AI

Substack review

Newsletter and creator network with built-in subscriptions, social feed, and discovery.

Last updated

Pricing

Free to use. 10% fee on paid subscriptions + Stripe fees.

Free plan

Yes

Editorial rating

4.1 / 5

Best for

  • Writers who want a built-in audience and discoverability
  • Paid-newsletter publishers who don't mind the 10% fee
  • People who don't want to manage hosting, email, or payments

Substack — Pros

  • Built-in social discovery (Notes, recommendations)
  • Zero cost until you charge subscribers
  • Polished reader experience and apps
  • Easy onboarding for non-technical writers

Substack — Cons

  • 10% revenue cut on paid subscriptions
  • Limited control over branding and email design
  • You don't fully own the relationship — leaving is friction-heavy
  • No real automation or segmentation

Notable features

  • Free and paid subscriptions
  • Notes (built-in social feed)
  • Recommendations between publications
  • Podcasting and video posts
  • Mobile reader app

Ready to try Substack?