When it came time to select a new email system, I didn’t desire “good enough.” I required something much better– something constructed for growth, smarter monetization, and a smoother experience on the whole. After nearly a years helping others with e-mail marketing (and 2 years running my very own newsletter), I had not been looking for simply a device– I was hunting for an appropriate partner Beehiiv Vs Squarespace.
And that’s exactly how Beehiiv entered the picture.
Currently, I know what you’re thinking: “Isn’t Beehiiv just an additional Substack choice?” I thought that as well initially. But after three months of kicking the tires and diving deep, I’ve got a whole lot to claim– both the success and the strange traits. If you’re attempting to make a decision whether Beehiiv is the appropriate platform for you, settle in. You will get the whole story.
Why I Left My Old Email Device Behind
Let’s be truthful– most email provider (ESPs) are constructed like they’re still stuck in 2013. I needed a tool that can really help grow my checklist and make some money while I went to it. My old ESP just had not been cutting it anymore.
So I started contrasting choices. Beehiiv, Substack, Kit … the usual suspects. Each had its perks, yet I was looking at this via the lens of somebody who takes email seriously– and who desired complete control over my target market and web content.
The Substack Issue: Looks Good Until You Look Closer
Substack was my first quit. It’s polished. It’s straightforward. And yeah, it’s popular.
But dig a little deeper, and fractures start revealing. The largest one? You don’t in fact possess your followers.
That “adhere to” switch you see on Substack? It’s mainly smoke and mirrors. Those fans live behind a wall surface– inside the Substack app or on their site. You can’t email them directly. Can’t export them. You’re primarily renting out an audience you can never ever completely reach.
It’s like executing on a stage where the lights just switch on if the location makes a decision to allow the group see you. Does not really feel excellent.
And then there’s the money side. Substack takes 10% off your paid subscriptions. Stripe takes an additional 3%. That’s 13% of your income– gone. You would certainly think they were running a club, not an email platform.
So yeah, Substack? A no for me.
Beehiiv Looked Promising, But Was It As well Good to Be True?
So what made Beehiiv stand apart?
In the beginning, it was the promise of creator-first features– like better money making, smarter listing growth tools, and absolutely no platform fees (other than the usual Stripe cut). However pledges are very easy. Implementation? That’s where it obtains real.
Still, the evaluations were motivating. The Reddit threads really did not seem 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 tell you– moving to a brand-new platform typically seems like drawing teeth. However Beehiiv? Surprisingly painless.
Importing my list? Smooth. Establishing kinds? No disasters. Attaching my personalized domain name? A couple of minor missteps, however absolutely nothing that required swearing at the display.
Something I actually appreciated was the “domain name warming” feature. Beehiiv progressively presents your domain to inbox suppliers, piggybacking off their own sending domain. Translation? Less spam folder headaches.
Additionally, their assistance material– videos, help docs, and walkthroughs– in fact really felt human. Like someone took a seat and stated, “Let’s not annoy the hell out of our individuals today.” Revitalizing.
Automation on Beehiiv: Beehiiv Vs Squarespace
Currently here’s where things got a little … fascinating.
Beehiiv’s automation system is decent, however don’t 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 challenging to individualize welcome sequences based on how someone registered.
I ended up going complete detective mode– playing with sectors, utilizing separate landing pages, reading obscure Reddit strings– simply to construct a few tailored workflows.
Is it doable? Absolutely. However if you’re made use of to drag-and-drop flowcharts with conditional reasoning, this might seem like stepping back a little bit.
Email Builder: Mainly Great, But Not Perfect
I have actually obtained a little a love-hate relationship with Beehiiv’s email builder.
Aesthetically? It’s glossy. Drag, drop, style, preview– it seems like it was created by someone who’s in fact composed a newsletter or two.
However default templates took a few tweaks to solve. And here’s a curveball: Beehiiv emails can get big. Like, Gmail-clipping-at-102kb huge.
That implies your perfectly crafted message could get chopped in half if you’re not careful. I discovered this by hand– after that went down a bunny opening of screening tools to optimize HTML size and stay clear of that dreaded clipping.
My go-to technique?
- Downloading and install test emails from Gmail and checking size
- Running the HTML with Parcel.io’s e-mail visitor
- Verifying with Aboutmy.email for deliverability and framework
Little bit of a hands-on procedure, but it works. I also reached out to Beehiiv about adding much better dimension cautions. Fingers crossed.
The Stuff That Really Moves the Needle
Alright, let’s enter the meat of it– what’s made a concrete distinction because switching to Beehiiv?
Target market Growth
In just three months, I added over 160 new clients to a pretty particular niche newsletter. That’s about 60% more than what I was seeing before– and I wasn’t even running paid advertisements.
Most of that development came from Beehiiv’s built-in devices: the referral program, Boosts (think e-newsletter cross-promotions), and organic reach. You can actually track what’s functioning and where clients are originating from. Makes tweaking your technique a great deal much easier.
Monetization That Doesn’t Nickel-and-Dime You
Let’s speak money since for a lot of developers, it matters.
Beehiiv doesn’t take a cut from your paid registrations. Simply Stripe’s fee. That’s it. That alone makes it 10% far better than Substack (literally).
However there’s more: their ad network is intuitive and passive. Within three months, I was currently fielding rate of interest from advertisers. Beehiiv’s partner network links creators with brand names in a way that doesn’t feel icky or required. It’s integrated revenue potential, simple and simple Beehiiv Vs Squarespace.
And when I’m ready to introduce a premium registration? I recognize precisely what reduced I’ll get: all of it (minus Stripe).
Integrated Growth Tools
What truly establishes Beehiiv apart is that growth isn’t an afterthought– it’s baked in.
You’ve got personalized referral programs. Boosts for newsletter cross-promotion. Several landing pages for tracking lead sources. You can turn your viewers into supporters without hanging unpleasant swag or one-time gimmicks.
I’ll say this: Beehiiv feels like a system that desires you to be successful. Not one that simply desires a piece of your pie.
Things I ‘d Still Like to See Improve
No system is best, and Beehiiv’s got its traits.
Assistance can be sluggish when you hit an unusual bug or require deep help.
Some automations still feel too basic.
Email dimension surveillance requires far better in-app alerts (please and thanks).
No built-in countdown timers (sad face if you like FOMO e-mails).
Ecommerce integrations? Primarily nonexistent.
So if you’re selling physical items or desire deserted cart flows, Beehiiv most likely isn’t your best option.
Conclusion
If you’re a developer who’s serious about e-newsletters– whether you’re monetizing, growing a list, or simply tired of outdated platforms– Beehiiv’s a strong selection.
You’ll like it if:
You desire complete ownership of your target market
You’re looking to expand quick without paying platform tax obligation
You desire something that feels built by makers, for makers
Will it fix every issue? No. However in three months, it’s assisted me expand much faster, make more, and anxiety less about the little points.
So, should you try Beehiiv?
If you prepare to quit settling and really scale your newsletter with actual devices that appreciate your job and audience– yeah, I assume it’s time.
Take place. Provide it a spin. You simply might fall in love like I did.