Substack: what it is, how it works and when an alternative suits you better
The platform for writing your newsletter and charging for it: how it works, what it costs and what its limits are
Substack is a platform for publishing a newsletter and charging for it: each post is sent by email to your subscribers and published on a website of its own.
Here’s how it works, how much it costs, its pros and limits, and when an email marketing tool suits you better.
What is Substack?
It’s a mix of blog, newsletter and social network built for writers, journalists and creators who make a living from content marketing. It was founded in 2017 in San Francisco by Chris Best, Hamish McKenzie and Jairaj Sethi.
Its pitch is simple: you write, your readers subscribe for free or pay, and the platform takes care of sending, payments and the website. In March 2025 it announced five million paid subscriptions.
Over the years it has added podcasts, video, live streams, a subscriber chat and Notes, a feed of short posts similar to a social network.
How does Substack work?
Starting a publication takes a few minutes:
- You create an account and give your publication a name.
- You write in its editor and publish: the post goes out by email and stays on your Substack site.
- Your readers subscribe from the website, the app or other writers’ recommendations.
- If you want to charge, you connect Stripe and decide which posts are for paid subscribers only.
The difference from a blog is distribution. Your posts land in your readers’ inbox, and the platform recommends you inside its app to readers who don’t know you yet.
Is your newsletter for your business?
With Mailrelay you send from your own domain, with your own design, automations and stats for every link. Free account with up to 80,000 emails a month, no commissions.
How much does Substack cost?
Publishing is free, however many subscribers you have. The platform only makes money if you charge.
| Item | What you pay |
|---|---|
| Free newsletter | Nothing |
| Paid subscriptions | A commission on what you charge |
| Card payments | Stripe fees, on top |
| Custom domain | A one-time fee, optional |
If your newsletter is free, you pay nothing. If you charge, the more you earn, the more you pay. Check the current terms in Substack’s help center.
Pros and cons of Substack
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Getting started is free and quick | Little room for design: all publications look alike |
| Built-in payments with Stripe | The commission grows with your revenue |
| Recommendation network and app to help you grow | No automations or email sequences |
| Website, podcast and video in one place | Very basic segmentation and stats |
| Chat and comments that boost engagement | Your readers live on a platform you don’t control |
For a writer who wants to monetize their writing, it’s a good fit. For a business that wants to sell, it falls short.
Substack or an email marketing tool
Substack is designed for you to subscribe to a person. An email marketing tool is designed for a company to talk to its customers.
| If you want to… | Go with |
|---|---|
| Write and charge for your writing | Substack |
| Get discovered by other readers | Substack |
| Send your business’s promotions and newsletters | Email marketing tool |
| Automate welcome, abandoned cart or birthday emails | Email marketing tool |
| Design your emails with your brand | Email marketing tool |
| Send from your own domain and control your list | Email marketing tool |
With a tool you get templates, automations, segments, A/B testing and the CTR of every link. And you send from your sending domain, not the platform’s.
How do you move from Substack to Mailrelay?
Your mailing list is yours and you can take it with you:
- In your publication’s settings, create an export.
- Download your subscribers’ CSV.
- In Mailrelay, import the contacts into a new group.
- Set up your domain and create a subscription form to keep gaining readers.
Keep one thing in mind: Mailrelay doesn’t handle paid subscriptions. If you charge your readers, you’ll need to keep payments on another platform or on your website.
Other Substack alternatives
- Beehiiv: also built for creators, with more growth tools and monetization through advertising.
- Ghost: open source, with a website and paid subscriptions, for those who want full control.
- MailerLite: an email marketing tool with websites and landing pages.
- GetResponse: email marketing with webinars and sales funnels.
- Mailrelay: for businesses that want to send a lot with a generous free account.
If you want to start from scratch, check out our guide to creating a free newsletter.
How Mailrelay helps you
With Mailrelay you send your newsletter from your own domain, with a custom design, automations and open and click stats.
The free account includes up to 80,000 emails a month and 20,000 contacts, with no commissions on what you sell.
You get automatic unsubscribe and bounce handling, double opt-in and human support on every plan. See the details on our pricing page.
Bring your Substack list to Mailrelay
Import your subscribers in minutes and send with human support on every plan.
Frequently asked questions about Substack
These are the most common questions.
Is Substack free?
Yes, publishing is free. You only pay a commission if you charge for subscriptions, plus card payment fees.
Is Substack available in Spanish?
You can write in Spanish and your readers will read in Spanish. The platform’s interface and help center are mostly in English.
Can I use my own domain?
Yes, with an optional one-time fee. Even so, emails are sent from the platform’s infrastructure.
Can I export my subscribers?
Yes. From your publication’s settings you can download a CSV with your subscribers and take it to another tool.
Is Substack good for businesses?
It works for publishing branded content, but it has no automations, advanced segmentation or custom design. To sell, an email marketing tool is a better choice.