I have used a great deal of different e-mail list systems throughout the years. In the last couple of years, I’ve been a big advocate of digital sovereignty and possessing your very own system. For that reason (and the awesome features), I have been utilizing Beehiiv Vs TinyLetter.
So, it is without a doubt a strange move for me to make a decision to utilize BeeHiiv. Besides, it is an organized application and I am paying regular monthly for it.
Why did I do this?
In this BeeHiiv review, I intend to go over why I made the switch to BeeHiiv for my newsletters. I intend to attend to the issue of digital sovereignty while utilizing the platform and I ‘d likewise such as to resolve why I chose to utilize it over Substack.
Let’s dive in …
BeeHiiv: Built For Newsletters
In Concern # 435 of my newsletter called My Pastime + A Big Change In Method, I discussed just how and why I determined to transform my recreational vehicle blog into mainly an e-newsletter. I chose that was the business model I wished to go after with that property.
But, to purposefully pursue it as an e-newsletter, I wanted a system that was purpose-built for that. I was using FluentCRM for the e-mail checklist for Gladly recreational vehicle, however FluentCRM is not an e-newsletter system. It is developed to be a CRM and marketing automation device and, honestly, utilizing it for newsletters is a little a waste. More on that particular in a bit.
As I said in that issue of the e-newsletter …
Put simply, BeeHiiv is a system with devices developed into it certain to my function. Points such as:
- Ability to publish (to the blog) and send the email at the same time without having it be two different actions.
- Integrated in newsletter referral program. FluentCRM does not have that and I would require a third-party device like Sparkloop.
- Built-in ability to do cross-promotions with various other newsletters on the BeeHiiv platform.
- ” Magic Links”, which are primarily one-click subscription web links. Great for promotion in other newsletters. FluentCRM has Smart Hyperlinks, however, so there are ways to do that.
- Capacity to do paid “boosts” on the BeeHiiv network to advertise your e-newsletter.
- Built-in ad network, if I select to monetize with ads in the newsletter. And I may.
- Integrated capacity to run a paid newsletter upgrade and essentially run a premium e-newsletter. And BeeHiiv doesn’t take a cut.
Basically, BeeHiiv is purpose-built for e-newsletter publishers with features aimed at development. The platform was actually constructed by the individuals who developed the technology for Early morning Mixture. They know what they’re doing.
That is the point below. BeeHiiv is developed from scratch for the function of running a newsletter. FluentCRM has a various function.
And I finished off with this:.
I may certainly be moving 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 Early morning WP, triggered as it’s own building so that I can grow it much more deliberately as well.
The goal is that each e-newsletter has the ability to be branded as it’s very own media entity and grown separately. Gladly recreational vehicle was young, so very easy to transition. But, The Morning WP (previously The Edge) was hidden in a sea of stuff right here at the Blog Site Marketing Academy. By separating it off, I can do what I can to grow it on it’s very own. It will certainly always be very closely tied with the Blog Marketing Academy, but doesn’t have to be a part of it.
I changed to BeeHiiv due to the fact that it was built for this function. FluentCRM was not.
Newsletters Versus Just A Regular Email Listing
There’s a distinction between an e-newsletter system and just an e-mail list.
You can hold your e-mail list everywhere you want and there are a number of them out there, 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 means that it is mosting likely to your web site and to your email clients all at once.
With both BeeHiiv and Substack, you have a website. You are publishing to that internet site. Yet, you are additionally sending off to all customers at the same time. The web site and it’s customers are all in one. This makes management of the platform much easier.
With a lot of e-mail systems, any kind of newsletter you set up is done as an email campaign. It is built totally independently from your internet site. So, for example, you may release a short article to WordPress yet after that you would certainly require to independently develop and send out an email to your listing to send it to clients. These are then 2 different collections of archives and two different activities because article and your emails are not inherently linked.
The closest point that turns WordPress right into a true newsletter system is E-newsletter Glue.
It is a suitable name since it pretty much “glues” your newsletter to your WordPress posts and allows them to be the very same point. Definitely, something like E-newsletter Glue would certainly be a strong alternative if I wished to remain to self-host everything. However, you would certainly lose the growth tools that include a platform like BeeHiiv.
Posting a newsletter naturally comes with a various collection of requirements than a regular email checklist.
You don’t normally need much marketing automation. You don’t normally require autoresponder sequences, event monitoring, and all the bells and whistles of a marketing automation platform.
What you DO need, though, is one seamless publishing experience and growth tools to help you construct your customer base that are specific to newsletters.
