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beehiiv vs Kit vs Substack: what a paid newsletter costs
Substack has no plan fee and takes a share of revenue. beehiiv and Kit charge for the plan and take less per payment. Which costs less depends on how much you earn, so enter your numbers.
| Platform | Plan + fees / mo | x 12 |
|---|
Lines: monthly cost as paid subscribers grow from zero, at your list size and price. The dashed line is your current number.
Prices last checked November 13, 2026. Changes since tracking began: price change log. Plans that fit a budget: newsletter plan finder.
How this is calculated
- For each platform we take the cheapest plan that fits the list size and allows paid subscriptions: Kit Free (up to 10,000 subscribers, Commerce available), Creator or Pro; beehiiv Lite or Pro (Free has no paid subscriptions); Substack has no plan fee.
- Monthly revenue is
paid subscribers x price, one payment per subscriber per month. - Substack:
13.6% of revenue + $0.30 per payment(10% Substack fee, 2.9% + $0.30 Stripe card processing for US cards, 0.7% Stripe Billing). - beehiiv:
plan price + 2.9% of revenue + $0.30 per payment(0% take rate, Stripe processing as stated on beehiiv's pricing page). - Kit:
plan price + 3.5% of revenue + $0.30 per payment(Kit Commerce in USD). - Annual payments, taxes, failed payments and app-store purchases are not modelled.
Where Substack's share passes beehiiv's plan price
The $0.30 per payment appears on both sides, so it cancels. What is left: Substack takes 13.6% of revenue, beehiiv takes 2.9% plus the plan price. They cost the same when revenue x 0.107 = Lite price. Below that revenue Substack costs less; above it, beehiiv Lite does.
| Lite tier (subscribers) | Lite, monthly billing | Break-even revenue / mo | Lite, yearly billing (per mo) | Break-even revenue / mo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 | $59 | $551.40 | $49 | $457.94 |
| 2,500 | $79 | $738.32 | $69 | $644.86 |
| 5,000 | $109 | $1,018.69 | $95 | $887.85 |
| 10,000 | $139 | $1,299.07 | $119 | $1,112.15 |
| 25,000 | $199 | $1,859.81 | $169 | $1,579.44 |
| 50,000 | $299 | $2,794.39 | $249 | $2,327.10 |
| 75,000 | $389 | $3,635.51 | $329 | $3,074.77 |
| 100,000 | $469 | $4,383.18 | $399 | $3,728.97 |
Example: on the 1,000-subscriber tier at monthly billing, the plan is $59, so the two cost the same at $551.40 of monthly paid revenue, for example 69 paid subscribers at $8.
Kit compared with Substack
Kit's Free plan covers up to 10,000 subscribers and Commerce is available on it. On these fee figures Kit Free costs less than Substack at any revenue above zero:3.5% against 13.6%, both plus $0.30 per payment. Above 10,000 subscribers you need Creator or Pro, and the break-even is revenue x 0.101 = Creator price:
| Creator tier (subscribers) | Creator, monthly billing | Break-even revenue / mo |
|---|---|---|
| 15,000 | $169 | $1,673.27 |
| 20,000 | $189 | $1,871.29 |
| 25,000 | $199 | $1,970.30 |
| 35,000 | $259 | $2,564.36 |
| 45,000 | $319 | $3,158.42 |
| 55,000 | $379 | $3,752.48 |
| 65,000 | $439 | $4,346.53 |
| 75,000 | $499 | $4,940.59 |
Price is only part of the decision; the plans differ in features. Check beehiiv's siteWe earn a commission if you sign up through this link., Kit's siteWe earn a commission if you sign up through this link. and Substack's site for what each plan includes. For list-size pricing without paid subscriptions, use the newsletter pricing calculator.