I have made use of a lot of different e-mail list systems throughout the years. In the last number of years, I have actually been a big supporter of digital sovereignty and having your very own system. Because of that (and the incredible features), I have actually been making use of Beehiiv AppSumo.
So, it is indeed a strange move for me to choose to use BeeHiiv. Besides, it is a hosted application and I am paying regular monthly for it.
Why did I do this?
In this BeeHiiv evaluation, I wish to go over why I made the switch to BeeHiiv for my e-newsletters. I wish to resolve the problem of digital sovereignty while utilizing the system and I ‘d also such as to deal with why I picked to utilize it over Substack.
Allow’s dive in …
BeeHiiv: Built For E-newsletters
In Concern # 435 of my newsletter called My Pastime + A Huge Change In Strategy, I discussed exactly how and why I decided to turn my RV blog right into mainly a newsletter. I chose that was the business version I intended to pursue keeping that property.
Yet, to deliberately seek it as an e-newsletter, I wanted a platform that was purpose-built for that. I was utilizing FluentCRM for the email list for Happily RV, but FluentCRM is not a newsletter system. It is developed to be a CRM and marketing automation tool and, frankly, utilizing it for newsletters is a little bit of a waste. Extra on that in a little bit.
As I said because issue of the newsletter …
Simply put, BeeHiiv is a system with tools constructed into it particular to my objective. Things such as:
- Ability to release (to the blog site) and send the e-mail concurrently without having it be 2 separate actions.
- Integrated in newsletter referral program. FluentCRM doesn’t have that and I would have needed a third-party device like Sparkloop.
- Built-in capability to do cross-promotions with various other newsletters on the BeeHiiv system.
- ” Magic Links”, which are basically one-click membership links. Great for promotion in various other newsletters. FluentCRM has Smart Links, however, so there are means to do that.
- Ability to do paid “boosts” on the BeeHiiv network to promote your e-newsletter.
- Built-in ad network, if I select to generate income from with ads in the newsletter. And I may.
- Built-in capability to run a paid newsletter upgrade and essentially run a costs newsletter. And BeeHiiv does not take a cut.
Generally, BeeHiiv is purpose-built for newsletter authors with features aimed at growth. The platform was essentially constructed by the individuals that accumulated the innovation for Early morning Mixture. They understand what they’re doing.
That is the factor here. BeeHiiv is constructed from scratch for the objective of running an e-newsletter. FluentCRM has a various function.
And I finished off with this:.
I may certainly be moving The Side over to BeeHiiv as well. A minimum of, I’m highly considering it.
Well, I really did not consider it for long. As a matter of fact, I simply went all out. And in fact, The EDGE was re-branded over to The Morning WP, triggered as it’s very own residential or commercial property to make sure that I can expand it much more purposefully also.
The goal is that each e-newsletter has the ability to be branded as it’s very own media entity and expanded individually. Happily motor home was young, so easy to change. But, The Early morning WP (formerly The Side) was hidden in a sea of things here at the Blog Marketing Academy. By dividing it off, I can do what I can to expand it on it’s own. It will undoubtedly constantly be very closely connected with the Blog Marketing Academy, yet doesn’t need to belong of it.
I switched over to BeeHiiv due to the fact that it was built for this purpose. FluentCRM was not.
E-newsletters Versus Simply A Normal Email List
There’s a difference in between an e-newsletter system and simply an email list.
You can host your e-mail checklist just about anywhere you desire and there are a number of them out there, from Aweber, ActiveCampaign, Drip, ConvertKit … over to self-hosted alternatives like GroundHogg and FluentCRM.
What’s the distinction?
The key distinction is that, with a newsletter system, the act of publishing implies that it is going to your internet site and to your email subscribers concurrently.
With both BeeHiiv and Substack, you have a web site. You are releasing to that internet site. Yet, you are likewise sending off to all clients at the same time. The website and it’s customers are all in one. This makes monitoring of the system much easier.
With most email systems, any kind of e-newsletter you set up is done as an e-mail campaign. It is constructed completely individually from your website. So, for instance, you may release a write-up to WordPress but after that you would need to individually construct and send out an email to your listing to send it to customers. These are after that two different collections of archives and two different activities due to the fact that article and your e-mails are not naturally connected.
The closest thing that turns WordPress into a real e-newsletter platform is Newsletter Glue.
It is a suitable name since it basically “adhesives” your e-newsletter to your WordPress messages and enables them to be the very same thing. Absolutely, something like E-newsletter Glue would certainly be a strong alternative if I intended to continue to self-host every little thing. Nonetheless, you ‘d lose the growth devices that feature a system like BeeHiiv.
