Beehiiv vs. Substack vs. Postion: Which Growth Platform is Worth the Hype in 2025?

In the battle for the best newsletter platform, the narrative usually centers on two giants: Substack, the champion of simplicity and writing, and Beehiiv, the challenger focused on aggressive growth tools and analytics.

Creators are often forced to choose: Do you want a simple writing experience (Substack)? Or do you want complex marketing tools (Beehiiv)?

But in 2025, a third option has emerged for creators who value organic growth and ownership above all else.

If you are looking for a platform that combines the simplicity of Substack with a powerful SEO engine that Beehiiv can't match—all for a fraction of the cost—you need to look at Postion.

Here is the definitive breakdown of Beehiiv vs. Substack vs. Postion.

1. Substack: The "Walled Garden" Network

Best for: Writers who want zero friction and rely on Substack's internal recommendation network.

Substack revolutionized the industry by making it easy to start. Their "Recommendation Network" is powerful, allowing writers to grow by recommending each other.

• The Pros: It’s incredibly easy to use. The social features are strong.
• The Cons:
  • Weak SEO: Substack blogs are notorious for struggling to rank on Google. You are building on their domain authority, not yours.
  • The "Subscriber Tax": As we detailed in our platform fee cost breakdown, Substack takes a flat 10% of your revenue forever. As you grow, this becomes a massive penalty.
  • Vendor Lock-in: Moving your paid subscribers away from Substack can be technically difficult.

2. Beehiiv: The Marketer's Toolkit

Best for: Newsletter operators who treat their publication like a rigorous marketing funnel.

Beehiiv positions itself as the platform for growth, offering features like referral programs, ad networks, and deep analytics.

• The Pros: Excellent tools for paid acquisition and analyzing open rates. It’s built for "newsletter-first" businesses.
• The Cons:
  • Complexity: It has a steep learning curve. It feels more like an email marketing software than a publishing platform.
  • Costly Pricing Tiers: While they don't take a % cut, their monthly fees scale up quickly as your list grows.
  • Email-First, Web-Second: Like Substack, the website experience is secondary. It’s not designed to be a comprehensive website platform for SEO.

3. Postion: The Organic Growth Engine (SEO-First)

Best for: Creators who want to build a long-term asset, own their SEO, and keep more of their money.

Postion takes a different approach. We believe the best way to grow isn't just sending emails; it's building a Knowledge Hub that attracts traffic from Google 24/7.

• SEO Superpowers: Unlike the others, Postion is built on a high-performance architecture that treats every newsletter issue as a premium blog post. We automate technical SEO, helping you rank for long-tail keywords.
• Fair Pricing (5%): We charge half of what Substack charges. If you earn $100,000, switching to Postion saves you $5,000 instantly.
• The Best of Both Worlds: You get the ease of writing found in Substack with the customizability and ownership of a professional website builder.

Comparison at a Glance

The Verdict: Choose Your Growth Strategy

If you want to play the social media game inside a closed network, Substack is fine. If you are a heavy email marketer running paid ads to grow your list, Beehiiv is a strong tool.

But if your strategy is Organic Growth—if you want to write content that ranks on Google, attracts high-intent readers, and builds a sustainable business with low fees—Postion is the clear winner.

Don't just send emails into inboxes where they disappear. Build a library of value that works for you forever.

Ready to migrate? See our guide on The Great Migration: Choosing the Best Creator Platform.