I have used a lot of various e-mail list systems over the years. In the last number of years, I’ve been a substantial supporter of digital sovereignty and having your very own platform. For that reason (and the incredible features), I have actually been utilizing Beehiiv Creator Network.
So, it is without a doubt a weird move for me to decide to make use of BeeHiiv. After all, it is a hosted application and I am paying monthly for it.
Why did I do this?
In this BeeHiiv evaluation, I want to look at why I made the switch to BeeHiiv for my e-newsletters. I intend to deal with the concern of digital sovereignty while utilizing the platform and I ‘d additionally like to resolve why I picked to utilize it over Substack.
Allow’s dive in …
BeeHiiv: Constructed For Newsletters
In Concern # 435 of my e-newsletter called My Pastime + A Huge Shift In Method, I talked about exactly how and why I determined to transform my recreational vehicle blog site right into mainly an e-newsletter. I decided that was business version I wished to pursue keeping that residential or commercial property.
But, to deliberately pursue it as a newsletter, I wanted a platform that was purpose-built for that. I was utilizing FluentCRM for the email list for Happily recreational vehicle, however FluentCRM is not a newsletter system. It is developed to be a CRM and marketing automation device and, truthfully, using it for e-newsletters is a little bit of a waste. More on that in a bit.
As I claimed because concern of the e-newsletter …
Basically, BeeHiiv is a system with devices developed right into it specific to my purpose. Things such as:
- Capability to publish (to the blog) and send the e-mail concurrently without having it be 2 separate actions.
- Integrated in e-newsletter referral program. FluentCRM doesn’t have that and I would certainly require a third-party tool like Sparkloop.
- Integrated capacity to do cross-promotions with various other e-newsletters on the BeeHiiv system.
- ” Magic Hyperlinks”, which are generally one-click membership web links. Great for promotion in various other newsletters. FluentCRM has Smart Hyperlinks, though, so there are ways to do that.
- Capacity to do paid “boosts” on the BeeHiiv network to advertise your newsletter.
- Built-in ad network, if I select to monetize with advertisements in the newsletter. And I may.
- Integrated capacity to run a paid newsletter upgrade and primarily run a costs newsletter. And BeeHiiv does not take a cut.
Generally, BeeHiiv is purpose-built for e-newsletter authors with features focused on development. The system was essentially developed by the individuals who built up the modern technology for Morning Mixture. They understand what they’re doing.
That is the factor below. BeeHiiv is developed from the ground up for the function of running a newsletter. FluentCRM has a different purpose.
And I ended off with this:.
I may without a doubt be moving The Edge over to BeeHiiv also. At least, I’m strongly considering it.
Well, I didn’t consider it for long. As a matter of fact, I simply went for it. And actually, The EDGE was re-branded over to The Early morning WP, triggered as it’s own property so that I can grow it a lot more intentionally also.
The objective is that each newsletter has the ability to be branded as it’s very own media entity and grown individually. Happily RV was young, so easy to transition. But, The Morning WP (formerly The Side) was buried in a sea of stuff below at the Blog Site Marketing Academy. By separating it off, I can do what I can to grow it on it’s very own. It will certainly always be closely linked with the Blog site Marketing Academy, yet does not have to belong of it.
I switched over to BeeHiiv since it was constructed for this purpose. FluentCRM was not.
E-newsletters Versus Simply A Typical Email Listing
There’s a difference between an e-newsletter platform and simply an e-mail checklist.
You can organize your e-mail list everywhere you desire and there are a number of them around, from Aweber, ActiveCampaign, Drip, ConvertKit … over to self-hosted options like GroundHogg and FluentCRM.
What’s the difference?
The main distinction is that, with a newsletter system, the act of publishing implies that it is going to your site and to your e-mail subscribers all at once.
With both BeeHiiv and Substack, you have a website. You are publishing to that website. Yet, you are likewise dispatching to all clients at the same time. The site and it’s customers are all in one. This makes management of the system much less complex.
With many e-mail systems, any e-newsletter you established is done as an email campaign. It is developed entirely independently from your website. So, for example, you may release a write-up to WordPress but after that you would need to separately construct and send an email to your listing to send it to subscribers. These are then 2 different collections of archives and 2 different activities due to the fact that post and your emails are not inherently connected.
The closest point that turns WordPress into a real e-newsletter system is Newsletter Glue.
It is a suitable name since it basically “glues” your newsletter to your WordPress blog posts and enables them to be the same point. Absolutely, something like E-newsletter Glue would certainly be a strong option if I wished to continue to self-host whatever. Nonetheless, you would certainly shed the growth devices that include a system like BeeHiiv.
