I have made use of a lot of various email list systems over the years. In the last number of years, I have actually been a massive advocate of digital sovereignty and possessing your own platform. Because of that (and the remarkable features), I have been making use of Beehiiv Business Model.
So, it is certainly an odd move for me to choose to utilize BeeHiiv. Nevertheless, it is an organized application and I am paying regular monthly for it.
Why did I do this?
In this BeeHiiv evaluation, I intend to review why I made the switch to BeeHiiv for my e-newsletters. I wish to attend to the issue of digital sovereignty while using the system and I would certainly likewise such as to deal with why I chose to utilize it over Substack.
Let’s dive in …
BeeHiiv: Developed For Newsletters
In Concern # 435 of my e-newsletter called My Pastime + A Huge Change In Strategy, I discussed just how and why I decided to transform my recreational vehicle blog into mainly a newsletter. I made a decision that was the business version I wished to pursue keeping that home.
Yet, to purposefully pursue it as an e-newsletter, I desired a system that was purpose-built for that. I was using FluentCRM for the e-mail checklist for Gladly motor home, however FluentCRM is not an e-newsletter platform. It is developed to be a CRM and marketing automation tool and, honestly, utilizing it for e-newsletters is a little bit of a waste. More on that in a bit.
As I stated because problem of the e-newsletter …
Basically, BeeHiiv is a platform with devices constructed right into it details to my purpose. Things such as:
- Capability to release (to the blog site) and send out the e-mail at the same time without having it be 2 separate actions.
- Integrated in e-newsletter referral program. FluentCRM doesn’t have that and I would have needed a third-party tool like Sparkloop.
- Built-in capacity to do cross-promotions with other e-newsletters on the BeeHiiv platform.
- ” Magic Links”, which are generally one-click subscription links. Great for promo in various other e-newsletters. FluentCRM has Smart Links, though, so there are means to do that.
- Ability to do paid “boosts” on the BeeHiiv network to advertise your newsletter.
- Built-in ad network, if I select to generate income from with ads in the e-newsletter. And I may.
- Integrated capability to run a paid newsletter upgrade and generally run a premium newsletter. And BeeHiiv does not take a cut.
Primarily, BeeHiiv is purpose-built for newsletter publishers with features targeted at growth. The platform was actually developed by the people who developed the innovation for Early morning Mixture. They recognize what they’re doing.
That is the point below. BeeHiiv is developed from scratch for the function of running an e-newsletter. FluentCRM has a various purpose.
And I finished off with this:.
I may certainly be relocating The Side over to BeeHiiv also. At the very least, I’m strongly considering it.
Well, I didn’t consider it for long. Actually, I just went for it. And actually, The side was re-branded over to The Morning WP, triggered as it’s own residential or commercial property so that I can expand it extra deliberately also.
The goal is that each newsletter has the ability to be branded as it’s own media entity and grown individually. Gladly recreational vehicle was young, so very easy to shift. Yet, The Early morning WP (previously The Side) was hidden in a sea of stuff below at the Blog Site Marketing Academy. By dividing it off, I can do what I can to grow it on it’s own. It will certainly always be very closely connected with the Blog site Marketing Academy, yet does not need to belong of it.
I switched to BeeHiiv because it was constructed for this purpose. FluentCRM was not.
Newsletters Versus Just A Regular Email Listing
There’s a difference in between a newsletter system and just an email listing.
You can organize your email list everywhere you desire and there are a variety of them out there, from Aweber, ActiveCampaign, Drip, ConvertKit … over to self-hosted choices like GroundHogg and FluentCRM.
What’s the distinction?
The key distinction is that, with an e-newsletter platform, the act of publishing indicates that it is going to your web site and to your e-mail subscribers simultaneously.
With both BeeHiiv and Substack, you have a web site. You are releasing to that web site. But, you are likewise dispatching to all subscribers at the same time. The web site and it’s clients are all in one. This makes administration of the platform much less complex.
With most email systems, any kind of e-newsletter you established is done as an e-mail campaign. It is constructed completely independently from your internet site. So, for instance, you might publish a post to WordPress but after that you would need to individually build and send out an email to your checklist to send it to subscribers. These are after that two different collections of archives and 2 separate actions due to the fact that blog posts and your e-mails are not inherently linked.
The closest thing that transforms WordPress right into a real e-newsletter platform is Newsletter Glue.
It is a suitable name due to the fact that it practically “glues” your newsletter to your WordPress posts and allows them to be the exact same point. Definitely, something like E-newsletter Glue would certainly be a strong choice if I intended to remain to self-host everything. Nevertheless, you ‘d shed the development devices that include a system like BeeHiiv.
