newsletter platform · Substack

Substack

Free-to-start newsletter platform that keeps 10% of what you earn from paid subscriptions.

71/100

#4 of 12 newsletter platforms
Facts checked 9 Oct 2026

In short

Substack is free to start, with no platform fees until you charge readers¹.
It keeps 10% of paid-subscription revenue; card fees come on top¹.
Custom domains, subscriber CSV import and export, drip sequences and a reader referral program are listed features².
Recommendations between publications are built in^1,2.
In February 2026 Substack confirmed that an unauthorised party had accessed email addresses and phone numbers³.

Substack suits writers who want to start a paid newsletter at no upfront cost and tap its recommendation network^1,2. The price is a 10% cut of paid revenue, plus card fees¹. Its public pages do not describe an API, digital-product sales or a sponsorship marketplace^1,2. It confirmed a data breach in February 2026³.

Best for: Writers who want paid subscriptions and reader discovery with no monthly fee.

Where the points come from

Earning11 of 25

Your list20 of 32

Growth23 of 26

Price17 of 17

Earning 11 of 25 points

Rule	What is published	Points
Paid subscriptions	YesPaid monthly and annual subscriptions through Stripe or in-app purchase².	8 / 8
Fee on paid subscriptions	10Substack keeps 10% of paid-subscription revenue; credit card fees are extra¹.	3 / 10
Built-in sponsorship or ad network	Not publishedNot published on the vendor's about or features pages; the footer only links to Brand Partnerships with no details^1,2.	0 / 4
Sell digital products	Not publishedNot published on the vendor's features page².	0 / 3

Your list 20 of 32 points

Rule	What is published	Points
Export your subscriber list	YesFeatures page lists a "Subscriber CSV export"².	8 / 8
Import subscribers	YesFeatures page lists subscriber CSV import and import from Stripe; helps migrate from other platforms².	5 / 5
Website on your own domain	YesCustom domains supported; you can connect a domain you own or buy one².	7 / 7
Send from your own domain	Not publishedNot published on the vendor's features or about pages^1,2.	0 / 5
Open source	Not publishedNot published on the vendor's features page².	0 / 3
Public API	Not publishedNot published on the vendor's features page².	0 / 4

Growth 23 of 26 points

Rule	What is published	Points
Recommendation network	YesCross-publication recommendations are a built-in growth feature, free to use^1,2.	6 / 6
Referral program	YesReader referral program rewards subscribers who refer new ones, with milestone tiers².	4 / 4
Send to a tag or segment	YesTargeted emails go to selected subscriber segments. No tag feature is described, so counted as segments only².	5 / 5
Automated email sequences	YesDrip campaigns send automated multi-email sequences with delays, triggered by subscriber events².	4 / 4
Subscriber source reports	YesFeatures page says creators can track where subscribers come from².	4 / 4
Subject-line A/B tests	Not publishedFeatures page lists headline A/B testing only; subject-line tests on part of the list are not described².	0 / 3

Price 17 of 17 points

Rule	What is published	Points
Free plan	YesFree to start with unlimited subscribers^1,2.	8 / 8
Cost at 1,000 subscribers	$0No monthly fee; Substack takes a share only of paid-subscription revenue^1,2.	9 / 9

The rule behind each line: how we score newsletter platforms.

Plans and prices

As the vendor lists them, before tax. Prices are in US dollars unless the plan shows euros; the points use US dollars, with euros converted at the ECB rate.

Plan	Price as listed	Per month	Notes
Free1 publication	Free¹	$0	No platform fee; 10% of paid-subscription revenue

Substack has no monthly tiers. It earns by keeping 10% of paid-subscription revenue¹.

Strengths

No monthly fee: the platform is free to start and keeps revenue only from paid subscriptions¹.
Imports subscribers from CSV and exports the full subscriber list at any time².
Built-in recommendations and a reader referral program help grow the list^1,2.
Custom domains are supported, and a domain can be bought through the platform².

Limits

Substack keeps 10% of paid-subscription revenue¹.
The public pages show no API documentation, digital-product checkout or sponsorship marketplace^1,2.
Substack's CEO told users in February 2026 that an unauthorised party had accessed email addresses and phone numbers, collected from October 2025³.

Concerns on record

Infosecurity Magazine reported on 6 February 2026 that Substack's CEO told users an unauthorised third party accessed email addresses, phone numbers and internal metadata; data collection dated to October 2025, and financial data and passwords were not accessed³.

Other newsletter platforms

1
beehiivWriters who want an ad network, referrals and growth tools
97/100
$0cost at 1,000 subscribers
2
KitCreators who sell products and want a large free plan
94/100
$0cost at 1,000 subscribers
3
GhostWriters who want open-source software and no cut of paid-subscription revenue
77/100
$0cost at 1,000 subscribers
5
ButtondownWriters who want low flat pricing and no cut of paid subscriptions
71/100
$7.50/mocost at 1,000 subscribers

All 12 newsletter platforms

Sources

About Substack, Substack. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
Substack features: publish, grow, and earn in one place, Substack. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
Substack Confirms Data Breach, "Limited User Data" Compromised, Infosecurity Magazine. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.

Website: substack.com · Markdown version · We are not affiliated with Substack.