When people say “monetize a newsletter,” most think only of paid subscriptions. The real power is running several streams at once. That's what sets beehiiv apart: four revenue streams in one platform — and it takes no cut on subscriptions.
Everything below comes from beehiiv's own pages; all sourced. I'm a beehiiv affiliate — but the streams here are the platform's real features, not hype.
| Stream | How it works | When |
|---|---|---|
| Ad network | The platform matches you with advertisers | From ~1,000 subs |
| Boosts | Other newsletters pay you per subscriber ($1-3) | Scale plan |
| Paid subscriptions | Readers subscribe — 0% cut | Scale plan |
| Sponsorships | Direct sponsor deals | Anytime |
The real difference: 0% cut
beehiiv takes no commission on your paid subscriptions; what you earn stays yours. For comparison: Substack takes 10% of the same revenue. As you scale, that gap turns into real money — and beehiiv's flat monthly fee (Scale $49) works out cheaper than a percentage cut in most scenarios.
A newsletter tied to one revenue stream is fragile. Run four at once and it becomes a business model.
Where to start
Grow the audience first: the free plan runs up to 2,500 subscribers, and growth tools like the referral program and recommendations are already on. Past ~1,000 subscribers the ad network starts producing meaningful income; for paid subscriptions and boosts you move to Scale. So growth first, money second — in that order.
Grow first — free, up to 2,500 subscribers.
Open your beehiiv account through my link, start with the growth tools; when you're ready, open all four revenue streams at a 0% cut.