When it came time to choose a new email system, I really did not want “sufficient.” I required something much better– something developed for development, smarter monetization, and a smoother experience in general. After virtually a decade helping others with email marketing (and two years running my own newsletter), I wasn’t looking for simply a tool– I was hunting for an appropriate partner Is Beehiiv Like Substack.
And that’s how Beehiiv went into the picture.
Currently, I know what you’re assuming: “Isn’t Beehiiv simply one more Substack alternative?” I believed that too initially. Yet after three months of kicking the tires and diving deep, I’ve obtained a whole lot to say– both the victories and the strange peculiarities. If you’re attempting to choose whether Beehiiv is the ideal platform for you, clear up in. You’re about to get the whole story.
Why I Left My Old Email Device Behind
Let’s be truthful– most email company (ESPs) are constructed like they’re still stuck in 2013. I needed a tool that can in fact aid grow my list and make some cash while I was at it. My old ESP just had not been cutting it anymore.
So I started contrasting choices. Beehiiv, Substack, Kit … the common suspects. Each had its benefits, yet I was taking a look at this with the lens of a person who takes e-mail seriously– and who wanted complete control over my audience and content.
The Substack Issue: Looks Good Up Until You Look Closer
Substack was my very first quit. It’s polished. It’s straightforward. And yeah, it’s preferred.
Yet dig a little much deeper, and splits begin revealing. The biggest one? You do not really own your fans.
That “adhere to” button you see on Substack? It’s mainly smoke and mirrors. Those fans live behind a wall– inside the Substack application or on their website. You can not email them straight. Can not export them. You’re essentially renting a target market you can never ever fully get to.
It resembles carrying out on a phase where the lights just activate if the venue decides to let the group see you. Doesn’t really feel terrific.
And then there’s the cash side. Substack takes 10% off your paid registrations. Stripe takes an additional 3%. That’s 13% of your income– gone. You ‘d believe they were running a bar, not an email platform.
So yeah, Substack? A no for me.
Beehiiv Looked Promising, Yet Was It Too Excellent to Be True?
So what made Beehiiv stand out?
In the beginning, it was the promise of creator-first features– like better money making, smarter checklist development tools, and absolutely no platform costs (other than the usual Stripe cut). But pledges are easy. Execution? That’s where it gets real.
Still, the testimonials were encouraging. The Reddit strings really did not sound like bots 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 system typically seems like pulling teeth. Yet Beehiiv? Surprisingly painless.
Importing my checklist? Smooth. Establishing types? No meltdowns. Linking my personalized domain name? A few small hiccups, however nothing that needed swearing at the screen.
One thing I truly appreciated was the “domain warming” feature. Beehiiv gradually presents your domain to inbox service providers, piggybacking off their own sending domain name. Translation? Fewer spam folder headaches.
Likewise, their support web content– video clips, assistance docs, and walkthroughs– in fact really felt human. Like a person took a seat and stated, “Let’s not irritate the heck out of our users today.” Revitalizing.
Automation on Beehiiv: Is Beehiiv Like Substack
Now here’s where things obtained a little … fascinating.
Beehiiv’s automation system is decent, yet don’t expect it to take on heavyweight systems like ActiveCampaign or ConvertKit. For example, each kind can just be linked to a solitary automation. That makes it difficult to individualize welcome series based upon just how someone subscribed.
I wound up going complete investigative mode– tinkering with sections, making use of separate landing pages, checking out rare Reddit threads– simply to construct a few customized workflows.
Is it practical? Absolutely. Yet if you’re used to drag-and-drop flowcharts with conditional reasoning, this might seem like stepping back a bit.
Email Builder: Primarily Fantastic, However Not Perfect
I have actually obtained a little bit of a love-hate partnership with Beehiiv’s email builder.
Aesthetically? It’s slick. Drag, go down, format, sneak peek– it seems like it was designed by a person who’s really composed an e-newsletter or more.
But default templates took a few tweaks to get right. And below’s a curveball: Beehiiv e-mails can get big. Like, Gmail-clipping-at-102kb large.
That implies your perfectly crafted message might get chopped in half if you’re not careful. I learned this by hand– then went down a bunny opening of testing tools to maximize HTML dimension and stay clear of that dreaded clipping.
My best method?
- Downloading test e-mails from Gmail and examining dimension
- Running the HTML via Parcel.io’s email audience
- Verifying with Aboutmy.email for deliverability and structure
Bit of a hands-on process, but it works. I even reached out to Beehiiv about including far better size warnings. Fingers crossed.
The Stuff That Actually Actions the Needle
Alright, let’s enter the meat of it– what’s made a substantial difference because changing to Beehiiv?
Target market Development
In just three months, I included over 160 new clients to a rather particular niche newsletter. That has to do with 60% greater than what I was seeing previously– and I wasn’t also running paid advertisements.
The majority of that growth came from Beehiiv’s integrated tools: the referral program, Boosts (think newsletter cross-promotions), and natural reach. You can really track what’s functioning and where subscribers are originating from. Makes tweaking your method a whole lot less complicated.
Money Making That Doesn’t Nickel-and-Dime You
Let’s chat cash due to the fact that for many designers, it matters.
Beehiiv doesn’t take a cut from your paid subscriptions. Just Stripe’s fee. That’s it. That alone makes it 10% much better than Substack (essentially).
However there’s more: their advertisement network is instinctive and passive. Within three months, I was already fielding interest from advertisers. Beehiiv’s partner network connects designers with brand names in a way that does not feel icky or required. It’s integrated earnings potential, ordinary and basic Is Beehiiv Like Substack.
And when I’m ready to introduce a premium subscription? I know specifically what cut I’ll get: all of it (minus Stripe).
Built-in Growth Tools
What really establishes Beehiiv apart is that development isn’t an afterthought– it’s baked in.
You’ve got customizable referral programs. Boosts for newsletter cross-promotion. Several landing pages for tracking lead sources. You can turn your readers right into advocates without hanging unpleasant boodle or one-time gimmicks.
I’ll claim this: Beehiiv seems like a system that desires you to prosper. Not one that just desires an item of your pie.
Points I ‘d Still Like to See Improve
No system is ideal, and Beehiiv’s obtained its traits.
Assistance can be sluggish when you struck a weird pest or require deep assistance.
Some automations still feel also standard.
Email dimension surveillance needs better in-app notifies (please and thank you).
No integrated countdown timers (long face if you love FOMO e-mails).
Ecommerce integrations? Essentially missing.
So if you’re marketing physical items or want abandoned cart flows, Beehiiv possibly isn’t your best option.
Verdict
If you’re a creator who’s serious about newsletters– whether you’re monetizing, expanding a checklist, or simply tired of out-of-date systems– Beehiiv’s a solid option.
You’ll like it if:
You desire complete possession of your target market
You’re aiming to expand quickly without paying platform tax obligation
You desire something that feels built by creators, for designers
Will it resolve every issue? No. Yet in 3 months, it’s assisted me grow much faster, gain a lot more, and anxiety less concerning the little points.
So, should you attempt Beehiiv?
If you prepare to quit clearing up and actually scale your newsletter with real devices that value your work and audience– yeah, I assume it’s time.
Go on. Offer it a spin. You just could fall in love like I did.