Substack / Legacy Media ESP vs beehiiv
Estimate what moving from Substack / Legacy Media ESP to beehiiv costs over 12 to 36 months, including the one-time switch. Then remap your exported CSV headers.
Why teams look at this switch: Per-subscriber scaling costs vs flat-rate newsletter tiers with built-in ad network
Cost calculator
Reference price ladder
Reference prices, checked 24 Oct 2026. List prices in USD; converted prices are explained in the assumptions. Prices change and differ by region, tax and contract. Confirm on the vendor's page before you decide.
| Plan | Up to | Monthly billing | Annual billing, per month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Creator 1k | 1,000 | $39 | $33 |
| Creator 3k | 3,000 | $59 | $50 |
| Creator 5k | 5,000 | $89 | $75 |
| Creator 10k | 10,000 | $139 | $117 |
| Creator 25k | 25,000 | $199 | $167 |
| Creator 55k | 55,000 | $379 | $318 |
| Creator 95k | 95,000 | $619 | $520 |
| Creator 105k | 105,000 | $679 | $570 |
| Plan | Up to | Monthly billing | Annual billing, per month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scale 2.5k | 2,500 | $49 | $43 |
| Scale 5k | 5,000 | $79 | $68 |
| Scale 10k | 10,000 | $99 | $85 |
| Scale 25k | 25,000 | $149 | $128 |
| Scale 50k | 50,000 | $199 | $171 |
| Scale 75k | 75,000 | $299 | $257 |
| Scale 100k | 100,000 | $399 | $343 |
Assumptions
- Kit Creator, billed monthly, by subscriber count. Kit publishes some intermediate tiers (for example 35k or 45k) that are not listed here: between listed tiers the next listed price is used, which can overstate Kit's cost. Annual prices are estimated from Kit's stated ~16% annual discount.
- beehiiv Scale by subscriber count, monthly and annual billing (Max plan not modelled).
CSV header mapper
Rename exported Substack / Legacy Media ESP column headers to suggested beehiiv column names, for reporting or manual data preparation. Not an official beehiiv import format. It runs in your browser; only headers change.
Renamed headers do not make a file import-ready. Compare the result with beehiiv's import template and create any custom fields there first. For contact lists, check opt-out and unsubscribe status separately before importing.
| Substack / Legacy Media ESP column | beehiiv column | Field type |
|---|---|---|
| email_address | Suggested | |
| first_name | first_name | Suggested |
| tags | custom_tags | Custom field, create it first |
| created_at | subscribed_at | Suggested |
When moving to beehiiv makes sense
- Your main cost driver is Per-subscriber scaling costs vs flat-rate newsletter tiers with built-in ad network, and your volume is past the break-even point above.
- Your team can finish the CSV import and onboarding within the switching budget you entered.
- You have checked that beehiiv's plan covers the integrations and compliance rules you need.
When staying on Substack / Legacy Media ESP is the better call
- The one-time migration, re-integration or retraining cost is larger than 12 to 24 months of savings.
- You are inside a multi-year Substack / Legacy Media ESP contract with early-termination fees.
- Your workflow relies on add-ons or features beehiiv does not support yet.
How the result changes with volume
Twelve-month totals at half, default and double volume, using the default pricing model and a $150 switching cost.
| Volume (Newsletter Subscribers) | Substack / Legacy Media ESP | beehiiv | 12-month difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50% volume (12,500) | $199/mo | $149/mo | +$450 |
| Default volume (25,000) | $199/mo | $149/mo | +$450 |
| 200% volume (50,000) | $379/mo | $199/mo | +$2,010 |
Questions
How is the total cost of Substack / Legacy Media ESP and beehiiv compared?
Each side's monthly cost is multiplied by the months in the horizon, and the one-time switching cost is added to beehiiv. At the default volume (Newsletter Subscribers: 25,000), the model gives about $199 per month for Substack / Legacy Media ESP and $149 per month for beehiiv.
How do Substack / Legacy Media ESP CSV headers map to beehiiv?
The mapper renames Substack / Legacy Media ESP columns (email_address, first_name, tags, created_at) to beehiiv columns (email, first_name, custom_tags, subscribed_at) in your browser. Custom fields must exist in beehiiv before you import.
When should a company stay on Substack / Legacy Media ESP?
Stay if the one-time switching, integration or contract-exit cost is larger than the savings over the horizon you care about. The calculator shows that case as a negative result.