Substack alternatives

All Substack alternatives

1. 

   

   beehiiv

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   beehiiv is a newsletter platform created by former Morning Brew team members, combining an editor, a hosted website and email delivery. It focuses on growth and monetization, with a referral program, recommendations between newsletters, an ad network and paid subscriptions. Publishers also get detailed analytics, A/B testing of subject lines and AI writing tools.

   6 beehiiv alternatives

   Pros

   • Growth tools like referrals and cross-newsletter recommendations
   • Monetization through an ad network and paid subscriptions
   • Hosted website and detailed analytics included

   Cons

   • Most monetization and growth features sit on paid plans
   • Less suited to advanced marketing automation or e-commerce

   Cost / License

   FreemiumProprietary

   Categories

   Email Marketing & Newsletters

   Platforms

   Web

   Features

   A/B testingAI assistantAnalyticsAudience segmentationCustom domainsPaid newsletters

   Visit websiteMore about beehiiv
2. 

   

   Ghost

   55.5KstarsLike

   Ghost is an open source platform for independent publishers that combines a website, a newsletter and paid memberships in one product. Writers publish in a clean editor, send posts by email and charge for subscriptions through Stripe, with no revenue share taken by Ghost. It can be self-hosted for free or run on the managed Ghost(Pro) service, and is maintained by a non-profit foundation.

   9 Ghost alternatives

   Pros

   • Website, newsletter and paid memberships in one product
   • No revenue share taken on subscriptions
   • Open source and free to self-host

   Cons

   • Fewer themes and integrations than WordPress
   • Self-hosting needs technical skills and an email delivery service
   • Ghost(Pro) gets expensive as your member list grows

   Cost / License

   FreemiumOpen source

   Categories

   Website BuildersEmail Marketing & Newsletters

   Platforms

   WebSelf-hosted

   Features

   BloggingContent management (CMS)Custom domainsPaid newslettersSEO settingsSubscriptions

   Visit websiteMore about Ghost
3. 

   

   Kit

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   Kit, previously called ConvertKit, is an email marketing platform designed for creators such as writers, podcasters and course authors. It combines landing pages and forms, visual automations, subscriber tagging and paid newsletters, and lets you sell digital products directly to your list. A recommendations network helps creators grow by promoting each other's newsletters.

   12 Kit alternatives

   Pros

   • Tag-based subscriber management suited to creators
   • Sell digital products and paid newsletters to your list
   • Recommendations network helps newsletters grow

   Cons

   • Email design options are deliberately simple
   • Gets expensive as the subscriber count grows
   • Advanced automations are reserved for paid plans

   Cost / License

   FreemiumProprietary

   Categories

   Email Marketing & Newsletters

   Platforms

   WebiPhoneAndroid

   Features

   Audience segmentationDigital productsEmail automationIntegrationsLanding pagesPaid newsletters

   Visit websiteMore about Kit
4. 

   

   Buttondown

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   Buttondown is a small, independent newsletter service for writers and developers who prefer a lightweight tool. You write in Markdown or a rich text editor, publish an archive on the web and can charge for subscriptions through Stripe. It offers a complete API, custom domains and RSS-to-email, and is built by a very small team.

   6 Buttondown alternatives

   Pros

   • Write in Markdown or a rich text editor
   • Complete API and RSS-to-email for developers
   • Paid subscriptions through Stripe and custom domains

   Cons

   • Templates and design options are minimal
   • Few audience growth tools compared with beehiiv or Substack

   Cost / License

   FreemiumProprietary

   Categories

   Email Marketing & Newsletters

   Platforms

   Web

   Features

   API accessCustom domainsMarkdown supportPaid newsletters

   Visit websiteMore about Buttondown
5. 

   

   WordPress.com

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   WordPress.com is the hosted version of WordPress run by Automattic, so you get the WordPress editor, themes and blogging tools without managing a server. Free sites use a wordpress.com address, while paid plans add custom domains, plugins, e-commerce and more storage. It suits bloggers and small businesses who want WordPress without handling updates, backups and security themselves.

   11 WordPress.com alternatives

   Pros

   • WordPress without managing servers, updates or backups
   • Free plan to start a blog quickly
   • Same WordPress editor, themes and blogging tools

   Cons

   • Installing plugins requires a paid plan
   • Free sites show ads and use a wordpress.com address
   • Less control over hosting than self-hosted WordPress

   Cost / License

   FreemiumProprietary

   Categories

   Website Builders

   Platforms

   WebiPhoneAndroid

   Features

   BloggingContent management (CMS)Custom domainsPlugins & extensionsSEO settingsTemplates

   Visit websiteMore about WordPress.com
6. 

   

   MailerLite

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   MailerLite is an email marketing tool with an uncluttered drag-and-drop editor and an approachable automation builder. Besides campaigns, it can create landing pages, signup forms and simple websites, sell digital products and paid newsletter subscriptions, and run A/B tests. Small businesses and creators often choose it as a lighter alternative to larger marketing suites.

   11 MailerLite alternatives

   Pros

   • Clean drag-and-drop editor that is easy to learn
   • Landing pages, websites and paid newsletters included
   • Approachable automation builder for small businesses

   Cons

   • Account approval process can delay your first campaigns
   • Fewer advanced automation and reporting options than larger suites

   Cost / License

   FreemiumProprietary

   Categories

   Email Marketing & Newsletters

   Platforms

   Web

   Features

   A/B testingAudience segmentationEmail automationLanding pagesPaid newslettersTemplates

   Visit websiteMore about MailerLite
7. 

   

   Gumroad

   Like

   Gumroad lets creators sell digital downloads, courses, memberships and physical items from a simple storefront or checkout links. There is no monthly subscription: Gumroad takes a percentage of each sale instead. It also includes email updates and automated workflows for customers, discount codes and affiliate features, which suits independent writers, artists and developers.

   7 Gumroad alternatives

   Pros

   • No monthly fee, since you only pay a share of each sale
   • Very quick to start selling with a simple checkout link
   • Handles memberships, courses, discount codes and affiliates

   Cons

   • Per-sale fees take a noticeable cut as revenue grows
   • Limited storefront customization and branding

   Cost / License

   FreemiumProprietary

   Categories

   E-commerce Platforms

   Platforms

   Web

   Features

   AnalyticsDigital productsEmail automationPaymentsSubscriptions

   Visit websiteMore about Gumroad