I have utilized a lot of various email list systems over the years. In the last number of years, I’ve been a massive advocate of digital sovereignty and possessing your very own platform. For that reason (and the amazing features), I have been making use of Beehiiv Stocktwits.
So, it is certainly an unusual move for me to choose to make use of BeeHiiv. Besides, it is a held application and I am paying monthly for it.
Why did I do this?
In this BeeHiiv review, I wish to go over why I made the switch to BeeHiiv for my e-newsletters. I wish to attend to the issue of digital sovereignty while using the platform and I would certainly likewise such as to deal with why I selected to use it over Substack.
Let’s dive in …
BeeHiiv: Built For Newsletters
In Problem # 435 of my newsletter called My Leisure activity + A Big Change In Strategy, I spoke about just how and why I made a decision to turn my RV blog site right into mostly a newsletter. I chose that was business design I wished to seek 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 Gladly motor home, yet FluentCRM is not an e-newsletter platform. It is constructed to be a CRM and marketing automation tool and, honestly, using it for newsletters is a little bit of a waste. Much more on that in a bit.
As I stated because issue of the e-newsletter …
Simply put, BeeHiiv is a system with tools developed right into it details to my purpose. Points such as:
- Capability to release (to the blog) and send the email concurrently without having it be two separate activities.
- Constructed in e-newsletter referral program. FluentCRM does not have that and I would certainly have needed a third-party device like Sparkloop.
- Integrated ability to do cross-promotions with other newsletters on the BeeHiiv system.
- ” Magic Hyperlinks”, which are essentially one-click membership links. Great for promo in various other e-newsletters. FluentCRM has Smart Hyperlinks, though, so there are means to do that.
- Ability to do paid “boosts” on the BeeHiiv network to promote your e-newsletter.
- Built-in advertisement network, if I select to monetize with ads in the newsletter. And I may.
- Integrated capability to run a paid newsletter upgrade and essentially run a premium newsletter. And BeeHiiv doesn’t take a cut.
Primarily, BeeHiiv is purpose-built for e-newsletter publishers with features focused on growth. The system was literally developed by the people who built up the technology for Early morning Mixture. They recognize what they’re doing.
That is the factor here. BeeHiiv is constructed from scratch for the purpose of running an e-newsletter. FluentCRM has a different objective.
And I finished off with this:.
I may undoubtedly be relocating The Side over to BeeHiiv as well. At the very least, I’m strongly considering it.
Well, I didn’t consider it for long. Actually, I just went all out. And in fact, The EDGE was re-branded over to The Early morning WP, set off as it’s very own home so that I can grow it a lot more purposefully as well.
The objective is that each e-newsletter has the capacity to be branded as it’s own media entity and grown independently. Happily RV was young, so very easy to shift. But, The Early morning WP (previously The Side) was buried in a sea of stuff right 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 obviously constantly be very closely connected with the Blog site Marketing Academy, but does not need to belong of it.
I switched to BeeHiiv due to the fact that it was built for this function. FluentCRM was not.
Newsletters Versus Just A Typical Email Listing
There’s a distinction in between a newsletter system and simply an email checklist.
You can organize your email checklist anywhere you desire and there are a variety of them available, from Aweber, ActiveCampaign, Drip, ConvertKit … over to self-hosted alternatives like GroundHogg and FluentCRM.
What’s the distinction?
The key difference is that, with an e-newsletter system, the act of publishing indicates that it is mosting likely to your website and to your email clients at the same time.
With both BeeHiiv and Substack, you have a website. You are publishing to that web site. Yet, you are additionally dispatching to all clients at the same time. The site and it’s subscribers are all in one. This makes administration of the system much easier.
With most email platforms, any kind of newsletter you set up is done as an email campaign. It is constructed entirely independently from your site. So, for instance, you might publish a short article to WordPress however after that you would certainly need to individually construct and send an email to your checklist to send it to clients. These are after that two separate collections of archives and 2 separate activities because article and your e-mails are not naturally linked.
The closest thing that turns WordPress right into a real e-newsletter platform is Newsletter Glue.
It is a suitable name because it pretty much “adhesives” your newsletter to your WordPress messages 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 everything. Nevertheless, you would certainly lose the growth devices that feature a platform like BeeHiiv.
Posting a newsletter naturally features a various set of needs than a normal email checklist.
You don’t normally need much marketing automation. You do not generally require autoresponder series, occasion tracking, and all the bells and whistles of a marketing automation platform.
