All three let you start free. They make money from you in different ways, and that difference decides which is cheapest at your size:
- Substack takes a percentage of paid subscriptions.
- beehiiv and Kit charge a monthly fee and take no cut.
We have no affiliate relationship with any of them. Links go to each platform's own site.
Short answer
- Substack: best for a writer-led paid newsletter where discovery inside the Substack app matters and you'd rather not pay anything until you earn. It's expensive once paid revenue grows.
- beehiiv: best for a growth- and sponsor-focused newsletter. It has a free plan up to 2,500 subscribers, a built-in ad network and referral tools, and takes no revenue cut.
- Kit: best if you sell products (courses, templates, coaching) and need email automations and sequences. Its free plan is the most generous on list size: up to 10,000 subscribers, but no automations.
Prices compared (checked 17 Oct 2026)
| Substack | beehiiv | Kit | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Free to publish, unlimited free subscribers | Free up to 2,500 subscribers | Free ("Newsletter") up to 10,000 subscribers |
| Entry paid plan | None; you pay per transaction | Lite: $59/mo, or $49/mo billed yearly (at 1,000 subscribers) | Creator: $39/mo, or $33/mo billed yearly (up to 1,000 subscribers) |
| Next plan | — | Pro: $109/mo, or $95/mo billed yearly | Creator Pro: $79/mo, or $66/mo billed yearly |
| Cut of paid subscriptions | 10%, plus Stripe fees | 0%, plus Stripe fees | 0%, plus Stripe fees |
| Automations / sequences | Basic | On paid plans | Creator and up (not on free) |
| Built-in ads / sponsorships | No ad network | Ad network and sponsor storefront | Paid Recommendations (paid plans) |
Notes: - beehiiv renamed its plans in October 2026. Launch, Scale and Max became Free, Lite and Pro, and the new prices apply to new customers from 1 Oct 2026. - beehiiv and Kit prices rise with subscriber count. Kit Creator is $59/mo at 3,000 subscribers and $139/mo at 10,000 on monthly billing. - Stripe card fees apply on every platform. For US cards that's 2.9% + $0.30, and Substack payments also carry Stripe's 0.7% billing fee.
Break-even: when does Substack's 10% cost more?
Say you charge $8/month.
- 100 paying readers ($800/mo): Substack takes $80. beehiiv Lite costs $49–$59 and Kit Creator $33–$39 at 1,000 total subscribers. beehiiv and Kit are already cheaper.
- 25 paying readers ($200/mo): Substack takes $20. A $39–$59 plan costs more, so Substack is cheaper.
- Rough rule: once paid revenue passes about $400–$600 a month, a flat-fee platform usually costs less than Substack's 10%. The exact point depends on your total list size, because that sets beehiiv's and Kit's price tier.
If you earn from sponsors rather than subscriptions, Substack's 10% doesn't apply to sponsor deals you sell yourself. In that case the deciding factors are growth tools and ad inventory, where beehiiv is strongest.
Things that are easy to miss
- Moving later is possible but costs you. All three export subscriber lists as CSV, and paid subscribers can be moved via Stripe. Expect some lost readers and a few weeks of work. Pick for where you'll be in 12 months.
- Deliverability depends more on list hygiene than on the platform. Use double opt-in and clean out inactive readers. On beehiiv and Kit that also lowers your price tier.
- Substack's network effect is real. Recommendations and the app bring readers that beehiiv and Kit don't. Many writers start on Substack for discovery and move once revenue makes the 10% hurt.
How we compared
We read each platform's current pricing page and help-center pricing articles on 17 Oct 2026 and calculated costs at list prices. No platform paid for placement or reviewed this page. Our paid newsletter research note covers realistic subscriber growth and earnings.
Sources: Substack: how much does it cost, beehiiv pricing, beehiiv October 2026 plan changes, Kit pricing, Kit free plan, Kit Creator vs Pro.