Substack vs Beehiiv vs Kit Cost Calculator

Compare subscription costs, platform fees, and transaction charges between Substack, Beehiiv, and Kit (ConvertKit) with this free cost comparison tool.

Mathematical Audit

Newsletter Platform Cost Formulas

Calculate monthly platform fees, subscription overhead, and standard credit card processing charges based on subscriber count and paid revenues.

Substack Cost = Paid Revenues × 10% + Stripe Fees
Beehiiv Cost = subscriber Tier Subscription Cost + Stripe Fees
Kit Cost = subscriber Tier Subscription Cost + (Paid Revenues × 3.5%) + Stripe Fees
Stripe Fee = (Paid Revenues × 2.9%) + (Paid Subscribers × $0.30)
Net Take-Home = Paid Revenues + Sponsorships - Total Platform Cost

Stripe processing fees are standard credit card processor charges. Kit Commerce charges a 3.5% transaction fee on course and subscription checkouts.

Operational Guide

How to Compare Newsletter Costs

1

Input your total subscriber count

Enter your combined list size (free and paid members) to project tier subscription rates.

2

Set active paid subscribers count

Input how many subscribers pay for premium access (e.g. 500 paid subscribers).

3

Set average monthly subscription rate

Enter the average monthly membership price charged per paid subscriber (e.g. $5).

4

Enter monthly sponsorships

Include any additional advertising or sponsorship earnings to model your total net payout.

5

Choose billing cycle and select plans

Select monthly or annual subscription terms, and select your preferred tiers for Beehiiv and Kit.

Real-World Scenario Example

"A creator has a 10,000 subscriber list with 300 paying $5/mo, making $1,500/mo subscription revenue. They select annual billing and compare Beehiiv Scale vs Kit Creator."

Inputs

totalSubscribers:10000
paidSubscribers:300
monthlySubPrice:5
monthlySponsorship:0
billingCycle:annual
beehiivPlan:scale
kitPlan:creator

Result

Substack cost: $283.50 (Net: $1,216.50). Beehiiv cost: $223.50 (Net: $1,276.50). Kit cost: $286.00 (Net: $1,214.00). Beehiiv is the cost winner.

Important Disclaimer

All cost comparisons are estimates for strategic planning. Platform prices, features, and gateway processing rates fluctuate depending on payment method, region, and platform updates.

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