This post may contain affiliate links, meaning if you decide to make a purchase via my links, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. See my disclosure for more info.

Substack is a lovely place to start a newsletter. It’s free, it’s simple, and the network effect from Notes and recommendations can genuinely help you find your first readers. But at some point many writers hit the same walls: limited design control, basic analytics, and that 10% cut of everything you earn from paid subscriptions.

That’s usually when people start googling “substack to beehiiv” — and the good news is that the move is far less scary than it looks. I’ll walk you through the whole migration step by step: exporting your list, importing it into beehiiv, moving your archive, and pointing readers to your new home without losing subscribers along the way.

Set aside an afternoon. Most of this is waiting for DNS records, not actual work.

What you need before you start

  • Access to your Substack account settings (you’ll export from there)
  • A beehiiv account — the free Launch plan covers you up to 2,500 subscribers
  • Optional but recommended: a custom domain for your newsletter
  • If you have paid subscribers: access to the Stripe account connected to your Substack

The migration, step by step

Step 1: Export everything from Substack

In Substack, go to your publication settings and look for the export option. You’ll get a ZIP file containing your full subscriber list as a CSV plus your published posts as HTML files.

Download it and keep it somewhere safe — this file is your entire newsletter in portable form. If you run paid subscriptions, also log into Stripe and familiarize yourself with your subscriber data there, because paid billing lives in Stripe, not in the CSV.

Step 2: Set up your beehiiv publication

Create your account at beehiiv and set up a new publication: name, description, logo, brand colors. The free Launch plan includes unlimited sends for up to 2,500 subscribers, so for most Substack migrations you can complete the entire move without paying anything.

Don’t rush this step. Write your welcome email and set your sender name properly before you import anyone — new subscribers who join mid-migration should land in a finished house, not a construction site.

Step 3: Clean your list, then import it

Before uploading, open the subscriber CSV and remove obvious dead weight: addresses that bounced, role accounts (info@, admin@), and anyone who hasn’t opened in a year. Importing a bloated list hurts your deliverability from day one on a new platform.

Then import the cleaned CSV in beehiiv’s audience section and map the columns (email, signup date, and any custom fields). Larger imports can get a short review — that’s normal and usually resolves quickly.

Step 4: Move your post archive

beehiiv can import your existing Substack content, so your archive doesn’t vanish. Bring your posts over, then spot-check the formatting: headings, images, and embedded buttons occasionally need a manual fix after any platform migration.

Prioritize your best-performing posts. Nobody needs all 200 archive entries pixel-perfect, but the ten posts that people actually find via search should look right.

Step 5: Connect your custom domain

If you already used a custom domain on Substack, point it to beehiiv by updating the DNS records beehiiv gives you. If you published on a substack.com subdomain, this is the moment to buy a proper domain — you never want your audience’s bookmark to belong to a platform again.

Also set up your sending domain (the DKIM and SPF records beehiiv walks you through). This authenticates your email and matters more for deliverability than anything else in this list.

Step 6: Tell your readers — loudly

Substack won’t redirect a substack.com address to your new home, so communication has to do the work. Publish one final Substack post announcing the move with a direct link, pin it, and update every link in your Instagram bio, website, and email signature.

Leave the old Substack up for a while. It catches stragglers and keeps old shared links alive while search engines find your new archive.

Step 7: Send your first beehiiv issue

Send it within the first week, keep your usual schedule, and ask readers to reply to the email — replies are the strongest positive signal you can give inbox providers on a new sending setup. Watch your open rates for the first few sends; a temporary dip is normal, a crash means you skipped step 5.

What about paid subscribers?

This is the honest, slightly annoying part. Substack paid subscriptions run through Substack’s own Stripe setup, so they don’t transfer with a CSV. beehiiv supports paid subscriptions (with no platform cut on paid plans, versus Substack’s 10%), but moving active billing requires coordination — contact beehiiv support before you migrate and plan the switch carefully.

Expect a small amount of churn during the change no matter how well you do it. In my experience the 10% fee you stop paying makes up for it quickly, but go in with realistic expectations.

Common mistakes to avoid

  • Importing the raw list. Dead addresses drag down deliverability on a sending setup that has no reputation yet.
  • Migrating mid-launch. Move during a quiet period, never the week you’re selling something.
  • Deleting the Substack immediately. Old links keep sending readers there for months. Let it point people forward.
  • Skipping the welcome automation. New signups should get an email instantly — it’s the first thing to rebuild, not the last.

One more honest note: if Substack’s recommendation network and Notes drive most of your growth, weigh the trade-off. You’ll trade that discovery engine for beehiiv’s referral program, boosts, and better analytics — a great deal for newsletters run as a business, a worse one if you mostly enjoy the Substack social scene. I’ve broken down the platform in detail in my beehiiv review if you’re still deciding.

FAQ

Can I migrate from Substack to beehiiv for free?

Yes. Substack exports are free, and beehiiv’s Launch plan is free for up to 2,500 subscribers. You only need a paid beehiiv plan for advanced features like automations or paid subscriptions.

Will I lose subscribers when I move from Substack to beehiiv?

Your list transfers completely via CSV, so nobody is lost in the move itself. You may see slightly lower opens for a couple of weeks while your new sending domain builds reputation — that recovers if you authenticated your domain properly.

Can I move my paid Substack subscribers to beehiiv?

Yes, but not automatically. Paid billing runs through Stripe, so coordinate with beehiiv support to transition subscriptions, and expect a little churn during the switch.

Does beehiiv import Substack posts?

Yes, beehiiv can import your Substack archive so your published posts come with you. Check formatting on your most important posts afterwards, as no migration is ever pixel-perfect.

Why do writers leave Substack for beehiiv?

The usual reasons: beehiiv’s 0% cut on paid subscriptions versus Substack’s 10%, stronger growth tools like the referral program, proper A/B testing, and much deeper analytics. Writers who mainly value Substack’s social network tend to stay.

If you’re still setting up the basics of your newsletter strategy first, start with my guide on how to start a newsletter and the ultimate guide to email marketing.

Ready to make the move? Head over to beehiiv and set up your free publication — export your Substack today, follow the seven steps above, and your newsletter lands on a platform you actually control, subscribers intact.