beehiiv, Substack, ConvertKit—Which Tool Will Transform Your Email Marketing Approach?

What do some of the best creators, Jennifer Chou, Jon Finkel, Dakota Robertson, and Victoria Kurichenko, have in common?

The best email service provider (ESP) for their business!

Enter beehiiv, Substack, and ConvertKit—three leading contenders in the email marketing arena, each offering a unique set of features and capabilities.

As content creators and marketers navigate this landscape, a comprehensive understanding of these platforms’ strengths and limitations becomes essential in making an informed decision that aligns with their needs and goals.

beehiiv vs Substack vs Convertkit at a Glance

beehiiv vs. Substack vs. ConvertKit at a Glance

ConvertKit

ConvertKit is a well-established email marketing and newsletter platform primarily serving professional bloggers and content creators. The platform empowers creators to engage directly with their audience and build their businesses.

“I’ve been using ConvertKit for a while,” said Victoria Kurichenko, founder of Self Made Millennials.

ConvertKit has a few key strengths when it comes to ways to help their users:

• Advanced Email Automation: ConvertKit offers automated email sequences and workflows for rapid audience nurturing.

• Segmentation Capabilities: The platform provides robust options for segmenting audiences, allowing tailored messaging.

• Emphasis on Creator Economy: ConvertKit supports the creator economy by offering Sponsor Network, Paid Recommendations, and Commerce that help turn subscribers into paying customers.

Substack

Substack offers an abundance of features approach to newsletter publishing, allowing writers and creators multiple ways to monetize their content and grow their brand. Substack centers its offering around its premium subscription model. They offer their users pricing, that aligns with multiple paid newsletter tiers, to subscribers.

Substack’s pricing model: Free + 10% cut of each paid subscription transaction.

“I started on Substack. I was one guy doing Zillow Gone Wild, so my publishing frequency varied from every other week to every month or two,” commented Samir Mezrahi, founder of Zillow Gone Wild.

Some of Substack’s key strengths are:

• Simplicity: Substack’s interface is straightforward, making it accessible for those who are not tech-savvy.

• Direct reader monetization: With built-in subscription models, Substack lets writers to earn directly from their readers.

• Minimalistic design: The clean, clutter-free design ensures that the show's star is content.

Beehiiv

beehiiv is a new entrant in the newsletter space, offering a hybrid model that blends content creation with community engagement.

It provides creators with a comprehensive platform for building and monetizing their audience, with features like an integrated advertising platform, multi-tier subscriptions, and enhanced reader engagement tools.

Andrew Grillo, General Manager of B-Side, said about beehiiv, “[beehiiv] is driving us as a creative-first media company and allowing us, as a nimble team, to be very lean. We don’t need an analytics team to go into Mailchimp for us. We don’t need to expand the licensing. 

Some of beehiiv’s key strengths are:

• Integrated advertising platform: beehiiv helps creators monetize through ads that are seamlessly integrated into their newsletters.

• Multi-tier subscriptions: Offering various subscription levels, beehiiv provides flexibility in how creators monetize their audience.

• Enhanced reader engagement tools: With features aimed at increasing interaction, beehiiv emphasizes building a solid relationship with readers.

beehiiv vs. Substack vs ConvertKit: Features

Each platform offers unique features tailored to content creation and audience engagement.

Content Creation and Management

Let’s start with your content ownership on these platforms—you own the content you publish.

That’s a relief.

Now, we can dive into how to create content and manage it on these platforms.

Each platform offers different tools and capabilities for content creation and management.

For example, ConvertKit is known for its creator-friendly email platform and automation capabilities, which allow creators to craft highly personalized and targeted campaigns.

Meanwhile, Substack prioritizes a minimalistic writing interface and focuses on delivering a clean reading experience.

Then we have beehiiv, which takes a more comprehensive approach, providing an all-in-one solution for content creation, publishing, and management. 

beehiiv’s editor supports various content formats, including newsletters, blog posts, and multimedia, making it a versatile choice for creators who want to diversify their content offerings.

Jon Finkel, the creator of Books & Biceps, said:

Finkel continued, “For instance, one of the things every author laments is that you can’t track who buys your books from major retailers. When someone buys your book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or in a local bookstore, you don’t capture any of their information personally to market future books.”

“It’s not like Amazon sends you a list every month and says here’s the email address of 840 people who bought your book. With beehiiv, my plan went from simply sharing updates on my books to harnessing the platform to build a brand and attract readers who would dig my future books and those I’d already written,” concluded Finkel.

