I have used a lot of different email list systems over the years. In the last number of years, I’ve been a huge advocate of digital sovereignty and possessing your very own system. Because of that (and the awesome features), I have actually been utilizing Matt Mcgarry GrowLetter.
So, it is undoubtedly a weird move for me to make a decision to utilize BeeHiiv. After all, it is a held application and I am paying monthly for it.
Why did I do this?
In this BeeHiiv testimonial, I want to go over why I made the button to BeeHiiv for my newsletters. I intend to attend to the problem of digital sovereignty while utilizing the platform and I ‘d also like to address why I selected to use it over Substack.
Let’s dive in …
BeeHiiv: Developed For E-newsletters
In Problem # 435 of my e-newsletter called My Hobby + A Huge Change In Approach, I talked about just how and why I decided to turn my RV blog into primarily a newsletter. I decided that was the business version I wanted to go after with that residential property.
Yet, to deliberately pursue it as an e-newsletter, I desired a platform that was purpose-built for that. I was using FluentCRM for the email checklist for Gladly recreational vehicle, but FluentCRM is not a newsletter system. It is built to be a CRM and marketing automation tool and, frankly, utilizing it for newsletters is a little a waste. Extra on that particular in a little bit.
As I said in that issue of the e-newsletter …
Put simply, BeeHiiv is a system with tools built right into it specific to my objective. Things such as:
- Capability to publish (to the blog) and send out the email all at once without having it be two separate actions.
- Integrated in newsletter referral program. FluentCRM doesn’t have that and I would certainly have needed a third-party device like Sparkloop.
- Built-in capability to do cross-promotions with various other e-newsletters on the BeeHiiv platform.
- ” Magic Hyperlinks”, which are essentially one-click registration web links. Great for promo in various other newsletters. FluentCRM has Smart Hyperlinks, though, so there are methods to do that.
- Capability to do paid “boosts” on the BeeHiiv network to promote your e-newsletter.
- Integrated ad network, if I pick to monetize with advertisements in the newsletter. And I may.
- Integrated capacity to run a paid e-newsletter upgrade and primarily run a costs e-newsletter. And BeeHiiv does not take a cut.
Generally, BeeHiiv is purpose-built for e-newsletter authors with features focused on growth. The system was essentially developed by the individuals who built up the innovation for Morning Brew. They recognize what they’re doing.
That is the point here. BeeHiiv is developed from the ground up for the function of running an e-newsletter. FluentCRM has a various objective.
And I finished off with this:.
I might indeed be relocating The Side over to BeeHiiv also. A minimum of, 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 side was re-branded over to The Morning WP, triggered as it’s own home so that I can expand it extra purposefully as well.
The goal is that each e-newsletter has the ability to be branded as it’s own media entity and expanded separately. Gladly recreational vehicle was young, so very easy to transition. But, The Morning WP (previously The Side) was hidden in a sea of things 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 certainly constantly be carefully linked with the Blog site Marketing Academy, but doesn’t have to belong of it.
I switched over to BeeHiiv since it was developed for this objective. FluentCRM was not.
E-newsletters Versus Just A Regular Email List
There’s a difference in between an e-newsletter platform and simply an email list.
You can host your email checklist everywhere you desire and there are a number of them available, from Aweber, ActiveCampaign, Drip, ConvertKit … over to self-hosted options like GroundHogg and FluentCRM.
What’s the distinction?
The key distinction is that, with an e-newsletter platform, the act of posting indicates that it is going to your website and to your email customers all at once.
With both BeeHiiv and Substack, you have a website. You are publishing to that web site. But, you are likewise sending off to all customers at the same time. The site and it’s subscribers are all in one. This makes monitoring of the system much less complex.
With a lot of email platforms, any kind of e-newsletter you set up is done as an email campaign. It is developed completely individually from your web site. So, for example, you could release a write-up to WordPress yet then you would certainly require to independently build and send an email to your listing to send it to customers. These are then two separate collections of archives and 2 separate actions due to the fact that article and your e-mails are not naturally linked.
The closest thing that turns WordPress into a true newsletter platform is Newsletter Glue.
It is a fitting name due to the fact that it virtually “glues” your newsletter to your WordPress posts and allows them to be the same point. Absolutely, something like Newsletter Glue would certainly be a strong option if I intended to remain to self-host whatever. Nonetheless, you ‘d shed the development devices that come with a platform like BeeHiiv.
Posting a newsletter naturally includes a various set of needs than a common email list.
