When it came time to select a new email system, I didn’t desire “good enough.” I required something better– something constructed for development, smarter money making, and a smoother experience in general. After almost a decade assisting others with email marketing (and two years running my own newsletter), I wasn’t seeking just a tool– I was hunting for a proper companion Beehiiv Vs Ontraport.
And that’s just how Beehiiv entered the picture.
Now, I know what you’re assuming: “Isn’t Beehiiv just another Substack choice?” I believed that too at first. Yet after 3 months of kicking the tires and diving deep, I’ve obtained a lot to state– both the success and the odd traits. If you’re attempting to determine whether Beehiiv is the best system for you, settle 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 constructed like they’re still embeded 2013. I needed a tool that might in fact aid expand my listing and make some money while I went to it. My old ESP simply had not been sufficing any longer.
So I started contrasting alternatives. Beehiiv, Substack, Kit … the common suspects. Each had its benefits, but I was looking at this through the lens of somebody who takes e-mail seriously– and who wanted full control over my audience and material.
The Substack Issue: Looks Excellent Till You Look Closer
Substack was my very first stop. It’s polished. It’s straightforward. And yeah, it’s prominent.
But dig a little much deeper, and cracks begin showing. The greatest one? You do not really possess your followers.
That “adhere to” switch you see on Substack? It’s primarily smoke and mirrors. Those followers live behind a wall– inside the Substack application or on their website. You can’t email them straight. Can not export them. You’re generally renting out a target market you can never completely reach.
It’s like doing on a phase where the lights just switch on if the place decides to let the group see you. Doesn’t feel wonderful.
And afterwards there’s the cash side. Substack takes 10% off your paid memberships. Stripe takes one more 3%. That’s 13% of your revenue– gone. You ‘d think they were running a club, not an e-mail platform.
So yeah, Substack? A no for me.
Beehiiv Looked Promising, But Was It Also Great to Be True?
So what made Beehiiv stand apart?
At first, it was the promise of creator-first features– like better money making, smarter listing growth devices, and no platform fees (besides the common Stripe cut). But promises are easy. Implementation? That’s where it gets real.
Still, the evaluations 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 brand-new system generally seems like pulling teeth. But Beehiiv? Remarkably painless.
Importing my checklist? Smooth. Setting up kinds? No disasters. Linking my customized domain name? A couple of small hiccups, yet absolutely nothing that needed swearing at the display.
Something I actually valued was the “domain warming” feature. Beehiiv progressively presents your domain to inbox suppliers, piggybacking off their own sending domain name. Translation? Less spam folder nightmares.
Likewise, their support content– videos, aid docs, and walkthroughs– really felt human. Like somebody took a seat and said, “Let’s not frustrate the hell out of our users today.” Refreshing.
Automation on Beehiiv: Beehiiv Vs Ontraport
Currently right here’s where points obtained a little … intriguing.
Beehiiv’s automation system is decent, but don’t anticipate it to compete with heavyweight platforms like ActiveCampaign or ConvertKit. As an example, each form can only be attached to a solitary automation. That makes it complicated to personalize welcome sequences based upon exactly how a person signed up.
I ended up going full investigator setting– tinkering with sections, using different landing pages, reading odd Reddit strings– just to construct a couple of tailored workflows.
Is it achievable? Absolutely. Yet if you’re made use of to drag-and-drop flowcharts with conditional reasoning, this may feel like going back a bit.
Email Builder: Primarily Excellent, However Not Perfect
I have actually obtained a little a love-hate relationship with Beehiiv’s email builder.
Aesthetically? It’s slick. Drag, drop, style, preview– it feels like it was developed by someone who’s actually composed an e-newsletter or 2.
However default templates took a couple of tweaks to solve. 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 cautious. I discovered this by hand– after that decreased a rabbit hole of screening tools to optimize HTML size and prevent that feared clipping.
My go-to method?
- Downloading test emails from Gmail and inspecting size
- Running the HTML with Parcel.io’s email viewer
- Verifying with Aboutmy.email for deliverability and framework
Little a hands-on process, but it works. I also connected to Beehiiv about including much better dimension cautions. Fingers went across.
Right Stuff That Actually Moves the Needle
Alright, let’s enter into the meat of it– what’s made a substantial difference because switching over to Beehiiv?
Audience Development
In simply 3 months, I included over 160 new customers to a quite specific niche e-newsletter. That has to do with 60% greater than what I was seeing previously– and I had not been also running paid ads.
The majority of that growth came from Beehiiv’s integrated tools: the referral program, Boosts (believe newsletter cross-promotions), and organic reach. You can really track what’s functioning and where customers are coming from. Makes tweaking your approach a lot simpler.
Monetization That Does Not Nickel-and-Dime You
Let’s talk money because for most developers, it matters.
Beehiiv doesn’t take a cut from your paid subscriptions. Just Stripe’s fee. That’s it. That alone makes it 10% better than Substack (essentially).
However there’s even more: their ad network is intuitive and passive. Within 3 months, I was already fielding rate of interest from marketers. Beehiiv’s companion network links makers with brands in such a way that does not really feel sickening or required. It’s built-in earnings potential, plain and basic Beehiiv Vs Ontraport.
And when I’m ready to release a costs membership? I recognize exactly what cut I’ll get: all of it (minus Stripe).
Built-in Growth Tools
What truly establishes Beehiiv apart is that development isn’t an afterthought– it’s baked in.
You have actually got adjustable referral programs. Boosts for e-newsletter cross-promotion. Several landing pages for tracking lead sources. You can transform your viewers into supporters without dangling uncomfortable boodle or one-time tricks.
I’ll state this: Beehiiv seems like a system that desires you to prosper. Not one that simply wants an item of your pie.
Things I ‘d Still Like to See Improve
No system is ideal, and Beehiiv’s obtained its peculiarities.
Assistance can be slow-moving when you hit an odd pest or require deep aid.
Some automations still really feel too basic.
Email dimension monitoring requires better in-app informs (please and thanks).
No built-in countdown timers (sad face if you like FOMO emails).
Ecommerce integrations? Essentially nonexistent.
So if you’re selling physical products or want abandoned cart circulations, Beehiiv possibly isn’t your best bet.
Final Thought
If you’re a designer who’s serious about newsletters– whether you’re generating income from, expanding a checklist, or just tired of outdated platforms– Beehiiv’s a strong choice.
You’ll like it if:
You desire full possession of your audience
You’re wanting to grow quickly without paying platform tax
You desire something that feels built by creators, for developers
Will it solve every issue? No. But in 3 months, it’s helped me grow quicker, make more, and stress and anxiety much less regarding the little points.
So, should you attempt Beehiiv?
If you prepare to stop resolving and actually scale your newsletter with actual devices that appreciate your work and audience– yeah, I believe it’s time.
Go on. Provide it a spin. You just might fall in love like I did.