What you DO requirement, though, is one smooth publishing experience and growth devices to help you build your subscriber base that are specific to newsletters.
BeeHiiv vs Substack
When I revealed to my subscribers that I was mosting likely to switch over the newsletter over to BeeHiiv, I had many individuals ask me why I was selecting it over Substack.
To be clear, even besides the fact that I chose to choose BeeHiiv, that doesn’t indicate I think Substack draws. Actually, due to the fact that Substack has been around much longer, it is more mature and has even more features.
Even though BeeHiiv is more youthful, there are a couple points that at first got my interest:.
- BeeHiiv is specifically tailored to e-newsletter publishers. In fact, it is actually built by the very same people who built the innovation behind Early morning Brew. On the other hand, SubStack targets authors. In the real world, doesn’t matter. Yet, the evident positioning of BeeHiiv towards newsletter growth called me out over the more common positioning of being a “maker”. Development is what I have an interest in here.
- That branding and distinction additionally suggests that BeeHiiv has some relatively large brands and large magazines utilizing it. Whereas SubStack is intended more at solo creators. Again, it simply informs me the consumer character difference in between both companies.
Sending our my e-newsletter using FluentCRM really did not exactly suck. The only reason I would ponder shaking points up is if I believed I could expand the checklist faster. And BeeHiiv spoke exactly to that goal.
Due to the targeting, I in fact don’t watch BeeHiiv and Substack as straight rivals. I assume BeeHiiv is targeting a various kind of customer. Actually, if anything, I see BeeHiiv and ConvertKit being extra direct rivals.
Yet, allow’s dive much deeper than simply the placing right here.
Points That Make BeeHiiv Better Than Substack
Overall, BeeHiiv looks like it was developed by individuals that understanding e-mail marketing. On the other hand, SubStack seems a lot more geared towards creators.
For example, BeeHiiv provides custom-made areas on clients. Currently, it isn’t as created as something like FluentCRM. However, it has it. Substack does not.
BeeHiiv supplies Automations. Actually, it is an aesthetic automation builder that works a great deal like what we have within FluentCRM.
To be clear, the automation performance is still early-phase. It is still rather limited in triggers and the only activity is the capability to send an e-mail. However, improvements are coming. Soon enough, automations will certainly have new triggers along with brand-new actions, such as changing custom-made areas, sending out webhooks, etc. I’ve already seen improvements to their automations just since I began using the platform. For example:
- Ability to trigger automations based on which details embed form they came in on.
- Capacity to instantly do re-engagement (and take care of people based upon opens and non-opens).
- Capacity to do standard conditional reasoning branches.
Substack does not have automations similar to this. Likely, it never will. Substack simply can’t do this due to the fact that the target audience of Substack just wouldn’t believe to approach this like an e-mail marketing professional.
When it concerns composing your newsletters, the creating user interface of BeeHiiv is simply more tailored toward newsletters. Actually, it actually has resemblances to the WordPress block builder in exactly how it works. I discover it to be much more user-friendly, directly.
Substack’s composing interface is nice and tidy, however it would certainly be a lot more comparable to the classic editor for WordPress. Toolbar on top.
This distinction is greater than simply form. For instance, with BeeHiiv you can insert a “Section” and then placed anything you want in it. Then, you can place Presence options on that section to reveal it just to paid clients, hide it from e-mail, hide from subscribers, reveal only to subscribers, etc. Substack uses nothing similar to this.
And when/if the moment comes that I start a costs subscription version, BeeHiiv doesn’t take any type of income. In fact, you essentially connect as much as your own Stripe account and it charges directly to it. With Substack, they will take 10% of your profits. Depending upon the number of clients you get, that 10% can be quite a bit more money than the regular monthly price of BeeHiiv.
Lastly, BeeHiiv has an API. This may appear nerdy, yet what it suggests is that there are integrations with BeeHiiv. You can really 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 at all.
On the whole, I just seemed like BeeHiiv was much more built toward actual email marketing. It was constructed by people that “get it”. Even the opt-in kinds and the landing page designs appear better constructed for conversions. Development is the name of the game with BeeHiiv.
Although there are still features I would like to see BeeHiiv add, I such as the direction it is going greater than Substack.
Points That Make Substack Better Than BeeHiiv
As I have claimed, Substack settings itself towards “developers” greater than e-mail marketing professionals and newsletter proprietors. Because of that, you see some points geared much more toward people that just assume in terms of web content development.