You don’t generally require much marketing automation. You don’t usually need autoresponder sequences, occasion tracking, and all the bells and whistles of a marketing automation system.
What you DO need, though, is one smooth publishing experience and development tools to assist you build your client base that specify to newsletters.
BeeHiiv vs Substack
When I introduced to my clients that I was going to switch over the e-newsletter over to BeeHiiv, I had many individuals ask me why I was picking it over Substack.
To be clear, also besides the reality that I chose to select BeeHiiv, that does not indicate I believe Substack draws. Actually, due to the fact that Substack has actually been around much longer, it is elder and has more features.
Even though BeeHiiv is more youthful, there are a pair points that initially obtained my interest:.
- BeeHiiv is especially customized to e-newsletter publishers. As a matter of fact, it is literally developed by the very same individuals who built the technology behind Morning Mixture. On the other hand, SubStack targets authors. In the real life, doesn’t matter. Yet, the obvious positioning of BeeHiiv towards e-newsletter development called me out over the more generic positioning of being a “creator”. Development is what I have an interest in below.
- That branding and differentiation likewise means that BeeHiiv has some relatively huge brand names and large publications using it. Whereas SubStack is aimed even more at solo makers. Once more, it just tells me the consumer avatar difference between both firms.
Sending our my newsletter using FluentCRM really did not precisely draw. The only factor I would certainly contemplate shaking points up is if I assumed I might GROW the list quicker. And BeeHiiv spoke exactly to that goal.
As a result of the targeting, I in fact don’t see BeeHiiv and Substack as straight rivals. I assume BeeHiiv is targeting a different sort of customer. Actually, if anything, I see BeeHiiv and ConvertKit being much more straight rivals.
Yet, allow’s dive much deeper than simply the positioning below.
Points That Make BeeHiiv Better Than Substack
On the whole, BeeHiiv looks like it was developed by individuals that understanding email marketing. On the other hand, SubStack seems much more tailored toward creators.
For instance, BeeHiiv uses customized areas on clients. Currently, it isn’t as established as something like FluentCRM. But, it has it. Substack does not.
BeeHiiv uses Automations. Actually, it is an aesthetic automation builder that works a great deal like what we have within FluentCRM.
To be clear, the automation functionality is still early-phase. It is still fairly restricted in triggers and the only action is the ability to send an e-mail. Nonetheless, enhancements are coming. Quickly sufficient, automations will certainly have brand-new triggers as well as brand-new actions, such as changing custom fields, sending webhooks, etc. I’ve already seen improvements to their automations just considering that I began making use of the platform. For instance:
- Capacity to cause automations based upon which details embed kind they came in on.
- Ability to immediately do re-engagement (and handle people based on opens and non-opens).
- Ability to do basic conditional reasoning branches.
Substack does not have automations similar to this. Likely, it never will. Substack just can’t do this due to the fact that the target audience of Substack just wouldn’t think to approach this like an email marketing professional.
When it concerns composing your newsletters, the composing user interface of BeeHiiv is simply extra tailored towards newsletters. In fact, it really has similarities to the WordPress block builder in just how it functions. I discover it to be extra user-friendly, personally.
Substack’s creating user interface behaves and tidy, but it would be a lot more comparable to the timeless editor for WordPress. Toolbar on top.
This distinction is more than simply form. For instance, with BeeHiiv you can put a “Section” and after that placed anything you desire in it. After that, you can place Exposure options on that area to reveal it just to paid subscribers, conceal it from email, conceal from customers, show only to subscribers, and so on. Substack uses absolutely nothing similar to this.
And when/if the time comes that I start a costs subscription version, BeeHiiv doesn’t take any type of profits. Actually, you actually attach approximately your very own Stripe account and it bills straight to it. With Substack, they will take 10% of your profits. Relying on the number of customers you obtain, that 10% can be a fair bit more cash than the regular monthly price of BeeHiiv.
Finally, BeeHiiv has an API. This could seem nerdy, yet what it means is that there are integrations with BeeHiiv. You can in fact make BeeHiiv deal with the outside making use of devices like Zapier or Make.com. This is HUGE. Substack essentially has … absolutely nothing. No integrations in all.
Generally, I simply seemed like BeeHiiv was much more built toward real email marketing. It was constructed by individuals that “get it”. Even the opt-in kinds and the landing page develops seem far better constructed for conversions. Growth is nitty-gritty with BeeHiiv.
