Substack is free to publish at any number of subscribers, and keeps 10% of paid subscription revenue if you charge readers. beehiiv is free up to 2,500 subscribers; paid subscriptions start on Lite ($59 a month at 1,000 subscribers, or $49 billed yearly), and beehiiv takes 0% of that revenue. So the cheaper choice depends on how much you earn from readers.
- You'll earn enough from paid subscriptions that a 10% cut costs more than a beehiiv plan
- You want a custom domain and up to 10 live automations in one plan (Lite and up)
Plain link.
- You want to start with no monthly cost at any list size
- You may never charge readers, or earn little from them
- You want welcome emails and drip campaigns without paying
Plain link.
Key facts side by side
Source: beehiiv pricing, Substack costs, checked 2026-10-21 · Bars show size only. beehiiv Free stops at 2,500 subscribers and doesn't include paid subscriptions. Stripe's card fees apply on both.
Fees and prices
| beehiiv | Substack | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to publish | Free up to 2,500 subscribers; Lite from $59 a month ($49 billed yearly) | Free at any size |
| Paid subscriptions | From Lite; beehiiv takes 0% | Substack keeps 10% |
| Card processing | Stripe 2.9% + $0.30 | Stripe 2.9% + $0.30 for US cards, plus 0.7% Stripe Billing |
| Custom domain | Lite and up | Optional, $50 one-time |
| Automations | Welcome email only on Free; 10 live automations on Lite | Welcome emails and drip campaigns, free |
| Free footer address | Yes, beehiiv's business address | Not stated by Substack |
Sources: beehiiv pricing, beehiiv footer address, Substack costs, Substack features, Substack email footers.
beehiiv Lite prices, monthly (billed yearly per month): $59 ($49) at 1,000 subscribers, $79 ($69) at 2,500, $109 ($95) at 5,000 and $139 ($119) at 10,000. As a rough guide from those numbers: at $49 a month, Substack's 10% cut would cost the same once you earn $490 a month from paid subscriptions (before Stripe fees).
Catches on each side
- beehiiv: no refunds. All sales are final (beehiiv refunds).
- beehiiv: no automations or custom domain on Free. Substack includes welcome emails and drip campaigns for free (beehiiv pricing, Substack features).
- Substack: the 10% applies to every subscription payment, on top of Stripe's fees (Substack costs).
- Substack: imported lists can be held for review, and the subscriber export doesn't include names (how imports work, export your list).
- Substack: in-app purchases may cost readers more, to cover Apple fees, unless you keep prices the same (Substack costs).
Verdict
Pick beehiiv if you expect meaningful paid-subscription income and want to keep it all (beehiiv takes 0% on Lite and up), or you want beehiiv's own address in your footer.
Pick Substack if you want to publish for free at any size, with welcome emails and drip campaigns included, and your paid income is small enough that 10% costs less than a beehiiv plan (under about $490 a month against Lite billed yearly).
Full reviews: beehiiv review and Substack review.
FAQ
Is Substack free?
Yes. Publishing is free at any number of subscribers. If you turn on paid subscriptions, Substack keeps 10% and Stripe charges its own fees.
Does beehiiv take a cut of paid subscriptions?
No. beehiiv takes 0% on Lite and up. Stripe's 2.9% + $0.30 still applies.
Can I use my own domain?
On beehiiv, from Lite. On Substack, for a one-time $50.
What changed
- 2026-10-21: Rewritten from beehiiv's and Substack's official pricing and help pages. Replaces an older draft.
- 2026-10-21: Linked the new Substack review, rechecked every number against both reviews, and added automations and footer-address rows.
Sources
All accessed 2026-10-21 (America/New_York).
- beehiiv pricing and subscriber slider: https://www.beehiiv.com/pricing
- beehiiv, "Am I eligible for a refund?": https://www.beehiiv.com/support/article/13092084756631-am-i-eligible-for-a-refund
- beehiiv, footer physical address: https://www.beehiiv.com/support/article/12293012097175
- Substack, "How much does Substack cost?": https://support.substack.com/hc/en-us/articles/360037607131-How-much-does-Substack-cost
- Substack features: https://substack.com/features
- Substack, "How do I edit email headers and footers on Substack?": https://support.substack.com/hc/en-us/articles/360056142311-How-do-I-edit-email-headers-and-footers-on-Substack
- Substack, "How do email list imports work?": https://support.substack.com/hc/en-us/articles/360044079591-How-do-email-list-imports-work
- Substack, "How do I export my email list on Substack?": https://support.substack.com/hc/en-us/articles/6314498343700-How-do-I-export-my-email-list-on-Substack