I have actually made use of a great deal of various email list systems for many years. In the last couple of years, I’ve been a big proponent of digital sovereignty and having your very own system. Therefore (and the incredible features), I have been making use of Beehiiv Next.js.
So, it is indeed a strange move for me to make a decision to make use of BeeHiiv. Besides, it is a hosted application and I am paying monthly for it.
Why did I do this?
In this BeeHiiv review, I intend to discuss why I made the switch to BeeHiiv for my newsletters. I want to resolve the issue of digital sovereignty while making use of the platform and I would certainly additionally like to address why I selected to utilize it over Substack.
Let’s dive in …
BeeHiiv: Constructed For E-newsletters
In Concern # 435 of my newsletter called My Leisure activity + A Huge Change In Strategy, I talked about how and why I chose to turn my RV blog into primarily a newsletter. I chose that was the business version I wished to go after with that residential or commercial property.
Yet, to deliberately pursue it as an e-newsletter, I wanted a system that was purpose-built for that. I was utilizing FluentCRM for the e-mail checklist for Happily RV, yet FluentCRM is not an e-newsletter system. It is built to be a CRM and marketing automation tool and, frankly, utilizing it for newsletters is a bit of a waste. Extra on that particular in a little bit.
As I said in that issue of the newsletter …
Put simply, BeeHiiv is a platform with tools constructed right into it particular to my purpose. Things such as:
- Capacity to publish (to the blog) and send the email simultaneously without having it be 2 different activities.
- Constructed in newsletter referral program. FluentCRM doesn’t have that and I would certainly require a third-party tool like Sparkloop.
- Built-in ability to do cross-promotions with various other newsletters on the BeeHiiv platform.
- ” Magic Hyperlinks”, which are essentially one-click subscription web links. Great for promotion in other e-newsletters. FluentCRM has Smart Links, however, so there are means to do that.
- Capability to do paid “boosts” on the BeeHiiv network to promote your newsletter.
- Integrated ad network, if I select to generate income from with ads in the e-newsletter. And I may.
- Integrated ability to run a paid e-newsletter upgrade and basically run a costs newsletter. And BeeHiiv doesn’t take a cut.
Basically, BeeHiiv is purpose-built for newsletter authors with features targeted at development. The platform was essentially developed by the individuals who built up the modern technology for Morning Mixture. They know what they’re doing.
That is the point right here. BeeHiiv is developed from scratch for the function of running an e-newsletter. FluentCRM has a different function.
And I finished off with this:.
I might certainly be moving The Side over to BeeHiiv also. A minimum of, I’m strongly considering it.
Well, I really did not consider it for long. As a matter of fact, I simply went all out. And as a matter of fact, The EDGE was re-branded over to The Early morning WP, set off as it’s own home to make sure that I can expand it more intentionally too.
The objective is that each e-newsletter has the capacity to be branded as it’s own media entity and expanded independently. Gladly motor home was young, so very easy to transition. However, The Morning WP (formerly The Side) was hidden in a sea of stuff right here at the Blog Site Marketing Academy. By dividing it off, I can do what I can to expand it on it’s very own. It will undoubtedly always be carefully linked with the Blog Marketing Academy, yet does not have to belong of it.
I switched to BeeHiiv due to the fact that it was developed for this function. FluentCRM was not.
Newsletters Versus Simply A Normal Email List
There’s a difference in between an e-newsletter platform and just an email list.
You can host your email listing just about anywhere you desire and there are a number of them around, from Aweber, ActiveCampaign, Drip, ConvertKit … over to self-hosted alternatives like GroundHogg and FluentCRM.
What’s the difference?
The key difference is that, with a newsletter platform, the act of publishing implies that it is mosting likely to your internet site and to your email clients simultaneously.
With both BeeHiiv and Substack, you have a website. You are releasing to that site. But, you are additionally sending off to all clients at the same time. The site and it’s customers are done in one. This makes management of the system much easier.
With a lot of email systems, any kind of e-newsletter you established is done as an e-mail campaign. It is constructed totally individually from your web site. So, for example, you might publish a short article to WordPress yet after that you would need to separately develop and send an e-mail to your list to send it to clients. These are then two separate sets of archives and two separate actions since article and your e-mails are not naturally connected.
The closest point that turns WordPress into a true newsletter platform is Newsletter Glue.
It is a fitting name because it basically “glues” your newsletter to your WordPress articles and permits them to be the exact same point. Definitely, something like E-newsletter Glue would be a strong choice if I intended to remain to self-host whatever. Nonetheless, you ‘d shed the growth devices that feature a platform like BeeHiiv.