Even though there are still features I want to see BeeHiiv add, I such as the instructions it is going greater than Substack.
Points That Make Substack Better Than BeeHiiv
As I have actually said, Substack positions itself toward “creators” more than e-mail online marketers and e-newsletter owners. Therefore, you see some points tailored a lot more toward individuals who simply think in terms of content production.
As an example, Substack supports podcasts. BeeHiiv does not.
Additionally, while BeeHiiv does support multiple publications, they are dealt with rather individually. Whereas Substack does have the ability to cross-post to numerous magazines at the same time. This isn’t something I require, however … great for people that may need it.
Substack likewise has more social capability built-in. As an example, it has a chat function to host chats with customers. It additionally has a “Notes” feature which works sort of like a social media newsfeed where you can share things from other “Stacks” you read. Interesting. Generally, Substack is established to be extra like a social network which supports long-form content.
Overall, Substack is also more … minimalist. You either take care of that or do not. Personally, I do not. However, if the objective is simplicity of interface and, truthfully, features … Substack works rather well.
Yet, I’ll be clear below …
When it comes to actual marketing, I do not think there’s much doubt that BeeHiiv is better fit. I searched for more factors that make Substack much better than BeeHiiv, yet honestly … I have a tough time discovering them.
BeeHiiv Vs ConvertKit
While BeeHiiv and Substack are commonly via to be the closest rivals, I really see BeeHiiv and ConvertKit being the closer opponents. Both are pursuing the very same target audience and have comparable capabilities.
ConvertKit is likewise placed at designers (like Substack), yet it is a lot more highly dealing with people who do it for company. ConvertKit has wonderful visual automation building, it’s very own business system, and a lot more. ConvertKit is a truly nice platform.
I’m not going to bore you with a complete feature-by-feature breakdown right here. ConvertKit is well known currently. But, right here’s how I really feel BeeHiiv and ConvertKit contrast …
Things ConvertKit Is Much Better At …
Already, ConvertKit has extra adaptability when it concerns it’s automations. I will certainly likewise state that I discover ConvertKit’s automation builder to be a little bit more instinctive than that of BeeHiiv.
ConvertKit supports identifying. This is just a fundamental function of email checklists that makes it possible for division in a much more adaptable method than BeeHiiv presently does. I anticipate BeeHiiv to support labeling at some time quickly, frankly. It feels like an oversight that it is missing out on Matt Mcgarry GrowLetter.
ConvertKit does now provide the capacity to sell points via their very own platform. BeeHiiv does not. If that’s important to you, it may be a big deal for you. For me, however, I would constantly choose a more direct choice anyway. For me, I choose to use my own platform powered by WooCommerce.
ConvertKit has actually been around a lot longer and therefore has way much more integration choices. Lots of web-based devices and WordPress plugins incorporate with ConvertKit. ConvertKit also has their own WordPress plugin that is quite powerful. For instance, their plugin now even supports 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 competitors by having you be able to release to your site and your e-mail 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 busy tackling the growth tools of BeeHiiv. For example, BeeHiiv has the referral program and the Referral Engine where you can not only incentivize individuals to share your e-newsletter with advantages, but you can additionally pay per lead within the inner ad network of BeeHiiv to expand your checklist. These are truly incredible features of BeeHiiv. Yet …
Did you know ConvertKit obtained Sparkloop? Sparkloop is one of one of the most well known viral promotion systems for e-newsletters … and ConvertKit bought it. You can see the composing on the wall wherefore this suggests for the platform going forward.
Points BeeHiiv Is Better At … Matt Mcgarry GrowLetter
BeeHiiv is much previously in it’s product cycle than ConvertKit. Part of that indicates less features and much less integrations, which is natural for this phase of the cycle. Nonetheless, it likewise indicates that they are swiftly creating.
In the short time that I have actually been a customer of BeeHiiv, I have actually witnessed practically regular release of new features into the system. And these aren’t puny little features … yet big features that are rather important. Their rate of development now has been impressive.
I also quite appreciate exactly how responsive they are. In fact, among their product news concerning some design enhancements to the website design features actually consisted of a little issue with the web content width. I just replied to that email to tell them. I swiftly got a reply directly from the chief executive officer:.
That exact same day, the concern was repaired.
Couple of days later, I provided one more suggestion …
Indeed, in a little bit over a week of that exchange, the capability to cause automations based on the embed kind utilized was added to the system.