Posting a newsletter inherently includes a different set of demands than a regular email checklist.
You don’t typically require much marketing automation. You don’t generally require autoresponder sequences, event monitoring, and all the bells and whistles of a marketing automation platform.
What you DO requirement, however, is one smooth posting experience and development tools to help you develop your client base that are specific to newsletters.
BeeHiiv vs Substack
When I introduced to my clients that I was going to switch the newsletter over to BeeHiiv, I had many individuals ask me why I was choosing it over Substack.
To be clear, also besides the reality that I picked to choose BeeHiiv, that does not indicate I believe Substack sucks. Actually, since Substack has actually been around longer, it is elder and has even more features.
Although BeeHiiv is more youthful, there are a couple things that originally got my focus:.
- BeeHiiv is especially customized to e-newsletter publishers. Actually, it is actually constructed by the exact same individuals that developed the modern technology behind Morning Mixture. On the other hand, SubStack targets authors. In the real world, does not matter. But, the obvious positioning of BeeHiiv towards newsletter growth called me out over the more generic positioning of being a “creator”. Development is what I have an interest in right here.
- That branding and distinction also means that BeeHiiv has some fairly large brands and big publications utilizing it. Whereas SubStack is aimed more at solo makers. Once again, it simply tells me the consumer character distinction in between both companies.
Sending our my newsletter using FluentCRM really did not specifically suck. The only factor I would ponder drinking things up is if I believed I could expand the checklist much faster. And BeeHiiv talked exactly to that objective.
Due to the targeting, I actually do not watch BeeHiiv and Substack as direct rivals. I assume BeeHiiv is targeting a various sort of consumer. As a matter of fact, if anything, I see BeeHiiv and ConvertKit being more direct rivals.
Yet, let’s dive deeper than simply the positioning right here.
Points That Make BeeHiiv Better Than Substack
In general, BeeHiiv feels like it was built by individuals that comprehending e-mail marketing. On the other hand, SubStack appears extra tailored towards developers.
For instance, BeeHiiv supplies personalized fields on subscribers. Currently, it isn’t as established as something like FluentCRM. However, it has it. Substack does not.
BeeHiiv offers Automations. In fact, it is an aesthetic automation builder that works a lot like what we have inside of FluentCRM.
To be clear, the automation capability is still early-phase. It is still fairly limited in triggers and the only action is the ability to send out an email. Nonetheless, improvements are coming. Soon enough, automations will certainly have brand-new triggers as well as new activities, such as customizing customized fields, sending webhooks, etc. I’ve already seen improvements to their automations simply because I started using the platform. For example:
- Capability to trigger automations based upon which specific embed form they was available in on.
- Capability to immediately do re-engagement (and deal with individuals based on opens up and non-opens).
- Capability to do fundamental conditional reasoning branches.
Substack does not have automations such as this. Likely, it never will. Substack simply can not do this because the target audience of Substack simply would not think to approach this like an e-mail marketing expert.
When it pertains to composing your e-newsletters, the creating user interface of BeeHiiv is just much more tailored toward newsletters. As a matter of fact, it in fact has resemblances to the WordPress block builder in exactly how it works. I discover it to be more intuitive, personally.
Substack’s writing user interface is nice and clean, yet it would certainly be a lot more comparable to the classic editor for WordPress. Toolbar at the top.
This difference is more than just form. For example, with BeeHiiv you can insert a “Section” and afterwards placed anything you want in it. After that, you can put Exposure alternatives on that area to show it just to paid customers, hide it from email, conceal from subscribers, show just to subscribers, and so on. Substack supplies nothing such as this.
And when/if the time comes that I begin a costs registration version, BeeHiiv doesn’t take any type of income. Actually, you literally attach approximately your very own Stripe account and it charges straight to it. With Substack, they will certainly take 10% of your revenue. Relying on how many clients you get, that 10% can be quite a bit even more money than the regular monthly cost of BeeHiiv.
Lastly, BeeHiiv has an API. This could appear nerdy, but what it means is that there are integrations with BeeHiiv. You can actually make BeeHiiv deal with the outdoors using tools like Zapier or Make.com. This is HUGE. Substack literally has … nothing. No integrations whatsoever.
On the whole, I simply seemed like BeeHiiv was a lot more built toward real email marketing. It was developed by people that “get it”. Also the opt-in types and the landing page develops appear much better constructed for conversions. Development is nitty-gritty with BeeHiiv.
Even though there are still features I would love to see BeeHiiv include, I such as the instructions it is going more than Substack.
