Beehiiv Creators React to Upcoming Price Hike
Beehiiv, a rising creator platform that serves as an alternative to Substack, is set to increase its prices, leaving many users dissatisfied. In a recent announcement, cofounder and CEO Tyler Denk explained that the price hike will enable the company to “continue investing in our core platform experience.”
As part of this update, Beehiiv is rebranding its midrange Scale plan to Lite, which will see a price increase of at least $10 per month based on subscriber count. For instance, users with up to 10,000 subscribers will now pay $139 per month, up from $109. The Pro plan, previously known as Max, will now cost $239 per month for the same subscriber count, a rise from the former price of $219. However, creators with fewer than 2,500 subscribers can still use Beehiiv for free.
This price increase has prompted several creators on social media to rethink their choice of platform, especially since many joined Beehiiv to avoid the 10 percent cut that Substack takes from total subscription revenue. Freelance journalist Tim Stevens voiced his frustration on Bluesky, noting that after switching to Beehiiv earlier this year, he has seen a decline in sponsor options and ad rates. “Now, Beehiiv is hiking its fees 25%, making this an even less profitable endeavor,” he stated.
Matt Lombardo, who recently transitioned his NFL news site Between the Hashmarks from Substack to Beehiiv, also expressed his concerns. “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,” he shared on Threads.
In a Reddit post, Extra Points creator Matt Brown remarked that while he views Beehiiv as a “steal” compared to Substack, he recognizes that this may not hold true for many other publishers, particularly those who do not charge subscription fees for their content. He noted, “As these prices increase, I think it’s becoming increasingly clear that 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. You’ll be able to get similar functionality at a lower startup cost, and can plug in affiliate ads via other networks.”
Beehiiv has set itself apart from other platforms by providing a wealth of built-in features, such as an integrated ad network, website personalization options, and tools for podcast creation. The company recently introduced a new feature that enables creators to build a community directly into their website. “It’s only the second time we’ve ever updated our plans and pricing in Beehiiv’s near five-year history,” Denk noted. “Over the past several years, we have greatly expanded the capabilities of the platform.”
