#Beehiiv: The Substack Challenger
A newsletter platform built by Morning Brew alumni promised to be “Substack, but better”—and rapidly grew by offering superior tools for growth-focused creators.
The Launch
Beehiiv launched in November 2021, founded by former Morning Brew employees Tyler Denk, Benjamin Hargett, and Jake Hurd. They’d built one of the most successful newsletters (4+ million subscribers) and knew exactly what tools creators needed.
The platform launched with features Substack lacked: built-in referral programs, A/B testing, advanced analytics, and monetization beyond subscriptions.
The Growth Focus
While Substack emphasized writing and community, Beehiiv emphasized growth and monetization. The built-in referral system (reward readers for sharing) helped newsletters grow organically.
Ad network integration let creators monetize without charging readers. Premium features included custom domains, white-labeling, and API access—targeting serious newsletter businesses, not casual writers.
The Rapid Rise
Beehiiv grew from 0 to 3,000+ publishers in its first year. High-profile creators like Milk Road, The Neuron, and Superhuman switched from Substack, validating the platform’s approach.
The company raised $12.5 million in September 2022 at an undisclosed valuation, positioning itself as the newsletter platform for ambitious creators who viewed newsletters as businesses, not hobbies.
The Competition
The newsletter platform wars heated up: Substack (writing-first), Ghost (open source), ConvertKit (creator-focused), Mailchimp (corporate), and Beehiiv (growth-focused).
Each served different creator types, but Beehiiv’s positioning as “the platform used by professional newsletter operators” appealed to creators treating content as a business.
The Future
Beehiiv represented the newsletter economy’s maturation—moving beyond “write and hope people subscribe” to sophisticated growth strategies, monetization mix, and business operations.
Whether it could dethrone Substack’s cultural dominance remained uncertain, but its rapid growth proved demand for newsletter infrastructure beyond basic email.
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