Points That Make Substack Better Than BeeHiiv
As I have actually said, Substack positions itself toward “designers” greater than email marketing professionals and e-newsletter owners. Therefore, you see some points tailored more towards individuals who just think in terms of web content production.
As an example, Substack supports podcasts. BeeHiiv does not.
Additionally, while BeeHiiv does support several publications, they are treated rather independently. Whereas Substack does have the ability to cross-post to numerous publications at the same time. This isn’t something I need, however … awesome for people who could need it.
Substack also has more social capability built-in. For instance, it has a chat function to host talks with customers. It likewise has a “Notes” function which functions sort of like a social networks newsfeed where you can share points from various other “Stacks” you’re reading. Fascinating. Overall, Substack is established to be extra like a social network which sustains long-form web content.
Generally, Substack is additionally a lot more … minimal. You either look after that or don’t. Directly, I do not. Nevertheless, if the objective is simplicity of interface and, frankly, features … Substack works rather well.
Yet, I’ll be clear here …
When it involves actual marketing, I don’t assume there’s much doubt that BeeHiiv is better matched. I looked for even more factors that make Substack better than BeeHiiv, but frankly … I have a hard time locating them.
BeeHiiv Vs ConvertKit
While BeeHiiv and Substack are frequently through to be the closest competitors, I in fact see BeeHiiv and ConvertKit being the closer competitors. Both are pursuing the same target market and have similar capabilities.
ConvertKit is also placed at designers (like Substack), but it is much more highly catering to individuals that do it for business. ConvertKit has good visual automation building, it’s very own commerce system, and extra. ConvertKit is an actually wonderful system.
I’m not mosting likely to birthed you with a complete feature-by-feature failure below. ConvertKit is popular currently. But, below’s exactly how I really feel BeeHiiv and ConvertKit contrast …
Points ConvertKit Is Better At …
As of now, ConvertKit has a lot more adaptability when it comes to it’s automations. I will certainly also state that I locate ConvertKit’s automation builder to be a little bit extra user-friendly than that of BeeHiiv.
ConvertKit sustains identifying. This is just a basic feature of email listings that allows division in a much more versatile method than BeeHiiv currently does. I expect BeeHiiv to support identifying at some point quickly, frankly. It feels like an oversight that it is missing Beehiiv Creator Network.
ConvertKit does now supply the ability to sell points through their own platform. BeeHiiv does not. If that’s important to you, it might be a big deal for you. For me, nevertheless, I would constantly choose a more direct alternative anyway. For me, I choose to use my very own platform powered by WooCommerce.
ConvertKit has been around much longer and therefore has way extra integration options. Lots of online devices and WordPress plugins incorporate with ConvertKit. ConvertKit even has their very own WordPress plugin that is fairly powerful. For instance, their plugin currently even sustains member-gated material in addition to auto-embed of your e-newsletter archives right into your website. Essentially, this extra very closely puts ConvertKit into straight competition by having you be able to publish to your website and your e-mail list at the same time.
BeeHiiv is drastically doing not have in these type of third-party integrations currently. It’ll arrive. However, we’re not there yet with it.
ConvertKit is also busy dealing with the development tools of BeeHiiv. For instance, BeeHiiv has the referral program and the Referral Engine where you can not only incentivize people to share your e-newsletter with rewards, but you can additionally pay per lead within the inner advertisement network of BeeHiiv to grow your checklist. These are actually awesome features of BeeHiiv. However …
Did you know ConvertKit obtained Sparkloop? Sparkloop is among the most popular viral promotion platforms for newsletters … and ConvertKit bought it. You can see the creating on the wall surface wherefore this implies for the system going forward.
Things BeeHiiv Is Better At … Beehiiv Creator Network
BeeHiiv is much earlier in it’s product cycle than ConvertKit. Part of that means less features and much less integrations, which is all-natural for this phase of the cycle. Nevertheless, it likewise indicates that they are quickly establishing.
In the short time that I have been a customer of BeeHiiv, I have actually witnessed nearly once a week release of new features into the platform. And these aren’t weak little features … yet huge features that are fairly essential. Their speed of development at this moment has actually been impressive.
I additionally significantly appreciate how responsive they are. In fact, one of their product news about some layout enhancements to the web design features really included a little issue with the web content size. I simply responded to that e-mail to tell them. I rapidly got a reply directly from the chief executive officer:.
That exact same day, the concern was repaired.
Few days later on, I gave them an additional idea …
Sure enough, in a little bit over a week of that exchange, the capability to activate automations based upon the embed kind utilized was contributed to the system.
That type of responsiveness and straight involvement of the group is something I truly appreciate.
