Terms
Most of you have seen that Revue an online platform that focuses on growing an audience with emails and publishing online was shut down by the parent company Twitter. Revue was launched in 2015 and was purchased by Twitter in 2021.
15 December 2022 just a few days after newly appointed Twitter boss Elon Musk had expressed his interest in purchasing Substack (another newsletter platform), Twitter announced that they were sunsetting Revue. Which newsletter platform alternatives are left?
In the beginning, what exactly is Substack?
Substack is an online platform that revolutionized how independent authors and journalists earn money for their work by allowing them to produce and distribute newsletters as well as other written content.
The substack.com homepage (c) Substack
It is not the only one with its own features, and there are several Substack competitors that offer similar functions. In this article, we will take an in-depth examine several of the major competitors to Substack and then compare their features and capabilities.
We'll dive deep into various newsletter software products, so you can best choose the one that best fits your specific preferences. We'll also include the pricing of each software.
Pricing models for Substack
There's no cost to publish on Substack regardless of how many subscribers you have. When you enable paid subscriptions and start charging your audience, Substack takes a 10% fee on each purchase and their processing platform Stripe costs 2.9 percent plus 30 cents per payment.
Ghost - great for blogging
A alternative in the same space as Substack is Ghost the open-source blogging platform. Ghost is similar to Substack in the sense that it permits users to write and publish articles, however it has additional features that Substack is missing that might make it an appealing option for bloggers with a long history of independence or small publications.
. ghost.org homepage (c) Ghost
One of the main distinctions among Ghost and Substack is the degree of control users have in their own content. Ghost allows users to carry out more of the heavy lifting when it comes to customization by offering customized templates and themes that allow users to completely modify the appearance and style of their content, whereas Substack has a more limited selection of choices. Ghost provides multi-author support and allows multiple authors to be able to make contributions to a single blog or site, making it an ideal choice for teams.
Ghost's pricing system
Ghost cost starts at just $11/month and $108/year for the Starter plan. It includes the staff member, one user, no-cost Ghost website themes and integrated integrations that are standard, as well as up to 500 users. Three higher levels are available beginning at the creator plan at 25 dollars per month for 1,000 members with additional features like customized integrations.
Medium is great for publishing in a community
Medium is a different platform which offers similar features to Substack. Medium is a writing and blogging platform that allows users to share stories, and it is home to a huge community of readers and writers. Medium is known for its simple, clean interface, and its emphasis on content that is of high quality. The site encourages users to explore thoughts, stories, and know-how on any topic.
The medium.com home page (c) Medium
Medium is a great platform for journalists and writers who want to engage an crowd, and thus is easily a part of Substack's most popular competitors since it's got a audience of its own However, its readers are focused on online and the app, not in email newsletters. Medium's membership program and paywall options allows writers to monetize their content.
Medium's pricing model
There's no cost at all for publishing on Medium for any number of members/subscribers that you might own. Medium earns its revenue by charging users to read your stories or other people's, for $5/month or $50/year.
Actually, authors on Medium Partner Program can earn money. Medium Partner Program can earn income through referrals. The successful referrals earn you half of a membership fee of a new member for the duration of time they're an active member. This is less the standard 2.9 percent plus $0.30 on processing fees. So, if you got 100 people to join a monthly Medium membership, you'd get an average of $227 for each month.
ConvertKit - great for automation
ConvertKit is an email marketing and automation platform specifically designed to help creators like bloggers as well as journalists, podcasters and bloggers. ConvertKit is designed to aid users create an email database and automate emails, and create segments for audiences to be targeted marketing. ConvertKit provides features such as registration forms for opt-in, landing pages and email comms like similar Substack rivals.
The IxT1XhZ5oqe1jmreBgs The converkit.com homepage (c) ConvertKit
One of the major goals of Convertkit is automatizing the process of connecting to new subscribers and converting their growth into loyal customers. Convertkit also includes a graphic automation tool that allows the creation of complex automation flows without coding. Additionally, it includes tools for managing affiliate relationships as well as providing exclusive content to paid subscribers.
The pricing model used by ConvertKit
for new creators, ConvertKit is free for the first 300 customers. If you are a creator with an audience that is growing, ConvertKit costs from $15/month or $108/year. Again, with up to 300 subscribers, but also with access to email sequences, automation builders, and third-party integrations plus another team participant.