Posting a newsletter inherently includes a different set of demands than a typical e-mail listing.
You do not typically need much marketing automation. You don’t typically need autoresponder sequences, event tracking, and all the bells and whistles of a marketing automation system.
What you DO need, though, is one seamless posting experience and growth devices to help you construct your client base that are specific to e-newsletters.
BeeHiiv vs Substack
When I announced to my subscribers that I was mosting likely to change the newsletter over to BeeHiiv, I had lots of people ask me why I was choosing it over Substack.
To be clear, also besides the reality that I picked to choose BeeHiiv, that doesn’t indicate I believe Substack sucks. Actually, because Substack has been about longer, it is more mature and has more features.
Even though BeeHiiv is younger, there are a pair things that at first got my interest:.
- BeeHiiv is particularly tailored to e-newsletter publishers. In fact, it is actually built by the same individuals that constructed the technology behind Morning Mixture. On the other hand, SubStack targets authors. In the real life, does not matter. Yet, the obvious positioning of BeeHiiv towards newsletter development called me out over the even more common positioning of being a “designer”. Development is what I have an interest in here.
- That branding and differentiation also indicates that BeeHiiv has some rather huge brands and huge publications utilizing it. Whereas SubStack is aimed even more at solo developers. Once more, it simply informs me the consumer character difference between both firms.
Sending our my e-newsletter through FluentCRM didn’t precisely draw. The only reason I would certainly consider shaking points up is if I thought I can expand the listing quicker. And BeeHiiv talked exactly to that objective.
Due to the targeting, I in fact don’t watch BeeHiiv and Substack as straight rivals. I believe BeeHiiv is targeting a different kind of customer. Actually, if anything, I see BeeHiiv and ConvertKit being much more straight competitors.
However, let’s dive much deeper than simply the placing here.
Things That Make BeeHiiv Better Than Substack
In general, BeeHiiv appears like it was built by people who recognizing e-mail marketing. On the other hand, SubStack appears more tailored towards makers.
For instance, BeeHiiv provides customized areas on customers. Now, it isn’t as created as something like FluentCRM. However, it has it. Substack does not.
BeeHiiv provides Automations. In fact, it is a visual automation builder that works a great deal like what we have inside of FluentCRM.
To be clear, the automation functionality is still early-phase. It is still quite restricted in triggers and the only activity is the capability to send an e-mail. However, improvements are coming. Quickly enough, automations will certainly have brand-new triggers along with new activities, such as modifying custom-made areas, sending webhooks, etc. I’ve already seen enhancements to their automations just given that I began making use of the platform. As an example:
- Ability to set off automations based upon which specific embed kind they was available in on.
- Capability to automatically do re-engagement (and deal with individuals based upon opens and non-opens).
- Ability to do basic conditional logic branches.
Substack does not have automations similar to this. Likely, it never ever will. Substack simply can not do this due to the fact that the target market of Substack simply would not think to approach this like an e-mail marketing professional.
When it pertains to creating your newsletters, the composing interface of BeeHiiv is simply much more geared toward newsletters. Actually, it really has resemblances to the WordPress block builder in just how it functions. I discover it to be much more user-friendly, directly.
Substack’s writing user interface is nice and clean, but it would certainly be a lot more comparable to the classic editor for WordPress. Toolbar at the top.
This distinction is greater than just kind. For example, with BeeHiiv you can insert a “Area” and then put anything you desire in it. After that, you can put Exposure choices on that section to reveal it only to paid clients, hide it from email, hide from customers, reveal only to clients, etc. Substack provides nothing such as this.
And when/if the time comes that I begin a premium subscription design, BeeHiiv doesn’t take any kind of income. As a matter of fact, you literally connect approximately your very own Stripe account and it charges directly to it. With Substack, they will certainly take 10% of your profits. Depending upon the number of customers you get, that 10% can be a fair bit more cash than the regular monthly expense of BeeHiiv.
Finally, BeeHiiv has an API. This might appear unpopular, however what it suggests is that there are integrations with BeeHiiv. You can in fact make BeeHiiv collaborate with the outside making use of devices like Zapier or Make.com. This is HUGE. Substack literally has … nothing. No integrations whatsoever.
Generally, I simply felt like BeeHiiv was more built towards actual email marketing. It was constructed by individuals that “get it”. Also the opt-in forms and the landing page makes seem much better developed for conversions. Growth is the name of the game with BeeHiiv.
Despite the fact that there are still features I would love to see BeeHiiv add, I such as the direction it is going more than Substack.
