When it came time to choose a new e-mail system, I really did not desire “adequate.” I needed something much better– something developed for growth, smarter money making, and a smoother experience overall. After almost a decade aiding others with e-mail marketing (and two years running my own e-newsletter), I had not been searching for simply a device– I was hunting for a correct companion Who Created Beehiiv.
And that’s how Beehiiv entered the picture.
Currently, I know what you’re thinking: “Isn’t Beehiiv just an additional Substack alternative?” I believed that also initially. But after three months of kicking the tires and diving deep, I have actually obtained a great deal to claim– both the victories and the unusual traits. If you’re attempting to decide whether Beehiiv is the right platform for you, work out in. You’re about to obtain the whole story.
Why I Left My Old Email Device Behind
Let’s be honest– most email provider (ESPs) are constructed like they’re still stuck in 2013. I required a device that might in fact help grow my checklist and make some money while I was at it. My old ESP simply wasn’t sufficing any longer.
So I started contrasting alternatives. Beehiiv, Substack, Kit … the common suspects. Each had its rewards, yet I was looking at this through the lens of a person who takes email seriously– and who wanted complete control over my audience and web content.
The Substack Problem: Looks Good Up Until You Look Closer
Substack was my first stop. It’s brightened. It’s straightforward. And yeah, it’s popular.
But dig a little much deeper, and fractures begin revealing. The most significant one? You don’t really own your followers.
That “adhere to” switch you see on Substack? It’s primarily smoke and mirrors. Those fans live behind a wall surface– inside the Substack app or on their site. You can not email them straight. Can’t export them. You’re basically leasing an audience you can never ever fully reach.
It’s like carrying out on a phase where the lights just switch on if the venue determines to allow the crowd see you. Doesn’t feel wonderful.
And after that there’s the money side. Substack takes 10% off your paid registrations. Stripe takes one more 3%. That’s 13% of your earnings– gone. You ‘d believe they were running a club, not an email system.
So yeah, Substack? A no for me.
Beehiiv Looked Promising, However Was It As well Great to Be True?
So what made Beehiiv attract attention?
In the beginning, it was the guarantee of creator-first features– like better monetization, smarter checklist growth devices, and no system charges (apart from the normal Stripe cut). However guarantees are easy. Implementation? That’s where it gets real.
Still, the evaluations were encouraging. The Reddit strings didn’t sound like crawlers or brand name plants. And the onboarding? Remarkably smooth.
I figured, “Why not?” and took the jump.
Readying Up on Beehiiv
Let me inform you– moving to a new platform normally feels like pulling teeth. But Beehiiv? Remarkably pain-free.
Importing my checklist? Smooth. Setting up types? No crises. Attaching my custom-made domain? A couple of small missteps, however absolutely nothing that required swearing at the display.
One point I really appreciated was the “domain warming” feature. Beehiiv slowly presents your domain to inbox suppliers, piggybacking off their very own sending out domain name. Translation? Less spam folder problems.
Likewise, their support web content– videos, aid docs, and walkthroughs– in fact really felt human. Like someone took a seat and stated, “Let’s not annoy the heck out of our individuals today.” Refreshing.
Automation on Beehiiv: Who Created Beehiiv
Currently here’s where things obtained a little … intriguing.
Beehiiv’s automation system is good, but don’t anticipate it to take on heavyweight systems like ActiveCampaign or ConvertKit. As an example, each type can only be connected to a solitary automation. That makes it challenging to customize welcome sequences based on exactly how a person joined.
I ended up going full detective setting– dabbling with sections, utilizing separate landing pages, checking out rare Reddit strings– simply to build a couple of tailored workflows.
Is it doable? Absolutely. But if you’re used to drag-and-drop flowcharts with conditional logic, this may seem like going back a little bit.
Email Builder: Primarily Fantastic, But Not Perfect
I’ve got a little a love-hate connection with Beehiiv’s e-mail builder.
Visually? It’s glossy. Drag, drop, format, sneak peek– it seems like it was developed by a person who’s in fact written an e-newsletter or 2.
But default templates took a couple of tweaks to get right. And here’s a curveball: Beehiiv e-mails can obtain big. Like, Gmail-clipping-at-102kb big.
That implies your wonderfully crafted message might get chopped in half if you’re not careful. I discovered this the hard way– after that decreased a bunny opening of testing tools to optimize HTML dimension and avoid that dreaded clipping.
My go-to method?
- Downloading and install examination emails from Gmail and inspecting dimension
- Running the HTML with Parcel.io’s e-mail customer
- Confirming with Aboutmy.email for deliverability and structure
Little bit of a hand-operated process, however it functions. I even connected to Beehiiv concerning adding better size cautions. Fingers went across.
Right Stuff That Really Steps the Needle
Alright, let’s get involved in the meat of it– what’s made a tangible difference because changing to Beehiiv?
Audience Development
In just 3 months, I added over 160 brand-new subscribers to a pretty particular niche e-newsletter. That has to do with 60% greater than what I was seeing before– and I had not been also running paid advertisements.
The majority of that growth came from Beehiiv’s integrated tools: the referral program, Boosts (believe e-newsletter cross-promotions), and natural reach. You can in fact track what’s working and where subscribers are originating from. Makes tweaking your approach a whole lot simpler.
Money Making That Doesn’t Nickel-and-Dime You
Let’s speak cash because for the majority of developers, it matters.
Beehiiv does not take a cut from your paid subscriptions. Simply Stripe’s charge. That’s it. That alone makes it 10% better than Substack (essentially).
But there’s even more: their ad network is intuitive and passive. Within 3 months, I was currently fielding passion from marketers. Beehiiv’s partner network links developers with brand names in such a way that does not really feel disgusting or compelled. It’s built-in revenue possibility, plain and straightforward Who Created Beehiiv.
And when I prepare to launch a costs subscription? I recognize exactly what reduced I’ll get: all of it (minus Stripe).
Built-in Development Devices
What really establishes Beehiiv apart is that development isn’t an afterthought– it’s baked in.
You have actually got customizable referral programs. Boosts for e-newsletter cross-promotion. Multiple landing pages for tracking lead resources. You can transform your viewers right into supporters without hanging unpleasant boodle or single gimmicks.
I’ll say this: Beehiiv seems like a system that desires you to be successful. Not one that simply desires a piece of your pie.
Things I would certainly Still Like to See Improve
No platform is perfect, and Beehiiv’s obtained its traits.
Support can be slow-moving when you struck a strange bug or need deep help.
Some automations still really feel also fundamental.
Email size tracking needs much better in-app notifies (please and thank you).
No built-in countdown timers (long face if you enjoy FOMO emails).
Ecommerce integrations? Essentially missing.
So if you’re offering physical items or want deserted cart circulations, Beehiiv probably isn’t your best choice.
Conclusion
If you’re a maker who’s serious about e-newsletters– whether you’re generating income from, growing a list, or just tired of out-of-date systems– Beehiiv’s a solid choice.
You’ll like it if:
You desire full possession of your target market
You’re aiming to grow fast without paying platform tax obligation
You want something that really feels constructed by developers, for makers
Will it solve every issue? No. However in 3 months, it’s aided me expand much faster, make a lot more, and stress less about the little points.
So, should you try Beehiiv?
If you’re ready to stop resolving and actually scale your newsletter with genuine devices that respect your work and target market– yeah, I believe it’s time.
Go on. Offer it a spin. You just could fall in love like I did.