers. This supportive environment helps independently published writers feel less isolated.

Substack lacks any social networking components between writers on the platform itself. However, popular Substack authors often form broader external communities through social media channels and events. The personal brand awareness Substack provides can facilitate community growth off the platform.

Writer Experiences and Opinions

Sampling opinions from Beehiiv and Substack writers reveals insights into the actual user experience. Creators highlight specific advantages based on their content format and audience needs.

Beehiiv User Feedback

Maya S., Beehiiv writer – “As someone publishing long-form articles and podcast episodes, I needed customization options and multimedia capabilities that Beehiiv provided. Granular analytics also helped me optimize and improve content over time.”

Alex T, Beehiiv writer – “Building token-gated content and loyalty rewards driven by my supporters has given me a creative way to monetize that would have been impossible on Substack. The future is Web3!”

Substack User Reviews

Leila K., Substack writer – “I don’t care about bells and whistles. I just want a simple way to reach fans that puts my writing front and center. Substack lets me publish quickly without extra hassle.”

Ryan C., Substack writer – “I was wary of overcomplicating the subscriber model. Substack’s straightforward approach helped me focus on providing value rather than getting distracted optimizing payments.”

Key Decision-Making Considerations

With distinct offerings, Beehiiv and Substack each appeal to different creators depending on individual needs and goals. Assessing a few key factors can guide your platform choice.

If designing branded templates and distributing multimedia content are priorities, Beehiiv excels here. Substack shines where simplicity and streamlined writing are paramount.

Weighing long-term monetization plans also matters. Substack provides an immediate path to profit through subscriptions given its existing reputation. Beehiiv offers more adaptive models focused on ownership and community incentives, but with a smaller existing audience.

Think critically about your content format, ideal reader experience, and vision for long-term creative independence. Aligning with the platform tailored to these goals will set you up for sustainability.

Although not impossible to change in the long term to another platform, you are still “locked” into what you start with while you transition. Either platform will help you spread and share your newsletter, but changing platforms comes with its own set of problems.

Conclusion: Evaluate and Experiment

When assessing Beehiiv vs Substack, there is no objectively “better” platform. Writers with specific multimedia content or customization priorities find Beehiiv offers the necessary capabilities. Those wanting sheer simplicity to share writing choose Substack overwhelmingly.

Luckily, both options provide free trials to test the systems first-hand before fully committing. Experiment with publishing formats and monitor reader response. Leverage a platform’s analytics and community support in shaping direction.

Ultimately, the right platform coupled with consistency and refinement will empower writers to profit from their skills and find their niche. This personal path to creative independence makes either choice a winner.