Posting a newsletter naturally comes with a various collection of needs than a normal email checklist.
You do not normally need much marketing automation. You do not usually need autoresponder series, event monitoring, and all the bells and whistles of a marketing automation platform.
What you DO requirement, though, is one seamless publishing experience and development tools to aid you build your customer base that specify to e-newsletters.
BeeHiiv vs Substack
When I announced to my customers that I was mosting likely to switch the e-newsletter over to BeeHiiv, I had many people ask me why I was choosing it over Substack.
To be clear, even besides the reality that I selected to go with BeeHiiv, that doesn’t indicate I assume Substack sucks. As a matter of fact, since Substack has been around longer, it is elder and has more features.
Even though BeeHiiv is younger, there are a pair points that initially got my focus:.
- BeeHiiv is specifically customized to e-newsletter authors. Actually, it is actually constructed by the very same people who constructed the modern technology behind Early morning Brew. On the other hand, SubStack targets authors. In the real life, does not matter. However, the obvious positioning of BeeHiiv towards e-newsletter growth called me out over the even more generic positioning of being a “maker”. Growth is what I have an interest in here.
- That branding and distinction additionally implies that BeeHiiv has some rather large brands and big magazines utilizing it. Whereas SubStack is intended even more at solo developers. Once again, it just tells me the consumer avatar distinction between both firms.
Sending our my e-newsletter through FluentCRM didn’t specifically draw. The only factor I would certainly contemplate shaking things up is if I thought I might expand the checklist quicker. And BeeHiiv spoke precisely to that objective.
Due to the targeting, I really don’t check out BeeHiiv and Substack as direct rivals. I believe BeeHiiv is targeting a various kind of customer. As a matter of fact, if anything, I see BeeHiiv and ConvertKit being more straight rivals.
But, let’s dive deeper than simply the placing below.
Things That Make BeeHiiv Better Than Substack
Overall, BeeHiiv seems like it was constructed by people that understanding e-mail marketing. On the other hand, SubStack appears much more geared towards creators.
For example, BeeHiiv supplies custom areas on customers. Currently, it isn’t as developed as something like FluentCRM. Yet, it has it. Substack doesn’t.
BeeHiiv supplies Automations. In fact, it is a visual automation builder that works a whole lot like what we have inside of FluentCRM.
To be clear, the automation capability is still early-phase. It is still quite restricted in triggers and the only activity is the capacity to send out an email. Nevertheless, improvements are coming. Soon sufficient, automations will have brand-new triggers as well as new activities, such as modifying custom areas, sending webhooks, etc. I have actually currently seen improvements to their automations just considering that I started making use of the platform. For example:
- Ability to trigger automations based on which certain embed kind they came in on.
- Capacity to instantly do re-engagement (and deal with people based on opens and non-opens).
- Capability to do standard conditional logic branches.
Substack does not have automations similar to this. Likely, it never ever will. Substack just can not do this since the target audience of Substack just would not think to approach this like an e-mail online marketer.
When it concerns composing your e-newsletters, the creating interface of BeeHiiv is just a lot more tailored toward e-newsletters. Actually, it actually has similarities to the WordPress block builder in how it works. I find it to be a lot more instinctive, personally.
Substack’s creating interface is nice and tidy, but it would be more equivalent to the classic editor for WordPress. Toolbar on top.
This difference is more than simply type. For instance, with BeeHiiv you can put a “Section” and after that placed anything you want in it. After that, you can put Presence alternatives on that particular area to reveal it only to paid customers, hide it from email, hide from customers, reveal only to clients, etc. Substack uses nothing such as this.
And when/if the time comes that I start a costs registration design, BeeHiiv doesn’t take any revenue. As a matter of fact, you actually attach up to your very own Stripe account and it bills directly to it. With Substack, they will certainly take 10% of your profits. Depending upon the amount of subscribers you obtain, that 10% can be a fair bit more cash than the month-to-month cost of BeeHiiv.
Finally, BeeHiiv has an API. This may seem nerdy, but what it implies is that there are integrations with BeeHiiv. You can really make BeeHiiv collaborate with the outdoors making use of devices like Zapier or Make.com. This is HUGE. Substack actually has … nothing. No integrations whatsoever.
In general, I just felt like BeeHiiv was much more built toward genuine e-mail marketing. It was constructed by people who “get it”. Even the opt-in kinds and the landing page designs seem much better constructed for conversions. Growth is the name of the game with BeeHiiv.
