I have made use of a great deal of various email list systems throughout the years. In the last couple of years, I’ve been a substantial supporter of digital sovereignty and having your own platform. Because of that (and the outstanding features), I have been using Beehiiv Twitter Integration.
So, it is without a doubt a weird move for me to choose to use BeeHiiv. Nevertheless, it is an organized application and I am paying month-to-month for it.
Why did I do this?
In this BeeHiiv review, I want to go over why I made the switch to BeeHiiv for my e-newsletters. I want to deal with the issue of digital sovereignty while making use of the system and I ‘d also like to address why I picked to use it over Substack.
Allow’s dive in …
BeeHiiv: Constructed For Newsletters
In Concern # 435 of my newsletter called My Leisure activity + A Large Shift In Strategy, I spoke about just how and why I made a decision to turn my RV blog right into mainly a newsletter. I decided that was the business version I intended to pursue keeping that building.
But, to deliberately pursue it as an e-newsletter, I desired a system that was purpose-built for that. I was making use of FluentCRM for the e-mail list for Happily RV, however FluentCRM is not a newsletter platform. It is constructed to be a CRM and marketing automation device and, honestly, using it for newsletters is a little bit of a waste. More on that in a little bit.
As I stated because concern of the newsletter …
Basically, BeeHiiv is a platform with tools constructed into it certain to my objective. Things such as:
- Capability to release (to the blog site) and send the email all at once without having it be two different activities.
- Constructed in newsletter referral program. FluentCRM doesn’t have that and I would certainly have needed a third-party tool like Sparkloop.
- Built-in capability to do cross-promotions with various other newsletters on the BeeHiiv system.
- ” Magic Links”, which are primarily one-click membership links. Great for promotion in other 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 advertisement network, if I choose to monetize with advertisements in the e-newsletter. And I may.
- Built-in ability to run a paid newsletter upgrade and basically run a costs newsletter. And BeeHiiv doesn’t take a cut.
Generally, BeeHiiv is purpose-built for newsletter authors with features focused on development. The platform was actually constructed by the individuals who accumulated the innovation for Early morning Mixture. They recognize what they’re doing.
That is the point here. BeeHiiv is built from the ground up for the function of running a newsletter. FluentCRM has a different function.
And I ended off with this:.
I might without a doubt be moving The Edge over to BeeHiiv too. A minimum of, I’m strongly considering it.
Well, I really did not consider it for long. As a matter of fact, I just went for it. And actually, The EDGE was re-branded over to The Early morning WP, set off as it’s own home to make sure that I can grow it much more purposefully also.
The objective is that each e-newsletter has the ability to be branded as it’s own media entity and grown independently. Gladly RV was young, so easy to shift. Yet, The Morning WP (formerly The Side) was buried in a sea of things below at the Blog Site Marketing Academy. By dividing it off, I can do what I can to expand it on it’s own. It will clearly always be very closely linked with the Blog Marketing Academy, yet does not have to belong of it.
I switched to BeeHiiv because it was built for this function. FluentCRM was not.
Newsletters Versus Simply A Typical Email Listing
There’s a difference between a newsletter platform and just an email listing.
You can organize your email list just about anywhere you want 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 difference?
The primary distinction is that, with an e-newsletter system, the act of publishing implies that it is going to your web site and to your email customers simultaneously.
With both BeeHiiv and Substack, you have a website. You are publishing to that internet site. But, you are also sending to all clients at the same time. The internet site and it’s customers are done in one. This makes monitoring of the platform much less complex.
With most email systems, any kind of newsletter you established is done as an e-mail campaign. It is built entirely separately from your internet site. So, as an example, you may publish a post to WordPress however then you would certainly require to separately develop and send an e-mail to your listing to send it to clients. These are then two separate sets of archives and two separate activities due to the fact that post and your emails are not naturally linked.
The closest thing that turns WordPress into a true e-newsletter platform is Newsletter Glue.
It is a suitable name due to the fact that it practically “glues” your newsletter to your WordPress blog posts and permits them to be the exact same thing. Certainly, something like Newsletter Glue would be a solid alternative if I intended to continue to self-host everything. Nevertheless, you ‘d lose the growth devices that include a system like BeeHiiv.
Publishing a newsletter inherently features a various set of demands than a common email checklist.