MailChimp is great for emails
It is an email-marketing platform which allows organizations and businesses to develop and deliver email campaigns to (often large) audience. Mailchimp allows you to create custom email templates that can be segmented and targeted to your target audience, monitor the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns, and also integrate with different tools and services in order to replicate a Substack competitor.
The
home page. The mailchimp.com homepage (c) Mailchimp
With Mailchimp it provides analysis and tracking tools that aid you in understanding the performance of your marketing campaigns and take data-driven decision making. It's not as focused on publishing and more for emails that are CRM-related or for e-commerce, as such it provides integrations with site builders, e-commerce platforms as well as other tools to automate the process of creating and sending out email messages.
Pricing model for MailChimp
Mailchimp offers a free package that allows you to utilize the majority of their basics features, and up to 2,500 email sends at up to 500 users and basic reports. Pay-per-month plans that include greater lists and better features start from $20/month for up to 6000 emails sent to up to 500 people.
Patreon is great for creators.
Patreon allows independent creators such as musicians, writers, and authors to get financial backing by their supporters, which helps finance their efforts and to produce new material. Creators can create a profile on the Patreon platform, and their fans, or "patrons," can choose to help them by making a regular monetary contribution. Patrons in return receive special content or perks.
The patreon.com home page (c) Patreon
Patreon is the basis of subscriptions, which means users are charged a fixed amount over a regular basis (usually each month). Creators can choose to offer different levels of support with distinct rewards for every level. This means that customers can contribute to a modest or substantial amount in accordance with their budget as well as the amount of interaction they're looking for. This allows for independent creators to continue producing content without being beholden to advertising or gatekeepers.
Pricing model for Patreon
Patreon Lite costs 5% of the income per month you earn on Patreon as well as the cost of processing payments, and includes a creator page, communication tools, as well as the ability to attend Patreon workshops. Its Patreon Pro plan takes 8% of the monthly income that you make plus processing fees and offers in additional membership tiers, analytics and data, and also a way to manage promotions.
SendFox - great for campaigns
Sendfox is a platform for software which lets users create, send, and track email marketing campaigns. The platform offers many tools, such as email templates, automation, segmentation, and analytics. Sendfox is designed for businesses of all sizes and can be used to promote products and services, grow customers' relationships and boost conversions.
The sendfox.com home page (c) SendFox
There's a free version of SendFox that allows you to send emails to 1,000 contacts using SendFox-branded emails and no automations. Its Lifetime Plan costs just one payment of $49 (not recurring) and allows as many as 5000 members with limited SendFox branding and unlimited automations. This could be the cheapest of the Substack competition.
SendFox's pricing model
The Sendfox free plan allows for unlimited sending to up 1000 members, however messages are branded with SendFox branding. Its Lifetime Plan costs just $49 for one payment which is currently lower than $480. The plan also includes the possibility of 5,000 members as well as improved delivery capabilities.
- great for membership
We would be remiss in not mentioning ourselves! is membership management software that lets creators manage their membership programmes with customized price levels and access levels in order to monetize their content. It is ideal for online course (eCourse) creators or podcast hosts as well as other creators of content who wish to increase their reach.
The .com homepage
Particularly relevant here is our Posts feature, which replicates Substack's "combined mail and online method! It allows you to post exclusively for members in your newsletter or a hosted website. The user can include text as well as images, pick who you wish you want to reach, then create the content or schedule it for later. Check out our help documentation to find out more details.
Pricing model for's
The Starter plan is completely free, with an additional 10% cost on all transactions. It allows you to create two membership plans that allow no limit on members, as well as website-only integrations. If you want to use the Posts feature, you'll need the Pro plan which costs $25/month (or you can choose the premium option which costs $100 per month), but the transaction cost is reduced to 4.9 percent. It also grants unlimited plans and unlimited members, plus all integrations and upgrades, including the ability to sell private podcasts.
Conclusion
There's a great choice when you're searching for Substack competitors: there's raft of platfroms that let you send out email newsletters to an audience, and to create revenue for the process.
What you're looking for in an application that is focused on email, or community publishing or membership, or another, is contingent on the kind of content you wish to produce and other factors such as the frequency of your publishing and your desired degree of personalization.
Hope this will help with your publishing needs.