Verdict
Substack is the low-risk start: no platform fee until you earn, built-in discovery, and a 10% cut that only bites once revenue grows. [1] [4] beehiiv makes sense once paid revenue is large enough that 10% exceeds a flat Lite or Pro fee, or when you want ads, a referral program, automations and more control over the site and sending domain. [5]
Stripe fees apply to card payments on both, so the fee comparison mostly comes down to Substack's 10% against beehiiv's plan price. [1] [5]
Fees side by side
| Cost | Substack | beehiiv |
|---|---|---|
| Platform fee | Free to publish [1] | Free up to 2,500 subscribers; Lite from $59/mo, Pro from $109/mo at up to 1,000 [5] |
| Cut of paid subscriptions | 10% of each subscription payment [1] | 0%; listed from Lite up, marked not in trial [5] |
| Card processing | Stripe 2.9% + $0.30 per US card payment [1] | Stripe 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction [5] |
| Recurring billing fee | Stripe Billing 0.7% [1] | Not mentioned by beehiiv; Stripe lists Billing at 0.7% of Billing volume [8] |
| Custom domain | One-time $50 for the website; newsletters still send from a substack.com address [3] | Paid plans [9] |
| iOS in-app purchases | Substack's 10% is based on your web price; Apple fees apply [1] | Not covered on the pages reviewed |
Worked break-even: when does 10% cost more than a flat plan?
Break-even paid subscribers = beehiiv monthly plan price divided by 10% of your monthly subscription price. beehiiv prices by total subscribers (free and paid), so the plan bucket depends on your whole list, not just paying readers. Stripe fees are left out because both platforms pass them through. [1] [5]
- Example: 3,000 total subscribers, 150 paying $8 a month, gross $1,200. Substack's 10% is $120 a month. beehiiv Lite at up to 5,000 is $109 monthly or $95 on annual billing, saving $11 to $25 a month. Close to break-even, so other factors should decide. [1] [5]
- Example: same list, 400 paying $8 a month, gross $3,200. Substack's 10% is $320 a month against $109 for Lite, a difference of $211 a month. [1] [5]
- If you need Pro features, use Pro's price instead: $239 a month at up to 10,000 needs 299 paid subscribers at $8 to break even. [5]
| beehiiv Lite bucket and billing | Plan per month | Paid subs at $5/mo | Paid subs at $8/mo | Paid subs at $10/mo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 1,000, monthly | $59 | 118 | 74 | 59 |
| Up to 1,000, annual | $49 | 98 | 62 | 49 |
| Up to 5,000, monthly | $109 | 218 | 137 | 109 |
| Up to 5,000, annual | $95 | 190 | 119 | 95 |
| Up to 10,000, monthly | $139 | 278 | 174 | 139 |
| Up to 10,000, annual | $119 | 238 | 149 | 119 |
Ownership: exports and moving paid subscribers
Substack says you always own your readers' email addresses and can export them at any time, including readers who subscribe in the app. The export is a CSV of all or visible columns from the Subscribers page; Substack says it is not currently possible to export subscriber names. [2] [10]
beehiiv's dashboard exports subscribers and posts on all plans, in a Quick or Full version, with download links valid for 24 hours. [7]
Paid subscribers move through Stripe. beehiiv's migration guide copies customers from the Stripe account connected to Substack into the one connected to beehiiv, using a restricted API key, and maps Substack prices to beehiiv tiers. It warns that subscribers will be charged twice unless you pause or cancel Substack billing, that exact paywall placement in imported posts is not carried over, and that comped, gifted and iOS subscribers need separate handling. [6]
Custom domains and sending
Substack charges a one-time $50 to connect a domain you already own; it does not sell domains, and it requires a subdomain such as www, with an optional root-domain redirect, and verification can take up to 36 hours. [3]
beehiiv's custom domain feature is on paid plans. One domain can serve the website, a root redirect, the email sending domain and branded links, and every publication sending from a custom domain needs a DMARC record. Verification can take up to 72 hours. [9]
The practical difference: Substack's help article says newsletters are still sent from [email protected] after you connect a custom domain, so the domain changes your web address only. beehiiv's paid plans let the same domain carry your sending address, which also means publishing a DMARC record for it, as beehiiv requires. [3] [9]
Discovery and growth tools
Substack recommendations appear right after someone subscribes (up to 3, one click to subscribe for free), in your site sidebar and recommendations page, in occasional digest emails and on your profile in the web and app. [4] This network effect is Substack's main advantage over a standalone platform.
beehiiv lists a recommendation network on all plans, paid recommendations and a referral program from Lite up, and an ad network from Lite up. [5] Its growth tools are more configurable, but discovery among readers browsing a shared app is not something beehiiv's pages describe.
Who should pick which
- Starting out, no paid tier yet, or under the break-even in the table: Substack.
- Paid revenue where 10% exceeds your beehiiv bucket price: beehiiv Lite.
- Want ads, referral rewards, automations or segments: beehiiv. [5]
- Depend on Substack recommendations for most new subscribers: weigh that growth before moving. [4]
- Have many iOS in-app, comped or gifted subscribers: plan their transfer separately before migrating. [6]
- Moving anyway: export a full CSV, set up beehiiv paid tiers and Stripe first, then pause Substack billing the moment the migration runs. [2] [6]
Questions before you decide
How much does Substack take?
Substack's help center says publishing is free, and if you turn on paid subscriptions Substack keeps 10% of each subscription payment. Stripe card processing (2.9% + $0.30 per US card payment) and Stripe Billing (0.7%) are listed as separate fees.
Can I take my paid subscribers from Substack to beehiiv?
beehiiv documents a Stripe-to-Stripe migration that copies customers and subscriptions into the Stripe account connected to beehiiv. It warns that subscribers will be charged twice unless you pause or cancel billing on Substack. Comped, gifted and iOS in-app subscribers are not in Stripe and need separate handling.
Which is better for discovery?
Substack has a built-in recommendation system: new subscribers may see up to 3 recommended publications right after signing up, and recommendations appear on your site, in digest emails and on profiles. beehiiv has a recommendation network on all plans and a referral program from Lite up.
Sources & verification
Product details and prices can change. Check the linked provider before buying.
- Substack Help: How much does Substack cost? Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- Substack Help: How do I export my email list on Substack? Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- Substack Help: How do I set up my custom domain on Substack? Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- Substack Help: How can I recommend other publications on Substack? Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- beehiiv pricing Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- beehiiv support: How to migrate from Substack to beehiiv Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- beehiiv support: Exporting post content or subscriber data Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- Stripe Billing pricing Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- beehiiv support: How to use a custom domain for your publication Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- Substack Help: What happens to my email list for readers who read in the Substack app? Accessed 29 Oct 2026
Sources link directly to providers. Product buttons may use separately labeled affiliate links. Read our disclosure.