When it came time to select a brand-new e-mail system, I really did not desire “good enough.” I required something much better– something constructed for growth, smarter money making, and a smoother experience in general. After virtually a decade helping others with email marketing (and two years running my own e-newsletter), I wasn’t looking for just a tool– I was hunting for an appropriate partner Beehiiv Competitors.
And that’s how Beehiiv went into the picture.
Now, I recognize what you’re believing: “Isn’t Beehiiv just one more Substack choice?” I assumed that as well initially. However after three months of kicking the tires and diving deep, I have actually got a lot to state– both the victories and the odd traits. If you’re attempting to determine whether Beehiiv is the ideal system for you, settle in. You will obtain the whole story.
Why I Left My Old Email Device Behind
Let’s be honest– most email company (ESPs) are built like they’re still stuck in 2013. I required a tool that could in fact help expand my checklist and make some money while I was at it. My old ESP just wasn’t cutting it anymore.
So I started contrasting options. Beehiiv, Substack, Kit … the typical suspects. Each had its rewards, however I was looking at this with the lens of a person who takes e-mail seriously– and who desired full control over my audience and content.
The Substack Issue: Looks Great Up Until You Look Closer
Substack was my initial quit. It’s polished. It’s simple. And yeah, it’s preferred.
But dig a little much deeper, and cracks start revealing. The most significant one? You do not in fact possess your fans.
That “comply with” button you see on Substack? It’s mostly smoke and mirrors. Those followers live behind a wall– inside the Substack application or on their website. You can not email them straight. Can not export them. You’re basically leasing a target market you can never ever totally reach.
It resembles doing on a phase where the lights just switch on if the location decides to allow the group see you. Does not really feel great.
And afterwards there’s the money side. Substack takes 10% off your paid memberships. Stripe takes one more 3%. That’s 13% of your revenue– gone. You would certainly think they were running a nightclub, not an e-mail platform.
So yeah, Substack? A no for me.
Beehiiv Looked Promising, Yet Was It Too Great to Be True?
So what made Beehiiv stand out?
At first, it was the guarantee of creator-first features– like better money making, smarter listing development tools, and absolutely no platform fees (in addition to the typical Stripe cut). Yet pledges are easy. Implementation? That’s where it gets real.
Still, the reviews were encouraging. The Reddit threads really did not sound like bots or brand plants. And the onboarding? Surprisingly smooth.
I figured, “Why not?” and took the leap.
Readying Up on Beehiiv
Let me inform you– moving to a brand-new platform usually feels like drawing teeth. Yet Beehiiv? Surprisingly pain-free.
Importing my listing? Smooth. Establishing kinds? No disasters. Linking my custom domain name? A couple of minor hiccups, but nothing that called for swearing at the screen.
One thing I really valued was the “domain warming” feature. Beehiiv progressively presents your domain to inbox providers, piggybacking off their own sending out domain name. Translation? Less spam folder problems.
Likewise, their assistance web content– video clips, assistance docs, and walkthroughs– really really felt human. Like a person took a seat and said, “Let’s not frustrate the heck out of our users today.” Refreshing.
Automation on Beehiiv: Beehiiv Competitors
Now here’s where points got a little … fascinating.
Beehiiv’s automation system is good, but don’t expect it to take on heavyweight platforms like ActiveCampaign or ConvertKit. As an example, each form can only be connected to a solitary automation. That makes it difficult to personalize welcome series based on how someone registered.
I wound up going complete investigator mode– dabbling with sections, utilizing separate landing pages, reading odd Reddit strings– simply to construct a couple of customized workflows.
Is it workable? Absolutely. Yet if you’re made use of to drag-and-drop flowcharts with conditional logic, this may seem like going back a bit.
Email Builder: Mostly Wonderful, Yet Not Perfect
I’ve obtained a little bit of a love-hate relationship with Beehiiv’s email builder.
Aesthetically? It’s slick. Drag, go down, style, sneak peek– it seems like it was made by somebody who’s really composed an e-newsletter or more.
But default templates took a couple of tweaks to solve. And below’s a curveball: Beehiiv e-mails can obtain big. Like, Gmail-clipping-at-102kb big.
That indicates your magnificently crafted message could get cut in half if you’re not mindful. I learned this by hand– after that went down a bunny opening of testing devices to optimize HTML size and avoid that dreadful clipping.
My go-to method?
- Downloading test emails from Gmail and examining dimension
- Running the HTML through Parcel.io’s email customer
- Ascertaining with Aboutmy.email for deliverability and framework
Little a hand-operated process, but it works. I even connected to Beehiiv about including far better dimension warnings. Fingers went across.
Right Stuff That In Fact Actions the Needle
Alright, let’s get involved in the meat of it– what’s made a concrete distinction since changing to Beehiiv?
Target market Growth
In just three months, I added over 160 new subscribers to a rather specific niche e-newsletter. That’s about 60% more than what I was seeing previously– and I had not been even running paid ads.
A lot of that growth originated from Beehiiv’s integrated devices: the referral program, Boosts (assume e-newsletter cross-promotions), and natural reach. You can actually track what’s functioning and where customers are originating from. Makes tweaking your approach a great deal simpler.
Monetization That Does Not Nickel-and-Dime You
Let’s talk cash because for a lot of creators, it matters.
Beehiiv doesn’t take a cut from your paid subscriptions. Simply Stripe’s fee. That’s it. That alone makes it 10% far better than Substack (essentially).
But there’s more: their advertisement network is user-friendly and passive. Within three months, I was already fielding interest from marketers. Beehiiv’s companion network attaches designers with brands in a manner that does not feel nasty or forced. It’s built-in earnings capacity, ordinary and straightforward Beehiiv Competitors.
And when I prepare to release a premium registration? I understand exactly what cut I’ll get: all of it (minus Stripe).
Built-in Growth Devices
What really sets Beehiiv apart is that development isn’t an afterthought– it’s baked in.
You’ve obtained adjustable referral programs. Boosts for e-newsletter cross-promotion. Numerous landing pages for tracking lead sources. You can turn your visitors into advocates without dangling unpleasant swag or one-time gimmicks.
I’ll claim this: Beehiiv feels like a platform that wants you to prosper. Not one that simply desires an item of your pie.
Points I would certainly Still Like to See Improve
No platform is perfect, and Beehiiv’s got its traits.
Support can be sluggish when you struck a strange pest or require deep help.
Some automations still feel as well standard.
Email dimension surveillance requires much better in-app informs (please and thanks).
No integrated countdown timers (long face if you enjoy FOMO e-mails).
Ecommerce integrations? Generally nonexistent.
So if you’re marketing physical items or want deserted cart flows, Beehiiv most likely isn’t your best option.
Verdict
If you’re a designer who’s serious about newsletters– whether you’re monetizing, expanding a list, or just tired of obsolete platforms– Beehiiv’s a strong selection.
You’ll like it if:
You want full possession of your audience
You’re looking to expand quick without paying system tax obligation
You desire something that feels developed by developers, for designers
Will it address every trouble? No. But in three months, it’s helped me expand quicker, gain much more, and tension less about the little things.
So, should you try Beehiiv?
If you prepare to quit clearing up and in fact range your e-newsletter with real devices that value your job and target market– yeah, I assume it’s time.
Take place. Offer it a spin. You simply could fall in love like I did.