Beehiiv, the creator platform that has grown popular as an alternative to Substack, is raising its prices — and some users are not pleased. The company is increasing its fees by at least $10 per month across its plans, a move that comes as creators who left Substack to avoid its 10 percent cut are now facing higher costs on the platform they chose to escape it.
The Plan Changes
Beehiiv is changing the name of its midrange Scale plan to Lite. That plan has gone up by at least $10 per month depending on subscriber count. For someone with up to 10,000 subscribers, Beehiiv will charge $139 per month instead of $109. The Pro plan, formerly called Max, will cost $239 per month for up to 10,000 subscribers, a jump from the previous $219 per month. Creators with fewer than 2,500 subscribers can still use Beehiiv for free.
What Creators Are Saying
Several creators have taken to social media to express their displeasure. Freelance journalist Tim Stevens, who switched to Beehiiv earlier this year, posted on Bluesky about the changes he has seen since his move. “Since then, the sponsor choices and ad rates have tanked,” Stevens writes. “Now, Beehiiv is hiking its fees 25%, making this an even less profitable endeavor.”
Matt Lombardo, who moved his NFL news site Between the Hashmarks from Substack to Beehiiv, also weighed in on Threads. “Beehiiv raising prices without yet offering video podcasts, a viable consistent growth engine on platform, or podcast ads is pretty frustrating to experience, as someone who enjoys the platform,” Lombardo writes.
Matt Brown’s Warning
Matt Brown, the creator behind Extra Points, posted his own thoughts on Reddit. He agrees that Beehiiv is a steal compared to Substack but acknowledges that the deal is not the same for everyone. “Really isn’t true for many other publishers,” especially for those who don’t charge a subscription fee for their work.
Brown warns that the price increase could push smaller creators away from the platform. “If you have under 10K subscribers and rely on Beehiiv to do the majority of your rev-gen, and ESPECIALLY if you’re outside the United States, the answer is going to be No. It isn’t worth it,” he writes. “You’ll be able to get similar functionality at a lower startup cost, and can plug in affiliate ads via other networks.”
Why Beehiiv Raised Prices
Beehiiv cofounder and CEO Tyler Denk posted an explanation of the increase. “It will allow us to continue investing in our core platform experience,” he writes. “It’s only the second time we’ve ever updated our plans and pricing in Beehiiv’s near five year history.” Over the past several years, the company has greatly expanded the capabilities of the platform, including an integrated ad network, website personalization options, and podcast creation tools.
The Timing Problem
The frustration expressed by Stevens and Lombardo centers on timing. Both recently moved to Beehiiv to avoid Substack’s 10 percent cut on subscription revenue. Now that Beehiiv has raised its own fees, they feel the platform has become less profitable than the one they left.
Lombardo’s complaint is particularly pointed. He wants video podcasts, a growth engine, and podcast ads before the company raises prices again. Without those features, he sees the fee hike as premature.
Who Is Affected
The impact falls hardest on creators with fewer than 10,000 subscribers. Those who rely on Beehiiv for most of their revenue and are outside the United States face a particularly difficult position, according to Brown’s warning. The price increase makes the platform less attractive for them.
The Comparison to Substack
Substack charges a 10 percent fee on total subscription revenue. Beehiiv does not take a percentage of revenue, but it does charge a flat fee for its plans. The comparison is not straightforward, but the sentiment is clear: creators who thought they were escaping the Substack tax now find themselves paying more elsewhere.
What Comes Next
Denk’s post suggests the company will keep investing in its platform. Whether that investment will address the concerns raised by Stevens and Lombardo remains to be seen. For now, the price hike has prompted a wave of reconsideration among Beehiiv’s user base.
| Plan | Old Price | New Price |
|---|---|---|
| Lite (formerly Scale) | $109/month | $139/month |
| Pro (formerly Max) | $219/month | $239/month |
The question now is whether the creators who have already made the switch will stick with Beehiiv.
Source material: “Beehiiv creators are buzzing about a new price increase,” The Verge.
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