Substack

Substack is a publishing platform for newsletters, blogs, and paid subscriptions. Writers publish posts, build a subscriber list, and offer paid subscriptions — Substack handles the website, email delivery, payments, and subscriber management, so a writer can focus on writing.

Key Features

Newsletter and blog publishing
Paid subscriptions with Stripe payments
Subscriber management and analytics
Reader discovery and recommendations
Mobile app for readers
Custom domains on paid plans

Pricing

Plan	Price	Details
Free	$0	Free to publish and send newsletters; no monthly fee.
Paid subscriptions	10% of revenue	Substack takes 10% of paid subscription revenue, plus payment processing fees.

Prices as listed in 2026 research. Always check the official site for the latest price — plans change. Free plan: Yes — it has a free plan.

Best for: writers and creators who want to publish a newsletter and earn from paid subscriptions.
Popular with: Writers, Marketers, Business Owners

How it works

The platform is popular with journalists, authors, and independent creators because it makes monetisation simple: publish free posts to grow an audience, then turn on paid subscriptions for premium content. Its network features help readers discover new publications, and its app keeps subscribers engaged.

Substack is free to publish and free for readers to subscribe to free newsletters. When you charge for paid subscriptions, Substack takes 10% of the revenue, plus payment processing fees. For writers who want to earn from their work without building a website, it is the simplest path.

Pros and Cons

✓ Pros

Free to start publishing
Easy paid subscriptions
Built-in discovery helps growth
No website to build or maintain

✗ Cons

Substack takes 10% of paid subscription revenue
Limited design and customisation options
You do not fully own the audience relationship

Key Features

Pricing

How it works

Pros and Cons

✓ Pros

✗ Cons

Related Tools

Copy.ai

HubSpot

Mailchimp