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
CSV header mapper
Rename exported Substack / Legacy Media ESP column headers to the names beehiiv expects. It runs in your browser. Only headers change and values are kept.
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) | $129/mo | $64/mo | +$630 |
| Default volume (25,000) | $229/mo | $89/mo | +$1,530 |
| 200% volume (50,000) | $429/mo | $139/mo | +$3,330 |
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 $229 per month for Substack / Legacy Media ESP and $89 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.