Although there are still features I would love to see BeeHiiv include, I such as the instructions it is going greater than Substack.
Things That Make Substack Better Than BeeHiiv
As I have actually stated, Substack placements itself toward “designers” greater than email online marketers and newsletter owners. Therefore, you see some points tailored extra toward individuals that simply assume in terms of material production.
As an example, Substack supports podcasts. BeeHiiv does not.
Likewise, while BeeHiiv does support numerous publications, they are dealt with quite independently. Whereas Substack does have the capability to cross-post to several publications at the same time. This isn’t something I require, yet … trendy for individuals who might need it.
Substack likewise has more social functionality built-in. For example, it has a chat function to host talks with customers. It likewise has a “Notes” function which functions type of like a social media newsfeed where you can share points from various other “Stacks” you read. Interesting. Overall, Substack is set up to be much more like a social network which supports long-form content.
In general, Substack is additionally extra … minimal. You either care for that or don’t. Directly, I do not. Nonetheless, if the goal is simpleness of interface and, honestly, features … Substack works quite well.
Yet, I’ll be clear here …
When it involves real marketing, I do not assume there’s much uncertainty that BeeHiiv is better suited. I searched for more points that make Substack better than BeeHiiv, yet truthfully … I have a difficult time locating them.
BeeHiiv Vs ConvertKit
While BeeHiiv and Substack are typically with to be the closest competitors, I actually see BeeHiiv and ConvertKit being the closer opponents. Both are going after the exact same target market and have comparable capabilities.
ConvertKit is likewise positioned at developers (like Substack), yet it is much more strongly catering to individuals that do it for service. ConvertKit has good visual automation structure, it’s very own business system, and much more. ConvertKit is an actually great system.
I’m not mosting likely to bore you with a full feature-by-feature break down below. ConvertKit is popular already. Yet, right here’s exactly how I really feel BeeHiiv and ConvertKit compare …
Things ConvertKit Is Much Better At …
Currently, ConvertKit has much more versatility when it concerns it’s automations. I will certainly additionally claim that I discover ConvertKit’s automation builder to be a bit a lot more instinctive than that of BeeHiiv.
ConvertKit supports labeling. This is simply a basic feature of email lists that enables division in a far more flexible method than BeeHiiv presently does. I anticipate BeeHiiv to sustain labeling eventually quickly, truthfully. It seems like an oversight that it is missing Beehiiv Next.js.
ConvertKit does now provide the capacity to offer things by means of their very own platform. BeeHiiv does not. If that is essential to you, it might be a big deal for you. For me, nevertheless, I would certainly always select a much more direct alternative anyhow. For me, I choose to use my very own platform powered by WooCommerce.
ConvertKit has actually been around a lot longer and therefore has way extra integration choices. Tons of web-based tools and WordPress plugins incorporate with ConvertKit. ConvertKit also has their very own WordPress plugin that is quite powerful. For instance, their plugin now also supports member-gated material as well as auto-embed of your newsletter archives right into your website. Essentially, this much more closely puts ConvertKit right into direct competitors by having you have the ability to release to your site and your email listing at the same time.
BeeHiiv is badly doing not have in these sort of third-party integrations right now. It’ll get there. Yet, we’re not there yet with it.
ConvertKit is also active taking on the development devices of BeeHiiv. For example, BeeHiiv has the referral program and the Referral Engine where you can not just incentivize individuals to share your e-newsletter with benefits, yet you can additionally pay per lead within the interior advertisement network of BeeHiiv to grow your list. These are actually amazing features of BeeHiiv. Yet …
Did you recognize ConvertKit got Sparkloop? Sparkloop is among one of the most popular viral promotion platforms for e-newsletters … and ConvertKit bought it. You can see the writing on the wall of what this means for the system moving forward.
Things BeeHiiv Is Much Better At … Beehiiv Next.js
BeeHiiv is much earlier in it’s product cycle than ConvertKit. Part of that means much less features and less integrations, which is natural for this stage of the cycle. However, it additionally suggests that they are swiftly establishing.
In the short time that I have actually been a customer of BeeHiiv, I have seen practically once a week release of brand-new features right into the platform. And these aren’t puny little features … however huge features that are fairly crucial. Their speed of development now has gone over.
I additionally quite appreciate just how responsive they are. As a matter of fact, among their product statements concerning some layout improvements to the web design features actually included a small trouble with the content size. I simply replied to that e-mail to tell them. I quickly obtained a reply directly from the chief executive officer:.
That same day, the concern was taken care of.
