Mailchimp vs Substack
Detailed comparison to help you choose the right tool for your needs
S
Substack
Start a newsletter. Build a community.
4.3
Editorial RatingQuick Comparison
Rating
4.4
vs4.3
Starting Price
Free
vsFree
Pricing Model
freemium
vsfree
Feature
Mailchimp
Substack
Email campaigns
Landing pages
Automation
A/B testing
Analytics
AI content
Newsletter publishing
Paid subscriptions
Podcast hosting
Notes social feed
Discovery network
iOS/Android apps
Mailchimp Pros
- Well-known and trusted
- Good free tier for starting out
- Easy to use
- Lots of integrations
Mailchimp Cons
- Gets expensive quickly
- Limited automation on lower tiers
- Pricing based on contacts, not sends
Substack Pros
- Zero upfront cost — pay only when you earn
- Large built-in discovery network
- Extremely simple setup
- Notes feed drives cross-promotion
- Podcast hosting included
Substack Cons
- 10% revenue cut becomes expensive at scale
- Limited design and customization options
- Less control over subscriber data
- Can't easily move off platform