Substack pricing
Facts and pricing for marketers
A publishing platform for newsletters, podcasts, and video with paid subscriptions built in.
Short answer: Substack pricing: Free to start, 10% of paid subscription revenue plus card fees. Substack has a free plan. Prices checked November 5, 2026 on the vendor's pricing page. Prices change, so confirm on the vendor's page before you buy. Vendors count different things, such as people, channels or runs.
Maintained by Kerry Morrison, founder of BetterStory. 25 years in agency, sales, consulting and operations. Facts last checked .
Not yet reviewed by KerryKerry uses itVisit Substack
Not yet reviewed by Kerry.
The facts below were checked against the vendor's own pages. This page has no verdict yet because Kerry has not written one. See how we pick for what earns a full review.
What are the key facts about Substack?
The facts in this table were checked against Substack's own pages on November 5, 2026. Substack belongs to the Content and email job on this site, in the Newsletter platform group. Starting price: Free to start, 10% of paid subscription revenue plus card fees. The plan table further down gives the full list.
| Starting price | Free to start, 10% of paid subscription revenue plus card fees |
|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes |
| Trial | Not confirmed |
| Price checked | November 5, 2026 |
| Job | Content and email |
What is Substack?
A publishing platform for newsletters, podcasts, and video with paid subscriptions built in. On this site it sits in the Content and email job, in the Newsletter platform group. It is best for writers who want to charge for a newsletter without paying a monthly platform fee. Prices were checked on November 5, 2026. The vendor's own site is substack.com.
Substack is a publishing platform where writers and creators send newsletters and sell paid subscriptions. It includes an editor for longform posts, scheduling, and an archive. It also supports podcasts through a recording studio, live video, subscriber chat, and comment threads. Growth tools include Notes, publication recommendations, and in-app discovery. Creators can decide which posts are free and which are only for paid subscribers. Substack states that creators own their content and subscriber list. The platform targets writers, journalists, podcasters, video creators, experts, educators, and media companies with multi-writer newsrooms. It is free to start, and Substack takes a share of paid subscription revenue instead of charging a monthly fee.
Who is Substack for?
Substack fits these people best: Writers who want to charge for a newsletter without paying a monthly platform fee. It also suits creators who want newsletter, podcast, and video in one place. Skip Substack if this is you: Teams that need a full marketing automation suite, because the site describes publishing and community tools only.
Who should use Substack?
- Writers who want to charge for a newsletter without paying a monthly platform fee
- Creators who want newsletter, podcast, and video in one place
- Publishers who want built-in discovery through Notes and recommendations
Who should skip Substack?
- Teams that need a full marketing automation suite, because the site describes publishing and community tools only
- Publishers who want a flat fee and no revenue share on paid subscriptions
How much does Substack cost?
Substack lists 1 plan: Free to publish. No plan has a single list price, so read the vendor's page. These figures come from the vendor's pricing page, checked November 5, 2026. Prices change, so confirm before you buy. The table shows each plan's price and notes.
| Plan | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Free to publish | $0 per month. Substack keeps a share of paid subscription revenue. | Substack takes 10 percent of subscription revenue. Writers keep 90 percent minus credit card fees. The page does not give the card fee amount. |
Source: the vendor's pricing page, checked November 5, 2026. Prices change, so confirm before you buy.
How has the price of Substack changed?
We last recorded the Substack headline price on November 5, 2026: Free to start, 10% of paid subscription revenue plus card fees. That is the first recorded check, so no price change has been seen yet. A new row is added only when a later check finds a change, so the table shows real changes and not noise.
| Checked | Headline price | Source |
|---|---|---|
| November 5, 2026 | Free to start, 10% of paid subscription revenue plus card fees | Vendor page |
This is the first recorded check, on November 5, 2026. A new row is added when a later check finds a change.
What does Substack work with?
Substack lists 3 integrations on its own pages, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube. We took this list from the vendor's pages and checked it on November 5, 2026. A tool missing from the list may still connect through Zapier, Make or an API, so ask the vendor. The full list follows.
Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube.
What are the alternatives to Substack?
The closest alternatives to Substack on this site are Buffer. Each does a similar job, and the cards show each one's starting price as of its last check. Starting prices differ because vendors count people, channels or usage in different ways. Buffer: Free for 3 channels, paid from $5 per channel per month.
Buffer
A social media tool for scheduling, publishing, and measuring posts across many channels.
Free for 3 channels, paid from $5 per channel per month
What tools go with Substack?
These tools go with Substack because they share a stack, a listed integration or the same job: AgentMail, Canva, Attio, ChatGPT and Codex, Claude and Claude Code, DataForSEO. The list comes from the stack pages and integration lists on this site. It is not a recommendation to buy any of them. Each card says why it was picked.
AgentMail
Email inboxes that developers create by API so AI agents can send, receive, and act on email.
In the same stack. Same job.
Canva
An online design tool for social graphics, video, and branded templates, used by individuals and teams.
In the same stack. Same job.
Attio
Attio is a CRM that stores customer data, runs AI agents, and tracks pipeline for revenue teams.
In the same stack.
ChatGPT and Codex
OpenAI's AI chatbot for everyday tasks, plus Codex, its coding agent.
In the same stack.
Claude and Claude Code
Anthropic's AI assistant for everyday work, plus Claude Code, its coding agent.
In the same stack.
DataForSEO
A pay-as-you-go API for search results, keyword, backlink, and on-page SEO data.
In the same stack.
Adding up several tools? Use the stack cost calculator.
Common questions
How much does Substack cost?
Substack is free to start. It takes 10 percent of paid subscription revenue, and credit card fees come out of the writer's 90 percent. The page does not give the card fee amount.
Is there a free plan on Substack?
Yes. Publishing is free, and Substack earns money only when a creator charges for paid subscriptions. Creators choose which posts are free and which are paid.
Who is Substack built for?
Substack names writers, journalists, podcasters, video creators, experts, educators, and media companies. Its pages also cover bloggers, authors, food writers, and local news.
Can Substack host podcasts?
Yes. Podcasts can be recorded in the Substack Recording Studio and offered as premium episodes. They publish to Substack, Apple, Spotify, and YouTube.
What does Substack integrate with?
Substack lists these integrations: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube. Checked November 5, 2026 against the vendor's pages.
Sources
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