Sources checked Sep 22, 2026
Substack vs beehiiv: prices, limits, and who each suits
Substack charges no monthly fee and 10% of each paid transaction; beehiiv charges by subscriber count. See where the two cross over.
SIDE BY SIDE
Free limits and paid starting prices
Documented public-plan facts, not hands-on scores. Each price is tied to the subscriber tier it covers.
Scroll sideways to see all columns →
| Decision | Substack | beehiiv |
|---|---|---|
| Free audience limit | No published cap: Substack says publishing is free no matter how many subscribers you have | 2,500 active subscribers on the free Launch plan |
| Free sending | Check: the cost page we read states no sending allowance | Unlimited email sends, listed on every plan including Launch |
| Paid plans start at | No monthly fee. Substack charges 10% of each transaction once paid subscriptions are on | $49/mo Scale at 1,000 subscribers, $69 at 2,500, $109 at 10,000; $43/mo equivalent when billed annually at the smallest tier |
| First paid trigger | Turning paid subscriptions on. The 10% applies from the first transaction, whatever your list size | Paid subscriptions, ads, recommendations, digital products, surveys or automations — beehiiv lists each as unavailable on Launch |
| What paid subscriptions cost | Substack’s 10%, plus Stripe’s 2.9% + $0.30 card fee and a 0.7% Billing fee for recurring payments | Scale and Max list “0% Take Rate on Paid Subscriptions”. Payment processing is not covered by that line, so check it separately |
At 2,500 subscribers earning $600 a month from paid subscriptions, Substack’s 10% is $60. beehiiv Scale at its 2,500-subscriber tier is $69 a month and lists a 0% take rate, so the flat plan costs $9 more. The two meet at $690 of monthly paid revenue — $69 × 10 — and the flat plan is the smaller platform fee above it. Neither figure includes payment processing, and the arithmetic only holds if Scale is the plan you would actually buy.
Check the workflow, not the label
Neither shape is lower by nature. A flat plan costs less once monthly paid revenue passes ten times its price — $690 for the $69 tier at 2,500 subscribers — but only if the plan you priced is the plan you need, and beehiiv lists paid subscriptions, automations, ads and recommendations as unavailable on Launch. Payment processing sits outside both figures: Substack lists Stripe’s 2.9% + $0.30 card fee and a 0.7% Billing fee for recurring payments on top of its own 10%, and beehiiv’s pricing page says nothing about processing, so check that before you compare. Moving is its own job — the Substack move guide covers exports, paid subscribers and Stripe.
CONSIDER SUBSTACK IF
Your paid revenue sits below the crossover
A publication earning $200 a month from paid subscriptions pays Substack $20, against a documented $69 for Scale at 2,500 subscribers. Work out your own line first: it is the plan price at your own subscriber count, multiplied by ten.
Work out the 10% at your own paid revenue →CONSIDER BEEHIIV IF
You are above it, or you need a Scale feature anyway
At $2,000 a month of paid revenue Substack’s 10% is $200 against $69 at that tier, and beehiiv lists automations, ads, recommendations and digital products as things Scale adds. Price Scale at your own subscriber count rather than at 1,000.
Check beehiiv pricing and upgrade triggers →Four things to test before moving a list
- Add up last month’s paid revenue, not your subscriber count. That is what a 10% share applies to.
- Price the plan you would actually buy: beehiiv lists paid subscriptions as unavailable on the free Launch plan.
- Count payment processing on both sides. Substack lists Stripe’s fees separately from its own 10%.
- Take the export first. Substack documents a zip of posts, subscriber list and statistics, and a CSV of your subscriber list, and says it is not currently possible to export a file with subscriber names.
Test the task you rely on most, not just a simple welcome email. Confirm current prices at checkout; we record updates in the changes log.
CHECK THE LIVE QUOTES
Price the same audience and billing period.
Both links go directly to the provider. Neither is currently an affiliate link. Moving an existing list? Price it in the cost calculator, then read the Substack or Mailchimp cost guide.