Terms
Most of you be aware the news that Revue an online platform that focuses on growing an audience with emails and publishing online was shut down by the parent company Twitter. Revue was launched in 2015, and then acquired by Twitter in 2021.
15 December 2022 just days after new Twitter director Elon Musk had expressed desire to purchase Substack (another newsletter platform), Twitter announced that they were sunsetting Revue. Which newsletter platform alternatives are left?
First, what is Substack?
Substack is a platform that has revolutionized the way independent writers and journalists monetize their work through the ability to write and distribute newsletters as well as other written material.
Substack.com Home Page substack.com home page (c) Substack
However, it is certainly not the only one with its own features, and there are a number of Substack competitors that offer similar features. In this post we'll take an in-depth review of some of the primary rivals to Substack and evaluate their capabilities and capabilities.
We'll go into the intricacies of various email software options, so you can best decide which one best suits your personal requirements. In addition, we'll discuss the price of each software.
Substack's pricing model
There is no charge to publish on Substack regardless of the number of subscribers you've got. If you choose to activate subscriptions paid for and begin charging your subscribers, Substack takes a 10 percent fee for each purchase and their processing platform Stripe costs 2.9% + 30C/ each transaction.
Ghost - great for blogging
One alternative in the same space as Substack is Ghost which is an open source blogging platform. Ghost is similar to Substack in the sense that it permits users to create and publish content, but it includes other features Substack lacks that may be a good choice for established bloggers or smaller publications.
The ghost.org home page (c) Ghost
One of the primary differences in Ghost as well as Substack is the level of control that users can exercise over their content. Ghost allows users to do more 'heavy lifting' when it comes to customization, offering custom themes and templates to fully edit the look and feel of their content, whereas Substack offers a less extensive set of options. Ghost is also able to support multi-authors that allows several users to be able to make contributions to a single blog or site, making it an ideal choice to work in teams.
Ghost's pricing system
Ghost prices start at $11/month, or $108/year for the Starter plan, including one staff user, free Ghost websites themes, integrated integrations that are standard, as well as the possibility of having up to 500 members. There are three different tiers that begin with the Creator plan at 25 dollars per month for 1,000 members plus additional functions like custom integrations.
Medium - great for publishing in a community
Medium is another website with features that are similar to Substack. Medium is a writing and blogging platform that allows users to share stories, and it is home to a huge reader and writer community. Medium is well-known for its clean, easy-to-use interface, and its emphasis on content that is of high quality. The site encourages users to explore ideas, thoughts and expertise on any topic.
The medium.com home page (c) Medium
Medium is an ideal platform for journalists and writers seeking to connect with an active crowd, and thus easily qualifies as one of Substack's top competitors, as it has a loyal built-in community of readers - but the readership is focused on online and the app and not the form of email newsletters. The membership as well as paywall features allow writers to make money from their work.
Medium's pricing strategy
It's free for publishing on Medium for any number of members/subscribers you may own. Medium earns its revenue by charging people to read your stories or other people's, for $5/month or $50/year.
Actually, authors on Medium Partner Program can earn money. Medium Partner Program can earn money via referrals. The successful referrals earn you half of a monthly subscription cost for a new member while they're a paying member, minus the typical 2.9 percent plus $0.30 on processing fees. In other words, if you enticed 100 readers to join the Medium monthly membership, you'd receive $227 per month.
ConvertKit - great for automation
ConvertKit is an automation and email marketing platform specifically designed for bloggers or journalists as well as podcasters. It's made to assist users create an email database, automate email sequences, and divide audiences into segments to enable specifically targeted marketing. ConvertKit offers functionality such as opt-in forms, landing pages and email comms , just like the others Substack competitors.
The converkit.com home page (c) ConvertKit
One of the primary goals of Convertkit is the automation of the process of connecting with new subscribers and converting their growth into loyal customers. It also has a visual automation tool that allows the creation of complex automation flows without coding. It also includes tools to manage affiliate relationships as well as providing exclusive content to customers who pay.
ConvertKit's pricing model
for new creators, ConvertKit is free for the first 300 customers. For creators with growing audiences, ConvertKit costs from $15/month or $108/year for 300 or more users, and also includes the ability to access email sequences, automation builders and integrations with third party companies and an additional team participant.