Another major point of differentiation right here is the price. Both systems supply cost-free plans, however the BeeHiiv free plan uses a lot more ability and more clients (2,500 vs 1,000) than ConvertKit.
Once you most likely to paid plans, the pricing of BeeHiiv is likewise FAR more positive. ConvertKit appears cheaper in the beginning glimpse due to the fact that their pricing page reveals reduced numbers, nonetheless the customer limits are FAR reduced and your price swiftly enhances as your listing grows.
With BeeHiiv, your very first degree paid plan begins at $42/mo (paid yearly), however you can have up to 10,000 clients. That same dimension checklist is mosting likely to run you $100/month with ConvertKit.
If you update to the “Scale” plan with BeeHiiv (their best plan and the one I personally use), you can grow your listing as much as 100,000. A checklist of that size would run you $566/month with ConvertKit. If you desire their referral network, too, that places you at the $733/month plan. That’s if you pay every year, too. With BeeHiiv, you can obtain all that for simply $84/month if you pay annually.
BeeHiiv remains in an entirely various organization when it comes to pricing (in a great way).
Will BeeHiiv eventually boost rates? They could as time takes place. Yet, I’m presuming people like myself who are currently in will certainly be locked-in. We’ll see exactly how points proceed.
Points I Would Like BeeHiiv To Include
One of the important things you absolutely need to keep in mind is that BeeHiiv is relatively young. They do seem to evolve rather quickly and make brand-new product announcements rather often, but there are some standard features I actually desire they had that I require to simply wait on.
One is that they need to have a setup on registration kinds where I can choose an automation to run right at the form level. That would certainly be remarkable for a lot of factors. As of now, registration kinds look OK, however there’s very little settings for them to assist in segmentation.
It would certainly be nice to have labeling at the subscriber degree. This would certainly be effective.
I assume webhooks ought to be part of automations to make built-in automations much easier and lower reliance on outside tools like Zapier.
There are likewise some small management interface changes that would certainly come in handy. As an example:
- Ability to bulk edit/remove customers.
- Capability to mass edit posts (for example, to tag a number of them at the same time).
- Having a few standard fields as standard on subscribers (like the name).
- Some more modification alternatives for the website (such as more flexible shade selections, heading control, etc).
So, yeah … there are some shortcomings. Things I hope they make with it in the future. BeeHiiv is pretty good, however it isn’t ideal and absolutely not virtually as established as something like FluentCRM or any other genuine CRM product.
It possibly never will be, either. As I said, the function is different so it would not much a great deal of feeling for BeeHiiv to become a complete marketing automation system. I guess you never recognize, however.
Last Thoughts On This BeeHiiv Review
I such as BeeHiiv rather a whole lot. Sufficient where I made a decision to switch my own e-newsletters over to the platform in spite of my individual preference for digital sovereignty and possessing my own system.
Simply put, for the e-newsletter posting design especially, I saw enough worth in their system to necessitate the modification.
Keep in mind, I do not use BeeHiiv as my special email checklist. I use BeeHiiv for what it is efficient, yet I deliberately have points set up to make sure that I also keep my list “in home” inside of FluentCRM.
If you use BeeHiiv, I suggest you do the same. It is just a great insurance coverage, for one. Yet, having a full-featured marketing automation platform for your listing will certainly be of high use (FluentCRM is a complete marketing automation system and BeeHiiv is not and likely never ever will certainly be).
So, the concern is … should YOU utilize BeeHiiv?
In my point of view, if you are using Substack today, I ‘d most definitely consider switching to BeeHiiv. It will just be a lot more business-friendly. It is targeting various capabilities and different requirements. And also, BeeHiiv also has import tools for Substack, so the switch ought to be rather straightforward.
If you are on ConvertKit now, I ‘d most likely stay put unless you have a huge email list and are therefore being fleeced with their high monthly costs. You will certainly not (yet) have every feature of ConvertKit with BeeHiiv, but they are iterating swiftly. There’s additionally a pretty good possibility you’re not even utilizing some of those fancier functions of ConvertKit and you do not even require them. Because of that, BeeHiiv can conveniently be a much better and more economical fit.
Last but not least, if you plan to be really deliberate about expanding an e-newsletter, I think BeeHiiv is THE system to consider and keep and eye on for you.
If you make use of BeeHiiv with eyes wide open about what it is created to be, it is among the very best games in the area today. This is the system to watch.
BeeHiiv provides a 14-day trial on their paid plans. It deserves taking a look at for yourself. And if you wind up not sticking to the paid plan, you’ll discover the complimentary account to be quite feature abundant.