Substack alternatives: beehiiv and Kit, priced
beehiiv and Kit against Substack, from each vendor's page: free plans, what each takes from paid subscriptions, and one paid newsletter priced for a year. Read September 22 and 23, 2026.
The short answer
We priced two Substack alternatives: beehiiv and Kit. Substack is free to publish and takes 10% of each paid subscription payment, plus Stripe's fees. beehiiv and Kit charge a plan price by list size instead. beehiiv takes 0% of subscription revenue. Kit charges 3.5% + 30c per sale, card processing included.
Both alternatives have free plans: beehiiv up to 2,500 subscribers, without paid subscriptions, and Kit up to 10,000 subscribers, which its pricing page says can "Sell digital products & subscriptions". In our example of 100 subscribers paying $8 a month, Kit's free plan cost the least in year one, then beehiiv Scale, then Substack.
Substack's fees were read in its help center on September 23, 2026. beehiiv and Kit were read on their pricing pages on September 22 and 23, 2026. StackOnSale has not tested these products.
What each one takes
Substack takes a share of revenue and no plan fee. beehiiv takes a plan fee and no share. Kit's free plan takes a fee per sale and no plan fee.
Fees on paid subscriptions| Tool | Plan price | Share of subscription revenue | Card processing |
|---|
| Substack | Free to publish | 10% of each transaction | Stripe: 2.9% + $0.30, plus 0.7% on recurring payments |
|---|
| beehiiv | Scale from $49 a month at 1,000 subscribers; paid subscriptions start on Scale | 0% | Stripe: 2.9% + $0.30, as beehiiv's page lists |
|---|
| Kit | Free up to 10,000 subscribers; Creator from $39 a month at 1,000 | 3.5% + 30c per sale | Included in Kit's fee |
|---|
Read in Substack's help center, on beehiiv.com/pricing and on kit.com/pricing, September 22 and 23, 2026.
One paid newsletter, priced for a year
The example has 1,000 subscribers, 100 of whom pay $8 a month: 1,200 payments and $9,600 a year. Change the numbers to yours: the share-based fees grow with revenue, the plan fees with your list.
1,000 subscribers, 100 paying $8 a month, for one year| Tool and plan | Plan price | Revenue share or sales fee | Card processing | Total |
|---|
| Substack | $0 | $960, 10% of $9,600 | About $706 | About $1,666 |
|---|
| beehiiv Scale, billed annually | $517 | $0 | About $638 | About $1,155 |
|---|
| Kit Free | $0 | About $696, 3.5% + 30c on each payment | Included | About $696 |
|---|
StackOnSale arithmetic on the fees each vendor states, for 1,200 payments of $8. Stripe for Substack: 2.9% + $0.30 plus 0.7% per payment. Stripe for beehiiv: 2.9% + $0.30 per payment, the rate its page lists.
The free plans
beehiiv Launch: free up to 2,500 subscribers, without paid subscriptions, automations or A/B testing. Kit Free: up to 10,000 subscribers, without the visual automation builder and automated sequences. Substack: free to publish at any size.
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. Kit and beehiiv prices between the tiers we read. Whether any price holds at renewal.
StackOnSale earns a commission if you buy beehiiv through our link. Our Kit links pay us nothing, and we have no relationship with Substack.
Questions
What is the cheapest Substack alternative for a paid newsletter?
In our example, 100 subscribers paying $8 a month, Kit's free plan: about $696 a year in fees, card processing included. beehiiv Scale came to about $1,155 and Substack about $1,666, Stripe included. Read September 22 and 23, 2026.
Does beehiiv take a cut like Substack?
No. beehiiv takes 0% of subscription revenue; Substack takes 10%. beehiiv charges a plan price instead, from $49 a month at 1,000 subscribers.
Can I publish for free?
Substack is free to publish at any size. beehiiv is free up to 2,500 subscribers and Kit up to 10,000, each with features held back for paid plans.
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