When it came time to pick a new e-mail platform, I didn’t desire “sufficient.” I needed something much better– something built for growth, smarter monetization, and a smoother experience on the whole. After nearly a decade aiding others with email marketing (and two years running my very own e-newsletter), I had not been seeking simply a device– I was searching for a correct companion Beehiiv Plan Tiers.
Which’s how Beehiiv entered the picture.
Now, I understand what you’re assuming: “Isn’t Beehiiv just another Substack option?” I believed that also at first. But after three months of kicking the tires and diving deep, I have actually obtained a lot to state– both the wins and the unusual traits. If you’re attempting to decide whether Beehiiv is the ideal system for you, settle in. You’re about to obtain the whole story.
Why I Left My Old Email Device Behind
Let’s be truthful– most email provider (ESPs) are developed like they’re still embeded 2013. I required a device that might actually help grow my listing and make some cash while I went to it. My old ESP just had not been cutting it any longer.
So I began comparing options. Beehiiv, Substack, Kit … the normal suspects. Each had its perks, but I was looking at this via the lens of someone who takes e-mail seriously– and who wanted full control over my target market and web content.
The Substack Trouble: Looks Good Until You Look Closer
Substack was my initial quit. It’s polished. It’s easy. And yeah, it’s popular.
However dig a little deeper, and fractures begin showing. The largest one? You do not in fact own your followers.
That “follow” button you see on Substack? It’s primarily smoke and mirrors. Those fans live behind a wall– inside the Substack app or on their site. You can not email them directly. Can’t export them. You’re basically renting an audience you can never totally reach.
It’s like performing on a stage where the lights just switch on if the venue chooses to let the group see you. Doesn’t really feel wonderful.
And afterwards there’s the money side. Substack takes 10% off your paid registrations. Stripe takes another 3%. That’s 13% of your income– gone. You ‘d assume they were running a club, not an e-mail system.
So yeah, Substack? A no for me.
Beehiiv Looked Promising, Yet Was It As well Excellent to Be Real?
So what made Beehiiv attract attention?
In the beginning, it was the pledge of creator-first features– like better money making, smarter listing development tools, and no platform fees (besides the common Stripe cut). But pledges are easy. Implementation? That’s where it gets real.
Still, the testimonials were motivating. The Reddit strings really did not seem like bots or brand name plants. And the onboarding? Remarkably smooth.
I figured, “Why not?” and took the jump.
Getting Set Up on Beehiiv
Let me inform you– moving to a brand-new platform normally feels like drawing teeth. Yet Beehiiv? Surprisingly painless.
Importing my checklist? Smooth. Setting up types? No disasters. Connecting my custom domain name? A few small hiccups, but absolutely nothing that required swearing at the screen.
One point I actually appreciated was the “domain name warming” feature. Beehiiv gradually presents your domain to inbox service providers, piggybacking off their own sending domain name. Translation? Fewer spam folder problems.
Likewise, their assistance content– videos, assistance docs, and walkthroughs– actually felt human. Like someone took a seat and stated, “Let’s not irritate the heck out of our users today.” Revitalizing.
Automation on Beehiiv: Beehiiv Plan Tiers
Now here’s where points got a little … fascinating.
Beehiiv’s automation system is suitable, yet don’t expect it to take on heavyweight systems like ActiveCampaign or ConvertKit. For instance, each form can just be linked to a single automation. That makes it challenging to individualize welcome series based upon exactly how someone registered.
I wound up going complete investigator mode– dabbling with sections, making use of different landing pages, checking out obscure Reddit threads– simply to build a couple of tailored workflows.
Is it workable? Definitely. However if you’re used to drag-and-drop flowcharts with conditional reasoning, this may feel like going back a bit.
Email Builder: Primarily Terrific, However Not Perfect
I have actually got a bit of a love-hate relationship with Beehiiv’s email builder.
Visually? It’s glossy. Drag, go down, style, preview– it seems like it was made by a person who’s actually created a newsletter or more.
However default templates took a couple of tweaks to get right. And here’s a curveball: Beehiiv e-mails can get large. Like, Gmail-clipping-at-102kb big.
That indicates your beautifully crafted message could get sliced in half if you’re not careful. I learned this the hard way– then dropped a bunny hole of screening tools to optimize HTML dimension and prevent that dreadful clipping.
My go-to approach?
- Downloading and install test emails from Gmail and examining dimension
- Running the HTML with Parcel.io’s e-mail viewer
- Confirming with Aboutmy.email for deliverability and structure
Little bit of a hands-on procedure, but it functions. I even reached out to Beehiiv concerning adding better size cautions. Fingers crossed.
Right Stuff That Actually Steps the Needle
Alright, let’s enter the meat of it– what’s made a tangible distinction given that switching over to Beehiiv?
Target market Development
In simply three months, I included over 160 brand-new customers to a rather particular niche newsletter. That’s about 60% more than what I was seeing previously– and I wasn’t even running paid advertisements.
A lot of that growth originated from Beehiiv’s integrated tools: the referral program, Boosts (assume newsletter cross-promotions), and organic reach. You can really track what’s working and where customers are coming from. Makes tweaking your strategy a great deal easier.
Monetization That Doesn’t Nickel-and-Dime You
Let’s talk money due to the fact that for many designers, it matters.
Beehiiv doesn’t take a cut from your paid subscriptions. Just Stripe’s charge. That’s it. That alone makes it 10% much better than Substack (essentially).
Yet there’s more: their advertisement network is user-friendly and passive. Within 3 months, I was currently fielding interest from advertisers. Beehiiv’s companion network connects creators with brand names in a manner that doesn’t really feel disgusting or required. It’s integrated revenue potential, ordinary and basic Beehiiv Plan Tiers.
And when I’m ready to release a costs registration? I know precisely what cut I’ll get: all of it (minus Stripe).
Built-in Growth Devices
What truly sets Beehiiv apart is that growth isn’t an afterthought– it’s baked in.
You’ve obtained personalized referral programs. Boosts for e-newsletter cross-promotion. Multiple landing pages for tracking lead resources. You can transform your visitors right into advocates without hanging awkward boodle or one-time tricks.
I’ll state this: Beehiiv feels like a platform that wants you to succeed. Not one that just desires an item of your pie.
Things I ‘d Still Like to See Improve
No platform is best, and Beehiiv’s obtained its quirks.
Assistance can be sluggish when you struck a strange pest or need deep assistance.
Some automations still feel too basic.
Email dimension surveillance needs much better in-app notifies (please and thanks).
No built-in countdown timers (sad face if you enjoy FOMO e-mails).
Ecommerce integrations? Primarily missing.
So if you’re marketing physical items or desire abandoned cart flows, Beehiiv most likely isn’t your best choice.
Final Thought
If you’re a developer who’s serious about e-newsletters– whether you’re monetizing, growing a listing, or just tired of out-of-date systems– Beehiiv’s a solid selection.
You’ll like it if:
You desire full possession of your target market
You’re aiming to expand fast without paying system tax
You desire something that really feels constructed by developers, for makers
Will it address every issue? No. But in 3 months, it’s helped me expand quicker, gain a lot more, and tension much less regarding the little things.
So, should you attempt Beehiiv?
If you prepare to stop working out and really range your e-newsletter with actual devices that value your job and target market– yeah, I believe it’s time.
Go on. Provide it a spin. You simply may fall in love like I did.