Substack Review

Free publishing platform for independent writers to launch a newsletter and monetize it directly through reader subscriptions.

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Pricing

Plan	Monthly	Annual (per mo)	Key limits
Free (writer)	Free	Free	Free to start and run a newsletter; no monthly software fee ever, regardless of subscriber count.
Paid subscriptions (revenue share, not a plan)	Custom	—	Substack takes a 10% platform fee on paid subscription revenue, plus Stripe payment processing (~2.9% + $0.30 per transaction) and a ~0.7% recurring billing fee, bringing the effective total cut to roughly 13-16% of paid revenue. No fee is charged until a subscriber actually pays.

No monthly fee - genuinely free until a subscriber pays
Strong built-in discovery via the recommendations/referral network
Simple to launch - no separate ESP, landing page tool, or payment integration needed
10% fee has been stable and unchanged since 2017, a predictable long-term cost

10% platform cut plus payment processing fees becomes expensive at scale compared to flat-rate ESPs
Far less email marketing automation, segmentation, and A/B testing than dedicated ESPs (Kit, MailerLite, GetResponse)
Substack does not offer a public affiliate/referral program for third parties who want to promote Substack itself for commission
Less design/branding customization than dedicated email platforms
Locked into Substack's own reader network and payment rails

Independent journalists and writers
Paid subscription newsletter writers who want zero software cost upfront
Creators prioritizing simplicity and built-in discovery/network effects over deep marketing automation

Pricing and details verified 2026-07-09. Always confirm current pricing on the vendor site.