Few days later on, I gave them another suggestion …
Indeed, in a little bit over a week of that exchange, the capacity to cause automations based upon the embed form used was added to the system.
That type of responsiveness and direct involvement of the team is something I actually value.
Another significant point of differentiation below is the cost. Both platforms provide totally free plans, nonetheless the BeeHiiv free plan uses a lot more capability and even more subscribers (2,500 vs 1,000) than ConvertKit.
Once you go to paid plans, the pricing of BeeHiiv is additionally much more desirable. ConvertKit appears less expensive initially glance since their pricing page reveals reduced numbers, however the client limitations are FAR reduced and your rate swiftly increases as your listing grows.
With BeeHiiv, your first level paid plan begins at $42/mo (paid yearly), however you can have up to 10,000 subscribers. That very same dimension checklist is mosting likely to run you $100/month with ConvertKit.
If you upgrade to the “Range” plan with BeeHiiv (their ideal plan and the one I directly use), you can grow your checklist up to 100,000. A listing of that dimension would run you $566/month with ConvertKit. If you desire their referral network, as well, that places you at the $733/month plan. That’s if you pay each year, as well. With BeeHiiv, you can obtain all that for simply $84/month if you pay each year.
BeeHiiv remains in a totally various organization when it concerns pricing (in an excellent way).
Will BeeHiiv ultimately boost rates? They might as time takes place. But, I’m presuming individuals like myself that are already in will be locked-in. We’ll see just how points continue.
Things I Would Like BeeHiiv To Add
Among the important things you certainly require to bear in mind is that BeeHiiv is fairly young. They do seem to evolve rather quickly and make new product statements rather commonly, but there are some standard features I really want they had that I need to simply wait for.
One is that they require to have a setup on registration types where I might pick an automation to run right at the type level. That would be outstanding for a lot of reasons. Currently, membership forms look OK, but there’s really little setups for them to aid in segmentation.
It would be nice to have tagging at the client level. This would certainly be powerful.
I believe webhooks must become part of automations to make integrated automations easier and lower dependence on outside devices like Zapier.
There are also some minor administrative interface changes that would be handy. For example:
- Ability to bulk edit/remove clients.
- Capacity to mass edit posts (for instance, to mark a number of them at the same time).
- Having a couple of basic areas as basic on clients (like the name).
- Some more customization alternatives for the internet site (such as more adaptable shade selections, heading control, and so on).
So, yeah … there are some shortcomings. Points I wish they perform with it in the future. BeeHiiv is respectable, however it isn’t perfect and certainly not almost as established as something like FluentCRM or any other genuine CRM product.
It probably never will be, either. As I claimed, the purpose is different so it would not much a lot of sense for BeeHiiv to end up being a complete marketing automation system. I think you never ever know, however.
Final Ideas On This BeeHiiv Testimonial
I like BeeHiiv rather a great deal. Enough where I chose to switch my very own e-newsletters over to the platform despite my personal choice for digital sovereignty and having my very own platform.
Basically, for the e-newsletter posting version especially, I saw sufficient value in their platform to necessitate the change.
Keep in mind, I do not make use of BeeHiiv as my exclusive e-mail listing. I utilize BeeHiiv wherefore it is proficient at, but I deliberately have points establish so that I likewise maintain my list “in home” inside of FluentCRM.
If you use BeeHiiv, I suggest you do the very same. It is simply a great insurance coverage, for one. But, having a full-featured marketing automation platform for your list 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 inquiry is … should YOU make use of BeeHiiv?
In my viewpoint, if you are using Substack today, I ‘d most definitely think about changing to BeeHiiv. It will merely be much more business-friendly. It is targeting different capacities and various demands. And also, BeeHiiv also has import tools for Substack, so the switch must be rather simple.
If you are on ConvertKit now, I ‘d most likely sit tight unless you have a large e-mail listing and are consequently being fleeced with their high monthly costs. You will certainly not (yet) have every feature of ConvertKit with BeeHiiv, however they are iterating promptly. There’s likewise a pretty good chance you’re not even using some of those fancier functions of ConvertKit and you don’t even need them. For that reason, BeeHiiv could easily be a much better and more cost effective fit.
Lastly, if you plan to be extremely intentional about growing a newsletter, I assume BeeHiiv is THE system to think about and keep and eye on for you.
If you utilize BeeHiiv with eyes wide open about what it is made to be, it is among the best games in town right now. This is the platform to enjoy.
BeeHiiv supplies a 14-day trial on their paid plans. It deserves looking into on your own. And if you wind up not sticking with the paid plan, you’ll locate the totally free account to be quite feature rich.