Substack alternatives
4 alternatives to Substack, ranked on the same sourced pricing and capability scores as the rest of the site.
Substack alternatives, ranked
| # | Tool | Starting price | Best for | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | beehiiv Top pick | Free, then $49/mo Free tier | Newsletter operators who want growth tools and ad revenue built in, and expect to outgrow a hobby list. | | Visit |
| 2 | Kit | Free, then $33/mo Free tier | Creators who want to charge for a newsletter from day one without paying a monthly fee first. | | Visit |
| 3 | MailerLite | Free, then $19/mo Free tier | Small businesses and writers who want the lowest monthly price and no cut of subscription revenue. | | Visit |
| 4 | Ghost | $18/mo | Writers and publications that want a real website with the newsletter attached, and to keep all subscription revenue. | | Visit |
Ranked on weighted capability scores, weighted most heavily towards audience growth tools and publication website. Commission is not an input — see methodology.
For reference, Substack scores 71 out of 100 on the same newsletter platforms weighting.
beehiiv
Newsletter operators who want growth tools and ad revenue built in, and expect to outgrow a hobby list.
Stronger than Substack on publication website, low transaction fees and automation.
Kit
Creators who want to charge for a newsletter from day one without paying a monthly fee first.
Stronger than Substack on publication website, low transaction fees and automation.
MailerLite
Small businesses and writers who want the lowest monthly price and no cut of subscription revenue.
Stronger than Substack on publication website, value for money and low transaction fees.
Ghost
Writers and publications that want a real website with the newsletter attached, and to keep all subscription revenue.
Stronger than Substack on publication website, value for money and low transaction fees.
More on Substack
Common questions
What is the best alternative to Substack?
On our weighted scoring for newsletter platforms, beehiiv is the strongest alternative, at 83 out of 100 against 71 for Substack. The right switch depends on why you are leaving — the cards on this page show where each alternative is stronger.
What is a cheaper alternative to Substack?
Of the alternatives we compare, Ghost has the lowest paid entry price, at $18/mo (monthly; $15/mo billed yearly).
Is there a free alternative to Substack?
Yes — beehiiv, Kit and MailerLite have a free plan. Check the limits on each pricing page; free plans differ widely.
Prices checked against each vendor's own pricing page, most recently on 24 September 2026.
Sources & verification
- ghost.org — checked 24 September 2026Founded April 2013.
- ghost.org — checked 24 September 2026No free plan on Ghost(Pro) — each plan starts with a free trial. Ghost is also open-source software you can host yourself.
- kit.com — checked 24 September 2026Paid newsletters and recurring subscriptions on every plan, including free. 3.5% + 30¢ per transaction, inclusive of card processing — Kit says its own share is 0.6%.
- beehiiv.com — checked 24 September 2026
- beehiiv.com — checked 24 September 2026Launch plan: free for up to 2,500 subscribers, with unlimited email sends, a website and custom domains. No card required. Paid subscriptions, automations and the ad network need a paid plan.
- mailerlite.com — checked 24 September 2026
- mailerlite.com — checked 24 September 2026No sales fee on paid newsletters; Stripe processes the payments.
- mailerlite.com — checked 24 September 2026Free plan: up to 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails a month, with 3 automations, 1 website and 1 landing page. Paid newsletters, custom domains and removing the MailerLite logo need a paid plan.