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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: March 16, 2026

Data compiled by Arthur Jacquemin
Updated March 16, 2026

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 63 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
Substack
Substack
Try it free
Tier 1
Launch
$0/monthCheapest
Includes
  • Custom Website
  • Custom Newsletters
  • Campaign Analytics
  • Unlimited Email Sends
  • Recommendation Network
  • Optimized Deliverability
  • Custom Domains
  • Link-in-Bio
  • AI Website Designer
  • API Access (excluding Send API)
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*†
  • Boosts Network*†
  • 0% Take Rate on Paid Subscriptions*
  • Digital Products
  • Email Automations
  • Surveys & Polls
  • Advanced Website Analytics
  • Webhooks
  • 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
  • Podcast Websites
  • Audio Newsletters
  • Digital Products (Appointments)
  • RSS to Send
  • Up to 10 Publications*
  • Teams (Unlimited Seats)*
  • Priority Human Support
  • Getty Image Credits
  • Dynamic ContentNew
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
  • Send API*
  • 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

Swipe to compare plans →

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

Substack

Substack offers a free plan, starts at $38/mo lower ($5/mo vs $43/mo), offers 7 tiers vs 4.

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

Best value: Substack

Try Substack free

Which Should You Choose?

Choose Beehiiv if:

  • You prefer Beehiiv's free tier features—Custom Website, Custom Newsletters
  • You want more features built-in—Beehiiv offers 19 additional features across its plans
  • Your team needs custom enterprise pricing—Beehiiv offers negotiated terms for large deployments

Choose Substack if:

  • You want lower per-user costs—Substack starts at $5/mo, saving $38/mo compared to Beehiiv at $43/mo
  • You prefer Substack's free tier features—Set up paid subscriptions, Keep 90% of revenue
  • You need 7 pricing tiers for flexible team sizing—more options mean less overpaying for features you don't need

Both Beehiiv and Substack offer free plans [1], eliminating cost barriers for evaluation. This means you can test both tools thoroughly with your actual workflows before any financial commitment. The free tiers differ in scope: Beehiiv includes 10 features, while Substack includes 4 features. Evaluate which free tier matches your evaluation needs before deciding to upgrade. Your best approach is to activate both free trials and evaluate which tool's workflow, integrations, and user experience align better with your team's needs before committing to paid plans.

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Frequently Asked Questions: Beehiiv vs Substack

Which is cheaper, Beehiiv or Substack?
As of March 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.

Sources

  1. Beehiiv Official PricingVendor pricing page
  2. Substack Official PricingVendor pricing page

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