Points That Make Substack Better Than BeeHiiv
As I have actually said, Substack placements itself toward “makers” greater than email online marketers and newsletter owners. Because of that, you see some points geared much more toward individuals who simply assume in terms of web content production.
For example, Substack sustains podcasts. BeeHiiv does not.
Likewise, while BeeHiiv does support several magazines, they are treated fairly separately. 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 that could need it.
Substack likewise has even more social functionality built-in. For instance, it has a chat feature to host chats with subscribers. It likewise has a “Notes” feature which works kind of like a social networks newsfeed where you can share points from other “Stacks” you’re reading. Fascinating. Overall, Substack is established to be more like a social media network which supports long-form web content.
On the whole, Substack is also more … minimalist. You either take care of that or don’t. Personally, I don’t. However, if the goal is simpleness of user interface and, frankly, features … Substack works pretty well.
But, I’ll be clear here …
When it comes to actual marketing, I don’t believe there’s much uncertainty that BeeHiiv is better matched. I looked for even more points that make Substack much better than BeeHiiv, however honestly … I have a hard time locating them.
BeeHiiv Vs ConvertKit
While BeeHiiv and Substack are typically with to be the closest competitors, I really see BeeHiiv and ConvertKit being the closer opponents. Both are going after the exact same target market and have similar capabilities.
ConvertKit is likewise placed at creators (like Substack), however it is much more highly catering to people that do it for organization. ConvertKit has nice aesthetic automation building, it’s own commerce system, and a lot more. ConvertKit is a really good platform.
I’m not going to bore you with a complete feature-by-feature malfunction below. ConvertKit is well known already. Yet, here’s just how I feel BeeHiiv and ConvertKit contrast …
Points ConvertKit Is Better At …
Already, ConvertKit has much more versatility when it concerns it’s automations. I will certainly additionally claim that I find ConvertKit’s automation builder to be a little bit a lot more instinctive than that of BeeHiiv.
ConvertKit supports identifying. This is simply a standard feature of e-mail lists that allows division in a much more adaptable means than BeeHiiv currently does. I anticipate BeeHiiv to support tagging at some time quickly, truthfully. It feels like an oversight that it is missing Beehiiv Business Model.
ConvertKit does currently offer the capacity to offer points by means of their own platform. BeeHiiv does not. If that is necessary to you, it might be a big deal for you. For me, however, I would always pick an extra direct alternative anyhow. For me, I prefer to utilize my own system powered by WooCommerce.
ConvertKit has been about much longer and because of that has way extra integration alternatives. Tons of web-based devices and WordPress plugins integrate with ConvertKit. ConvertKit even has their own WordPress plugin that is rather powerful. For instance, their plugin currently even supports member-gated content as well as auto-embed of your newsletter archives right into your website. Fundamentally, this a lot more closely puts ConvertKit right into straight competitors by having you be able to publish to your website and your e-mail listing at the same time.
BeeHiiv is severely doing not have in these type of third-party integrations currently. It’ll get there. Yet, we’re not there yet with it.
ConvertKit is even busy taking on the growth tools of BeeHiiv. For instance, BeeHiiv has the referral program and the Referral Engine where you can not only incentivize individuals to share your e-newsletter with rewards, however you can likewise pay per lead within the interior advertisement network of BeeHiiv to expand your listing. These are really amazing features of BeeHiiv. But …
Did you know ConvertKit obtained Sparkloop? Sparkloop is one of one of the most popular viral promo platforms for e-newsletters … and ConvertKit bought it. You can see the creating on the wall wherefore this means for the system moving forward.
Things BeeHiiv Is Much Better At … Beehiiv Business Model
BeeHiiv is much earlier in it’s product cycle than ConvertKit. Part of that suggests much less features and less integrations, which is all-natural for this stage of the cycle. However, it likewise means that they are quickly developing.
In the short time that I have been a customer of BeeHiiv, I have witnessed practically once a week launch of brand-new features right into the platform. And these aren’t weak little features … but huge features that are fairly important. Their speed of development at this moment has been impressive.
I likewise significantly appreciate just how responsive they are. In fact, among their item news regarding some style improvements to the web design features actually had a tiny issue with the content size. I simply replied to that e-mail to tell them. I quickly got a reply straight from the CEO:.
That same day, the issue was fixed.
Couple of days later, I provided an additional suggestion …
Indeed, in a bit over a week of that exchange, the capacity to activate automations based on the embed type used was added to the system.
That type of responsiveness and direct involvement of the group is something I truly appreciate.
