Substack vs beehiiv: where the crossover is
Short answer
- Substack costs less below $490/mo of paid revenue vs beehiiv Lite, and below $950/mo vs Pro. Above those, the flat plan costs less.
- Basis: 10% vs $49/$95 at 1,000 subscribers, yearly billing. Card fees appear on both sides, so they cancel.
- Below 1,000 subscribers beehiiv’s price may differ; the cases below are illustrative.
Both sources are the vendors’ own pages, checked October 24, 2026. The arithmetic is shown in full below so you can check it.
What do Substack and beehiiv charge?
| Vendor / plan | Source summary | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Substack | 10% share of paid-subscription revenue and no monthly fee on the paid-newsletter model; card fees come off separately. Exact wording: “Writers keep 90% of their revenue minus credit card fees.” The page does not state the card rate, so the generic Stripe rate is assumed. | substack.com/going-paid checked October 24, 2026 |
| beehiiv Lite / Pro | Lite is $49/mo on yearly billing at 1,000 subscribers; paid subscriptions carry a 0% take rate; the FAQ says Stripe's standard processing fee applies. Exact wording: “0% take rate” “Stripe's standard processing fee of 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction” Pro is $95/mo on yearly billing at 1,000 subscribers; same 0% take rate and Stripe processing statement as Lite. | www.beehiiv.com/pricing checked October 24, 2026 |
| Stripe | Stripe's published US rate for domestic cards on its standard pricing page. Exact wording: “2.9% + 30¢ per successful transaction for domestic cards” | stripe.com/pricing checked October 24, 2026 |
At what revenue does beehiiv cost less than Substack?
Substack monthly cost = 10% × R + card% × R + 0.30 × S
beehiiv Lite cost = $49 + card% × R + 0.30 × S
R = monthly paid revenue, S = number of payments, card% = 2.9% (assumed for Substack)
Card fees appear on both sides, so they cancel:
10% × R = $49 → R = $49 ÷ 0.10 = $490.00 per month
Against beehiiv Pro ($95): R = $95 ÷ 0.10 = $950.00 per month
Below $490 a month in paid revenue, Substack’s share is smaller than beehiiv Lite’s fixed price. Above it, beehiiv Lite costs less on fees alone.
What do four example revenue levels cost?
| Paying subs × price | Substack | beehiiv Lite | beehiiv Pro | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40 × $8 = $320 | $53.28 | $70.28 | $116.28 | Substack saves $17.00 vs Lite |
| 100 × $10 = $1,000 | $159.00 | $108.00 | $154.00 | beehiiv Lite saves $51.00 |
| 250 × $10 = $2,500 | $397.50 | $196.50 | $242.50 | beehiiv Lite saves $201.00 |
| 500 × $12 = $6,000 | $924.00 | $373.00 | $419.00 | beehiiv Lite saves $551.00 |
Illustrative scenarios, not data about any real publication. Assumes about 1,000 email subscribers (the point where plan prices were read) and the Stripe standard card rate on both sides.
What fees can’t tell you: Substack’s page promotes its own network and tools; beehiiv’s Lite plan lists different features. Whether either brings you subscribers, how much a migration costs you in time, and plan limits are outside this arithmetic. Check the vendors’ current terms before moving.
Two more reference points: Patreon and MailerLite
- Patreon states 10% of income plus processing, conversion and payout fees. Its percentage equals Substack’s, so the crossover against any flat-fee plan uses the same arithmetic as above; whether the processing and payout fees match Substack’s is not stated on either captured page. Source summary.
- MailerLite Comfort at 1,000 subscribers is $17.10/mo billed yearly ($19 monthly). Against Substack’s 10%: $17.10 ÷ 0.10 = $171/mo of paid revenue. MailerLite’s page lists no paid-newsletter percentage or processing rate, so this assumes 0% and the same card rate on both sides; confirm before relying on it.