Disclosure: This page contains an affiliate link for beehiiv. If you start a newsletter through it, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you — and this isn't a tool we picked to monetize, it's the one we already run our own newsletter, The AI Stack, on. Where a downside is real, we say so.
Tools we actually use
The Platform Behind Our Newsletter: An Honest Look at beehiiv
We publish a weekly newsletter, The AI Stack, on beehiiv — so this isn't a roundup written from a spec sheet. It's the platform we log into every week. If you've been circling the idea of starting a newsletter and keep getting stuck on "which tool," this page is the short version of what we'd tell a friend: what beehiiv genuinely does well, where it can frustrate you, and who should probably use something else instead.
The one-line version: beehiiv was built by people who came from a large newsletter (Morning Brew), so growth and monetization tools are first-class instead of bolted on. That's the reason to pick it — and, if you just want a plain personal email list, also the reason it might be more than you need.
The 10-second version
- We run our own newsletter on beehiiv — this is a first-hand take, not a spec-sheet roundup.
- Free to start, with referrals and a discovery network built in from day one instead of bolted on.
- Opinionated toward growth and monetization — if you want a tiny, private list, that framing is noise you didn't ask for.
- Best fit: creators who want the newsletter to eventually grow and earn, not just exist.
What beehiiv does well
- A real free tier. You can start a newsletter and publish to your first subscribers without paying — the pressure to upgrade only shows up once you're actually growing.
- Growth is built in, not an add-on. A referral program, a recommendation network to get discovered by other newsletters, and clean subscribe/landing pages come standard. On most older tools you'd cobble these together from plugins.
- Monetization when you're ready. Paid subscriptions and an ad network are available inside the same dashboard, so "hobby newsletter" and "newsletter that pays you" are the same product, not a painful migration later.
- It doesn't feel like 2010. The editor and analytics are genuinely modern — the kind of thing that makes you more likely to actually hit publish.
Where it can frustrate you (the honest part)
- It's opinionated toward growth. If your goal is a tiny private list for a handful of people, the growth-and-monetization framing is noise you didn't ask for.
- Pricing scales with subscribers. Free to start, but as your list grows the paid tiers step up — check the current pricing page before you assume where you'll land.
- Deep e-commerce automation isn't the point. If you need heavy behavioral automation tied to a store, a dedicated marketing-automation tool may fit better than a newsletter-first platform.
Who should start on beehiiv — and who shouldn't
| Start on beehiiv if… | Look elsewhere if… |
|---|---|
| You want the newsletter to grow and, eventually, earn. | You want a small, private list with zero growth pressure. |
| You value built-in referrals + a discovery network. | Your whole world is an online store needing deep automation. |
| You want to start free and upgrade only when it's working. | You already live inside another ecosystem and won't move. |
Pricing and features are 2026 figures and change — confirm the current details on beehiiv's own site before committing.
How to start (it takes about 10 minutes)
- Create a free account and name your newsletter.
- Write one short "here's what this is and who it's for" welcome post — don't overthink issue #1.
- Turn on the referral program and grab your subscribe page link.
- Tell the people already in your world first; worry about scale after issue #3, not before issue #1.
Start a free newsletter on beehiiv →
Affiliate link — starting through it may earn us a commission at no cost to you. New signups referred this way also get a 14-day trial and 20% off their first 3 months.
Not sure a newsletter is your next move?
If what you actually need is to get your own week under control first, that's a different (and cheaper) problem. Our free ADHD-friendly daily planner is a no-email-required place to start.
Get the free planner →FAQ
- Is beehiiv really free to start?
- Yes — there's a genuine free tier you can publish on. Paid tiers kick in as your subscriber count and feature needs grow; check the current pricing page for the exact thresholds.
- Do I need a big audience before it's worth it?
- No. Because the free tier and growth tools are built in from day one, beehiiv is arguably more useful before you have an audience than after — the referral and recommendation features are how small lists get found.
- Is beehiiv better than Substack?
- Different bets. Substack leans on its own reader network and a simple writing experience; beehiiv gives you more control over growth mechanics, list ownership, and monetization inside one dashboard. If you want the newsletter to become a business, beehiiv's toolset is the stronger fit; if you just want to write, Substack's simplicity is appealing.
- Why are you recommending it?
- Because we use it for our own newsletter and it's an affiliate partner — both are true and both are disclosed. We'd rather point you at the tool we actually run than one we've only read about.
Bottom line: beehiiv is the platform we actually run our own newsletter on, and the reason is simple — growth and monetization aren't an upgrade path you'll hit a wall and have to migrate for later, they're there from the free tier up. If you've been putting off starting because "which tool" felt like a real decision, it's free to find out.