Monetization Options

Who doesn’t love multiple revenue streams?

Monetization is essential for creators, and each platform offers different options.

Substack focuses on paid subscriptions, allowing creators to charge readers for access to premium content.

ConvertKit provides tools for selling digital products and coaching services and for accepting sponsorships or advertising in newsletters.

beehiiv offers a multi-pronged approach to monetization, including multi-tier subscriptions, an integrated advertising platform, and the ability to sell digital products or services. This flexibility allows creators to explore various revenue streams and tailor their monetization strategy to their audience and content.

Rowan Cheung, founder of The Rundown AI, said:

Cheung continued, “If it keeps up, we plan to move around 50% of our marketing budget from Meta to beehiiv ads.”

With the beehiiv Ad Network, you can access 85 million unique readers and over 1 billion monthly impressions—a strategic move to scale your newsletter traffic and engagement.

Why Trust Me

Linda Hwang has extensive experience in B2B marketing and previously worked at a renowned international facilities management company. She played a crucial role in creating effective content and social media marketing plans there. Now, Linda is a marketing consultant who helps small businesses create compelling brand stories.

Audience Engagement and Growth Tools

Any creator or business must build and maintain a strong relationship with its audience.

The platforms vary in their approach to engagement and growth tools.

beehiiv vs. Substack vs. ConvertKit: Pricing and Value

Pricing structures and value propositions vary across the three platforms, catering to different creator needs and budgets.

ConvertKit 

With ConvertKit, the pricing scales accordingly as your audience grows, making it suitable for creators with more significant followings.

ConvertKit’s advanced automation and segmentation capabilities may justify its higher pricing for professional creators.

Substack

While other platforms offer tiered plans, Substack takes a different approach. They offer a free plan with a revenue-sharing model.

Creators can use the platform for free, but Substack takes a 10% cut of each transaction for any paid subscription revenue generated. This model can appeal to those just starting out or with smaller audiences.

Substack’s simplicity and direct reader monetization model can appeal to those seeking a straightforward approach.

beehiiv

beehiiv offers a flat-rate pricing structure, with the Scale plan starting at $99 monthly for up to 10,000 subscribers. This pricing model can be advantageous for creators with larger audiences, as it doesn’t scale based on subscriber count.

Additionally, beehiiv takes a 0% cut of any subscription or advertising revenue, allowing creators to keep more earnings.

beehiiv’s comprehensive feature set, including advertising and engagement tools, provides more value for creators looking to build and monetize a community around their content.

When evaluating value, it’s essential to consider the pricing and features, support, and scalability each platform offers.

beehiiv vs. Substack vs. ConvertKit: UX and Support

User experience (UX) and customer support are crucial when choosing a platform, as they can significantly impact your overall experience and productivity.

beehiiv vs. Substack vs. ConvertKit: Pros and Cons

Each platform has its strengths and trade-offs:

Final Thoughts

Choosing the right newsletter platform is crucial for creators looking to build and monetize their audience.

The three platforms discussed—beehiiv, Substack, and ConvertKit—offer unique strengths and cater to different creator needs.

Ultimately, the best choice depends on your specific goals, audience type, and preferred engagement style.

Whether you’re a writer seeking a simple platform to connect with readers, a creator looking to build a thriving community, or a professional blogger needing advanced marketing automation, there’s a platform that can cater to your needs.

Dakota Robertson, the founder of Wrongs to Write, said:

Robertson added, “beehiiv just does everything I need it to. I don’t need this crazy stuff or these extra features I never use. beehiiv is very focused on its users and what they care about, and they make it so simple to use, which I love.”

If you’re ready to explore the world of newsletter creation and audience engagement, why not sign up for a free account with beehiiv and experience its comprehensive features firsthand?

With beehiiv, you can unleash your creativity, build a loyal following, and monetize your content seamlessly and engagingly.

Sign up for beehiiv for free today!

beehiiv vs. Substack vs ConvertKit: Frequently Asked Questions

What Are the Main Differences Between beehiiv, Substack, and Convertkit?

The main differences between these platforms lie in their core functionalities, target audiences, and unique selling points.

How Do beehiiv, Substack, and Convertkit Handle Monetization, and What Are Their Fees?

Each platform offers monetization in different ways and potential fees for their users.

How Do beehiiv, Substack, and Convertkit Handle Monetization, and What Are Their Fees?

By understanding the nuances of each platform, you can make an informed choice that aligns with your content strategy and audience engagement goals.