Editorial
Newsletter Platform Fees Compared
Revenue share vs SaaS at scale.
SiteBartar Research · Updated June 2026
Not sure between Beehiiv and Substack? Read our Beehiiv vs Substack comparison →
Fee model types
Rev-share: zero monthly, % of paid MRR.
SaaS: predictable tier jumps at list breakpoints.
Hybrid: SaaS + Boost/ad products on Beehiiv.
Processing: Stripe ~2.9%+ — all paid tiers.
Model Newsletter Platform Fees Compared economics at 12-month list size — rev-share crosses SaaS cost at different MRR depending on platform; newsletter-platform-fees insight frames the math.
Substack economics
Free publish — paid rev-share — substack-review-2026.
substack-10-percent-when-worth-it break-even math.
Notes value not priced separately.
Migration when MRR grows — substack-alternatives-worth-it.
Newsletter Platform Fees Compared guidance in "substack economics" applies to Beehiiv, Substack, ConvertKit, and Ghost in-stack — run newsletter monetization quiz with monetization and automation constraints.
Get your personalized match
Paid, sponsors, or hybrid model fit.
Take the Newsletter Monetization Quiz quiz (~2 min)SaaS platforms
Beehiiv tier table — beehiiv-pricing-2026.
ConvertKit — convertkit-pricing-2026.
Ghost Ghost(Pro) — ghost-pricing-2026.
kit-vs-substack-fees-scale scenarios.
Newsletter Platform Fees Compared guidance in "saas platforms" applies to Beehiiv, Substack, ConvertKit, and Ghost in-stack — run newsletter monetization quiz with monetization and automation constraints.
Scale breakpoints
1K vs 10K subs change winner.
Sponsor revenue may cover SaaS.
newsletter-cost-breakdown-2026 spreadsheet.
Annual vs monthly billing discounts.
Newsletter Platform Fees Compared guidance in "scale breakpoints" applies to Beehiiv, Substack, ConvertKit, and Ghost in-stack — run newsletter monetization quiz with monetization and automation constraints.
Pick on math
Spreadsheet beats blog verdict.
newsletter-monetization-quiz.
Retake quiz crossing tiers.
editorial-standards.
Newsletter Platform Fees Compared guidance in "pick on math" applies to Beehiiv, Substack, ConvertKit, and Ghost in-stack — run newsletter monetization quiz with monetization and automation constraints.
How to decide
newsletter monetization quiz with list size, monetization model, and automation depth stated upfront.
Compare beehiiv-or-substack or convertkit-vs-beehiiv-guide if two ESPs survive constraint filtering.
Configure DNS and welcome sequences before paid traffic — email-deliverability-creators baseline.
Platform tiers change quarterly — re-verify pricing the week you migrate or enable paid billing.
Export subscriber tags to CSV before any ESP migration — tag loss is harder to repair than template mismatch.
Verification before you commit
Screenshot Substack vs Beehiiv vs Convertkit vs Ghost pricing, rule PDFs, or feature limits dated today — "Newsletter Platform Fees Compared" advice goes stale when vendors ship quiet tier changes.
Run a proof project sized to learn workflow: demo account, test send to seed inboxes, or sandbox trade before max deposit.
Follow internal links to compare pages and discover hubs — they answer adjacent questions newsletter monetization quiz alone does not cover.
Retake newsletter monetization quiz in Deep mode if constraints shifted while reading — open-text hints improve edge-case matching.
Bookmark editorial-standards — explainable scoring beats star ratings when annual billing or migration is on the line.
Write down which options you eliminated and why — future-you needs the disqualifiers when renewals or rule changes arrive.
Tools mentioned
Get your personalized match
Paid, sponsors, or hybrid model fit.
Take the Newsletter Monetization Quiz quiz (~2 min)Frequently asked questions
Cheapest at 10K subs?
Usually SaaS beats rev-share if paid MRR high — model yours. Cross-check ESP docs and newsletter monetization quiz before migrating a live list. Editorial-standards explains scoring — affiliates never reorder results.
Substack fee?
Verify going-paid page — ~10% platform historically. Cross-check ESP docs and newsletter monetization quiz before migrating a live list. Editorial-standards explains scoring — affiliates never reorder results.
Hidden Beehiiv fees?
Boost separate from core SaaS — read pricing. Cross-check ESP docs and newsletter monetization quiz before migrating a live list. Editorial-standards explains scoring — affiliates never reorder results.
Ghost fees?
No rev-share; hosting/software cost. Cross-check ESP docs and newsletter monetization quiz before migrating a live list. Editorial-standards explains scoring — affiliates never reorder results.
Switch to save fees?
Migration cost — substack-alternatives-worth-it. Cross-check ESP docs and newsletter monetization quiz before migrating a live list. Editorial-standards explains scoring — affiliates never reorder results.
Quiz?
newsletter-monetization-quiz. Cross-check ESP docs and newsletter monetization quiz before migrating a live list. Editorial-standards explains scoring — affiliates never reorder results.
Sources
- Official vendor documentation — verify before purchase
- SiteBartar editorial-standards
Disclosure: SiteBartar may earn commissions when you click partner links. Affiliate relationships never change match order or editorial scores. Full affiliate disclosure