Overview
Substack is the original newsletter platform for independent writers. Start free, grow your audience, and charge for paid subscriptions. Substack's built-in network and discovery features give new writers organic reach through the Substack reader app. Also supports podcasting and video (Notes).
Pricing
✅ When to use
- Starting a newsletter as a writer or thinker building personal brand
- Leveraging Substack's built-in discovery to find initial readers
- Monetizing through paid subscriptions with minimum platform overhead
- Publishing a mix of free + paid content with simple paywalling
- Notes feature for Twitter/X-style short posts to engage your audience
❌ When NOT to use
- Growth-focused newsletters — Beehiiv has better referral tools and charges 0% fees
- Email marketing for a business (product promos, automations) — use Mailchimp/ConvertKit
- Large audiences where 10% revenue cut becomes significant — migrate to Beehiiv
💡 Personal Tips
Substack's biggest advantage is discovery — the recommendation network and Substack Reader app surface new writers in ways Beehiiv can't match yet. For a brand new newsletter, starting on Substack and migrating to Beehiiv at 5,000+ subscribers (when the 10% revenue cut starts to sting) is a common and smart strategy. The Notes feature drives engagement and subscriber acquisition in a way that's unique to Substack — post 3-5 Notes per week even if your main newsletter is weekly. Podcast support is now solid and free with distribution to Spotify/Apple Podcasts.