- Top Beehiiv features: 0% revenue cut, Beehiiv Ad Network, referral program, Boosts, advanced analytics, A/B testing, free custom domain.
- Free tier (2,500 subs) covers most casual creators. Paid plans ($42-$99/mo) unlock all features.
- Best feature mix: Beehiiv saves money for established creators while providing growth tools.
1. Subscription Management
- Free + paid newsletter tiers.
- Set per-tier monthly price ($3-$50+).
- 0% Beehiiv fee + ~3% Stripe.
- Multiple tiers supported.
2. Beehiiv Ad Network
Built-in advertising marketplace:
- Brands bid for placements in newsletters.
- Beehiiv inserts ads automatically.
- Earn $5-$50 CPM (per 1K emails sent).
- Major source of passive revenue for many creators.
3. Referral Program
Built-in referral system:
- Reward subscribers for sharing (e.g., "Refer 3 friends, get bonus PDF").
- Trackable referral codes.
- Configurable rewards.
- Drives 10-30% of new subs for active newsletters.
4. Boosts
Pay-to-be-recommended in other Beehiiv newsletters:
- Set bid per new subscriber gained.
- Other Beehiiv creators recommend you in exchange for the bid.
- Cost: $1-$10 per sub typically.
- Faster than organic growth.
5. Advanced Analytics
| Metric | What it tracks |
|---|---|
| Open rate | % who opened email |
| Click rate | % who clicked links |
| Subscriber growth | Daily / weekly / monthly |
| Attribution | Where new subs come from |
| Revenue dashboard | Subscriptions + ads |
| Engagement segments | Active vs cold subscribers |
| Geographic breakdown | Where subs are located |
6. Custom Domain
- Free custom domain on all plans.
- Connect via DNS records.
- Looks professional (vs username.beehiiv.com).
- Comparable Substack feature costs $50/year.
7. A/B Testing
Test variations of:
- Subject lines.
- Email content.
- Send times.
- Call-to-action buttons.
Auto-pick winning variant after sample sent.
8. Multiple Newsletters
Run multiple newsletters from one account:
- Different topics, different brands.
- Subscriber overlap tracked.
- Separate analytics per newsletter.
9. Email Automations
- Welcome series (new subscriber).
- Drip campaigns.
- Re-engagement (cold subscribers).
- Upgrade prompts (free → paid).
10. Subscriber Segmentation
Send to specific subscriber groups:
- Engaged vs cold.
- Geographic.
- Source of signup.
- Custom tags.
11. Email Editor
- Modern WYSIWYG editor.
- Drag-and-drop blocks.
- Embeds (Twitter, YouTube, polls).
- Mobile preview.
- HTML/CSS access for power users.
12. RSS-to-Email
- Auto-send blog posts as emails.
- Daily / weekly digest options.
- Pulls from any RSS feed.
13. Magic Link Authentication
Subscribers receive magic links for paid content:
- No passwords to remember.
- Email-based verification.
- Secure + low-friction.
14. Beehiiv API
For developers:
- Subscribe / unsubscribe via API.
- Pull analytics.
- Trigger emails.
- Integrate with CRM / SaaS.
Beehiiv vs Other Newsletter Platforms
| Feature | Beehiiv | Substack | ConvertKit | Ghost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Platform fee | 0% | 10% | 0% | 0% |
| Ad network | Yes | No | No | No |
| Boosts | Yes | No | No | No |
| Custom domain | Free | $50/yr | Premium feature | Free |
| Pricing (mid-tier) | $42/mo | $0 | $15/mo | $9-$199/mo |
| Best for | Growth + monetization | Beginner network | Email automation | Self-hosted |
Frequently Asked Questions
What's Beehiiv's best feature?
0% revenue cut + built-in ad network. Combined: significantly more revenue than Substack at scale.
Is the Beehiiv Ad Network worth it?
Yes for newsletters with 5K+ subs. Provides passive revenue without finding sponsors yourself.
How does Beehiiv referral program work?
Subscribers get unique referral link. Refer X friends, unlock reward. Built-in tracking + reward delivery.
Can I A/B test on Beehiiv?
Yes — built-in for subject lines, content, send times, CTAs. Auto-picks winners.
Is Beehiiv suitable for businesses?
Yes — many B2B newsletters use Beehiiv. Custom domains + advanced analytics + automations support business use.
Key Takeaways
- 0% platform fee + Beehiiv Ad Network = main income advantages.
- Referral program + Boosts = built-in growth.
- Advanced analytics + A/B testing for optimization.
- Free custom domain (vs Substack's $50/year).
- Best for established creators wanting full feature stack.
Drive newsletter signups from one link
Add a UniLink URL to your bios — features Beehiiv signup, samples. Free with click analytics.