For example, Substack supports podcasts. BeeHiiv does not.
Additionally, while BeeHiiv does sustain several publications, they are treated quite individually. Whereas Substack does have the capability to cross-post to several magazines at the same time. This isn’t something I need, but … awesome for people who could require it.
Substack also has more social performance built-in. For instance, it has a chat function to host chats with clients. It likewise has a “Notes” function which works sort of like a social media sites newsfeed where you can share things from other “Stacks” you read. Interesting. In general, Substack is set up to be much more like a social media which sustains long-form web content.
Overall, Substack is also more … minimalist. You either look after that or do not. Personally, I don’t. Nonetheless, if the goal is simplicity of interface and, frankly, features … Substack functions quite well.
However, I’ll be clear right here …
When it concerns actual marketing, I don’t think there’s much doubt that BeeHiiv is better suited. I looked for more points that make Substack much better than BeeHiiv, however frankly … I have a hard time locating them.
BeeHiiv Vs ConvertKit
While BeeHiiv and Substack are commonly via to be the closest competitors, I actually see BeeHiiv and ConvertKit being the closer rivals. Both are pursuing the very same target market and have similar capabilities.
ConvertKit is also placed at developers (like Substack), but it is far more highly accommodating individuals who do it for organization. ConvertKit has good visual automation building, it’s very own commerce platform, and more. ConvertKit is a really wonderful platform.
I’m not going to birthed you with a complete feature-by-feature break down here. ConvertKit is popular currently. Yet, right here’s exactly how I really feel BeeHiiv and ConvertKit contrast …
Points ConvertKit Is Better At …
Currently, ConvertKit has more versatility when it involves it’s automations. I will certainly also say that I locate ConvertKit’s automation builder to be a little bit a lot more instinctive than that of BeeHiiv.
ConvertKit sustains identifying. This is just a basic function of e-mail checklists that makes it possible for division in a much more adaptable method than BeeHiiv currently does. I anticipate BeeHiiv to support tagging eventually soon, frankly. It feels like an oversight that it is missing out on Beehiiv Stocktwits.
ConvertKit does currently give the ability to sell things through their own platform. BeeHiiv does not. If that’s important to you, it may be a big deal for you. For me, nonetheless, I would certainly constantly select an extra straight option anyway. For me, I favor to utilize my own platform powered by WooCommerce.
ConvertKit has actually been around much longer and for that reason has way much more integration choices. Lots of online devices and WordPress plugins incorporate with ConvertKit. ConvertKit also has their own WordPress plugin that is rather effective. For example, their plugin now even supports member-gated web content along with auto-embed of your newsletter archives right into your website. Basically, this a lot more very closely places ConvertKit right into straight competition by having you have the ability to release to your website and your e-mail listing at the same time.
BeeHiiv is seriously doing not have in these sort of third-party integrations at the moment. It’ll arrive. Yet, we’re not there yet with it.
ConvertKit is also hectic dealing with the growth tools of BeeHiiv. As an example, BeeHiiv has the referral program and the Recommendation Engine where you can not only incentivize individuals to share your e-newsletter with rewards, yet you can also pay per lead within the inner ad network of BeeHiiv to expand your list. These are truly amazing features of BeeHiiv. Yet …
Did you recognize ConvertKit acquired Sparkloop? Sparkloop is just one of one of the most well known viral promo systems for newsletters … and ConvertKit bought it. You can see the writing on the wall surface wherefore this indicates for the system going forward.
Things BeeHiiv Is Better At … Beehiiv Stocktwits
BeeHiiv is a lot earlier in it’s product cycle than ConvertKit. Part of that implies much less features and less integrations, which is natural for this phase of the cycle. Nonetheless, it likewise means that they are quickly developing.
In the short time that I have actually been a customer of BeeHiiv, I have observed nearly once a week launch of brand-new features into the system. And these aren’t undersized little features … however big features that are fairly vital. Their speed of advancement at this moment has actually been impressive.
I additionally significantly appreciate exactly how receptive they are. Actually, one of their product news about some style enhancements to the web design features in fact consisted of a little problem with the material width. I merely responded to that e-mail to tell them. I promptly obtained a reply straight from the CEO:.
That very same day, the issue was fixed.
