Where I land on Substack vs Beehiiv

“How you like Beehiiv as opposed to something like Substack?”

Loaded question I got from a subscriber.

But a good one.

I think these kinds of questions are better answered publicly. Not just because they help more people, but because it’s an easy way to create content.

Here’s my unfiltered answer, cleaned up just enough to follow.

First, this isn’t an exhaustive feature-by-feature comparison. Just my experience so far.

When I started the first version of my AI newsletter last year, I spent a lot of time debating where to host it.

Okay. Too much time.

The main options I considered were Kit, Substack, and Beehiiv.

I picked Substack because of the built-in recommendation engine and the social layer. It felt like the best way to grow organically if you didn’t already have an audience. (My newsletter had continued to grow while I was on pause because a couple bigger newsletters were recommending it.)

And since I didn’t plan to do a premium tier, the cost was good.

Hard to say no to free.

I stuck with Substack for a few months until I took a short break. A week off for vacation turned into months off.

When I came back I stuck with Substack for another month, and then decided to rebrand and refocus the newsletter.

As part of that, I moved over to Beehi⁠iv.

That was partly because I already manage two client newsletters inside Beehiiv, so I was comfortable with the tool. It’s got a bit of a learning curve at first, but once you get it set up, it’s clean and powerful.

More importantly, Beehiiv had the features I thought I’d need for monetization: ads, boosts, referral tracking, automations, and built-in growth tools. You need to be on the Scale plan to unlock most of that, but at the time I had a structured newsletter concept that I planned to monetize using all of it.

The idea made sense.

But then the newsletter shifted. It became more personal. Less structured. More reflective.

And now I’m not really using any of those monetization features except the poll at the bottom of each email.

That’s when Substack started singing its siren call again.

There’s something about the built-in discovery, and the feeling that people are finding and sharing content more naturally.

I’m on a few lists from creators doing really well on Substack, and with all the bigger names moving over recently, it’s tempting to think about using it again in some way.

I already have a second Substack I started semi-anonymously. It still links here.

I’m not sure whether I want to keep that separate, merge things, or treat Substack more like a secondary growth channel.

At the same time, I’ve spent money on Beehiiv boosts—about $150—and the truth is, those subscribers have been some of the lowest-quality ones (except you, if you are reading this).

Open rates dropped. Engagement dropped. I probably launched those boosts too early, before I had real content/market fit or a proper welcome sequence dialed in.

Could I fix that and try again? Sure.

I’ve worked with other lists that were built almost entirely on paid traffic and still perform well. It’s doable.

But you need the right system in place first.

And you need to understand that paid subscribers don’t behave the same way as people who found you organically through something they actually read and liked.

Still, I’d rather pay to grow a list than spend hours fighting the social media algorithm.

I’ve tried the organic social thing.

I used to be pretty active on Twitter (before Musk). It was fine at first, but eventually it just felt like a performative treadmill.

That same pressure to “show up” on Notes is why I don’t love it either. Maybe I’ll figure out how to make it work in a way that feels good, but right now I’d rather focus on writing than posting.

That brings me back to my workflow.

Right now, I’m using Beehiiv because it fits the way I like to write and publish.

I use Wispr to dictate my ideas, clean them up in ChatGPT, do a quick final edit, then paste into Beehiiv and hit send. Done.

The part I’m missing is turning those emails into other content.

If I don’t repurpose what I write, it doesn’t reach enough people. That’s a gap I want to fix, but I’m going one step at a time.

Right now I’m focused on writing daily, building the habit, and getting my thoughts out.

As for selling courses and products, I’ll probably do all that in Go High Level. That’s what I use for client work, and it can handle everything I need.

Substack and Beehiiv don’t have native product sales or flexible membership tools beyond their built-in newsletter subscriptions. Kit does, but I’m not considering Kit right now.

The downside of Go High Level is it’s a bit more expensive ($99/mo) and you don’t get a built-in public archive like you do with Substack or Beehi⁠iv.

You’d have to manually turn posts into webpages or blog posts, and I’m not interested in that.

I like that I can just write, publish, and have an archive that works without extra effort.

So that’s where I’m at.

I don’t have a final decision.

I still think Substack is great for beginners who want discovery and aren’t interested in paid growth yet.

But if you want more control or more monetization options, Beehi⁠iv gives you more to work with, especially if you’re creating a more structured newsletter.

We’ll see how this evolves.

For now, Beehiiv is working…but Substack is still in the back of my mind.

I’d love to know where you’re at.

Are you using Substack? Beehiiv? Kit? Something else entirely?

What made you choose what you’re using?

Hit reply and let me know.

Nathan

PS - Here are few more resources to check out on this Substack should you or should you not debate:

Why Creators Are Flocking to Substack—Should You Join Them? from Growth in Reverse

More Honest Thoughts On Substack After 1 Year (And Why I’m Leaving) by Christina Piccoli

I Published a Daily Article on Substack For 30 Days. Here's What Happened to My Subscriber Count by Matt Giaro

Should you move your newsletter to Substack? by Louis Nicholls

If you’re stuck on your newsletter, lead magnet, or AI setup, book a coaching session at this link and I’ll help you sort it out step by step so you can move forward with confidence and a plan.

Were you forwarded this email? Click here to subscribe.