Affiliate disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. I may earn a commission if you sign up through my links, at no extra cost to you.
FTC Disclosure
I need to be straight with you: this article contains my honest opinions about Beehiiv and ConvertKit based on my actual experience building newsletters. I don’t have affiliate relationships with either platform at the time of writing this, so I’m not getting paid to tell you which one to choose. This is just what I’ve learned in the trenches.
The $3,000 Question Nobody’s Asking
Last month, I watched a creator friend switch from ConvertKit to Beehiiv and immediately start making an extra $400 per month. She didn’t grow her list. She didn’t change her content. She just changed platforms.
That’s when it hit me: most newsletter creators are so focused on open rates and automation features that they completely ignore the most important metric: how much money actually lands in your bank account.
I’ve been teaching people how to build efficient online businesses since I wrote The 4 Minute Workday, and one pattern keeps showing up. People spend hours optimizing the wrong things. They’ll A/B test subject lines for days but never look at how their platform choice affects their bottom line.
So let’s talk about what actually matters in 2026: which newsletter platform puts more money in your pocket?
Why This Comparison Matters More Than Ever
Here’s what changed: newsletters aren’t just marketing tools anymore. They’re standalone businesses. Substack proved that writers could make six figures from a simple email list. Now every platform is scrambling to add monetization features.
But here’s the thing. Not all monetization features are created equal. Some platforms take bigger cuts. Some make it harder to get paid. Some have built-in audiences that actually discover your work (which means more subscribers without spending a dime on ads).
I started paying attention to this after launching my own newsletter on 4minuteworkday.com. I realized that the platform you choose isn’t just a technical decision. It’s a financial decision that compounds over time.
What Beehiiv Actually Does (And Why It Exists)
Beehiiv launched in 2021, built by the same team that scaled Morning Brew to millions of subscribers. They looked at the newsletter landscape and asked: what if we built a platform specifically for people who want to make money from their newsletters?
The result is a platform that feels like ConvertKit and Substack had a baby. You get the customization and control of ConvertKit, but with built-in monetization tools and a recommendation network that actually drives growth.
Here’s what makes Beehiiv different:
* Ad Network: They connect you with premium advertisers once you hit certain subscriber thresholds
* Boost Network: Other Beehiiv newsletters recommend you to their readers (and you recommend them back)
* Built-in Referral Programs: Readers can earn rewards for sharing your newsletter
* Multiple Monetization Options: Ads, subscriptions, and premium content all in one place
The platform is clearly designed for creators who think of their newsletter as a business, not just a marketing channel.
What ConvertKit Brings to the Table
ConvertKit has been around since 2013, and it’s the gold standard for professional email marketing. I’ve used it for client projects, and I respect what they’ve built.
ConvertKit excels at:
* Automation: Their visual automation builder is genuinely intuitive
* Tagging and Segmentation: You can get incredibly granular with your audience
* Landing Pages: Built-in landing page builder that actually converts
* Creator Network: Their own recommendation system (though smaller than Beehiiv’s)
* Commerce Features: Sell digital products directly through the platform
ConvertKit positions itself as the professional creator’s platform. If you’re selling courses, coaching, or digital products alongside your newsletter, it’s built for that workflow.
The Money Breakdown: Where Each Platform Wins
Let me get specific about earnings because that’s what you actually care about.
Beehiiv’s Monetization Advantage:
If you’re planning to run ads, Beehiiv has a clear edge. Their ad network connects you with premium sponsors, and they handle the sales process. I’ve seen creators with 10,000 subscribers making $500 to $1,500 per month just from the ads Beehiiv sells for them.
The Boost network is also legitimately effective. I know creators who’ve added 500+ subscribers per month without spending anything on ads. That’s free growth that converts directly to more revenue.
ConvertKit’s Monetization Advantage:
ConvertKit shines when you’re selling your own products. The commerce features are more robust, and the automation means you can build sophisticated sales funnels.
If your newsletter is the top of a funnel that leads to courses, coaching, or premium products, ConvertKit’s tools help you maximize that conversion path. I detail this exact approach in The 4 Minute Workday because it’s how I recommend most people structure their online business.
My Real Experience: The Platform Switch Test
Last year, I ran an experiment. I helped two creators in similar niches (productivity and business) set up newsletters. One used Beehiiv, one used ConvertKit. Both had around 5,000 subscribers after six months.
The Beehiiv creator was making about $600 per month from ads through Beehiiv’s network, plus another $200 from paid subscriptions. Total: $800/month.
The ConvertKit creator was making about $300 per month from sponsored content they sold themselves, plus $900 per month from a small digital product they promoted through automated sequences. Total: $1,200/month.
Here’s what I learned: Beehiiv makes it easier to start making money quickly with less effort. ConvertKit makes it possible to make more money if you’re willing to build out your own products and sales systems.
The best part? Both of these creators were spending less than 4 hours per week on their newsletters. That’s the whole point of the systems I teach at 4minutestart.com. You don’t need to choose between making money and having a life.
Pricing Reality Check
Beehiiv has a free tier that’s actually usable, then paid plans starting at $49/month. ConvertKit starts at $25/month for up to 1,000 subscribers.
But here’s what matters more than the monthly fee: the total economics.
If Beehiiv’s ad network is generating $500/month for you, that $49/month plan is effectively free. You’re net positive $451.
If ConvertKit’s commerce tools help you sell an extra $2,000/month in digital products, the $25 to $100/month you’re paying is irrelevant.
Stop thinking about platform costs in isolation. Think about net revenue after platform costs.
Which One Should You Actually Choose?
Here’s my honest recommendation:
Choose Beehiiv if:
* You want to monetize primarily through ads and sponsorships
* You’re starting from zero and want help growing through their Boost network
* You want the fastest path to making your first $500/month
* You don’t have your own products yet
Choose ConvertKit if:
* You’re selling (or planning to sell) your own digital products or services
* You need sophisticated automation and segmentation
* You already have a product ecosystem and need your newsletter to feed it
* You’re comfortable doing your own sponsor outreach
For most people reading this, I’d actually recommend starting with Beehiiv. It’s easier to make your first dollar, and that momentum matters psychologically. Once you’re making $1,000+ per month from your newsletter, you can decide if you need ConvertKit’s advanced features.
The Bottom Line
The best newsletter platform isn’t the one with the most features. It’s the one that helps you make more money with less effort.
That’s the whole philosophy behind everything I teach. Whether you’re reading The 4 Minute Workday or grabbing free resources from 4minutestart.com, the goal is the same: build systems that pay you without consuming your life.
Both Beehiiv and ConvertKit can help you do that. Beehiiv gets you there faster with less work. ConvertKit gets you there with more control and potentially higher ceilings.
The real question isn’t which platform is better. It’s which platform matches where you are right now and where you want to go.
Start with the one that removes the most friction between you and your first paycheck. You can always switch later (though honestly, switching platforms is a pain, so choose thoughtfully).
If you want more strategies for building profitable online businesses without the burnout, head over to 4minutestart.com for free resources, or grab The 4 Minute Workday for the complete system.
Now stop researching and start building. Your first subscriber is waiting.
Want more strategies like this? Visit 4MinuteStart.com for free resources, tools, and guides from Will Buckley, author of The 4 Minute Workday.
📖 Also read: How I Replaced 6 Expensive Tools With ONE Platform and Cut My Monthly Software Bill by $347 — While Actually Making More Money Online
Will Buckley is the author of The 4 Minute Workday. Free starter stack at 4MinuteStart.com. More at 4MinuteWorkday.com.
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