beehiiv vs Substack: Which Should You Choose in 2026?
Both prices below were read from each vendor's own pricing page on the date shown.
Pricing side by side
| Plan | beehiiv | Substack |
|---|---|---|
| tier 1 | Free — Up to 2,500 subscribers, unlimited sends | Free — Unlimited subscribers, unlimited email sends, podcast hosting, community chat, 10% fee only on paid subscriptions |
| tier 2 | $49/mo — Up to 10,000 subscribers, monetization and AI tools | — |
| tier 3 | $96/mo — Up to 100,000 subscribers | — |
| tier 4 | On request — Over 100,000 subscribers | — |
read from both vendors' pricing pages · 20 Aug 2026 · how we verify
Choose beehiiv if
- Media businesses building an owned audience
Choose Substack if
- Independent journalists, essayists, and thought leaders building a direct subscriber-supported publication
- Writers wanting viral audience discovery through the Substack app, Notes feed, and recommendation network
Where each one disappoints
beehiiv
- Transactional ecommerce flows — that is Klaviyo territory
Substack
- Ecommerce brands needing complex behavioral cart abandonment automation sequences
Compiled by Stepan Noianov from both vendors' own sites. Something wrong? Report an inaccuracy.