Posting a newsletter naturally includes a various collection of requirements than a typical e-mail checklist.
You don’t typically require much marketing automation. You do not generally require autoresponder sequences, event tracking, and all the bells and whistles of a marketing automation platform.
What you DO need, however, is one seamless posting experience and growth tools to assist you construct your subscriber base that are specific to e-newsletters.
BeeHiiv vs Substack
When I introduced to my customers that I was mosting likely to switch the newsletter over to BeeHiiv, I had many people ask me why I was choosing it over Substack.
To be clear, even besides the truth that I selected to opt for BeeHiiv, that doesn’t indicate I believe Substack draws. In fact, because Substack has been about much longer, it is more mature and has more features.
Although BeeHiiv is younger, there are a couple things that initially obtained my attention:.
- BeeHiiv is specifically tailored to e-newsletter authors. Actually, it is essentially built by the very same individuals that constructed the modern technology behind Early morning Brew. On the other hand, SubStack targets writers. In the real world, doesn’t matter. Yet, the noticeable positioning of BeeHiiv towards e-newsletter development called me out over the more generic positioning of being a “maker”. Growth is what I want below.
- That branding and distinction likewise implies that BeeHiiv has some fairly big brand names and huge publications using it. Whereas SubStack is intended even more at solo developers. Again, it just informs me the consumer avatar distinction between the two business.
Sending our my e-newsletter through FluentCRM didn’t specifically draw. The only factor I would certainly ponder shaking points up is if I assumed I might expand the list quicker. And BeeHiiv spoke exactly to that objective.
Because of the targeting, I in fact do not see BeeHiiv and Substack as straight rivals. I believe BeeHiiv is targeting a different sort of consumer. Actually, if anything, I see BeeHiiv and ConvertKit being much more straight rivals.
Yet, allow’s dive deeper than just the placing below.
Things That Make BeeHiiv Better Than Substack
On the whole, BeeHiiv appears like it was built by individuals that comprehending e-mail marketing. On the other hand, SubStack appears more geared toward developers.
As an example, BeeHiiv uses personalized fields on clients. Currently, it isn’t as created as something like FluentCRM. But, it has it. Substack does not.
BeeHiiv provides Automations. Actually, it is an aesthetic automation builder that functions a lot like what we have inside of FluentCRM.
To be clear, the automation capability is still early-phase. It is still rather restricted in triggers and the only activity is the ability to send out an e-mail. Nonetheless, improvements are coming. Soon enough, automations will certainly have new triggers as well as brand-new actions, such as modifying customized fields, sending out webhooks, etc. I have actually currently seen improvements to their automations just considering that I started using the platform. As an example:
- Ability to activate automations based on which specific embed form they came in on.
- Capacity to automatically do re-engagement (and deal with individuals based upon opens and non-opens).
- Ability to do fundamental conditional reasoning branches.
Substack does not have automations similar to this. Likely, it never ever will. Substack just can’t do this because the target audience of Substack just wouldn’t believe to approach this like an email online marketer.
When it involves writing your newsletters, the composing user interface of BeeHiiv is simply a lot more geared toward newsletters. Actually, it really has similarities to the WordPress block builder in just how it functions. I discover it to be much more user-friendly, personally.
Substack’s writing user interface is nice and tidy, however it would certainly be more comparable to the classic editor for WordPress. Toolbar on top.
This difference is greater than simply form. For instance, with BeeHiiv you can insert a “Area” and then placed anything you want in it. After that, you can place Visibility alternatives on that particular section to reveal it just to paid customers, hide it from e-mail, hide from subscribers, show just to subscribers, and so on. Substack uses absolutely nothing similar to this.
And when/if the time comes that I begin a costs subscription design, BeeHiiv doesn’t take any income. In fact, you literally connect as much as your very own Stripe account and it charges directly to it. With Substack, they will take 10% of your profits. Depending on the amount of customers you get, that 10% can be quite a bit more money than the monthly cost of BeeHiiv.
Finally, BeeHiiv has an API. This might appear unpopular, however what it indicates is that there are integrations with BeeHiiv. You can in fact make BeeHiiv work with the outdoors utilizing devices like Zapier or Make.com. This is HUGE. Substack actually has … absolutely nothing. No integrations in any way.
Overall, I just felt like BeeHiiv was extra built towards genuine e-mail marketing. It was constructed by people who “get it”. Also the opt-in forms and the landing page designs seem far better constructed for conversions. Growth is nitty-gritty with BeeHiiv.
