When it came time to select a brand-new email system, I didn’t want “adequate.” I needed something better– something built for growth, smarter money making, and a smoother experience in general. After nearly a decade assisting others with email marketing (and two years running my very own newsletter), I had not been trying to find simply a tool– I was searching for an appropriate partner Beehiiv Vs Letterdrop.
And that’s how Beehiiv went into the picture.
Currently, I recognize what you’re believing: “Isn’t Beehiiv just one more Substack choice?” I believed that as well in the beginning. Yet after three months of kicking the tires and diving deep, I’ve obtained a lot to state– both the success and the strange quirks. If you’re attempting to determine whether Beehiiv is the best platform for you, clear up in. You’re about to get the whole story.
Why I Left My Old Email Tool Behind
Let’s be straightforward– most email service providers (ESPs) are built like they’re still embeded 2013. I required a tool that could actually help grow my checklist and make some money while I was at it. My old ESP just had not been cutting it anymore.
So I began comparing alternatives. Beehiiv, Substack, Kit … the common suspects. Each had its benefits, but I was checking out this via the lens of somebody who takes e-mail seriously– and who wanted complete control over my target market and content.
The Substack Issue: Looks Excellent Till You Look Closer
Substack was my first quit. It’s polished. It’s easy. And yeah, it’s preferred.
Yet dig a little deeper, and splits start revealing. The most significant one? You don’t really possess your followers.
That “follow” switch you see on Substack? It’s mostly smoke and mirrors. Those followers live behind a wall surface– inside the Substack app or on their site. You can not email them straight. Can’t export them. You’re essentially renting out an audience you can never ever completely reach.
It resembles carrying out on a stage where the lights just activate if the location chooses to let the group see you. Doesn’t feel fantastic.
And afterwards there’s the money side. Substack takes 10% off your paid memberships. Stripe takes one more 3%. That’s 13% of your earnings– gone. You would certainly believe they were running a nightclub, not an e-mail system.
So yeah, Substack? A no for me.
Beehiiv Looked Promising, Yet Was It Also Excellent to Be Real?
So what made Beehiiv stand out?
Initially, it was the guarantee of creator-first features– like better monetization, smarter list development devices, and absolutely no system fees (besides the usual Stripe cut). However guarantees are simple. Implementation? That’s where it obtains real.
Still, the evaluations were motivating. The Reddit threads really did not sound like robots or brand name plants. And the onboarding? Remarkably smooth.
I figured, “Why not?” and took the leap.
Readying Up on Beehiiv
Let me inform you– moving to a new platform usually feels like pulling teeth. Yet Beehiiv? Remarkably painless.
Importing my list? Smooth. Setting up kinds? No crises. Connecting my custom domain name? A few minor hiccups, but nothing that needed swearing at the display.
One point I really valued was the “domain name warming” feature. Beehiiv slowly presents your domain name to inbox companies, piggybacking off their own sending domain name. Translation? Fewer spam folder problems.
Additionally, their assistance material– videos, aid docs, and walkthroughs– actually felt human. Like a person took a seat and claimed, “Let’s not discourage the hell out of our individuals today.” Refreshing.
Automation on Beehiiv: Beehiiv Vs Letterdrop
Currently right here’s where things got a little … fascinating.
Beehiiv’s automation system is respectable, however do not anticipate it to take on heavyweight systems like ActiveCampaign or ConvertKit. As an example, each kind can just be attached to a solitary automation. That makes it difficult to customize welcome sequences based upon how someone registered.
I wound up going complete investigator setting– playing with sectors, using separate landing pages, reading obscure Reddit threads– just to construct a couple of customized workflows.
Is it achievable? Absolutely. Yet if you’re used to drag-and-drop flowcharts with conditional logic, this may seem like going back a bit.
Email Builder: Primarily Fantastic, However Not Perfect
I’ve obtained a little bit of a love-hate partnership with Beehiiv’s email builder.
Visually? It’s glossy. Drag, drop, format, preview– it feels like it was made by somebody who’s really created a newsletter or two.
Yet default templates took a few tweaks to get right. And here’s a curveball: Beehiiv emails can get huge. Like, Gmail-clipping-at-102kb large.
That implies your wonderfully crafted message might obtain cut in half if you’re not cautious. I learned this by hand– then went down a rabbit opening of testing tools to maximize HTML size and stay clear of that dreadful clipping.
My go-to technique?
- Downloading and install examination emails from Gmail and checking size
- Running the HTML with Parcel.io’s e-mail viewer
- Confirming with Aboutmy.email for deliverability and structure
Little a hand-operated process, yet it functions. I also reached out to Beehiiv about adding better dimension warnings. Fingers went across.
Right Stuff That Actually Moves the Needle
Alright, let’s enter the meat of it– what’s made a tangible distinction given that switching to Beehiiv?
Audience Development
In just three months, I included over 160 new clients to a quite particular niche newsletter. That has to do with 60% greater than what I was seeing before– and I had not been even running paid ads.
The majority of that development came from Beehiiv’s built-in tools: the referral program, Boosts (believe e-newsletter cross-promotions), and natural reach. You can actually track what’s working and where subscribers are coming from. Makes tweaking your strategy a whole lot less complicated.
Monetization That Does Not Nickel-and-Dime You
Let’s chat money because for most makers, it matters.
Beehiiv does not take a cut from your paid registrations. Just Stripe’s charge. That’s it. That alone makes it 10% far better than Substack (actually).
But there’s more: their ad network is instinctive and passive. Within three months, I was currently fielding rate of interest from marketers. Beehiiv’s partner network attaches makers with brands in such a way that does not really feel icky or required. It’s built-in revenue possibility, plain and simple Beehiiv Vs Letterdrop.
And when I’m ready to introduce a costs subscription? I recognize specifically what reduced I’ll get: all of it (minus Stripe).
Integrated Growth Devices
What actually establishes Beehiiv apart is that development isn’t an afterthought– it’s baked in.
You have actually obtained personalized referral programs. Boosts for newsletter cross-promotion. Multiple landing pages for tracking lead sources. You can turn your viewers into supporters without hanging unpleasant boodle or one-time gimmicks.
I’ll claim this: Beehiiv feels like a platform that desires you to be successful. Not one that simply desires an item of your pie.
Points I ‘d Still Like to See Improve
No platform is ideal, and Beehiiv’s got its peculiarities.
Support can be sluggish when you hit a weird bug or require deep aid.
Some automations still feel too fundamental.
Email dimension surveillance needs much better in-app informs (please and thanks).
No integrated countdown timers (sad face if you love FOMO emails).
Ecommerce integrations? Generally nonexistent.
So if you’re offering physical products or desire abandoned cart circulations, Beehiiv most likely isn’t your best choice.
Verdict
If you’re a developer who’s serious about e-newsletters– whether you’re monetizing, growing a checklist, or just tired of obsolete systems– Beehiiv’s a strong choice.
You’ll like it if:
You want full ownership of your target market
You’re looking to expand quick without paying system tax obligation
You want something that feels developed by creators, for makers
Will it fix every problem? No. But in three months, it’s aided me grow quicker, make extra, and tension less concerning the little points.
So, should you attempt Beehiiv?
If you prepare to stop clearing up and in fact range your e-newsletter with actual devices that value your job and target market– yeah, I assume it’s time.
Go on. Offer it a spin. You simply may fall in love like I did.