Substack
What is Substack?
Substack is a publishing platform that lets writers, podcasters, and video creators send newsletters directly to subscribers' inboxes and get paid through built in subscriptions. Every post is delivered as an email and also published on a customizable web page, with support for free and paid tiers, podcasts with automatic RSS distribution, native video hosting, and live streaming. Creators keep ownership of their content and subscriber list, and can export their data at any time.
The platform is free to use for publishing, with no monthly fee and no subscriber limit. Substack earns revenue only when a creator charges for subscriptions, taking a 10 percent cut of that revenue in addition to standard Stripe payment processing fees. Built in discovery tools, including recommendations, Notes, and category leaderboards, help publications find new readers without external marketing tools.
Key Features of Substack
Here are the powerful features that make Substack stand out from the competition. Packed with innovative tools and advanced functionalities, this software offers a range of benefits.
- Rich text editor with embedded images, audio, video, and paywalled sections
- Automatic email delivery of every post to subscribers' inboxes
- Native podcast hosting with automatic RSS feed generation and Apple Podcasts/Spotify distribution
- Native video hosting and live streaming with real time chat
- Free and paid subscription tiers with monthly and annual billing via Stripe
- Notes, a short form social feed for audience discovery and engagement
- Built in recommendation network and category leaderboards for organic subscriber growth
- Subscriber, revenue, and post level analytics
- Custom domain support and visual website/theme customization
- Post import from WordPress, Ghost, Medium, Beehiiv, Mailchimp, and other platforms
Substack Pricing
Here are the pricing plans for Substack. Choose the plan that best fits your requirements and budget.
Free
Free
Unlimited subscribers, no monthly fee
Publishing, sending, and free subscriptions cost nothing regardless of subscriber count.
Paid subscriptions
10% of subscription revenue
Applies only when a creator charges subscribers
Substack takes a 10% platform fee on paid subscription revenue, plus Stripe payment processing fees of approximately 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction and a 0.7% recurring billing fee. Creators set their own subscription price, commonly starting at $5/month.
Substack Specifications
Get a closer look at the technical specifications and system requirements for Substack. Find out if it's compatible with your operating system and other software.
- cloud based
- web app
- ios
- android
- freelancers
- startups
- smes
Substack Videos
Substack Screenshots
Alternatives of Substack
AlternativesExplore alternative software options that can fulfill similar requirements as Substack. Evaluate their features, pricing, and user feedback to find the perfect fit for your needs.
Email marketing, marketing automation, and CRM platform with AI powered campaign tools
Email marketing, automation, and landing pages for small businesses, with a free plan for up to 500 subscribers
AI-powered link-in-bio, storefront, and media kit platform for creators (not a Zapier product)
Substack Comparisons
Compare Substack with other similar options available. Explore the key differences to see why it's the top choice for businesses and individuals.
Overall Substack Reviews
Here's our unbiased review of Substack. Discover how our team of experts rates its features, ease of use, customer support, and other aspects that contribute to its overall appeal.