That type of responsiveness and straight participation of the team is something I really appreciate.
One more major point of distinction here is the price. Both platforms provide totally free plans, nevertheless the BeeHiiv free plan offers a lot more ability and more clients (2,500 vs 1,000) than ConvertKit.
As soon as you go to paid plans, the pricing of BeeHiiv is additionally even more beneficial. ConvertKit seems less costly at first glimpse because their pricing page shows reduced numbers, however the subscriber limitations are FAR lower and your price rapidly enhances as your list expands.
With BeeHiiv, your first level paid plan begins at $42/mo (paid every year), however you can have up to 10,000 subscribers. That same size listing 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 expand your checklist up to 100,000. A checklist of that size would run you $566/month with ConvertKit. If you desire their referral network, too, that puts you at the $733/month plan. That’s if you pay annually, as well. With BeeHiiv, you can get all that for simply $84/month if you pay every year.
BeeHiiv remains in an entirely different league when it involves pricing (in an excellent way).
Will BeeHiiv ultimately increase rates? They may as time goes on. But, I’m guessing individuals like myself who are currently in will certainly be locked-in. We’ll see how things continue.
Points I Would Like BeeHiiv To Add
Among the important things you definitely require to bear in mind is that BeeHiiv is fairly young. They do appear to advance rather promptly and make brand-new product statements rather typically, yet there are some basic features I truly wish they had that I need to just await.
One is that they need to have a setup on membership types where I could choose an automation to run right at the form degree. That would certainly be incredible for many factors. As of now, membership forms look OK, however there’s extremely little settings for them to assist in division.
It would be nice to have tagging at the customer degree. This would be effective.
I assume webhooks ought to belong to automations to make built-in automations much easier and decrease reliance on outside tools like Zapier.
There are likewise some small management interface modifications that would certainly come in handy. For example:
- Capability to mass edit/remove customers.
- Capacity to bulk edit posts (for instance, to identify a lot of them at the same time).
- Having a couple of basic areas as basic on clients (like the name).
- Some more personalization options for the web site (such as more versatile shade options, heading control, and so on).
So, yeah … there are some shortcomings. Points I wish they make with it in the near future. BeeHiiv is pretty good, however it isn’t ideal and absolutely not nearly as created as something like FluentCRM or any other genuine CRM product.
It probably never will be, either. As I stated, the purpose is different so it wouldn’t much a great deal of sense for BeeHiiv to come to be a complete marketing automation platform. I guess you never know, though.
Last Thoughts On This BeeHiiv Testimonial
I like BeeHiiv fairly a whole lot. Enough where I chose to switch my very own e-newsletters over to the system despite my personal preference for digital sovereignty and possessing my own system.
Basically, for the newsletter posting version particularly, I saw enough worth in their platform to necessitate the adjustment.
Bear in mind, I do not utilize BeeHiiv as my special email listing. I use BeeHiiv for what it is efficient, but I intentionally have things set up to make sure that I also keep my listing “in residence” within FluentCRM.
If you utilize BeeHiiv, I recommend you do the exact same. It is simply a great insurance policy, for one. However, having a full-featured marketing automation system for your list will be of high usage (FluentCRM is a complete marketing automation system and BeeHiiv is not and likely never will certainly be).
So, the question is … should YOU make use of BeeHiiv?
In my viewpoint, if you are using Substack now, I ‘d most definitely take into consideration changing to BeeHiiv. It will merely be more business-friendly. It is targeting different abilities and different demands. Plus, BeeHiiv also has import tools for Substack, so the switch should be rather uncomplicated.
If you get on ConvertKit currently, I ‘d possibly stay put unless you have a huge e-mail checklist and are consequently being wooled with their high month-to-month expense. You will certainly not (yet) have every feature of ConvertKit with BeeHiiv, however they are iterating swiftly. There’s also a respectable opportunity you’re not also using some of those fancier functions of ConvertKit and you don’t even require them. Therefore, BeeHiiv can conveniently be a much better and more budget friendly fit.
Lastly, if you plan to be very willful regarding expanding an e-newsletter, I believe BeeHiiv is THE platform to take into consideration and maintain and eye on for you.
If you utilize BeeHiiv with eyes wide open concerning what it is developed to be, it is among the best games in the area now. This is the system to enjoy.
BeeHiiv uses a 14-day trial on their paid plans. It is worth looking into for yourself. And if you wind up not sticking with the paid plan, you’ll locate the cost-free account to be rather feature abundant.