When it came time to choose a new e-mail system, I didn’t want “adequate.” I needed something much better– something developed for development, smarter money making, and a smoother experience in general. After almost a decade assisting others with email marketing (and 2 years running my own e-newsletter), I wasn’t seeking simply a tool– I was hunting for a correct companion Beehiiv Premium Subscriptions.
And that’s exactly how Beehiiv entered the picture.
Now, I understand what you’re assuming: “Isn’t Beehiiv simply one more Substack alternative?” I assumed that as well initially. However after 3 months of kicking the tires and diving deep, I’ve got a lot to claim– both the victories and the strange quirks. If you’re trying to determine whether Beehiiv is the appropriate system for you, resolve in. You will obtain the whole story.
Why I Left My Old Email Device Behind
Let’s be sincere– most email company (ESPs) are constructed like they’re still stuck in 2013. I needed a tool that could actually assist expand my checklist and make some cash while I was at it. My old ESP simply wasn’t sufficing anymore.
So I started contrasting alternatives. Beehiiv, Substack, Kit … the normal suspects. Each had its perks, however I was taking a look at this with the lens of somebody who takes e-mail seriously– and who wanted full control over my audience and web content.
The Substack Problem: Looks Great Till You Look Closer
Substack was my very first stop. It’s brightened. It’s simple. And yeah, it’s popular.
Yet dig a little much deeper, and cracks start showing. The greatest one? You do not really possess your fans.
That “adhere to” switch you see on Substack? It’s primarily smoke and mirrors. Those followers live behind a wall surface– inside the Substack application or on their website. You can’t email them straight. Can not export them. You’re generally renting an audience you can never fully get to.
It resembles performing on a phase where the lights only activate if the location decides to let the group see you. Doesn’t feel great.
And then there’s the money side. Substack takes 10% off your paid subscriptions. Stripe takes another 3%. That’s 13% of your income– gone. You ‘d believe they were running a bar, not an e-mail platform.
So yeah, Substack? A no for me.
Beehiiv Looked Promising, However Was It As well Good to Be True?
So what made Beehiiv attract attention?
In the beginning, it was the promise of creator-first features– like better money making, smarter checklist development devices, and absolutely no system fees (other than the common Stripe cut). However promises are easy. Implementation? That’s where it obtains real.
Still, the evaluations were motivating. The Reddit threads really did not sound like bots or brand plants. And the onboarding? Remarkably smooth.
I figured, “Why not?” and took the jump.
Readying Up on Beehiiv
Let me tell you– moving to a new platform usually seems like pulling teeth. Yet Beehiiv? Surprisingly painless.
Importing my checklist? Smooth. Setting up types? No meltdowns. Connecting my custom-made domain? A few minor missteps, however absolutely nothing that called for swearing at the screen.
One point I truly valued was the “domain name warming” feature. Beehiiv slowly presents your domain name to inbox companies, piggybacking off their own sending domain name. Translation? Less spam folder nightmares.
Also, their support content– videos, help docs, and walkthroughs– actually really felt human. Like somebody sat down and claimed, “Let’s not irritate the heck out of our customers today.” Refreshing.
Automation on Beehiiv: Beehiiv Premium Subscriptions
Currently right here’s where points got a little … intriguing.
Beehiiv’s automation system is decent, yet do not expect it to take on heavyweight platforms like ActiveCampaign or ConvertKit. For example, each type can only be attached to a solitary automation. That makes it challenging to individualize welcome sequences based upon just how someone signed up.
I wound up going full detective setting– playing with sections, making use of separate landing pages, reviewing rare Reddit strings– simply to build a couple of customized workflows.
Is it workable? Absolutely. Yet if you’re utilized to drag-and-drop flowcharts with conditional reasoning, this could feel like going back a bit.
Email Builder: Mainly Wonderful, However Not Perfect
I have actually obtained a little bit of a love-hate connection with Beehiiv’s email builder.
Visually? It’s glossy. Drag, go down, layout, sneak peek– it seems like it was created by a person who’s actually composed an e-newsletter or 2.
Yet default templates took a few tweaks to solve. And here’s a curveball: Beehiiv emails can obtain large. Like, Gmail-clipping-at-102kb huge.
That implies your wonderfully crafted message might obtain cut in half if you’re not cautious. I learned this by hand– after that went down a rabbit opening of testing tools to maximize HTML size and avoid that dreadful clipping.
My best method?
- Downloading test e-mails from Gmail and examining dimension
- Running the HTML through Parcel.io’s e-mail customer
- Confirming with Aboutmy.email for deliverability and framework
Bit of a hand-operated procedure, however it works. I even reached out to Beehiiv concerning adding better size cautions. Fingers crossed.
Right Stuff That In Fact Relocations the Needle
Alright, let’s get involved in the meat of it– what’s made a concrete difference since changing to Beehiiv?
Audience Growth
In simply three months, I added over 160 brand-new clients to a pretty specific niche e-newsletter. That has to do with 60% more than what I was seeing before– and I had not been also running paid ads.
Most of that growth originated from Beehiiv’s integrated devices: the referral program, Boosts (believe e-newsletter cross-promotions), and organic reach. You can actually track what’s working and where clients are originating from. Makes tweaking your approach a whole lot much easier.
Money Making That Does Not Nickel-and-Dime You
Let’s talk cash because for most designers, it matters.
Beehiiv does not take a cut from your paid memberships. Just Stripe’s fee. That’s it. That alone makes it 10% much better than Substack (actually).
However there’s even more: their ad network is user-friendly and passive. Within three months, I was currently fielding interest from marketers. Beehiiv’s companion network connects designers with brand names in such a way that does not really feel icky or required. It’s integrated revenue capacity, ordinary and easy Beehiiv Premium Subscriptions.
And when I prepare to release a premium membership? I understand exactly what reduced I’ll get: all of it (minus Stripe).
Built-in Growth Devices
What really establishes Beehiiv apart is that development isn’t an afterthought– it’s baked in.
You’ve got customizable referral programs. Boosts for e-newsletter cross-promotion. Multiple landing pages for tracking lead resources. You can turn your viewers right into advocates without hanging unpleasant boodle or single gimmicks.
I’ll state this: Beehiiv seems like a platform that desires you to prosper. Not one that just desires an item of your pie.
Points I would certainly Still Like to See Improve
No platform is best, and Beehiiv’s got its traits.
Assistance can be slow-moving when you struck an odd bug or require deep aid.
Some automations still really feel also basic.
Email dimension tracking requires better in-app informs (please and thanks).
No built-in countdown timers (sad face if you love FOMO e-mails).
Ecommerce integrations? Primarily missing.
So if you’re selling physical items or want abandoned cart flows, Beehiiv probably isn’t your best choice.
Conclusion
If you’re a developer who’s serious about newsletters– whether you’re monetizing, growing a listing, or just tired of obsolete platforms– Beehiiv’s a strong choice.
You’ll like it if:
You desire full possession of your audience
You’re aiming to grow quick without paying system tax
You desire something that really feels developed by makers, for creators
Will it resolve every issue? No. However in three months, it’s aided me expand faster, make more, and stress less regarding the little things.
So, should you attempt Beehiiv?
If you’re ready to stop resolving and really scale your newsletter with genuine devices that value your work and target market– yeah, I think it’s time.
Go on. Provide it a spin. You simply might fall in love like I did.