Substack lets writers publish paid newsletters, podcasts, and video. Free to start, Substack takes 10 percent of subscription revenue. See features and pricing.
Substack is a subscription publishing platform that lets writers, podcasters, and video creators build a direct relationship with their audience. Rather than posting to a social feed controlled by an algorithm, creators publish to an owned list of email subscribers who can choose to pay for premium content.
Founded in 2017 by Chris Best, Hamish McKenzie, and Jairaj Sethi, Substack was inspired in part by independent tech writer Ben Thompson's subscription newsletter Stratechery. The platform has since expanded from text newsletters into podcasts (2019) and video (2022), positioning itself as a broader creator publishing and monetization network rather than just an email tool.
Writers get a built-in rich-text and multimedia editor, a customizable publication page, and automatic email delivery to subscribers alongside a companion app for readers to browse and discover new publications.
Monetization tools include free and paid subscription tiers, one-time gift subscriptions, group and referral programs, and integrated Stripe payment processing so creators do not need a separate payment provider.
Substack also provides subscriber analytics, a discovery network (Substack Notes and recommendations between publications), audio and video hosting for podcasts, and a Substack app for both writers and readers.
Publishing on Substack is free. Creators only pay when they charge readers for a paid subscription: Substack takes a flat 10 percent platform fee on subscription revenue, in addition to standard Stripe payment processing fees (typically around 2.9 percent plus 30 cents per transaction). There is no charge for running a free, non-monetized newsletter.
Yes, publishing a newsletter on Substack is free. Substack only earns money when a writer charges for paid subscriptions, taking a 10 percent cut of that revenue.
Substack takes a flat 10 percent platform fee on subscription revenue, in addition to standard Stripe payment processing fees of roughly 2.9 percent plus 30 cents per transaction.
Substack was founded in 2017 by Chris Best, Hamish McKenzie, and Jairaj Sethi, and is headquartered in San Francisco.
Yes, Substack supports podcast hosting and distribution alongside written posts, as well as video since 2022.
Yes, writers retain ownership of their content and can export their subscriber email list at any time.
Substack reported over 5 million paid subscriptions across its network as of March 2025.
Common alternatives include Ghost, Beehiiv, ConvertKit, and Medium, though each differs in fee structure and feature set.