Substack
Paid email newsletters made simple
What is Substack?
Substack makes it simple for a writer to start a paid or free newsletter. Writers get a CMS built for publishing email newsletters, integrated payments through Stripe, and a website that can host free and subscriber-only content.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Monetization options
- Audience growth tools
- Clean interface
- Content discovery
- Easy to use
- Mobile app experience
- Supportive community
Cons
- Complex UI
- Limited analytics
- Overwhelming features
Tool Details
| Categories | Blogging platforms, Microblogging platforms, Newsletter platforms |
|---|---|
| Website | www.substack.com |
| Became Popular | February 6, 2018 |
| Platforms | Web · iOS |
| Social |
Recent Reviews (11)
We use Substack for PreSeed Now. It's a twice-weekly email newsletter which unearths and profiles early stage B2B and DeepTech startups who are actively raising investment. It has some really cool features, particularly around intelligently trying to grow your paid subscriber base within the software. Drawbacks are that it doesn't play nice with other apps. It's hard / impossible for me to integrate it into anything else we use such as Notion, Hubspot, etc. and the stats are limited, so it's frustrating. I do get that this is partly due to them wanting to keep users focused on growing high quality newsletters, but it does leave little room to grow if you're adding extra products to your suite.
Having tried it the hard way (manual billing via spreadsheets and multiple different services/apps), I can confirm Substack makes things easier for both writers & readers + continues to improve and upgrade the platform over time (while: importantly, staying true to the core reason for being)
Building in public through my newsletter (prodmba.substack.com) has allowed me to bring customers along with the journey, through workshops, surveys & building hype around launch
Value for money
Love me some Substack! I started one in 2021 as a writer, then was more of a reader, and then returned in 2025 to write again. I LOVE the mobile app experience and have discovered a supportive community of creatives. I would say that Substack is the first and last app I use each day. The Notes section always has engaging content that I'm interested in. I've been steadily growing my audience and even became a Rising creator in my category at one point. I highly recommend this platform for any creator that wants to build a community around their content and monetize in addition to a traditional website.
(I'd give it 3.5 stars) Great design, ease of use, plus tools to assist writers. They do an excellent job with all of these. They also have a fairly strong community in terms of providing assistance with tools or design updates. I do not like that they only use Stripe. Very huge downside, as Stripe has been disrupting businesses. Until they move away from only using one payment processor, this will be a major drawback of using them.
This app is excellent. However, since Stripe does not support Indonesia, I am unable to fully utilize it for monetizing my content. I hope there will be an alternative payment method for creators.
Creators are great.. the ecology or management are greedy and disdainful of readers. Will NOT refund an automatic repayment or unauthroized payment, take a whopping 10% from subscriptions and their "support" will treat you like trash.. you are beneath these "elites.".. the polar opposite of what the platform is meant to stand for...
I use Substack to follow writers I admire and get fresh content straight to my inbox. It’s easy to navigate and offers thoughtful, well-written newsletters that I look forward to. Substack has become my favorite way to stay informed and enjoy quality writing every week.
They would have had a five star if they didnt give me BS at least 4 days in a row that I cant publish due to "network issues" so not its completely unusable. If they have a competitor with a similar transcription then Im moving over asap
Too confusing and search is not relevant
Frequently Asked Questions about Substack
When did Substack become popular?
Substack became popular around February 6, 2018.
What are the main advantages of using Substack?
The top advantages of Substack include: monetization options, audience growth tools, clean interface, content discovery, easy to use.
What are the disadvantages of Substack?
Some reported disadvantages of Substack include: complex UI, limited analytics, overwhelming features.
What is Substack's overall user rating?
Substack has an overall rating of 3.8/5 based on 13 user reviews.
Is Substack available on mobile devices?
Yes, Substack is available on iOS (App Store).
What type of tool is Substack?
Substack belongs to the following categories: Blogging platforms, Microblogging platforms, Newsletter platforms.
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