You don’t typically need 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 demand, however, is one seamless publishing experience and development devices to assist you develop your client base that specify to e-newsletters.
BeeHiiv vs Substack
When I revealed 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 fact that I selected to opt for BeeHiiv, that doesn’t imply I think Substack draws. In fact, because Substack has been around much longer, it is elder and has even more features.
Although BeeHiiv is younger, there are a pair things that initially got my interest:.
- BeeHiiv is specifically tailored to newsletter authors. Actually, it is actually constructed by the very same individuals who constructed the technology behind Early morning Mixture. On the other hand, SubStack targets authors. In the real life, does not matter. However, the noticeable positioning of BeeHiiv towards e-newsletter development called me out over the even more common positioning of being a “creator”. Growth is what I have an interest in here.
- That branding and differentiation also means that BeeHiiv has some rather large brand names and huge magazines using it. Whereas SubStack is intended more at solo developers. Again, it simply tells me the customer character difference between both companies.
Sending our my newsletter via FluentCRM didn’t precisely draw. The only factor I would certainly contemplate shaking points up is if I assumed I can GROW the listing much faster. And BeeHiiv talked specifically to that objective.
Because of the targeting, I actually don’t watch BeeHiiv and Substack as direct competitors. I think BeeHiiv is targeting a various sort of consumer. As a matter of fact, if anything, I see BeeHiiv and ConvertKit being much more direct competitors.
But, let’s dive deeper than simply the placing right here.
Points That Make BeeHiiv Better Than Substack
In general, BeeHiiv looks like it was built by individuals who comprehending email marketing. On the other hand, SubStack appears much more tailored toward makers.
For example, BeeHiiv uses custom areas on subscribers. Now, it isn’t as established as something like FluentCRM. Yet, it has it. Substack doesn’t.
BeeHiiv uses Automations. Actually, it is an aesthetic automation builder that functions a whole lot like what we have within FluentCRM.
To be clear, the automation performance is still early-phase. It is still fairly restricted in triggers and the only action is the capability to send out an e-mail. Nonetheless, enhancements are coming. Quickly sufficient, automations will have brand-new triggers along with new activities, such as changing customized fields, sending out webhooks, etc. I have actually currently seen enhancements to their automations just because I started using the platform. For example:
- Capability to cause automations based on which details embed form they can be found in on.
- Ability to automatically do re-engagement (and manage people based on opens up and non-opens).
- Capacity to do basic conditional logic branches.
Substack does not have automations similar to this. Likely, it never ever will. Substack just can’t do this because the target market of Substack just would not think to approach this like an email marketing expert.
When it involves composing your e-newsletters, the writing interface of BeeHiiv is just a lot more geared towards e-newsletters. Actually, it really has similarities to the WordPress block builder in how it works. I locate it to be more user-friendly, directly.
Substack’s composing user interface is nice and tidy, yet it would be much more comparable to the traditional editor for WordPress. Toolbar at the top.
This distinction is more than just form. As an example, with BeeHiiv you can place a “Section” and then placed anything you want in it. Then, you can place Exposure choices on that section to reveal it only to paid customers, conceal it from email, hide from clients, reveal just to subscribers, etc. Substack uses nothing such as this.
And when/if the time comes that I begin a costs membership design, BeeHiiv doesn’t take any earnings. In fact, you actually connect approximately your very own Stripe account and it bills straight to it. With Substack, they will take 10% of your earnings. Depending on how many clients you get, that 10% can be quite a bit even more cash than the monthly cost of BeeHiiv.
Finally, BeeHiiv has an API. This might seem unpopular, however what it indicates is that there are integrations with BeeHiiv. You can actually make BeeHiiv deal with the outdoors utilizing tools like Zapier or Make.com. This is HUGE. Substack actually has … absolutely nothing. No integrations whatsoever.
In general, I just felt like BeeHiiv was more built towards real email marketing. It was built by individuals that “get it”. Even the opt-in forms and the landing page designs appear better developed for conversions. Growth is the name of the game with BeeHiiv.
Despite the fact that there are still features I want to see BeeHiiv include, I such as the instructions it is going more than Substack.
Points That Make Substack Better Than BeeHiiv
As I have actually stated, Substack settings itself towards “developers” greater than e-mail marketers and e-newsletter owners. For that reason, you see some points geared more toward individuals who just assume in terms of content development.
As an example, Substack supports podcasts. BeeHiiv does not.
