About Substack
Substack is an email marketing platform most teams land on when they outgrow the free alternatives. Zero upfront cost. On top of that, discovery via Substack Network. The core workflow runs on Substack Network and Payments, with the rest of the suite plugging into those two. There's a genuinely free plan to start, with paid upgrades for teams that outgrow it (10% of paid-newsletter revenue). Great for day-one newsletter launches.
Available on
Integrates with
Who it's for
A quick filter before you spend time on Substack — read both sides before committing.
Use it if…
- Independent writers starting out
- Journalists launching paid newsletters
- Writers wanting network effects
Skip it if…
- Established creators wanting full data control
- Teams needing deep automations
- Non-writing newsletters (ecom, SaaS)
Pros and cons
Pros
- Zero upfront cost — pay only on paid subs
- Discovery via Substack Network
- Clean, writer-first UX
- Hits the core email marketing workflow without forcing a hunt for second tools
- Pricing lands in the right band for its target buyer
Cons
- Substack takes 10% of paid revenue forever
- Little control over design or data
- Limited analytics vs. ConvertKit/Beehiiv
- Not the cheapest option in the category — the free alternatives cover basics
- Advanced features sit behind higher-tier plans most small teams won't need
Features
The capabilities you actually get when you sign up for Substack.
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01
Substack Network
Cross-promotion with other newsletters
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02
Payments
Stripe-powered paid subs with built-in checkout
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03
Notes
Twitter-like social layer for Substack writers
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04
Core workspace
The main editor or dashboard where day-to-day email marketing work happens
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05
Integrations hub
Connects to the tools your stack already uses so data doesn't live in silos
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06
Reporting and dashboards
Built-in reports and exportable dashboards for stakeholder reviews
Pricing
A free plan to start, then paid tiers for the full set of features.
Free
$0 + 10% of paid subs
- Everything included
- 10% cut on paid tiers only
Pro
$0 + 10%
- Same features
- higher-tier writer concierge support
Frequently asked questions
What people usually want to know before signing up for Substack.
How much does Substack really cost?
10% of paid subs + Stripe fees (~3%). On $10K/mo paid subs, you'd pay ~$1,300.
Can I move away from Substack later?
Yes — one-click export of subs and content.
How is pricing calculated — contacts or sends?
Usually contacts (every email in your list counts). A few tools price on sends, which is friendlier for inactive-heavy lists.
Can I migrate from Mailchimp without losing automations?
Lists and templates import cleanly. Automations have to be rebuilt — budget half a day per complex sequence.
Does it handle transactional email too?
Most ESPs separate transactional from marketing. Expect to pair with Postmark, Resend or an SMTP service for high-volume transactional sends.
Bottom line
Should you use Substack?
Great for day-one newsletter launches. Serious writers move to Beehiiv or Ghost around 1K paid subs when the 10% fee bites.