BeeHiiv vs Substack
When I introduced to my customers that I was going to switch the newsletter over to BeeHiiv, I had lots of people ask me why I was selecting it over Substack.
To be clear, also besides the truth that I selected to opt for BeeHiiv, that does not indicate I believe Substack draws. As a matter of fact, due to the fact that Substack has actually been about longer, it is more mature and has even more features.
Although BeeHiiv is more youthful, there are a couple points that originally got my interest:.
- BeeHiiv is specifically customized to newsletter publishers. As a matter of fact, it is essentially developed by the exact same individuals who constructed the technology behind Early morning Brew. On the other hand, SubStack targets authors. In the real world, doesn’t matter. Yet, the obvious positioning of BeeHiiv toward e-newsletter growth called me out over the more common positioning of being a “creator”. Development is what I want below.
- That branding and distinction also implies that BeeHiiv has some fairly big brand names and large magazines using it. Whereas SubStack is aimed more at solo makers. Once more, it simply informs me the consumer character distinction between both firms.
Sending our my e-newsletter using FluentCRM really did not exactly draw. The only factor I would certainly ponder shaking things up is if I assumed I might GROW the list faster. And BeeHiiv talked exactly to that objective.
Due to the targeting, I in fact don’t see BeeHiiv and Substack as direct rivals. I think BeeHiiv is targeting a different kind of consumer. As a matter of fact, if anything, I see BeeHiiv and ConvertKit being extra direct rivals.
However, allow’s dive deeper than simply the placing right here.
Points That Make BeeHiiv Better Than Substack
In general, BeeHiiv appears like it was built by individuals who comprehending e-mail marketing. On the other hand, SubStack appears a lot more tailored toward developers.
As an example, BeeHiiv uses customized areas on clients. Now, it isn’t as developed as something like FluentCRM. However, it has it. Substack doesn’t.
BeeHiiv supplies Automations. As a matter of fact, it is an aesthetic automation builder that functions a great deal like what we have within FluentCRM.
To be clear, the automation capability is still early-phase. It is still fairly restricted in triggers and the only activity is the capability to send an email. Nonetheless, improvements are coming. Quickly enough, automations will have new triggers in addition to new activities, such as changing custom-made areas, sending webhooks, and so on. I have actually currently seen improvements to their automations just given that I began using the system. As an example:
- Capability to trigger automations based upon which particular embed form they was available in on.
- Ability to immediately do re-engagement (and take care of individuals based upon opens up and non-opens).
- Capacity to do standard conditional logic branches.
Substack does not have automations like this. Likely, it never ever will. Substack simply can’t do this due to the fact that the target market of Substack just wouldn’t believe to approach this like an e-mail marketing expert.
When it concerns writing your newsletters, the writing user interface of BeeHiiv is just much more tailored towards e-newsletters. In fact, it really has similarities to the WordPress block builder in exactly how it functions. I find it to be extra user-friendly, personally.
Substack’s composing interface behaves and clean, but it would be extra equal to the timeless editor for WordPress. Toolbar at the top.
This difference is greater than just kind. For example, with BeeHiiv you can place a “Area” and after that put anything you want in it. Then, you can place Presence alternatives on that particular section to reveal it just to paid subscribers, conceal it from email, hide from customers, reveal only to clients, and so on. Substack offers absolutely nothing like this.
And when/if the time comes that I begin a costs membership model, BeeHiiv doesn’t take any type of income. As a matter of fact, you actually link approximately your very own Stripe account and it bills directly to it. With Substack, they will certainly take 10% of your income. Depending on the number of clients you get, that 10% can be quite a bit more money than the regular monthly cost of BeeHiiv.
Lastly, BeeHiiv has an API. This could seem unpopular, however what it implies is that there are integrations with BeeHiiv. You can really make BeeHiiv collaborate with the outdoors utilizing devices like Zapier or Make.com. This is HUGE. Substack essentially has … absolutely nothing. No integrations at all.
Overall, I just seemed like BeeHiiv was more built towards real e-mail marketing. It was built by people who “get it”. Also the opt-in types and the landing page creates seem better developed for conversions. Development is the name of the game with BeeHiiv.
Although there are still features I wish 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 actually claimed, Substack placements itself toward “creators” greater than e-mail marketing professionals and newsletter owners. Therefore, you see some points tailored a lot more towards people that simply think in terms of material production.
For instance, Substack supports podcasts. BeeHiiv does not.
