Include
Platform fee, transaction percentage, payment-processing cost, subscriber tier, add-ons and any migration cost you will actually incur.
Paid-newsletter calculator
Turn the fee model into a number.
A percentage fee feels small before revenue exists. A fixed monthly bill feels large at the same point. Compare both using your own subscriber estimate.
Monthly estimate
$500
estimated monthly paid revenue
Percentage fee$50
Fixed fee$49
Break-even revenue$490
What to include before deciding
Do not assume
The lower fee always wins. A platform that improves conversion, saves meaningful time or removes another paid tool may justify a higher direct cost.
Current reference points
Substack currently takes 10% of each paid transaction, with Stripe fees added. beehiiv states a 0% platform take rate on paid subscriptions on its paid offering, with Stripe processing still applying. Kit lists 3.5% + $0.30 per USD transaction for Commerce, inclusive of card processing.
These fee structures are not perfectly identical. The calculator above isolates fixed fee versus revenue share; it does not calculate taxes, refunds, discounts or every payment-processing variation.
Sources and disclosure
Checked 3 September 2026: beehiiv pricing, Kit paid newsletters, and Substack fees.
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