Substack is a blog publishing platform for authors looking to build their own audience and monetize with subscriptions.
But as your audience grows and your needs get more complex, Substack starts to feel limited. Thankfully, there are plenty of alternatives that offer better tools for growth and more control over your email campaigns — often at the same or even a lower price point.
Read on to discover the best Substack alternatives for newsletters, blogging, and more.
Table of contents
Substack: The strengths and weaknesses
So why do creators choose Substack, and what makes them switch from it?
Strengths
Its biggest strength lies in its simplicity. Creators can start for free, directly monetize newsletters through subscriptions, and manage all payment processes on the platform.
Beyond written content, you can also integrate multimedia formats, like podcasts and videos, directly into your newsletters.
Then there’s the Substack blog, where creators, especially beginners, can post their content, reach more people, and get more exposure. Another attractive feature of the platform is that you get full ownership of your subscriber lists and can export the audience data if you move to another platform.
Weaknesses
Substack doesn’t have many customization options or any advanced marketing tools like automation or segmentation. These, combined with the fact that it only provides basic user data, make it especially hard to expand your marketing efforts.
Its limited features and integrations don’t support single purchases or other forms of earning, limiting your revenue options to subscriptions only.
Substack’s 10% fee on subscription earnings also seems high and significantly reduces profits for creators with large subscriber lists.
Users also criticize Substack’s customer support, especially in urgent situations, and say the platform “lacks transparency regarding account restrictions.” Several users have reported difficulties in unsubscribing and receiving unwanted emails, which can be an issue if you care about the experience of your subscribers.
Key features to look for in Substack alternatives
With that in mind, we set out to find newsletter platforms that not only make it easy for creators to connect with their audience, like Substack does, but also offer features like:
1. Advanced email and marketing tools
Creators should be able to build sustainable and scalable businesses with consolidated essentials like marketing tools, email automation, segmentation, and A/B testing to increase user engagement.
These email marketing platforms should also offer deliverability optimization tools to ensure your emails always reach your subscribers’ inboxes.
2. Cost-effective transaction fees
High fees can quickly cut into creators' earnings as they grow. It’s best to choose a platform with scalable pricing, with lower or no transaction fees, from the get-go.
3. Flexibility in design
You should be able to tailor your content to your brand’s unique messaging and look. This includes anything from simple color scheme adjustments to fully customizable newsletter templates and layout redesigns.
8 Best Substack alternatives compared
Here are some great Substack alternatives, particularly for bloggers and growing businesses.
1. Brevo
Brevo is a marketing automation platform that combines newsletter management with a variety of marketing tools under a user-friendly interface. With a fixed pricing model, Brevo helps you keep costs predictable as your audience grows, which is a big plus compared to email marketing services with variable fees.
Alongside engaging newsletters and automated email sequences, Brevo also offers customizable forms that will help you build a subscriber list and learn more about your audience.
It has built-in subscriber management capabilities, allowing you to organize your audience by interests or characteristics like demographics. You’ll also enjoy automated handling of unsubscribed users and list cleaning features, which will help you maintain a positive reputation with your audience and ensure high deliverability rates.
Pricing
Brevo offers a forever free plan that allows users to send up to 300 emails per day. Paid plans begin at $9/month, with no daily sending limits.
"Easy to use"
"Brevo is very easy to use and it works really fast. The support team responds quickly and explains things very well."
Marius,
Brevo user
What makes Brevo a great alternative to Substack
- Free responsive email templates let you build branded emails in no time.
- Brevo offers a free plan and several pricing tiers based on email volume, not subscription earnings. This way, you can manage large campaigns and email lists without costs scaling with your earnings.
- Brevo’s free AI email generator helps you draft your emails quickly, making it easier to create engaging content on the fly.
- Contact management features allow you to segment your audience based on behavior, demographics, or any other custom attributes and send targeted messages that resonate with specific groups.
- Brevo also takes care of your deliverability. It provides you with detailed email statistics, so you can easily remove invalid email addresses that cause hard bounces or other deliverability issues.
- The platform allows you to set up automated workflows that respond to subscriber behaviors. For example, you can create a series of emails triggered by clicking a link within your recent email newsletter.
- You can seamlessly integrate with website builders, ecommerce systems, and other third-party tools to manage all your marketing workflows from Brevo.
- Brevo offers 24/7 email support and a detailed resource center to assist you all the way through your campaign setup.
2. ConvertKit
ConvertKit is another great option if you need advanced email marketing and want to monetize your content. The platform features paid newsletter and subscription management handy for authors and digital creators.
Premium plan users can also set up a referral system to drive newsletter growth through recommendations.
All in all, the platform’s email design options are fairly basic for the price, especially compared to other ConvertKit alternatives. But what you're really paying for are the tools specifically built for creators.
Pricing
ConvertKit offers a free plan for up to 10,000 subscribers with basic features. Paid plans start from $25/month for up to 1,000 subscribers. Subscription and digital product selling comes with extra transaction fees (3.5% + 30c).
What makes ConvertKit a great alternative to Substack
- You can organize your audience with tags and segments to give each subscriber a personalized experience.
- With ConvertKit, you can set up a referral program to incentivize your subscribers to recommend your newsletter to their network.
- You can also make extra money by recommending other creators from ConvertKit’s Creator Network to your audience.
- Monetization options aren’t limited to just subscription fees — you can sell digital products like eBooks and online courses.
3. Medium
Medium is a blogging platform similar to Substack but with slightly different monetization options.
