Email · Written evaluation

Substack

A publishing and reader-subscription platform with free distribution and a revenue share on paid subscriptions.

Plan at a glance

View recorded access & costs

Free publishing · USD 0 for free publishing · No monthly platform fee. Free publishing is available regardless of subscriber count; paid subscriptions have separate revenue-share fees. Official source ↗

Limits to check

Paid revenue incurs a platform percentage plus payment fees; payment method, country and in-app subscriptions affect the payable amounts.

Official sources read 9 October 2026. The evaluation below is editorial judgement based on documentation; no hands-on product test was performed.

Visit provider ↗Plan your trial →

Browse & compare tools →

Research scope & testing evidence

Our evaluation

Substack makes sense when a writer wants to publish and collect subscriptions without assembling a website, email system and subscription checkout. With no monthly charge for free publishing, it can support an audience experiment before there is revenue to fund a software stack. The tradeoff becomes more visible as paid revenue grows: the platform percentage continues alongside payment processing fees. Compare that ongoing share with a fixed-price publishing service using your own subscriber and revenue assumptions. Subscriber export is useful for portability, but it does not make every design or community feature portable. The reader network may help discovery; it cannot replace a distribution plan. Test the publishing and welcome experience before making paid conversion the main objective.

Fit and limits

Consider it for

Independent writers prioritizing a simple publishing and subscription workflow over extensive site customization.

Check before committing

Paid revenue incurs a platform percentage plus payment fees; payment method, country and in-app subscriptions affect the payable amounts.

What the documentation confirms

Publish posts and distribute them to readers through email and the Substack app.
Offer free, monthly, annual and founding subscriptions.
Export subscriber information as CSV and customize welcome emails.

Selected official documents read 9 October 2026. Access can depend on plan, region and account.

Price and billing scope

Selected official price observations · read 9 October 2026 · currency and billing basis as shown
Plan or charge	Observed price	Billing, allowance and limits
Free publishing	USD 0 for free publishing	No monthly platform fee. Free publishing is available regardless of subscriber count; paid subscriptions have separate revenue-share fees. Official source ↗
Paid subscriptions	10% of paid subscription revenue + payment fees	Percentage of subscription revenue. Substack takes 10% of subscription revenue plus Stripe fees. The official US example includes 2.9% + USD 0.30 card processing and 0.7% recurring Billing; country and method vary. Official source ↗
Custom domain connection	USD 50 one-time domain connection	One-time. Substack connection charge; purchasing or renewing the domain itself is separate. Official source ↗

These are selected published charges, not a complete account bill. Check eligibility, tax, add-ons and the price shown for your account before paying.

Recorded editorial criteria

These are the previously recorded editorial opinions used in the directory. They have no individually recorded assessment date and were not rescored during this documentation refresh. They are not product-test results.

Historical recorded opinion · equal five-criterion rubric
Functionality	8/10
Pricing value	8/10
Ease of use	10/10
Reliability	8/10
Founder fit	8/10

How criteria are presented →

Try one complete task

Publish one original free post, subscribe using a controlled email address, check its welcome message and mobile reading experience, then export the subscriber CSV and inspect its fields.

Create a trial worksheet →

Compare requirements

Edited by Clinton Feyisitan · Evidence policy · Suggest a correction