Likewise, while BeeHiiv does support numerous publications, they are dealt with rather separately. Whereas Substack does have the capacity to cross-post to multiple magazines at the same time. This isn’t something I require, but … trendy for individuals that might need it.
Substack additionally has even more social performance built-in. For instance, it has a conversation function to host talks with clients. It also has a “Notes” feature which functions kind of like a social networks newsfeed where you can share things from other “Stacks” you’re reading. Intriguing. Overall, Substack is set up to be much more like a social media which supports long-form content.
In general, Substack is also a lot more … minimal. You either care for that or don’t. Directly, I do not. Nonetheless, if the objective is simplicity of user interface and, honestly, features … Substack functions quite well.
Yet, I’ll be clear right here …
When it comes to actual marketing, I do not assume there’s much question that BeeHiiv is much better fit. I looked for more points that make Substack much better than BeeHiiv, however frankly … I have a difficult time locating them.
BeeHiiv Vs ConvertKit
While BeeHiiv and Substack are often with to be the closest rivals, I really see BeeHiiv and ConvertKit being the closer competitors. Both are pursuing the very same target market and have similar capabilities.
ConvertKit is likewise placed at developers (like Substack), yet it is far more strongly accommodating individuals that do it for business. ConvertKit has wonderful visual automation building, it’s own business system, and more. ConvertKit is an actually wonderful platform.
I’m not going to bore you with a complete feature-by-feature break down right here. ConvertKit is popular currently. Yet, below’s how I feel BeeHiiv and ConvertKit contrast …
Points ConvertKit Is Much Better At …
Already, ConvertKit has a lot more flexibility when it pertains to it’s automations. I will certainly also claim that I discover ConvertKit’s automation builder to be a bit a lot more intuitive than that of BeeHiiv.
ConvertKit sustains labeling. This is just a fundamental feature of email checklists that makes it possible for segmentation in a much more flexible means than BeeHiiv currently does. I anticipate BeeHiiv to sustain identifying eventually soon, honestly. It feels like an oversight that it is missing Beehiiv Vs TinyLetter.
ConvertKit does now offer the ability to sell points through their very own platform. BeeHiiv does not. If that is essential to you, it might be a big deal for you. For me, nonetheless, I would constantly select a more straight option anyhow. For me, I choose to utilize my own system powered by WooCommerce.
ConvertKit has actually been about much longer and therefore has way extra integration alternatives. Lots of online devices and WordPress plugins integrate with ConvertKit. ConvertKit also has their very own WordPress plugin that is rather effective. For example, their plugin now even sustains member-gated material in addition to auto-embed of your e-newsletter archives right into your site. Fundamentally, this more very closely puts ConvertKit right into straight competition by having you be able to release to your website and your email checklist at the same time.
BeeHiiv is severely lacking in these type of third-party integrations presently. It’ll arrive. However, we’re not there yet with it.
ConvertKit is also active taking on the development devices of BeeHiiv. As an example, BeeHiiv has the referral program and the Referral Engine where you can not only incentivize individuals to share your e-newsletter with rewards, yet you can likewise pay per lead within the inner ad network of BeeHiiv to grow your listing. These are really remarkable features of BeeHiiv. But …
Did you understand ConvertKit got Sparkloop? Sparkloop is among the most well known viral promotion platforms for e-newsletters … and ConvertKit bought it. You can see the writing on the wall surface wherefore this means for the platform moving forward.
Points BeeHiiv Is Much Better At … Beehiiv Vs TinyLetter
BeeHiiv is much earlier in it’s item cycle than ConvertKit. Part of that indicates much less features and much less integrations, which is all-natural for this stage of the cycle. Nonetheless, it likewise implies that they are rapidly establishing.
In the short time that I have actually been a customer of BeeHiiv, I have actually seen almost weekly release of brand-new features into the system. And these aren’t weak little features … yet big features that are fairly crucial. Their speed of development at this point has actually gone over.
I also very much value exactly how responsive they are. As a matter of fact, one of their product announcements about some style improvements to the website design features really consisted of a small trouble with the content size. I just responded to that email to tell them. I swiftly obtained a reply straight from the chief executive officer:.
That exact same day, the problem was taken care of.
Couple of days later on, I provided one more recommendation …
Indeed, in a little bit over a week of that exchange, the capability to cause automations based upon the embed form utilized was added to the system.
That type of responsiveness and direct involvement of the team is something I truly appreciate.
