Substack vs Beehiiv: Which Newsletter Platform Is Better in 2025?

In 2025, newsletters are no longer just a hobby. They're businesses.

Whether you're building a media brand, monetising your audience, or adding a content arm to your company — owning your email list is one of the most profitable moves you can make.

But before you can grow or monetise a newsletter, you need the right platform. And the two names dominating that conversation are Substack and Beehiiv.

Both have built passionate communities. Both have helped creators go full-time. And both are betting on the future of independent publishing — just in very different ways.

This guide isn't just about features. It's about mindset. About the kind of business you're building — and which platform is going to help you get there.

So let’s break down Substack vs Beehiiv across all the areas that matter: from pricing to performance, from design to distribution.

1. Who These Platforms Are Built For

Imagine two writers. One just wants to hit “publish” and start writing for their loyal audience. The other wants to build a media brand, track conversions, and scale with ads.

Substack is for that first creator — the one who values simplicity. Its strength is how little friction there is. In minutes, you can launch a clean, professional-looking publication and start accepting paid subscribers. No web design, no Zapier flows, no analytics overwhelm.

Beehiiv, by contrast, is for the operator. The person who thinks like a publisher, or wants to grow like one. It’s a platform built by the team behind Morning Brew, and it shows. Every feature feels like it was designed for scale.

2. Pricing Comparison

Here’s where things start to diverge depending on your long-term goals.

Substack’s monetisation is effortless — but they take 10% of your revenue. If you're aiming to build a high-income newsletter, this adds up fast.

Beehiiv charges a flat fee, which can feel like a barrier early on, but offers better margins long term.

3. Design & Customisation

Aesthetics matter. But so does control.

Substack offers a streamlined, writer-centric layout. You’ll get your logo, some colours, and a minimalist theme — but that’s about it. And for many writers, that’s perfect. No decisions to make. No time wasted tweaking layouts.

Beehiiv, however, leans into flexibility. You can design a homepage, add dynamic sections, embed forms, and even include widgets like referral leaderboards. If you care about branding — or want your newsletter to feel like a full-fledged media site — Beehiiv gives you that room.

4. Growth Tools & Virality

This is where Beehiiv shines — and why so many growth-oriented creators have switched.

While Substack has a solid internal network of recommendations, Beehiiv offers:

• A full referral engine (think Morning Brew)

• Magic links for easy subscriber sharing

• Growth attribution dashboards

• Viral loops built right into onboarding

In short: if growth is your metric, Beehiiv gives you leverage.

5. Monetisation Options

Substack popularised the paid newsletter. You can set up subscriptions, accept reader pledges, and even host audio/podcasts natively.

But Beehiiv has caught up — and arguably pulled ahead:

• Stripe-powered paid plans with flexible tiers

• Native ad network for automated monetisation

• “Free + paid” hybrid models to nurture your funnel

Substack is built for direct-to-fan models. Beehiiv is built for business.

6. Deliverability & Analytics

Substack’s clean interface is a joy to write in, but the analytics are basic. You’ll get opens, clicks, and paid subscriber data — not much more.

Beehiiv, on the other hand, feels like an analytics tool with a newsletter built on top of it. You’ll get:

• Heatmaps of engagement

• Growth tracking by referral source

• Segmentation by behaviour (clickers, openers, churn risks)

This matters when you're testing subject lines, launching products, or trying to understand what’s actually driving revenue.

7. Platform Ecosystem

This is one of the few areas where Substack still has the edge — for now.

Substack has a native reading app. A growing directory. An internal network where readers can follow, recommend, and discover newsletters like a social platform.

Beehiiv, by design, doesn’t want to be a walled garden. It integrates better with your website, your SEO strategy, and your tech stack — making it ideal if you’re building something bigger than just a newsletter.

8. Final Verdict

The better platform? It depends on who you want to become.

If you're a solo writer who wants to publish with ease and keep things simple — Substack is perfect.

If you're a founder, operator, or creator building a scalable media brand — Beehiiv is built for growth.

🧠 Want to learn how to grow a high-performing newsletter from scratch? Check out our full course on newsletter growth and monetisation.