If you’re thinking about starting a newsletter or a blog, you might have heard of Beehiiv and Substack. These two platforms are popular for people who want to share their writing and connect with readers. They both help you create and send content, but they also have some key differences that make choosing between them a bit tricky. Here, we’ll compare them so you can decide which one fits your needs best.
Instead of spending hours trying to figure out all the differences, let’s go through a side-by-side comparison to help you decide which platform works best for your goals and style.
Beehiiv and Substack: Similar, but Not the Same
Beehiiv and Substack are both platforms that combine the features of blogs and newsletters. They are both good options if you want to build an audience for your writing. They try to make it easy for you to write and share your content, and they even help you make money from it.
But while they are similar, there are differences that can make it hard to choose between them. Both let you share your work with readers, grow your subscriber list, and potentially make money. They are great for writers, bloggers, or anyone who wants to share ideas or tell stories in a simple way.
Key Points to Consider:
- Audience Building: Both platforms help you grow a subscriber base.
- Monetization: You can make money from your writing on both platforms.
Let’s dig into what makes each of these platforms special and figure out which one might work best for you. Whether you want to build a community or just need an easy way to publish your work, understanding the details of each platform will help you make a better choice.
Finding an Audience: How Beehiiv and Substack Help You Get Discovered
Finding readers is one of the most important parts of sharing your writing. Beehiiv and Substack handle discoverability in very different ways.
Discoverability Comparison:
- Substack: Has a feed feature that lets users follow writers and engage with content through comments, likes, and shares.
- Beehiiv: Lacks a community feed but offers SEO tools to help your content get found through search engines.
Summary: If your goal is to reach a new audience within the platform, Substack might be the better choice. But if you want to grow your audience through search engines, Beehiiv gives you more control.
SEO Features: Beehiiv Leads the Way
If search engine optimization (SEO) is important to you, Beehiiv has a big advantage over Substack.
Beehiiv SEO Benefits:
- Custom SEO Settings: You can add keywords, metadata, and decide how your content shows up online.
- Publish Flexibility: Choose to publish as a blog post, newsletter, or both.
Substack SEO Limitations:
- No Canonical URL: Substack doesn’t let you set a canonical URL, which can cause SEO issues if you want to reuse or move content.
Summary: Beehiiv is the better choice for creators who want to grow through search engines.
Pricing: What Do Beehiiv and Substack Cost?
Pricing is another important factor to consider. Depending on your budget, one of these platforms might be better for you.
- Substack: Free to use until you add paid subscriptions, at which point they take a 10% cut.
- Beehiiv: Offers a free plan with limits up to 2,500 subscribers, and paid plans for growth with more features.
Summary: For beginners, Substack might be the cheaper option. But Beehiiv offers more advanced features that could be worth the investment as your audience grows.
Integrations: How Well Do They Work With Other Tools?
If you need your newsletter to work with other tools or platforms, integrations are really important.
Integration Capabilities:
- Substack: Limited integration options, no API or Zapier support, meaning manual processes are often needed.
- Beehiiv: Provides API and Zapier support, making it easier to connect with other tools and create smoother workflows.
Summary: Beehiiv is the better choice if you need integration options and automation to help run your business.
Automation: Not a Strong Point for Either Platform
Automation can save you time by letting you send emails automatically, but neither Beehiiv nor Substack is great in this area.
- Substack: Basic automation limited to a single welcome email.
- Beehiiv: Limited automation tools available on the $99 per month plan, but still quite basic.
Summary: If you need strong automation features, you might need to use another tool such as Zapier or integrate it into your workflow.
Analytics: Understanding Your Audience
Knowing where your subscribers are coming from is really helpful. It lets you know which of your marketing efforts are working and helps you focus on what’s successful.
- Beehiiv: Offers detailed analytics, especially useful for SEO and tracking subscriber behavior.
- Substack: Provides basic insights to understand your audience, but lacks the depth of Beehiiv’s analytics.
Summary: Both platforms offer analytics, but Beehiiv’s deeper insights can be more helpful for growing your audience.
Final Thoughts: Should You Choose Beehiiv or Substack?
Both Beehiiv and Substack have their strengths, but neither is perfect. The best choice depends on what you need and what you value most.
Substack is Best If You Want:
- Easy Setup: Simple, community-driven platform.
- No Upfront Costs: Free until you decide to monetize.
Beehiiv is Best If You Want:
- SEO Control: More customization to grow through search engines.
- Integrations and Flexibility: Tools to grow your audience beyond the platform.
Summary: Think about your goals—whether it’s reaching new readers, building an audience from scratch, or connecting with other platforms. Beehiiv and Substack each have their own strengths, and knowing these differences will help you decide where to start sharing your content.
Take your time to evaluate your needs, and choose the platform that aligns best with your vision. If you’re leaning towards more control over SEO and integrations, consider giving Beehiiv a try.
