beehiiv vs Substack: a flat fee against 10% of revenue
Substack is free to publish and takes 10% of paid subscription revenue. beehiiv takes 0% but charges a plan fee by list size. Where the two cost the same, read September 23, 2026.
The short answer
Substack is free to publish at any list size and takes 10% of each paid subscription payment. beehiiv charges a plan fee that follows your subscriber count and takes 0% of paid subscription revenue, but paid subscriptions start on its Scale plan: $49 a month at 1,000 subscribers, billed monthly.
For a free newsletter, Substack costs nothing at any size, and beehiiv's free Launch plan stops at 2,500 subscribers. For a paid newsletter, beehiiv costs less once your monthly paid revenue passes ten times its monthly price: $490 a month at 1,000 subscribers.
Stripe's card fees apply on both. Substack's help center was read on September 23, 2026. beehiiv prices were read on beehiiv.com/pricing on September 22 and 23, 2026. StackOnSale has not tested either product.
What each one charges
Substack: "Publishing is free on Substack", whatever the number of subscribers. With paid subscriptions turned on, Substack takes 10% of each transaction. Its help center lists Stripe's fees on top: 2.9% + $0.30 per card transaction, and a billing fee of 0.7% on recurring payments.
beehiiv: the price follows your subscriber count. Launch is free up to 2,500 subscribers, without paid subscriptions. Scale, the first plan with paid subscriptions, is $49 a month at 1,000 subscribers billed monthly, or $517 a year billed annually. beehiiv takes 0% of subscription revenue, and its pricing page lists Stripe at 2.9% + $0.30.
Where the two cost the same
Substack's fee grows with your paid revenue; beehiiv's grows with your list. The table shows, for each list size, the monthly paid revenue at which Substack's 10% equals beehiiv Scale billed monthly. Below that revenue, Substack's fee is lower. Above it, beehiiv Scale is lower.
Monthly paid revenue at which Substack's 10% equals beehiiv Scale| Subscribers | beehiiv Scale, billed monthly | Substack's fee equals it at |
|---|
| 1,000 | $49 a month | $490 a month in paid revenue |
|---|
| 2,500 | $69 a month | $690 a month in paid revenue |
|---|
| 5,000 | $89 a month | $890 a month in paid revenue |
|---|
| 10,000 | $109 a month | $1,090 a month in paid revenue |
|---|
| 25,000 | $169 a month | $1,690 a month in paid revenue |
|---|
StackOnSale arithmetic: 10 times beehiiv's monthly price. Stripe fees are left out because both list Stripe. beehiiv prices from its subscriber selector, read September 22 and 23, 2026.
One paid newsletter, priced
The example has 1,000 subscribers, 100 of whom pay $8 a month. Change the numbers to yours: the platform fee on Substack is 10% of the revenue line, and on beehiiv it is the plan price for your list size.
1,000 subscribers, 100 paying $8 a month| Item | Substack | beehiiv Scale |
|---|
| Paid revenue a month | $800 | $800 |
|---|
| Platform fee a month | $80, which is 10% | $49 billed monthly |
|---|
| Platform fee for a year | $960 | $588 billed monthly (12 x $49), or $517 billed annually |
|---|
| Stripe fees | 2.9% + $0.30 per card payment, plus 0.7% on recurring payments | 2.9% + $0.30 per card payment, as beehiiv's page lists |
|---|
StackOnSale arithmetic on the fees each vendor states, with every paying subscriber on monthly billing.
What we could not verify
Whether Stripe's 0.7% billing fee also applies to beehiiv's recurring payments: beehiiv's page lists 2.9% + $0.30 only. beehiiv prices between the slider positions we read. Whether beehiiv's annual price holds at renewal.
StackOnSale earns a commission if you buy beehiiv through our link. We have no relationship with Substack.
Questions
Is beehiiv or Substack cheaper?
For a free newsletter, Substack is free at any size and beehiiv is free up to 2,500 subscribers. For a paid newsletter, beehiiv Scale costs less once monthly paid revenue passes 10 times its monthly price: $490 a month at 1,000 subscribers. Read September 23, 2026.
What does Substack charge?
Nothing to publish. With paid subscriptions, 10% of each transaction, plus Stripe's 2.9% + $0.30 per card payment and a 0.7% billing fee on recurring payments, according to its help center.
Does beehiiv take a cut of paid subscriptions?
No. beehiiv takes 0% of subscription revenue and lists Stripe at 2.9% + $0.30. Paid subscriptions require Scale or a higher plan.
Can I start free on beehiiv?
Yes. Launch is free up to 2,500 subscribers, without paid subscriptions, automations or A/B testing.
Related offers
Sources
Search, saved offers and price alerts need JavaScript.