I would not pick Beehiiv or Substack for monetization because of a Twitter poll. Both can work. Both can become a place where you host a free letter that never quite becomes a business.
The choice is boring logistics plus one strategic question: are you buying discovery or control?
Substack in plain terms
Substack is strong when you want:
- dead-simple paid subscriptions
- a built-in reader network some niches still use
- fast setup if you already have an audience elsewhere
You trade some control and you live inside their ecosystem rules and reputation shifts.
Fees exist. Paid features exist. Read the current pricing page before you model margin.
Beehiiv in plain terms
Beehiiv is strong when you want:
- more growth tooling and newsletter ops in one place
- ad network / sponsorship tooling depending on your niche
- a feel closer to running a small media property
It can be great if you treat the letter like a product with tests, referrals, and segmentation.
Also read their pricing. Features change.
What actually moves money
Your niche moves money.
A sharp B2B letter about one expensive problem beats a general "creator tips" letter on either platform.
Your offer moves money.
"Extra email sometimes" is weak. "Weekly teardowns that save a marketing lead two hours" is stronger.
Your conversion path moves money.
Where do readers come from? Do they trust you before they hit subscribe?
I would decide with one test
If you already have 500+ warm readers, run the same paid offer on paper for both platforms:
- expected fee cut
- payment friction
- referral tools you will actually use
- whether you need a website, ads, or bundles
If you have zero audience, neither platform is a growth fairy. Build distribution first.
My blunt take
Substack if you want the simplest paid letter with minimum fuss.
Beehiiv if you want operator tooling and plan to run sponsorships or growth experiments seriously.
Neither saves a weak offer.
Pick one, commit for six months, and judge by revenue per hour spent — not by platform aesthetics.
