Substack alternatives (2026)

Substack is a free-to-start publishing platform with a discovery network, funded by a revenue cut. If it's not the right fit, here are the 3 alternatives people switch to most — with the honest reason for each.

Substack pricing: $0 to publish at any size; takes 10% of paid-subscription revenue (plus Stripe fees). Verified 2026-07-13.

Top Substack alternatives

beehiiv

0% revenue cut and a flat fee that's usually cheaper once you monetize seriously.

Kit

Own your funnel and automations instead of relying on Substack's network.

Ghost

Keep 100% of revenue with a self-hosted, membership-native platform.

Compare them all on price

See the full side-by-side pricing for newsletter platforms — including free-tier limits and hidden fees — on the newsletter platforms cost calculator.

✍️ Switching tools means re-announcing everywhere. OnePost turns one post into native versions for X, LinkedIn, Threads, Reddit and more (free tier).