Substack
Free
Free to use$0.00
Per year
$0
Free to start
Substack vs Kit
Compare with for .
Substack
71%
match · $0/yr
Kit
49%
match · $396/yr
What matters most?
Fine-tune
What you'd pay
Entry plan for 10 people, billed yearly where offered. Prices checked Oct 2026.
Smaller bill
Kit
Creator
Flat price, whole team$33.00
× 12 months$396.00
Per year
$3.30 per person / mo
$396
Starting price; rises with usage
Substack
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.
vs
Kit
From $33Free plan
G2 4.4 · 236 reviewsCreators who sell courses, products or services alongside a newsletter and need email automation more than a publishing website.
Side by side
| Substack | Kit | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free to publish; 10% of paid subscription revenue plus Stripe fees | Free up to 10,000 subscribers; paid from $33/month (Creator, billed yearly, 1,000 subscribers) |
| G2 Rating | Not yet verified | 4.4 (236 reviews) |
| Best For | 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. | Creators who sell courses, products or services alongside a newsletter and need email automation more than a publishing website. |
Pros and cons
Substack
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
Kit
Pros
- Free plan covers up to 10,000 subscribers
- Deep automations and sequences on Creator
- Sells paid newsletters and digital products in one place
- Recommendations and sponsorships for growth and income
Cons
- 3.5% + 30 cents per sale on every plan
- Free plan has no automations
- Paid Recommendations carry a 23.5% fee
- Not built as a publication website like Ghost or Substack
Related comparisons
Marketing Automation
Marcus WilliamsUpdated October 2026
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 2026Marketing Automation
+2Marcus WilliamsUpdated October 2026
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.
+2Marcus WilliamsUpdated October 2026