Likewise, while BeeHiiv does support several magazines, they are dealt with rather individually. Whereas Substack does have the ability to cross-post to numerous publications at the same time. This isn’t something I need, but … awesome for individuals that could need it.
Substack likewise has more social functionality built-in. For instance, it has a chat feature to host chats with customers. It additionally has a “Notes” feature which works sort of like a social media sites newsfeed where you can share things from various other “Stacks” you’re reading. Intriguing. On the whole, Substack is set up to be more like a social network which sustains long-form material.
In general, Substack is likewise extra … minimal. You either look after that or do not. Directly, I don’t. Nonetheless, if the goal is simplicity of user interface and, truthfully, features … Substack functions pretty well.
But, I’ll be clear below …
When it concerns actual marketing, I do not assume there’s much question that BeeHiiv is better suited. I searched for even more factors that make Substack far better than BeeHiiv, yet truthfully … I have a tough time locating them.
BeeHiiv Vs ConvertKit
While BeeHiiv and Substack are frequently through to be the closest rivals, I actually see BeeHiiv and ConvertKit being the closer competitors. Both are going after the exact same target audience and have comparable capabilities.
ConvertKit is additionally positioned at creators (like Substack), yet it is far more highly catering to individuals that do it for organization. ConvertKit has nice visual automation structure, it’s very own commerce system, and more. ConvertKit is a really wonderful platform.
I’m not going to birthed you with a full feature-by-feature breakdown here. ConvertKit is well known already. But, below’s just how I really feel BeeHiiv and ConvertKit contrast …
Things ConvertKit Is Better At …
As of now, ConvertKit has more adaptability when it comes to it’s automations. I will certainly likewise state that I discover ConvertKit’s automation builder to be a bit a lot more user-friendly than that of BeeHiiv.
ConvertKit supports tagging. This is just a standard function of email listings that enables division in a much more adaptable means than BeeHiiv currently does. I anticipate BeeHiiv to sustain identifying at some time quickly, truthfully. It feels like an oversight that it is missing out on Beehiiv Twitter Integration.
ConvertKit does currently give the capability to market things by means of their own system. BeeHiiv does not. If that is very important to you, it may be a big deal for you. For me, nonetheless, I would certainly constantly select a more straight alternative anyway. For me, I choose to use my very own system powered by WooCommerce.
ConvertKit has been about much longer and for that reason has way extra integration choices. Lots of online tools and WordPress plugins integrate with ConvertKit. ConvertKit even has their own WordPress plugin that is rather effective. For example, their plugin currently even sustains member-gated web content in addition to auto-embed of your newsletter archives right into your website. In essence, this a lot more carefully places ConvertKit into straight competitors by having you have the ability to release to your website and your e-mail list at the same time.
BeeHiiv is drastically lacking in these type of third-party integrations currently. It’ll get there. But, we’re not there yet with it.
ConvertKit is even hectic tackling the growth devices 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 perks, yet you can likewise pay per lead within the interior advertisement network of BeeHiiv to expand your list. These are truly incredible features of BeeHiiv. However …
Did you understand ConvertKit got Sparkloop? Sparkloop is just one of one of the most popular viral promotion platforms for e-newsletters … and ConvertKit bought it. You can see the composing on the wall surface for what this indicates for the platform moving forward.
Points BeeHiiv Is Much Better At … Beehiiv Twitter Integration
BeeHiiv is much earlier in it’s item cycle than ConvertKit. Part of that means less features and much less integrations, which is all-natural for this stage of the cycle. Nonetheless, it likewise implies that they are quickly developing.
In the short time that I have actually been a customer of BeeHiiv, I have witnessed almost once a week release of brand-new features right into the platform. And these aren’t weak little features … but large features that are fairly vital. Their speed of advancement at this moment has been impressive.
I also quite appreciate just how receptive they are. As a matter of fact, among their item statements about some style enhancements to the web design features in fact had a tiny trouble with the web content size. I just replied to that email to tell them. I swiftly obtained a reply directly from the chief executive officer:.
That very same day, the problem was taken care of.
Few days later on, I gave them an additional tip …
Certainly, in a bit over a week of that exchange, the capability to activate automations based on the embed kind made use of was included in the system.
That type of responsiveness and straight participation of the group is something I actually appreciate.
