Every founder building in public, creating content, or growing an audience will eventually ask this question: which newsletter platform should I use? The answer used to be simple. Mailchimp. Now there are dozens of options and the three that keep coming up are ConvertKit (now Kit), Beehiiv, and Substack. I have used all three. They serve different purposes, and picking the wrong one wastes months of work.
The 30-second answer
ConvertKit (Kit) is for creators who want powerful automation and sell digital products alongside their newsletter. Beehiiv is for people who want to build a media business with growth tools and advertising. Substack is for writers who want the simplest possible setup and are fine trading control for convenience.
Substack: the writer's platform
Substack is free to use. You only pay when you charge subscribers, and then Substack takes 10%. The writing experience is clean and distraction-free. You get a built-in website, a subscriber base, and the ability to charge for premium content. The network effect means subscribers can discover you through recommendations from other Substack writers.
The good: Zero upfront cost. Clean writing experience. Built-in network for discovery. Dead simple to set up and start publishing. Community features like Notes and chat.
The bad: Very limited customisation. No automation beyond basic email sends. No segmentation worth mentioning. The 10% revenue cut is brutal at scale. If you have 1,000 subscribers paying $10/month, Substack takes $12,000 per year. You cannot even remove the Substack branding. And if you ever want to leave, exporting your subscriber list is straightforward but migrating paying subscribers is painful.
Best for: Writers and journalists who want to focus purely on writing, do not care about design customisation, and want built-in discovery. Not great for founders who need their newsletter to integrate with a broader marketing stack.
Beehiiv: the growth machine
Beehiiv was built by early Morning Brew employees, and it shows. Everything about the platform is optimised for audience growth. The free tier supports up to 2,500 subscribers and includes a custom website, referral program, and basic analytics. The growth tools are what set it apart.
The good: Referral program built in (free tier). Boost network for cross-promotion. Ad network for monetisation. Custom website included. Solid analytics. Good free tier. No revenue share on paid subscriptions. Magic links for frictionless login.
The bad: The email editor is good but not as flexible as ConvertKit's. Automation is improving but still basic compared to ConvertKit's visual workflows. API access is limited on lower tiers. The platform is newer, so some features still feel like they are catching up.
Best for: Founders who see their newsletter as a growth channel. If you want to build an audience, monetise through ads and sponsorships, and grow through referrals, Beehiiv is purpose-built for this. It is the best newsletter platform for founders who want growth without paying for it.
ConvertKit (Kit): the automation powerhouse
ConvertKit, recently rebranded as Kit, is the most feature-rich option of the three. It combines email marketing, automation, digital product sales, and landing pages in one platform. The visual automation builder lets you create complex subscriber journeys based on behaviour, tags, and purchases.
The good: Best automation of the three by far. Visual automation builder with conditional logic. Sell digital products directly (no Gumroad or Lemon Squeezy needed). Advanced segmentation and tagging. Clean landing page builder. Mature platform with years of reliability.
The bad: The free tier only supports 1,000 subscribers with limited features. Paid plans start at $25/month for the Creator plan and $50/month for Creator Pro. No built-in referral program (you need SparkLoop or similar). The new website builder is decent but not as polished as Beehiiv's. Email deliverability has had some reported issues, though most users report it as good.
Best for: Creators who sell digital products (courses, ebooks, templates) and need their newsletter to drive sales through automated email sequences. If your business model involves nurturing subscribers through a funnel that leads to a purchase, ConvertKit is built for this.
Pricing comparison
- Substack: Free. 10% of paid subscription revenue.
- Beehiiv: Free up to 2,500 subscribers. Scale plan at $39/month up to 10,000 subscribers. Max plan at $99/month.
- ConvertKit: Free up to 1,000 subscribers. Creator at $25/month up to 1,000. Scales with subscriber count.
At 5,000 subscribers with no paid subscriptions, Substack costs nothing, Beehiiv costs $39/month (or nothing if under 2,500), and ConvertKit costs roughly $66/month. At 10,000 subscribers, ConvertKit costs about $100/month and Beehiiv costs $39/month. The cost difference between ConvertKit and Beehiiv becomes significant as you grow.
The ownership question
This matters more than most founders realise. With all three platforms, you own your subscriber list and can export it. But your website, your branding, your automations, and your content live on the platform. Substack gives you the least control. Beehiiv gives you moderate control with custom domains and design options. ConvertKit gives you the most control over your email experience and automation logic.
If owning your platform is important, all three integrate with custom websites. You can use any of them purely as an email backend while hosting your content on your own site. But for most founders, using the platform's built-in website is the pragmatic choice until audience size demands a custom solution.
My recommendation
Starting a newsletter to build an audience? Use Beehiiv. The free tier is generous, the growth tools are excellent, and you will not outgrow it quickly.
Writing a newsletter to sell digital products? Use ConvertKit. The automation and commerce features justify the higher price if your newsletter drives product sales.
Just want to write and not think about tools? Use Substack. But know that you are trading long-term flexibility for short-term simplicity.
Compare all three head-to-head using our comparison tool, or explore Mailchimp alternatives for even more options.