An additional significant factor of differentiation right here is the cost. Both systems supply complimentary plans, nevertheless the BeeHiiv free plan offers more capacity and even more customers (2,500 vs 1,000) than ConvertKit.
As soon as you most likely to paid plans, the pricing of BeeHiiv is additionally much more beneficial. ConvertKit appears less costly in the beginning look since their pricing web page shows reduced numbers, however the subscriber restrictions are much lower and your cost rapidly raises as your listing expands.
With BeeHiiv, your first level paid plan starts at $42/mo (paid yearly), however you can have up to 10,000 subscribers. That same size list is going to run you $100/month with ConvertKit.
If you update to the “Scale” plan with BeeHiiv (their ideal plan and the one I directly use), you can expand your list approximately 100,000. A list of that dimension would run you $566/month with ConvertKit. If you desire their referral network, too, that places you at the $733/month plan. That’s if you pay yearly, too. With BeeHiiv, you can obtain all that for simply $84/month if you pay every year.
BeeHiiv remains in a totally various league when it concerns pricing (in an excellent way).
Will BeeHiiv at some point increase prices? They could as time goes on. Yet, I’m thinking people like myself who are already in will certainly be locked-in. We’ll see just how things continue.
Points I Would Certainly Like BeeHiiv To Include
One of things you certainly require to remember is that BeeHiiv is relatively young. They do appear to develop rather rapidly and make brand-new item statements rather frequently, however there are some fundamental features I actually wish they had that I require to just await.
One is that they need to have a setting on subscription types where I can choose an automation to run right at the type level. That would certainly be remarkable for numerous reasons. Already, registration types look OK, yet there’s extremely little setups for them to aid in division.
It would be nice to have labeling at the subscriber degree. This would certainly be effective.
I believe webhooks must become part of automations to make built-in automations much easier and reduce dependence on outdoors tools like Zapier.
There are also some small management interface modifications that would be handy. For example:
- Capability to bulk edit/remove clients.
- Ability to bulk edit messages (for example, to mark a number of them at the same time).
- Having a couple of standard fields as conventional on clients (like the name).
- Some more personalization options for the web site (such as even more versatile color choices, headline control, and so on).
So, yeah … there are some shortcomings. Things I wish they do with it in the near future. BeeHiiv is pretty good, but it isn’t perfect and certainly not almost as established as something like FluentCRM or any other genuine CRM item.
It possibly never ever will be, either. As I stated, the purpose is different so it wouldn’t a lot a lot of feeling for BeeHiiv to become a full marketing automation system. I presume you never ever understand, though.
Final Ideas On This BeeHiiv Testimonial
I such as BeeHiiv rather a lot. Sufficient where I chose to change my own e-newsletters over to the system regardless of my individual preference for digital sovereignty and possessing my very own platform.
Basically, for the e-newsletter publishing version particularly, I saw enough worth in their platform to warrant the change.
Keep in mind, I do not utilize BeeHiiv as my unique e-mail checklist. I use BeeHiiv of what it is efficient, yet I intentionally have points establish to ensure that I also maintain my listing “in house” inside of FluentCRM.
If you utilize BeeHiiv, I suggest you do the exact same. It is simply a great insurance coverage, for one. However, having a full-featured marketing automation system for your listing will certainly be of high use (FluentCRM is a complete marketing automation system and BeeHiiv is not and likely never ever will certainly be).
So, the inquiry is … should YOU use BeeHiiv?
In my point of view, if you are using Substack now, I ‘d most definitely consider switching over to BeeHiiv. It will just be more business-friendly. It is targeting different capacities and various demands. Plus, BeeHiiv even has import tools for Substack, so the button must be quite uncomplicated.
If you get on ConvertKit now, I ‘d most likely sit tight unless you have a large email checklist and are for that reason being fleeced with their high monthly expense. You will not (yet) have every feature of ConvertKit with BeeHiiv, but they are repeating swiftly. There’s likewise a pretty good possibility you’re not even using a few of those fancier functions of ConvertKit and you don’t even require them. Therefore, BeeHiiv can easily be a much better and extra economical fit.
Finally, if you plan to be extremely willful regarding growing an e-newsletter, I assume BeeHiiv is THE system to take into consideration and maintain and eye on for you.
If you utilize BeeHiiv with eyes wide open concerning what it is made to be, it is one of the most effective games around today. This is the platform to enjoy.
BeeHiiv supplies a 14-day trial on their paid plans. It deserves having a look at on your own. And if you end up not sticking to the paid plan, you’ll locate the cost-free account to be fairly feature rich.