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- Which Newsletter Platform Is Right for You?
The Endless Choices
Ever hopped into X or Reddit and asked, “Which newsletter platform should I use?” Only to get whiplash from all the recommendations:
“Substack is the simplest—just start writing!”
“Beehiiv for serious monetization!”
“Try Kit if you want advanced automations!”
Source: Giphy
It can get confusing fast. Fear not—we’ve tested them, compared them, and broke them down so you don’t have to.
By the end of this, you’ll know exactly which platform (Beehiiv, Substack, or Kit) best aligns with your vision, budget, and growth goals.
If you’re curios about specific aspect, click on one of the section below
1. Quick Snapshot
Beehiiv
Best For: Creators who see their newsletter as a business and want robust growth, ad networks, advanced SEO, plus 0% fees on memberships.
Signature Strength: Monetization tools (Ad Network, paid memberships), built-in blog functionality, strong analytics, and powerful referral features.
Heads Up: Premium features (automations, ads, advanced design) require paid tiers. Website customization is improving but still somewhat limited.
Substack
Best For: Writers who want to start simple and focus purely on producing content—especially if they want built-in community features.
Signature Strength: Minimal fuss—no monthly cost, direct paid subscriptions, built-in “discovery” platform for readers.
Heads Up: Takes a 10% cut from your memberships. Limited design, zero advanced automations, and minimal segmentation.
Kit
Best For: Creators needing advanced email marketing automations and e-commerce-like features (selling digital products, advanced funnel building), but who still want a user-friendly interface.
Signature Strength: Low transaction fees (3.5%), robust segmentation, flexible pricing tiers, plus automations.
Heads Up: Customization can be limiting if you want super-polished landing pages. It’s bigger on email marketing features than on creating a public-facing blog.
2. Pricing & Monetization
Substack – “Free to Use, 10% of Everything You Earn”
The Deal: No monthly fee, but Substack scoops 10% of your paid newsletter revenue (plus Stripe’s fees). Fine if you only earn $50 a month, but painful once you scale big time.
Monetization: All about paid subscriptions. Community features (like comments) help sustain your paid base.
Beehiiv – “Pay for Features, Keep Your $$”
The Deal: Free up to 2,500 subs, or jump to paid plans (starting at $39/month) for premium perks—like Ad Network, email automations, advanced SEO, referral program, etc.
Monetization: 0% transaction fees for paid newsletters, integrated Ad Network (i.e., a built-in sponsor marketplace), plus “Boosts” to earn from referring other newsletters.
Kit – “Flexible Automations, 3.5% Fee on Sales”
The Deal: Free plan for up to 10k subscribers, but with limited automations. Paid plans unlock advanced funnels and segmentation.
Monetization: Sell digital products (like e-books, courses) or paid newsletters. The platform charges 3.5% per transaction. Overall more e-commerce vibes than Substack or Beehiiv.
Takeaway
Heavy on paid subscriptions? Beehiiv or Kit will let you keep more revenue vs. Substack’s 10%.
Need a zero-cost start? Substack is “free” (but has that 10% cut) or Beehiiv’s free plan is generous for up to 2,500 subs.
Want advanced e-commerce style selling? Kit is the winner.
3. Design & Customization
Customizing your newsletter is straightforward (pick fonts, colors, layout).
The website builder is improving, but still fairly simple (like choosing color schemes, fonts—no major drag-and-drop modules). Great if you want a quick, well-structured site without the fuss. - Update: Beehiiv rolled out a new Website Builder, powered by Typedream. (On Beta mode at the time of writing)
Substack – “Minimalist & Locked In”
The brand is all about text-focused newsletters. You get a standard layout, limited font choices, and not much else.
Perfect for folks who prefer a minimal vibe and no design headache. Not so great if you want a full-blown brand aesthetic.
Kit – “Slightly More Flexible Emails, Basic Landing Pages”
Offers a more versatile email editor than Substack, letting you incorporate visuals, certain blocks, or branded elements.
Landing pages are workable but not super advanced; you can tweak colors, images, and text, but don’t expect a full website builder.
Takeaway
Pure text fans: Substack’s minimal approach might be your dream.
Branded visuals: Beehiiv or Kit give you more freedom.
Full blog + newsletter synergy? Beehiiv is a solid choice.
4. Automation & Segmentation
Substack – “Send. Done.”
You can schedule posts/emails, but that’s it. No drip campaigns or fancy triggers.
Segmentation is basically free vs. paid subscribers—no tagging or behavior-based segments.