Few days later, I provided an additional tip …
Certainly, in a little bit over a week of that exchange, the capability to trigger automations based on the embed type made use of was added to the system.
That kind of responsiveness and straight participation of the group is something I really value.
Another major factor of differentiation below is the rate. Both systems use free plans, nonetheless the BeeHiiv free plan provides much more capability and even more clients (2,500 vs 1,000) than ConvertKit.
When you go to paid plans, the pricing of BeeHiiv is likewise even more favorable. ConvertKit seems less costly at first look due to the fact that their pricing page reveals lower numbers, nonetheless the client limits are much lower and your rate quickly raises as your list expands.
With BeeHiiv, your very first level paid plan begins at $42/mo (paid each year), nevertheless you can have up to 10,000 subscribers. That same dimension listing is mosting likely to run you $100/month with ConvertKit.
If you update to the “Range” plan with BeeHiiv (their best plan and the one I directly use), you can grow your list as much as 100,000. A listing of that dimension 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, also. With BeeHiiv, you can get all that for simply $84/month if you pay each year.
BeeHiiv is in a totally different organization when it comes to pricing (in a good way).
Will BeeHiiv at some point increase costs? They might as time goes on. Yet, I’m guessing individuals like myself that are currently in will be locked-in. We’ll see exactly how things proceed.
Points I Would Like BeeHiiv To Add
One of the things you certainly need to bear in mind is that BeeHiiv is fairly young. They do seem to develop rather swiftly and make new product announcements rather commonly, yet there are some fundamental features I really desire they had that I need to just await.
One is that they require to have a setting on subscription forms where I might select an automation to run right at the type degree. That would be remarkable for so many reasons. Currently, membership types look OK, yet there’s extremely little setups for them to help in segmentation.
It would certainly be nice to have marking at the subscriber level. This would be powerful.
I assume webhooks must be part of automations to make integrated automations much easier and lower dependence on outdoors tools like Zapier.
There are additionally some minor management user interface adjustments that would certainly come in handy. For example:
- Ability to bulk edit/remove clients.
- Ability to bulk edit messages (for instance, to tag a bunch of them at the same time).
- Having a couple of basic fields as basic on clients (like the name).
- Some more modification alternatives for the site (such as more versatile color options, headline control, etc).
So, yeah … there are some drawbacks. Things I wish they make with it in the future. BeeHiiv is respectable, yet it isn’t excellent and absolutely not almost as established as something like FluentCRM or any other actual CRM product.
It probably never will be, either. As I claimed, the purpose is various so it wouldn’t much a great deal of feeling for BeeHiiv to become a complete marketing automation system. I presume you never ever know, however.
Last Ideas On This BeeHiiv Evaluation
I such as BeeHiiv rather a great deal. Sufficient where I made a decision to switch my own e-newsletters over to the system in spite of my personal choice for digital sovereignty and owning my own platform.
Basically, for the e-newsletter posting model especially, I saw adequate worth in their platform to necessitate the change.
Remember, I do not utilize BeeHiiv as my exclusive e-mail list. I use BeeHiiv wherefore it is efficient, however I deliberately have things establish to make sure that I also maintain my checklist “in house” within 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 listing will certainly be of high use (FluentCRM is a full marketing automation platform and BeeHiiv is not and likely never will certainly be).
So, the question is … should YOU utilize BeeHiiv?
In my point of view, if you are making use of Substack now, I ‘d absolutely think about changing to BeeHiiv. It will just be more business-friendly. It is targeting different capacities and various demands. And also, BeeHiiv also has import devices for Substack, so the button must be rather straightforward.
If you get on ConvertKit currently, I ‘d possibly stay unless you have a large e-mail list and are consequently being wooled with their high monthly bill. You will not (yet) have every feature of ConvertKit with BeeHiiv, but they are repeating promptly. There’s also a pretty good opportunity you’re not even utilizing several of those fancier features of ConvertKit and you do not even need them. Therefore, BeeHiiv can conveniently be a much better and much more budget friendly fit.
Last but not least, if you plan to be really intentional about growing a newsletter, I believe BeeHiiv is THE platform to take into consideration and maintain and eye on for you.
If you use BeeHiiv with eyes wide open concerning what it is designed to be, it is one of the best video games in the area now. This is the platform to watch.
BeeHiiv provides a 14-day trial on their paid plans. It deserves checking out on your own. And if you end up not sticking with the paid plan, you’ll discover the cost-free account to be quite feature rich.