Paid newsletters

Substack suits writers who want to publish and charge with the least setup, and it also hosts a podcast. beehiiv fits if you plan to earn from sponsors as well, since its ad network places them in your issues. Kit is the pick when the newsletter feeds a wider business, with landing pages, sequences and digital products. All three let you switch on paid subscriptions.

Yes, all three platforms have a free way in. Substack is free to start and you turn on paid tiers once you have readers. beehiiv and Kit each offer a free plan that covers your first steps. Expect to move to a paid plan or pay platform fees once revenue arrives, so check each one's terms before you price your subscription.

You can export your list as a file from most email tools and import it into Substack, beehiiv or Kit. Tell readers about the move in your last issue from the old tool, so the first send from the new one does not surprise them. Paying subscribers need extra care because their card details sit with the payment provider. Plan the switch at the start of a billing cycle.

There is no fixed number, but only a small share of free readers usually upgrade. That makes the size of the free list the lever that matters most at the start. Substack's recommendations network and beehiiv's referral programme both help a young list grow. Many writers turn on paid tiers once they publish on a steady schedule and get replies to their issues.

A paid newsletter counts as a digital service, so EU VAT applies at the reader's country rate. Under the OSS scheme you declare those sales in one quarterly return instead of registering in every country. Below a combined €10,000 a year in cross-border EU sales, you can charge your home country's rate. Check with your accountant how your chosen platform handles the tax on each payment.