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beehiiv vs Kit vs Substack (2026): cost at 1k to 50k subscribers, free and paid
Last verified against official pricing pages · published 20 Oct 2026
Prices change often. Every price here was checked against the platform's official pricing page on the date shown, but plans, promos and taxes vary. Always confirm on the official site before you buy or switch. Not financial advice.
beehiiv and Kit charge a monthly fee by list size once you outgrow their free plans; Substack is free to run and takes 10% of paid revenue. Below are the totals at five list sizes, computed from each platform's official pricing page. The cheapest option in each row is in bold.
Free newsletter (no paid subscriptions)
| Subscribers | beehiiv | Kit | Substack |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 | $0 (Free) | $0 (Free) | $0 (Free + 10% of paid revenue) |
| 5,000 | $109 (Lite) | $0 (Free) | $0 (Free + 10% of paid revenue) |
| 10,000 | $139 (Lite) | $0 (Free) | $0 (Free + 10% of paid revenue) |
| 25,000 | $199 (Lite) | $199 (Creator) | $0 (Free + 10% of paid revenue) |
| 50,000 | $299 (Lite) | $379 (Creator) | $0 (Free + 10% of paid revenue) |
Per month, monthly billing, cheapest plan that covers the list. beehiiv Free covers 2,500 subscribers and Kit Free 10,000.
With automations (welcome sequences, drip emails)
| Subscribers | beehiiv | Kit | Substack |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 | $59 (Lite) | $39 (Creator) | n/a |
| 5,000 | $109 (Lite) | $89 (Creator) | n/a |
| 10,000 | $139 (Lite) | $139 (Creator) | n/a |
| 25,000 | $199 (Lite) | $199 (Creator) | n/a |
| 50,000 | $299 (Lite) | $379 (Creator) | n/a |
Per month, monthly billing. n/a means the platform has no plan with that feature at this size.
Paid newsletter (5% of subscribers pay $8/month)
| Subscribers | beehiiv | Kit | Substack |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 (50 paid, $400/mo) | $88.40 (Lite) keep $311.60 | $29 (Free) keep $371 | $69.40 (Free + 10% of paid revenue) keep $330.60 |
| 5,000 (250 paid, $2,000/mo) | $256 (Lite) keep $1,744 | $145 (Free) keep $1,855 | $347 (Free + 10% of paid revenue) keep $1,653 |
| 10,000 (500 paid, $4,000/mo) | $433 (Lite) keep $3,567 | $290 (Free) keep $3,710 | $694 (Free + 10% of paid revenue) keep $3,306 |
| 25,000 (1,250 paid, $10,000/mo) | $934 (Lite) keep $9,066 | $924 (Creator) keep $9,076 | $1,735 (Free + 10% of paid revenue) keep $8,265 |
| 50,000 (2,500 paid, $20,000/mo) | $1,769 (Lite) keep $18,231 | $1,829 (Creator) keep $18,171 | $3,470 (Free + 10% of paid revenue) keep $16,530 |
Paid totals = plan + platform cut + Stripe card fees (2.9% + $0.30 per payment, estimate) + Stripe's 0.7% Billing fee on recurring payments where confirmed (beehiiv, MailerLite, Ghost, Buttondown, Substack, AWeber and Flodesk); not added for GetResponse (not confirmed); Kit's 3.5% + $0.30 is all-in. How we model fees. "Keep" = paid revenue minus total cost.
How the three charge you
- beehiiv: Free up to 2,500 subscribers, then Lite or Pro by list size, 0% of paid revenue (beehiiv pricing).
- Kit: Free up to 10,000 subscribers with paid subscriptions allowed, 3.5% + $0.30 per transaction including processing; Creator from $39/month adds automations (Kit pricing).
- Substack: no monthly fee; 10% of paid revenue plus Stripe's fees (Substack: How much does Substack cost?). See Substack fees explained.
Pairwise details: beehiiv vs Kit · beehiiv vs Substack · Kit vs Substack. Thinking of moving? Substack to beehiiv migration · beehiiv to Kit migration.
Try your own numbers in the calculator →
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FAQ
Which is cheapest: beehiiv, Kit or Substack?
For a free newsletter, Substack costs $0 at any size; beehiiv Free covers 2,500 subscribers and Kit Free covers 10,000. For a paid newsletter at 10,000 subscribers with 5% paying $8/month, the totals are beehiiv $433, Kit $290 and Substack $694 per month (monthly billing, including payment processing).
Who takes a cut of paid subscriptions?
Substack takes 10% plus Stripe fees. beehiiv takes 0% on paid plans; you pay Stripe directly. Kit charges 3.5% + $0.30 per transaction, which already includes card processing, on all plans including Free.
When does beehiiv beat Substack?
When 10% of your paid revenue is more than the beehiiv plan price. At 10,000 subscribers beehiiv Lite is $139/month on monthly billing, so beehiiv is cheaper once paid revenue passes about $1,390/month.
Do I need a paid plan for automations?
Yes on beehiiv and Kit: beehiiv Free and Kit Free don't include automations (Kit Creator starts at $39/month for up to 1,000 subscribers). Substack has no automation builder, so it shows as n/a in that table.
Related guides: beehiiv price increase 2026 · Is beehiiv worth it in 2026? Break-even vs Substack, Kit and MailerLite · How newsletter platform prices changed 2023–2026 (from archived pricing pages) · Moving from beehiiv to Kit · beehiiv Free plan (2026) · Moving from beehiiv to MailerLite · Substack fees (2026) · Kit (ConvertKit) Free plan (2026) · all guides
Comparisons: beehiiv vs Kit · beehiiv vs Substack · Kit vs Substack · Cheapest for 500, 1,000, 2,500, 5,000, 10,000, 25,000 subscribers
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