An additional significant point of differentiation right here is the rate. Both platforms use free plans, nonetheless the BeeHiiv free plan supplies a lot more capacity and even more customers (2,500 vs 1,000) than ConvertKit.
As soon as you go to paid plans, the pricing of BeeHiiv is also much more favorable. ConvertKit seems less expensive in the beginning glance due to the fact that their pricing page shows lower numbers, however the subscriber restrictions are much lower and your rate promptly enhances as your listing expands.
With BeeHiiv, your first level paid plan starts at $42/mo (paid every year), however you can have up to 10,000 subscribers. That same dimension list 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 personally use), you can expand your checklist as much as 100,000. A checklist of that size would certainly run you $566/month with ConvertKit. If you want their referral network, too, that puts you at the $733/month plan. That’s if you pay annually, as well. With BeeHiiv, you can obtain all that for just $84/month if you pay each year.
BeeHiiv is in a completely various league when it concerns pricing (in an excellent way).
Will BeeHiiv ultimately raise prices? They might as time takes place. But, I’m guessing people like myself that are already in will certainly be locked-in. We’ll see exactly how points proceed.
Things I Would Certainly Like BeeHiiv To Add
Among the important things you definitely require to bear in mind is that BeeHiiv is relatively young. They do seem to advance instead quickly and make brand-new product announcements rather usually, however there are some fundamental features I really desire they had that I require to just wait on.
One is that they require to have a setup on registration forms where I can pick an automation to run right at the form degree. That would certainly be amazing for numerous factors. Currently, subscription types look OK, but there’s very little setups for them to aid in segmentation.
It would behave to have marking at the subscriber level. This would be powerful.
I assume webhooks need to belong to automations to make built-in automations less complicated and decrease dependence on outdoors devices like Zapier.
There are additionally some small management user interface adjustments that would certainly come in handy. As an example:
- Capability to mass edit/remove clients.
- Capacity to mass edit blog posts (for example, to tag a lot of them at the same time).
- Having a couple of standard fields as common on clients (like the name).
- Some even more personalization choices for the site (such as more versatile shade options, heading control, and so on).
So, yeah … there are some drawbacks. Things I hope they make with it in the future. BeeHiiv is pretty good, however it isn’t excellent and absolutely not virtually as created as something like FluentCRM or any other actual CRM item.
It most likely never will certainly be, either. As I stated, the purpose is different so it would not much a lot of feeling for BeeHiiv to come to be a full marketing automation system. I presume you never ever recognize, though.
Last Thoughts On This BeeHiiv Review
I like BeeHiiv rather a whole lot. Enough where I made a decision to switch my own e-newsletters over to the platform in spite of my personal preference for digital sovereignty and possessing my very own platform.
Basically, for the e-newsletter posting model specifically, I saw sufficient value in their platform to warrant the adjustment.
Keep in mind, I do not make use of BeeHiiv as my special email list. I use BeeHiiv for what it is efficient, yet I purposefully have points set up to ensure that I additionally maintain my listing “in residence” inside of FluentCRM.
If you make use of BeeHiiv, I recommend you do the same. It is simply a good insurance policy, for one. However, having a full-featured marketing automation system for your checklist will certainly be of high usage (FluentCRM is a full marketing automation platform and BeeHiiv is not and likely never ever will be).
So, the concern is … should YOU utilize BeeHiiv?
In my viewpoint, if you are making use of Substack today, I ‘d absolutely consider changing to BeeHiiv. It will simply be much more business-friendly. It is targeting various abilities and different needs. And also, BeeHiiv also has import devices for Substack, so the button needs to be quite simple.
If you get on ConvertKit now, I ‘d possibly stay unless you have a big email checklist and are for that reason being fleeced with their high month-to-month bill. You will not (yet) have every feature of ConvertKit with BeeHiiv, yet they are iterating promptly. There’s also a pretty good possibility you’re not also using a few of those fancier functions of ConvertKit and you do not even need them. Therefore, BeeHiiv can conveniently be a better and extra economical fit.
Lastly, if you plan to be very willful regarding expanding a newsletter, I assume BeeHiiv is THE platform to take into consideration and keep and eye on for you.
If you make use of BeeHiiv with eyes wide open about what it is designed to be, it is one of the very best video games in town today. This is the platform to watch.
BeeHiiv provides a 14-day trial on their paid plans. It deserves taking a look at 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.