Even though there are still features I would like to see BeeHiiv add, I such as the direction it is going greater than Substack.
Things That Make Substack Better Than BeeHiiv
As I have actually claimed, Substack settings itself towards “developers” more than e-mail online marketers and e-newsletter proprietors. Therefore, you see some things geared extra toward people that just believe in terms of material production.
As an example, Substack supports podcasts. BeeHiiv does not.
Additionally, while BeeHiiv does sustain multiple publications, they are dealt with quite independently. Whereas Substack does have the capability to cross-post to several magazines at the same time. This isn’t something I call for, yet … trendy for individuals who may require it.
Substack also has more social functionality built-in. As an example, it has a chat function to host talks with subscribers. It likewise has a “Notes” feature which works kind of like a social networks newsfeed where you can share things from various other “Stacks” you’re reading. Interesting. Overall, Substack is established to be more like a social network which sustains long-form material.
On the whole, Substack is likewise much more … minimalist. You either look after that or don’t. Directly, I don’t. Nevertheless, if the goal is simpleness of interface and, truthfully, features … Substack functions quite well.
However, I’ll be clear right here …
When it comes to real marketing, I don’t believe there’s much uncertainty that BeeHiiv is much better matched. I searched for more factors that make Substack much better than BeeHiiv, however honestly … I have a hard time finding 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 pursuing the exact same target market and have similar capabilities.
ConvertKit is additionally positioned at creators (like Substack), however it is far more strongly satisfying people that do it for service. ConvertKit has wonderful visual automation building, it’s own commerce system, and more. ConvertKit is an actually good system.
I’m not mosting likely to birthed you with a full feature-by-feature malfunction here. ConvertKit is well known already. But, here’s just how I feel BeeHiiv and ConvertKit contrast …
Things ConvertKit Is Better At …
Already, ConvertKit has more versatility when it comes to it’s automations. I will certainly likewise say that I locate ConvertKit’s automation builder to be a little bit much more instinctive than that of BeeHiiv.
ConvertKit supports tagging. This is just a fundamental feature of e-mail checklists that allows division in a far more flexible means than BeeHiiv currently does. I anticipate BeeHiiv to support tagging at some time soon, frankly. It seems like an oversight that it is missing Beehiiv AppSumo.
ConvertKit does currently provide the capability to offer points by means of their very own platform. BeeHiiv does not. If that is very important to you, it might be a big deal for you. For me, nonetheless, I would always choose a more direct option anyhow. For me, I favor to use my very own system powered by WooCommerce.
ConvertKit has been about much longer and therefore has way more integration alternatives. Lots of online devices and WordPress plugins integrate with ConvertKit. ConvertKit also has their own WordPress plugin that is rather powerful. For instance, their plugin now also supports member-gated material along with auto-embed of your newsletter archives right into your site. In essence, this much more carefully places ConvertKit right into direct competitors by having you be able to release to your site and your e-mail checklist at the same time.
BeeHiiv is drastically doing not have in these kinds of third-party integrations right now. It’ll get there. But, we’re not there yet with it.
ConvertKit is also busy taking on the development devices of BeeHiiv. For example, BeeHiiv has the referral program and the Suggestion Engine where you can not only incentivize individuals to share your e-newsletter with advantages, but you can also pay per lead within the interior ad network of BeeHiiv to grow your checklist. These are truly incredible features of BeeHiiv. Yet …
Did you know ConvertKit obtained Sparkloop? Sparkloop is just one of one of the most popular viral promo systems for e-newsletters … and ConvertKit bought it. You can see the composing on the wall for what this means for the system going forward.
Points BeeHiiv Is Better At … Beehiiv AppSumo
BeeHiiv is a lot earlier in it’s item cycle than ConvertKit. Part of that indicates much less features and less integrations, which is natural for this stage of the cycle. Nevertheless, it likewise means that they are quickly creating.
In the short time that I have actually been a customer of BeeHiiv, I have actually witnessed nearly weekly launch of new features into the system. And these aren’t weak little features … but large features that are rather essential. Their speed of development at this point has actually gone over.
I also quite appreciate how receptive they are. In fact, one of their item announcements concerning some style enhancements to the web design features actually consisted of a little issue with the content size. I just replied to that e-mail to tell them. I quickly obtained a reply directly from the CEO:.
That exact same day, the issue was fixed.
Few days later, I gave them an additional idea …
Sure enough, in a bit over a week of that exchange, the ability to set off automations based upon the embed form utilized was included in the system.