Creators on Medium can get paid in two main ways. First, through the Partner Program, which pays based on how long people spend reading your articles. Second, by referring new readers — you’ll earn half of their membership fee. To start earning, you need at least 100 followers.
Once you have a publication on Medium, you can set up a free newsletter. You’ll have to put up with the minimalist design of your sign-up form or emails, but since it’s completely free, it's a fair trade-off.
Pricing
Medium newsletters are free for all.
What makes Medium a great alternative to Substack
- Medium automatically recommends articles to readers based on their interests, improving organic discoverability for creators.
- Creators can also earn through referrals and based on how much their articles are read through Medium’s Partner Program.
- Readers can use comments and "claps" to interact with content, creating a community aspect.
- Medium doesn’t charge you for hosting your publication or sending newsletters to your audience.
4. Beehiiv
Beehiiv offers easy-to-use tools for creating and monetizing websites and newsletters. It has a bunch of advanced features like automated emails and AI personalization to make managing content simpler.
Plus, it offers creators multiple options to earn through, including premium subscriptions, an integrated ad network, and cross-promotion via Boosts. But watch out, more advanced functionality like detailed subscriber attribution and the full suite of monetization tools are locked behind higher-priced plans.
Pricing
Beehiiv offers a free plan for up to 2,500 subscribers. Paid plans begin at $39/month for up to 100,000 subscribers and come with 30-day free trials.
What makes Beehiiv a great alternative to Substack
- You can include ads in your newsletters to earn more without the hassle of dealing with advertisers directly. Plus, with options like "Pay What You Want" and lifetime access, you reach more readers in ways that suit you best.
- You can create targeted content fast using AI tools.
- You can offer customized rewards — anything from exclusive content, discounts, or merchandise — to your subscribers for referring new people to their newsletter.
5. Podia
Podia is a great option for creators looking to consolidate their digital stack. It lets users manage not just newsletters but also blogs, digital products, online courses, and community engagement.
Though it offers limited flexibility for course creators looking to build custom modules, it’s a decent choice for those who need a simple out-of-the-box solution.
Pricing
Podia provides a free plan with a 10% transaction fee. Paid plans start at $39/month with a 5% transaction fee and include unlimited courses and digital downloads.
What makes Podia a great alternative to Substack
- Podia empowers creators to manage websites, blogs, courses, and digital products all in one place.
- Creators can build multiple revenue streams on Podia using digital sales, courses, and memberships.
- Creators can set up and manage interactive spaces directly on the platform and integrate their products, manage memberships, and boost engagement through multimedia posts.
6. Ghost
Ghost is an open-source platform, which gives creators full control of their content and monetization strategies with its unparalleled customization and independence. It integrates blogging and newsletters into a single subscription service and focuses on both user experience and branding opportunities.
That said, using Ghost, especially for large-scale subscriptions, does require some technical know-how.
Pricing
Ghost provides a 14-day free trial with full access to its features. Paid plans start at $9 per month.
What makes Ghost a great alternative to Substack
- Ghost has built-in SEO tools and is optimized for high performance and speed to enhance content discoverability and reader experience.
- There is a wide array of media integrations and dynamic content like image galleries, embedded videos, and more for creators to enrich their content with.
- Ghost operates on a flat-fee model, which is great for creators with larger lists or who are scaling quickly.
7. GetResponse
GetResponse is an all-in-one marketing automation platform, much like Brevo. It incorporates AI, automation features, social media ads, landing pages, and sales funnels into one platform, so creators get much more than a basic newsletter service.
For creators, it offers a dedicated package that includes features like digital product sales, paid newsletter management, and tools for creating and managing online courses. While it’s priced higher than some other options, it saves you from having to juggle multiple tools by offering everything in one place.
Pricing
GetResponse’s dedicated plan for content creators costs $69/month for up to 1,000 contacts, plus standard Stripe fees for payment processing.
What makes GetResponse a great alternative to Substack
- GetResponse combines a complete marketing automation suite —email marketing, multi-channel campaigns, automation, landing pages, and more — into one platform.
- The platform includes AI tools that help streamline your work, whether it’s drafting emails or optimizing campaigns.
- With features like webinars and a course creator, GetResponse makes it easy to monetize your knowledge.
- Unlike some other platforms, GetResponse doesn’t take a commission on sales. You only pay the standard Stripe fees, which helps you keep more of what you earn.
8. Memberful
Memberful gives creators full control over content and monetization by integrating directly with your website.
It includes features like membership management, private podcasts, and exclusive content for paid members. The 4.9% transaction fee can quickly add up, especially for creators with a large number of subscriptions.
Pricing
Creators can use Memberful for free until they connect their account to Stripe and start processing payments. Paid plan costs $49/month with a 4.9% transaction fee and no cap on subscribers.
What makes Memberful a great alternative to Substack
- Creators can host content on their own domain, gaining complete ownership over branding and user experience.
- Creators can build exclusive forums and private communities for members through integrations with Discord and bbPress.
- Memberful’s flexible monetization options include paywalls, subscription tiers, and private podcasts.
- Creators can give their subscribers unique experiences with advanced options like private podcast feeds, drip content delivery, custom branding, and group subscriptions.
Find a perfect Substack alternative to fuel your growth
It’s important to pick a platform that gives you the flexibility to grow your audience without limitations and provides the marketing tools to accelerate that growth.
Brevo offers a marketing suite that balances scalability, user-friendly features for everyone, and multichannel growth tools to connect with your audience wherever they are. Start sending your newsletters with Brevo for free, no credit card required.
