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NEWSLETTER PLATFORM
COMPARISON

Find the right platform for your newsletter. Compare features, pricing, and use cases.

PLATFORM OVERVIEW

Platform Best For Starting Price Free Tier Revenue Cut
Beehiiv Growth-focused newsletters $49/mo 2,500 subscribers 0%
Substack Writers, simplicity Free Unlimited 10%
Mailchimp E-commerce, general marketing $13/mo 250 contacts 0%
ConvertKit Course creators, automation $29/mo 1,000 subscribers 0%
Ghost Publishers, self-hosters $9/mo (self) / $25/mo (hosted) None 0%
Buttondown Developers, minimalists $9/mo 100 subscribers 0%

WHAT YOU GET

MONETIZATION

Feature Beehiiv Substack Mailchimp
Paid Subscriptions Yes Yes No
Ad Network Yes No No
Sponsor Marketplace Yes No No
Digital Products Yes No No
Zero Commission Yes 10% N/A

GROWTH TOOLS

Feature Beehiiv Substack Mailchimp
Referral Program Built-in No No
Recommendations Boosts Basic No
SEO Web Pages Auto Auto Manual
A/B Testing Yes No Yes
Segmentation Advanced Basic Advanced

AUTOMATION

Feature Beehiiv Substack Mailchimp
Welcome Sequences Yes No Yes
Drip Campaigns Yes No Yes
Behavioral Triggers Yes No Yes
Visual Builder Yes No Yes

WHAT WILL YOU PAY?

Enter your numbers to see real costs across platforms.

WHICH PLATFORM SHOULD YOU USE?

CHOOSE BEEHIIV IF

  • You want to monetize through ads and sponsorships
  • Growth is your primary goal
  • You plan to earn $1,200+/month from subscriptions
  • You want referral and boost features
  • You're building a media business
Read Beehiiv Review

CHOOSE SUBSTACK IF

  • You prioritize simplicity over features
  • You're just starting and testing ideas
  • You expect under $1,200/month revenue
  • You want zero upfront costs
  • You're a writer first, marketer second
Read Substack Review

CHOOSE MAILCHIMP IF

  • You run an e-commerce business
  • You need deep Shopify integration
  • You already use Intuit products
  • Marketing automation is priority
  • You need team collaboration features
Read Mailchimp Review

EXPLORE OTHER COMPARISONS