That type of responsiveness and direct involvement of the team is something I really value.
One more major point of distinction right here is the price. Both platforms use totally free plans, nevertheless the BeeHiiv free plan supplies a lot more ability and even more clients (2,500 vs 1,000) than ConvertKit.
When you go to paid plans, the pricing of BeeHiiv is additionally much more favorable. ConvertKit appears cheaper initially glance due to the fact that their pricing page reveals reduced numbers, however the subscriber limits are much lower and your rate quickly raises 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 exact same dimension listing is mosting likely to run you $100/month with ConvertKit.
If you update to the “Scale” plan with BeeHiiv (their ideal plan and the one I directly utilize), you can expand your checklist up to 100,000. A list of that dimension would certainly run you $566/month with ConvertKit. If you desire their referral network, also, that places you at the $733/month plan. That’s if you pay each year, too. With BeeHiiv, you can get all that for just $84/month if you pay annually.
BeeHiiv is in a totally different organization when it concerns pricing (in a great way).
Will BeeHiiv at some point raise prices? They might as time takes place. Yet, I’m presuming people like myself who are already in will be locked-in. We’ll see exactly how points continue.
Things I Would Like BeeHiiv To Add
Among the important things you absolutely require to remember is that BeeHiiv is relatively young. They do seem to progress rather quickly and make brand-new item news somewhat typically, but there are some standard features I truly wish they had that I require to simply await.
One is that they need to have a setup on subscription forms where I can choose an automation to run right at the kind level. That would be outstanding for so many factors. Currently, membership forms look OK, however there’s extremely little settings for them to help in division.
It would behave to have identifying at the customer level. This would be powerful.
I think webhooks ought to become part of automations to make integrated automations much easier and decrease dependence on outdoors tools like Zapier.
There are also some minor administrative interface changes that would come in handy. For instance:
- Capacity to mass edit/remove customers.
- Capability to bulk edit articles (for example, to label a number of them at the same time).
- Having a couple of standard areas as basic on clients (like the name).
- Some more personalization alternatives for the website (such as more flexible color choices, headline control, etc).
So, yeah … there are some shortcomings. Points I hope they perform with it in the future. BeeHiiv is pretty good, however it isn’t best and certainly not almost as developed as something like FluentCRM or any other actual CRM item.
It probably never ever will certainly be, either. As I stated, the purpose is various so it would not much a great deal of sense for BeeHiiv to become a complete marketing automation platform. I think you never know, though.
Final Thoughts On This BeeHiiv Evaluation
I like BeeHiiv rather a whole lot. Sufficient where I determined to switch my very own e-newsletters over to the platform regardless of my personal choice for digital sovereignty and having my very own platform.
Simply put, for the newsletter posting design especially, I saw adequate worth in their platform to call for the modification.
Remember, I do not use BeeHiiv as my exclusive email list. I make use of BeeHiiv for what it is proficient at, but I purposefully have things establish to ensure that I additionally keep my list “in house” inside of FluentCRM.
If you use BeeHiiv, I recommend you do the exact same. It is just a good insurance coverage, for one. Yet, having a full-featured marketing automation platform for your checklist will certainly be of high use (FluentCRM is a complete marketing automation platform and BeeHiiv is not and likely never will be).
So, the concern is … should YOU utilize BeeHiiv?
In my viewpoint, if you are using Substack right now, I ‘d definitely think about switching over to BeeHiiv. It will merely be much more business-friendly. It is targeting various capacities and different demands. And also, BeeHiiv even has import tools for Substack, so the switch needs to be pretty straightforward.
If you get on ConvertKit now, I ‘d most likely sit tight unless you have a huge email listing and are therefore being fleeced with their high month-to-month bill. You will certainly not (yet) have every feature of ConvertKit with BeeHiiv, but they are iterating rapidly. There’s likewise a pretty good chance you’re not also using a few of those fancier functions of ConvertKit and you do not also need them. Therefore, BeeHiiv can easily be a much better and extra cost effective fit.
Last but not least, if you plan to be really willful regarding expanding an e-newsletter, I assume BeeHiiv is THE system to take into consideration and maintain and eye on for you.
If you make use of BeeHiiv with eyes wide open regarding what it is designed to be, it is among the most effective video games in town right now. This is the platform to see.
BeeHiiv supplies a 14-day trial on their paid plans. It deserves looking into on your own. And if you wind up not sticking to the paid plan, you’ll find the cost-free account to be quite feature rich.