Looking for alternatives to Substack? Here are the best options depending on your use case.
Substack ranks lower on fee competitiveness, tax handling, advanced billing flexibility, which is the most common reason teams evaluate alternatives.
Open source publishing platform with native paid memberships via Stripe. 0% platform fee — only Stripe's processing costs. Best for established writers who want full control.
Newsletter platform built for growth. Strong analytics, A/B testing for subject lines, paid subscriptions, and a built-in ad network. 0% platform fee on paid subscriptions.
Formerly ConvertKit. Email marketing platform with paid newsletter and product monetization features. Strong automation and segmentation.
Default choice for indie SaaS founders. Tax compliance out of the box, license key management, excellent DX. Acquired by Stripe in 2024.
Lowest MoR fees on the market (4% + $0.40). Open source, built for developers and OSS projects.
Fastest path from idea to first sale. Built-in marketplace gives discovery. High fees (10%) are the trade-off for zero setup friction.
More customizable than Gumroad with better fee structure at volume. Does not handle VAT globally.
Best for selling community access, Discord groups, and bundled digital products. Not MoR.
| Tool | Pricing | MoR | A/B | Ease |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Substack | 10% of paid subscription revenue. Stripe handles payments. | No | No | 5/5 |
| Ghost | Self-hosted: free. Ghost(Pro): from $9/month. Stripe handles payments (0% platform fee). | No | No | 3/5 |
| Beehiiv | Free up to 2,500 subscribers. Scale from $42/month. 0% platform fee on paid subs. | No | Yes | 5/5 |
| Kit | Free up to 10,000 subscribers. Creator from $25/month. | No | No | 4/5 |
| Lemon Squeezy | 5% + $0.50 per transaction. Acquired by Stripe 2024. | Yes | No | 5/5 |
| Polar | 4% + $0.40 per transaction (lowest MoR fees on the market) | Yes | No | 5/5 |
| Gumroad | 10% flat. 30% if sold via Gumroad marketplace. | Yes | No | 5/5 |
| Payhip | Free: 5% fee. Plus $29/mo: 2%. Pro $99/mo: 0% | No | No | 5/5 |
| Whop | 3% platform + Stripe fees (~5.7–7.2% all-in) | No | No | 4/5 |
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