MailChimp - great for email
The Mailchimp email marketing tool that allows companies and other organizations to develop and deliver mailers to (often massive) groups of. Mailchimp offers the ability to create custom email templates, segment and target your audiences, measure the results of your campaigns and connect with other applications and tools to replicate an Substack rival.
The mailchimp.com homepage (c) Mailchimp
Through Mailchimp, you receive statistics and trackers to assist you to understand the performance of your marketing campaigns and to make informed decisions. It's less focussed on publishing , and is more focused on email CRM or ecommerce; consequently, it integrates with site builders, e-commerce platforms and other tools that automate creating and sending email campaigns.
The pricing model of MailChimp
Mailchimp offers a free package that allows you to utilize the majority of their basic features for as little as 2,500 emails for up to 500 recipients with basic reporting. Plans that are paid for to have larger lists and more advanced features start from $20/month for as much as 6000 email messages to up to 500 people.
Patreon is great for creators.
Patreon allows independent creators such as musicians, writers, and authors to get financial backing from their audience, to finance their efforts and to create new material. Creators can create a profile through the Patreon platform. Their followers, known as "patrons," can choose to give them a regular monetary contribution. Patrons in return receive exclusive content and/or rewards.
The patreon.com home page (c) Patreon
Patreon is the basis of subscriptions, which means customers are charged a certain amount on a recurring basis (usually monthly). Creators may choose to offer different levels of support with distinct rewards for each level, so patrons can choose to contribute a little or a lot in accordance with their budget and the level of engagement they're looking for. The independent creator is able to create content and not being beholden to advertisers or traditional gatekeepers.
Pricing model for Patreon
Patreon Lite costs 5% of your monthly earnings you make through Patreon and the cost of processing payments, and includes an artist page, communications tools and access to Patreon workshops. Its Patreon Pro plan takes 8 percent of the income you earn plus payment processing and includes other membership levels, as well as analytics and insights and a tool for running promotional campaigns.
SendFox - great for campaigns
Sendfox is a platform for software that allows users to create, send, and track email marketing campaigns. The platform offers many options, including templates for emails and automation as well as segmentation, segmentation and analytics. Sendfox is designed specifically for companies of all sizes and can be utilized to advertise products and services, grow customer relationships, and increase conversions.
The 0yeAR0hSBm3pjHsWmX The sendfox.com homepage (c) SendFox
There's a trial version of SendFox that allows you to send emails to 1,000 contacts using SendFox-branded emails and no automations. The Lifetime Plan costs just one payment of $49 (not recurring) and provides up to 5000 members with reduced SendFox branding and unlimited automated emails. This is possibly the least expensive among all Substack competitors.
SendFox's pricing model
The Sendfox free program allows unlimited sending to up to 1,000 members but emails have SendFox branding. Its Lifetime Plan costs just $49 per month - it's currently reduced from $480 - and allows up to 5,000 members and enhanced delivery capabilities.
- great for membership
We'd be remiss in not mentioning ourselves! is membership management software that lets creators manage their membership programs that have custom price tiers and access levels in order to make money from their content. It is ideal for online course (eCourse) creators, podcast hosts, and other creators of content who wish to expand their audiences.
The .com home page
The most relevant feature here is Particularly relevant is our Posts feature, which is a replica of Substack's 'combined email and online' approach! lets you publish exclusive members-only content via newsletter as well as a -hosted website. The user can include text as well as images, choose who you wish are to be targeted, and then either create the content or schedule it to be published in the future. Check out our help documentation for further details.
The pricing model of's
Our Starter plan is completely free, with an additional 10% cost on transactions. It allows you to create two membership plans with unlimited membersand web-only integrations. If you want to use the Posts option, users need the Pro plan at $25/month (or premium plan at $100 per month), but the transaction cost reduces to 4.9%. The plan also provides unlimited plans and unlimited members, plus all integrations along with upgrades like the ability to sell private podcasts.
Conclusion
This is a fantastic option to anyone searching for Substack competition: there's a plethora of platfroms that let you publish and distribute email ewsletters to a large audience and to create revenue for creating revenue from it.
What you're looking for in a platform that concentrates on email, or the concept of community publishing, or membership or something else, depends on the type of content you want to produce along with other aspects such as the frequency your publishing and your desired level of customization.
We hope that this helps with your publishing needs.