beehiiv vs Substack: flat fee or 10% of your revenue?
These two don't compete on the same axis. Substack is free to start but takes 10% of everything you earn. beehiiv charges a flat monthly fee and takes 0% of subscriptions. The right choice flips at a specific income level — here's the exact math.
Fees verified 2026-07-12 from official sources.
The core difference
| Platform | Platform fee | Cut of subscription revenue | Payment processing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Substack | $0/mo | 10% | Stripe 2.9% + $0.30 |
| beehiiv Scale | $43–$290/mo (by list size) | 0% | Stripe 2.9% + $0.30 |
Same payment processor, opposite fee model. Substack's cost rises with your income; beehiiv's is fixed once you pick a subscriber tier. So the winner depends entirely on how much you earn, not just how big your list is.
Where beehiiv overtakes Substack (the crossover)
beehiiv is cheaper once your yearly paid revenue crosses ~10× beehiiv's yearly fee (because 10% of revenue = beehiiv's flat fee at that point). Using beehiiv Scale's flat fee at each list size:
| List size | beehiiv Scale /yr* | Substack cheaper below | beehiiv cheaper above |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 | ~$444 | < $4,440/yr revenue | > $4,440/yr |
| 5,000 | ~$936 | < $9,360/yr | > $9,360/yr |
| 10,000 | ~$1,152 | < $11,520/yr | > $11,520/yr |
| 25,000 | ~$1,788 | < $17,880/yr | > $17,880/yr |
*beehiiv Scale flat fee × 12, using annual-billing rate. Crossover ignores Stripe fees since both platforms charge the same processing — it cancels out. Rule of thumb: free/hobby newsletter → Substack; monetizing seriously → beehiiv.
Worked example: 5,000 subscribers, $12,000/yr paid revenue
- Substack: 10% of $12,000 = $1,200/yr to the platform.
- beehiiv Scale: flat ~$936/yr, regardless of your $12,000 revenue — you keep the other $264 vs Substack.
Every extra dollar you earn past the crossover widens beehiiv's lead, because Substack keeps taking 10% while beehiiv's bill stays flat.
When Substack still wins
Substack isn't just pricing — it's a discovery network and a reader app with built-in recommendations and a social layer (Notes). If a meaningful share of your growth comes from Substack's own ecosystem, that distribution can be worth more than the 10%. And if your newsletter is free or barely monetized, Substack costs you $0 while beehiiv Scale bills monthly regardless.
Check your exact numbers
Use the home-page calculator for flat-fee costs at your list size, then apply your own paid-revenue figure against the crossover table above.
Sources
Substack: 10% platform fee + Stripe 2.9%+$0.30 (official support docs, cross-checked multiple sources, 2026-07-12). beehiiv: 0% subscription take-rate confirmed on official pricing FAQ; Scale flat fees from pricing slider, 2026-07-12.