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From FreeFree plan

Writers who want to start free, grow through a built-in reader network and app, and are happy to give up 10% of paid revenue in exchange for zero monthly costs and almost no setup.

Visit Substack ↗See full comparison

Quick overview

Pricing
Free to publish; 10% of paid subscription revenue plus Stripe fees
Plans
No plans or monthly fees at any list size. If you turn on payments, Substack takes 10% of each subscription payment. Stripe adds 2.9% + $0.30 per US card payment and 0.7% Stripe Billing on recurring payments. Subscriptions bought in the iOS app go through Apple, which Substack says adds 15% to 30%. Minimum prices on US-dollar accounts: $5/month and $30/year. Custom domain: one-time $50 per publication.
G2 rating
Not yet verified
Comparisons
Featured in 2 comparisons

Key features

  • Free publishing with no subscriber limits
  • Reader apps for iOS and Android, Notes feed, explore page and recommendations
  • Paid tiers: monthly, annual, founding member, free trials, gifts, group plans
  • Free podcast hosting, native video and paywallable live video
  • Chat threads, comments and direct messages

Pros

  • Costs nothing until readers pay you
  • Built-in discovery through the app, Notes, recommendations and Bestseller badges
  • Podcast, video, live video and chat included at no extra cost
  • Very little to set up or maintain

Cons

  • 10% of paid revenue forever, with no flat-fee option
  • Emails still send from an @substack.com address even with a custom domain
  • No public API, no Zapier and limited automations
  • Moving paid subscribers off Substack needs help from its support team; Apple in-app subscribers cannot move

Substack in our comparisons

Marketing Automation

beehiiv vs Substack

Substack costs nothing until readers pay and has the best discovery. beehiiv costs a monthly plan but takes 0% of paid revenue, so it wins once you earn about $950/month on a 5,000-subscriber list.

+1
Marcus WilliamsUpdated October 2026
Marketing Automation

Kit alternatives

For most newsletter writers, beehiiv is the best Kit alternative: 0% on paid subscriptions, an ad network and paid recommendations. Pick Substack for a free start with discovery, or Ghost to own your site with no revenue cut.

+2
Marcus WilliamsUpdated October 2026