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Email Marketing

Beehiiv vs Substack: Pricing Comparison 2026

Side-by-side pricing comparison of Beehiiv and Substack. See all plans, features, and costs at a glance.

Bottom line: Substack starts at $5/mo, making it $38/mo cheaper than Beehiiv ($43/mo). Beehiiv offers a free plan.

Last updated: August 24, 2026

Data compiled by Arthur Jacquemin
Updated August 24, 2026
Try Beehiiv freeTry Substack freePrice updated 4d ago
Best Value

Beehiiv - Beehiiv's better creator economics, feature depth, and no percentage cut on subscriptions make it the stronger long-term platform.

Beehiiv vs Substack: Quick Pricing Facts

FeatureBeehiivSubstack
Starting Price$43/mo$5/mo
Number of Plans47
Free TierYesYes
Pricing Modelusage-basedusage-based
Annual DiscountN/AN/A

Substack is the more affordable option, starting at $5/mo compared to Beehiiv's $43/mo. Both are Email Marketing tools with 11 combined pricing plans and 70 features compared.

Both tools offer free plans, making them accessible for teams on a budget.

Review the detailed tier-by-tier comparison above to see exactly which features are included at each price point and find the best fit for your Email Marketing needs.

Pricing Plans
Beehiiv
Beehiiv
Try free
Substack
Substack
Try free
Tier 1
Launch
$0/monthCheapest
Includes
  • Newsletters, Website, and Podcast
  • Campaign Analytics
  • Unlimited Email Sends
  • Recommendation Network
  • Optimized Deliverability
  • Custom Domains
  • Link-in-Bio
  • AI Website Builder
  • API Access (excluding Send API)
  • beehiiv MCP (Read Access)
  • beehiiv Agent (Read Access)New
Start with Launch
Free
$0/monthCheapest
Includes
  • Set up paid subscriptions
  • Keep 90% of revenue
  • Own your content
  • Choose free or paid posts
Start with Free
Tier 2
Scale
$43/month
Includes
  • Ad Network*†
  • Recommendations*†
  • 0% Take Rate on Paid Subscriptions*
  • Digital Products
  • CommunityNew
  • Email Automations
  • Surveys & Polls
  • Advanced Website Analytics
  • Webhooks
  • beehiiv MCP (Write Access)
  • beehiiv Agent (Write Access)New
  • Teams (3 Seats)*
  • Slack Community Access*
  • Human Support
Start with Scale
Basic
$5/monthCheapest
$5 / year
Includes
  • Earn from 50 subscribers
  • Keep 90% of revenue
  • Direct payments from subscribers
Start with Basic
Tier 3
Max
$96/month
Includes
  • Remove beehiiv Branding*
  • Sponsorship Storefront
  • Audio Newsletters
  • Digital Products (Appointments)
  • RSS to Send
  • Up to 10 Publications*
  • Teams (Unlimited Seats)*
  • Priority Human Support
  • Getty Image Credits
  • Dynamic Content
  • AI Bot Control
  • Send API*
  • Group Subscriptions
  • Click-Triggered Automations
Start with Max
Standard
$7/monthCheapest
$7 / year
Includes
  • Earn from 100 subscribers
  • Keep 90% of revenue
  • Direct payments from subscribers
Start with Standard
Tier 4
Enterprise
Custom pricing
Includes
  • Concierge Onboarding
  • Dedicated Account Manager
  • Dedicated IP Addresses
  • Random Cohort Sends
  • Custom Publication Limits
  • Invite-Only Webinars with our CEO
  • VIP Human Support
  • Deliverability Reports (coming soon)
  • SSO
Start with Enterprise
Advanced
$10/monthCheapest
$10 / year
Includes
  • Earn from 200 subscribers
  • Keep 90% of revenue
  • Direct payments from subscribers
Start with Advanced
Tier 5
-
Pro
$15/monthCheapest
$15 / year
Includes
  • Earn from 400 subscribers
  • Keep 90% of revenue
  • Direct payments from subscribers
Start with Pro
Tier 6
-
Premium
$30/monthCheapest
$30 / year
Includes
  • Earn from 800 subscribers
  • Keep 90% of revenue
  • Direct payments from subscribers
Start with Premium
Tier 7
-
Enterprise
$75/monthCheapest
$75 / year
Includes
  • Earn from 2000 subscribers
  • Keep 90% of revenue
  • Direct payments from subscribers
Start with Enterprise

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Try Beehiiv freeFree plan availableTry Substack freeFree plan available
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Beehiiv

Newsletter platform with monetization and growth tools

View all Beehiiv plans

Substack

Newsletter and publishing platform with paid subscriptions (10% cut)

View all Substack plans
Our Pick

Beehiiv

Beehiiv's better creator economics, feature depth, and no percentage cut on subscriptions make it the stronger long-term platform.

Based on pricing data only. Review the full comparison below for your specific needs.

Try Beehiiv freeFree plan available

Which Should You Choose?

Choose Beehiiv if:

  • •You want more control over your newsletter - custom domain, full design control, and third-party integrations
  • •Beehiiv's referral programs, ad network, and subscriber analytics are more sophisticated
  • •You want to avoid Substack's 10% cut on paid subscriptions

Choose Substack if:

  • •You want the simplest way to start a paid newsletter without technical setup
  • •Substack's large built-in reader community provides organic discovery for new writers
  • •You value simplicity and Substack's network effect over feature depth

Beehiiv and Substack are the two leading newsletter platforms, and the competition is real. Substack wins on simplicity and network effects - writers get discovered through Substack's recommendation network, and setup takes minutes. Beehiiv wins on control, features, and creator economics - no percentage cut on paid subscriptions, more design control, better analytics, and a referral program. For writers who want to build long-term, Beehiiv's economics are better. For writers who want the fastest path to readers, Substack's network matters.

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Frequently Asked Questions: Beehiiv vs Substack

Which is cheaper, Beehiiv or Substack?
As of August 2026, Substack starts at a lower price point. Beehiiv starts at $43/mo while Substack starts at $5/mo. However, the best value depends on the features you need at each tier.
How many pricing plans does Beehiiv have vs Substack?
Beehiiv offers 4 pricing plans, while Substack offers 7 plans. More plans typically means more flexibility to match your exact needs and budget.
Does Beehiiv or Substack offer a free plan?
Yes, both Beehiiv and Substack offer free plans. Compare the feature limits of each free tier to see which better fits your use case before upgrading.
Can I save money by paying annually for Beehiiv or Substack?
Both Beehiiv and Substack offer annual billing options. Check each plan's yearly pricing for potential savings compared to monthly billing.
Does Beehiiv or Substack offer custom enterprise pricing?
Beehiiv offers a custom-priced enterprise tier for larger teams. Substack lists all its pricing publicly.
How do Beehiiv and Substack compare for Email Marketing?
Both Beehiiv and Substack are Email Marketing tools. Beehiiv offers 4 plans starting at $43/mo, while Substack offers 7 plans starting at $5/mo. Review the feature breakdowns above to see which better fits your Email Marketing needs.
AI Recommendations

Sources

  1. Beehiiv Official Pricing- Vendor pricing page
  2. Substack Official Pricing- Vendor pricing page

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