When it came time to pick a brand-new email platform, I really did not desire “sufficient.” I needed something better– something constructed for development, smarter monetization, and a smoother experience generally. After almost a years helping others with e-mail marketing (and two years running my very own e-newsletter), I wasn’t trying to find just a tool– I was hunting for a proper partner Beehiiv Publisher Agreement.
Which’s just how Beehiiv got in the picture.
Now, I understand what you’re assuming: “Isn’t Beehiiv simply one more Substack alternative?” I assumed that too at first. Yet after three months of kicking the tires and diving deep, I have actually got a great deal to say– both the wins and the weird quirks. If you’re trying to determine whether Beehiiv is the appropriate platform for you, clear up in. You’re about to obtain the whole story.
Why I Left My Old Email Tool Behind
Let’s be honest– most email service providers (ESPs) are developed like they’re still stuck in 2013. I required a device that can in fact help grow my list and make some money while I went to it. My old ESP just had not been cutting it anymore.
So I began comparing choices. Beehiiv, Substack, Kit … the common suspects. Each had its benefits, however I was considering this with the lens of somebody who takes e-mail seriously– and who desired full control over my audience and web content.
The Substack Problem: Looks Excellent Till You Look Closer
Substack was my first stop. It’s brightened. It’s simple. And yeah, it’s popular.
However dig a little deeper, and splits start revealing. The most significant one? You don’t in fact own your followers.
That “comply with” switch you see on Substack? It’s mainly smoke and mirrors. Those followers live behind a wall surface– inside the Substack app or on their website. You can’t email them straight. Can not export them. You’re basically leasing an audience you can never ever totally get to.
It resembles doing on a stage where the lights only activate if the location makes a decision to let the crowd see you. Does not really feel excellent.
And after that there’s the money side. Substack takes 10% off your paid subscriptions. Stripe takes an additional 3%. That’s 13% of your earnings– gone. You would certainly assume they were running a nightclub, not an e-mail system.
So yeah, Substack? A no for me.
Beehiiv Looked Promising, Yet Was It Also Great to Be True?
So what made Beehiiv stick out?
In the beginning, it was the guarantee of creator-first features– like better money making, smarter listing development tools, and no platform fees (aside from the common Stripe cut). But pledges are simple. Implementation? That’s where it gets real.
Still, the testimonials were motivating. The Reddit strings didn’t seem like crawlers or brand plants. And the onboarding? Surprisingly smooth.
I figured, “Why not?” and took the leap.
Getting Set Up on Beehiiv
Let me tell you– moving to a new platform usually seems like pulling teeth. However Beehiiv? Surprisingly pain-free.
Importing my list? Smooth. Setting up forms? No meltdowns. Attaching my custom-made domain name? A couple of minor hiccups, but nothing that needed swearing at the screen.
One point I truly appreciated was the “domain name warming” feature. Beehiiv progressively presents your domain to inbox service providers, piggybacking off their very own sending domain. Translation? Less spam folder headaches.
Also, their support material– video clips, help docs, and walkthroughs– in fact felt human. Like somebody sat down and claimed, “Let’s not annoy the heck out of our individuals today.” Rejuvenating.
Automation on Beehiiv: Beehiiv Publisher Agreement
Now below’s where points got a little … interesting.
Beehiiv’s automation system is suitable, yet don’t anticipate it to take on heavyweight platforms like ActiveCampaign or ConvertKit. For instance, each kind can only be connected to a single automation. That makes it tricky to personalize welcome sequences based on exactly how a person subscribed.
I ended up going complete detective mode– dabbling with segments, utilizing separate landing pages, checking out odd Reddit strings– just to construct a few customized workflows.
Is it manageable? Definitely. However if you’re used to drag-and-drop flowcharts with conditional logic, this might seem like stepping back a bit.
Email Builder: Mainly Wonderful, But Not Perfect
I’ve got a little bit of a love-hate relationship with Beehiiv’s e-mail builder.
Visually? It’s slick. Drag, drop, layout, preview– it seems like it was created by somebody who’s really composed a newsletter or 2.
But default templates took a couple of tweaks to get right. And right here’s a curveball: Beehiiv emails can obtain big. Like, Gmail-clipping-at-102kb big.
That implies your magnificently crafted message may get chopped in half if you’re not careful. I discovered this the hard way– then went down a bunny opening of testing devices to enhance HTML size and avoid that feared clipping.
My go-to technique?
- Downloading examination emails from Gmail and examining size
- Running the HTML through Parcel.io’s email viewer
- Double-checking with Aboutmy.email for deliverability and structure
Little bit of a manual process, yet it works. I also reached out to Beehiiv regarding adding better dimension cautions. Fingers crossed.
Right Stuff That In Fact Moves the Needle
Alright, let’s enter the meat of it– what’s made a tangible distinction because switching over to Beehiiv?
Target market Growth
In just 3 months, I added over 160 new clients to a quite niche e-newsletter. That has to do with 60% greater than what I was seeing before– and I wasn’t even running paid ads.
The majority of that development came from Beehiiv’s integrated devices: the referral program, Boosts (assume e-newsletter cross-promotions), and organic reach. You can actually track what’s working and where clients are coming from. Makes tweaking your approach a lot much easier.
Money Making That Doesn’t Nickel-and-Dime You
Let’s talk money due to the fact that for most makers, it matters.
Beehiiv doesn’t take a cut from your paid memberships. Simply Stripe’s charge. That’s it. That alone makes it 10% much better than Substack (literally).
Yet there’s even more: their advertisement network is instinctive and passive. Within 3 months, I was already fielding interest from advertisers. Beehiiv’s companion network links creators with brands in such a way that doesn’t really feel nasty or forced. It’s built-in earnings potential, ordinary and straightforward Beehiiv Publisher Agreement.
And when I prepare to launch a premium registration? I know precisely what reduced I’ll obtain: all of it (minus Stripe).
Integrated Growth Devices
What actually sets Beehiiv apart is that development isn’t an afterthought– it’s baked in.
You’ve obtained customizable referral programs. Boosts for newsletter cross-promotion. Several landing pages for tracking lead resources. You can turn your visitors into advocates without hanging unpleasant boodle or one-time tricks.
I’ll say this: Beehiiv feels like a system that desires you to succeed. Not one that simply desires an item of your pie.
Things I would certainly Still Like to See Improve
No system is excellent, and Beehiiv’s obtained its traits.
Assistance can be sluggish when you struck a strange bug or require deep help.
Some automations still feel too fundamental.
Email dimension monitoring needs far better in-app informs (please and thanks).
No integrated countdown timers (sad face if you like FOMO emails).
Ecommerce integrations? Generally nonexistent.
So if you’re marketing physical products or want deserted cart circulations, Beehiiv probably isn’t your best bet.
Conclusion
If you’re a developer who’s serious about e-newsletters– whether you’re generating income from, growing a checklist, or simply tired of obsolete systems– Beehiiv’s a solid option.
You’ll like it if:
You want complete ownership of your target market
You’re wanting to expand quick without paying platform tax obligation
You desire something that really feels developed by developers, for creators
Will it address every trouble? No. However in three months, it’s aided me grow much faster, earn extra, and anxiety less about the little points.
So, should you attempt Beehiiv?
If you’re ready to stop resolving and actually range your newsletter with actual devices that respect your work and audience– yeah, I assume it’s time.
Take place. Offer it a spin. You simply might fall in love like I did.