Another major point of distinction here is the price. Both platforms supply free plans, nevertheless the BeeHiiv free plan provides more capacity and more subscribers (2,500 vs 1,000) than ConvertKit.
When you go to paid plans, the pricing of BeeHiiv is also FAR more beneficial. ConvertKit seems more affordable initially glimpse because their pricing page reveals reduced numbers, however the client limitations are FAR lower and your cost promptly enhances as your checklist grows.
With BeeHiiv, your first degree paid plan begins at $42/mo (paid each year), however you can have up to 10,000 customers. That very same dimension listing is going to run you $100/month with ConvertKit.
If you upgrade to the “Scale” plan with BeeHiiv (their ideal plan and the one I personally use), you can expand your checklist up to 100,000. A list of that dimension would certainly run you $566/month with ConvertKit. If you want their referral network, also, that puts you at the $733/month plan. That’s if you pay each year, also. With BeeHiiv, you can obtain all that for simply $84/month if you pay yearly.
BeeHiiv remains in a completely different organization when it comes to pricing (in a great way).
Will BeeHiiv eventually raise prices? They could as time takes place. However, I’m thinking individuals like myself who are already in will certainly be locked-in. We’ll see just how points proceed.
Points I Would Certainly Like BeeHiiv To Include
Among the important things you most definitely require to bear in mind is that BeeHiiv is relatively young. They do appear to evolve rather swiftly and make new item statements somewhat typically, yet there are some fundamental features I really want they had that I require to simply await.
One is that they require to have a setting on registration forms where I can select an automation to run right at the form degree. That would certainly be outstanding for so many reasons. Already, subscription kinds look OK, however there’s very little settings for them to assist in segmentation.
It would certainly be nice to have tagging at the customer degree. This would certainly be powerful.
I assume webhooks need to belong to automations to make integrated automations simpler and decrease reliance on outdoors devices like Zapier.
There are additionally some minor administrative interface adjustments that would be handy. As an example:
- Capacity to mass edit/remove subscribers.
- Capacity to mass edit articles (for instance, to label a lot of them at the same time).
- Having a few basic areas as standard on customers (like the name).
- Some even more personalization alternatives for the internet site (such as more flexible shade options, headline control, etc).
So, yeah … there are some imperfections. Points I wish they do with it in the future. BeeHiiv is pretty good, yet it isn’t perfect and definitely not virtually as created as something like FluentCRM or any other real CRM product.
It probably never will certainly be, either. As I claimed, the objective is different so it would not much a lot of sense for BeeHiiv to end up being a full marketing automation platform. I presume you never recognize, however.
Final Thoughts On This BeeHiiv Review
I such as BeeHiiv quite a whole lot. Sufficient where I decided to switch my own e-newsletters over to the platform regardless of my personal preference for digital sovereignty and having my own system.
Simply put, for the e-newsletter posting design particularly, I saw enough worth in their platform to necessitate the adjustment.
Remember, I do not make use of BeeHiiv as my special email listing. I use BeeHiiv of what it is proficient at, yet I purposefully have things set up to ensure that I also keep my list “in house” within FluentCRM.
If you utilize BeeHiiv, I suggest you do the same. It is simply a good insurance plan, for one. However, having a full-featured marketing automation system for your checklist will certainly be of high usage (FluentCRM is a complete marketing automation system and BeeHiiv is not and likely never will certainly be).
So, the concern is … should YOU use BeeHiiv?
In my opinion, if you are utilizing Substack today, I ‘d absolutely think about changing to BeeHiiv. It will merely be much more business-friendly. It is targeting different abilities and various demands. And also, BeeHiiv also has import devices for Substack, so the switch should be pretty straightforward.
If you get on ConvertKit now, I ‘d possibly stay put unless you have a large e-mail list and are for that reason being wooled with their high month-to-month bill. You will certainly not (yet) have every feature of ConvertKit with BeeHiiv, but they are iterating promptly. There’s also a respectable opportunity you’re not also utilizing some of those fancier features of ConvertKit and you don’t even need them. Because of that, BeeHiiv can easily be a far better and extra budget friendly fit.
Lastly, if you plan to be extremely willful concerning growing a newsletter, I believe BeeHiiv is THE system to think about and keep and eye on for you.
If you use BeeHiiv with eyes wide open regarding what it is made to be, it is one of the best video games in town today. This is the platform to enjoy.
BeeHiiv offers a 14-day trial on their paid plans. It deserves taking a look at for yourself. And if you wind up not sticking with the paid plan, you’ll locate the free account to be rather feature abundant.