Substack
FreeStart a newsletter. Build a community.
About Substack
Substack is a publishing platform that makes it easy to start a newsletter and charge subscribers. Features include a social feed (Notes), podcast hosting, and a large discovery network. Revenue model: 10% cut of paid subscriptions.
Key Features
Pricing Plans
Free
- Unlimited subscribers
- Unlimited sends
- 10% cut on paid subs revenue
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
Cons
- 10% revenue cut becomes expensive at scale
- Limited design and customization options
- Less control over subscriber data
- Can't easily move off platform
Best For
- Writers starting their first newsletter
- Creators who want discovery without marketing
- Journalists and opinion writers
Not Ideal For
- High-volume newsletters earning $10k+/mo
- Creators who need design control
- E-commerce or product businesses
Data & Privacy
Newsletter and publishing platform. Substack collects reader engagement data. No explicit AI training policy published. Subscriber lists exportable as CSV. Posts downloadable. Substack Notes social feature collects additional engagement data. Revenue share model means Substack has incentive to retain rather than sell data.
Who Is This For?
Hands-on tested May 2026
Signup Experience
Email, Google, or Apple signup in under a minute. The editor loads immediately -- a clean, distraction-free writing interface with basic formatting. Publishing a first post and sending it to subscribers takes under 10 minutes from account creation. No configuration required; the publication is live on a Substack subdomain the moment signup completes.
For Home Users
The fastest way for a writer to start a newsletter and get paid for it. Free to publish with no monthly fee -- Substack takes 10% only when paid subscriptions are enabled. The simplicity is the point: no hosting, no plugins, no setup. The 10% cut becomes meaningful at volume but is irrelevant at the start.
For Business Users
No B2B tier -- Substack is a writer platform, not a business email tool. The model suits independent writers, journalists, and creators. At scale, the 10% revenue cut is expensive compared to Ghost (no cut, flat hosting fee) or Beehiiv (flat fee). The tradeoff is Substack handles discovery and network effects -- Notes and the Substack app surface content to new readers without the writer doing extra work.
Our Verdict
Substack is the easiest way to start a paid newsletter. The 10% cut is fair at small scale but stings as you grow — a newsletter making $10k/mo pays Substack $1000/mo. At that point, Beehiiv or Ghost with flat fees make more sense. Start with Substack, graduate when you hit scale.