Beehiiv – “Has Automation, But It’s Evolving”
Offers basic automations for welcome sequences, triggered sends, or referral flows.
Capabilities are robust enough for standard newsletter funnels, though less advanced than a dedicated email marketing tool like MailerLite or ActiveCampaign.
Kit – “Advanced Email Marketing DNA”
Drip campaigns, “if-then” triggers, A/B testing subject lines, advanced segmentation (tagging subscribers based on clicks, purchases, etc.).
Perfect if you love visual workflows: you can build out entire sequences for different audience segments.
Takeaway
Want to be hand-off? Substack is super minimal, so no big automations possible.
Need robust segmentation & triggers? Kit is the real MVP.
In-between? Beehiiv’s improved automation will cover typical newsletter use cases.
5. Community & Engagement
Substack – “Built-In Community Vibe”
Built-in comments so readers can discuss posts right on your Substack page.
“Chat” feature to spark discussion threads.
A “discovery” aspect that helps readers find other Substacks, potentially driving new subs your way.
Beehiiv – “Mostly About Email Interaction”
Doesn’t have a natively integrated comments section on your posts, but you can prompt people to reply to your emails.
Has a robust referral program—readers can share your newsletter to earn perks.
Kit – “Interact Through Replies, Surveys & Segments”
Readers can fill in forms or reply, but no direct comments on your “post.”
The real advantage is that you can segment people who respond or click certain links, then follow up in a more personal way.
Takeaway
Craving vibrant, direct conversation? Substack’s comment threads and in-app discovery overshadow Beehiiv and Kit.
Email + data-based engagement? Beehiiv or Kit.
You want to stay on brand and have minimal chatter? Beehiiv or Kit do the job well.
6. SEO & Growth Tools
Beehiiv – “Strong SEO, Ad Networks, & a Blog–Newsletter Combo”
Known for good SEO fundamentals (custom domains, meta tags, sitemaps).
Built-in Ad Network for easy monetization, plus “Boosts” marketplace to cross-promote with other Beehiiv newsletters.
Substack – “Some SEO, But Not the Focus”
Basic SEO features exist (you can edit title, description), but the platform’s a bit “walled garden.”
Great for writing, but not for intense SEO customization or advanced growth hacks.
Kit – “More Email-Focused, Less Onsite SEO”
Provides SEO if you embed forms on your site or create custom landing pages, but it’s not a full blog system.
Growth is more about email list building, automations, and marketing funnels than search engine optimization for your content.
Takeaway
Want the best search-engine findability for your blog + newsletter? Beehiiv has the upper hand.
Prefer discoverability via a built-in writing community? Substack’s “discovery” can help.
Planning major funnel hacks & email marketing expansions? Kit is top.
7. Which to Choose?
So, how do you pick?
Beehiiv
You see your newsletter as a serious, revenue-driving business.
You want a “blog + newsletter” combo with good SEO.
You’re okay paying a monthly fee to unlock powerful growth tools and skip high transaction cuts.
Substack
You want no upfront cost with a frictionless “sign up, start writing” approach.
You dig that community vibe, like letting readers comment on posts.
You’re comfortable giving 10% of your paid subs to Substack.
Kit
You want solid email marketing with advanced automations, plus the ability to sell digital products or courses easily.
You’re drawn to tagging and segmenting your audience for strategic marketing.
You prefer paying a small monthly subscription (and a 3.5% transaction fee on paid memberships/products) to keep more flexibility in how you handle your content.
Final Thoughts: Finding Your Perfect Fit
Substack is great if you want a quick, cost-free entry and a built-in community. But once you start earning big, that 10% cut might sting.
Beehiiv feels tailor-made for creators who want to transform a newsletter into a real profitable business. Pay a monthly fee and keep 100% of your membership revenue. Plus, advanced SEO and an Ad Network sweeten the deal.
Kit merges email marketing power with flexible e-commerce features. If you’re big on segmenting or selling digital products (beyond just a newsletter paywall), you’ll love the marketing automations.
Your Move
If you’re brand-new and love the minimalist approach: Substack.
If you’re ready to build a money-making newsletter with robust growth tools: Beehiiv.
If you’re craving advanced email automations, funnel building, and multiple revenue channels: Kit.
Where do you see yourself?
Comment and let us know which platform resonates with you. Or check out Beehiiv’s 30-day trial + 20% OFF for 3 months to jump in with fewer limitations and more monetization muscle.
Thanks for Reading!
Stay tuned for more Newsletter 101 content.
Until then, happy newslettering!
—The GoLetter Team