Best Substack Alternatives in 2025
While Substack offers a straightforward platform for monetizing newsletters, alternatives may better suit your needs depending on your audience size, automation requirements, or monetization strategy. Whether you're seeking more advanced features, better customer support, or lower revenue-share fees, these alternatives provide compelling options for writers, creators, and publishers.
Why look for an alternative?
- Access more advanced automation and segmentation tools not available in Substack's core offering
- Take advantage of lower fees or different pricing models that better suit your revenue goals
- Leverage built-in ad networks and referral programs for additional monetization beyond subscriptions
Best Substack Alternatives in 2025
1
The newsletter platform built for growth · Best for: Newsletter publishers and media operators
Beehiiv directly competes with Substack but offers an integrated ad network and referral program for additional revenue streams beyond paid subscriptions. With higher free tier limits (2,500 subscribers) and superior customer ratings, it's ideal for publishers seeking growth-focused tools.
2
Email platform built for creators · Best for: Creators, bloggers, and course sellers
ConvertKit specializes in visual automation and subscriber tagging, making it superior for creators who want to segment audiences and build automation sequences. It offers commerce functionality for selling digital products directly to your audience.
3
Simple email marketing for small businesses · Best for: Small businesses and freelancers on a budget
MailerLite combines affordability (starting at $9/month) with powerful features like landing pages, pop-ups, and surveys all included in paid plans. It's perfect for creators wanting to grow their audience and convert subscribers without paying high subscription fees.
4
Email, automation, and CRM combined · Best for: Businesses needing advanced automation and CRM
ActiveCampaign goes beyond email to include integrated CRM, lead scoring, and site tracking capabilities. It's best for publishers who want to manage customer relationships and sales pipelines alongside their newsletter operations.
5
Complete online marketing platform · Best for: Online course creators and webinar hosts
GetResponse uniquely combines email marketing with built-in webinar hosting and online course functionality, making it ideal for creators who want to sell courses or host webinars alongside their newsletter. The integrated platform eliminates the need for multiple subscriptions.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best free alternative to Substack?
Beehiiv offers the most generous free tier with up to 2,500 subscribers and built-in monetization features through its ad network. ConvertKit and MailerLite also have free plans supporting 1,000 subscribers each, though with slightly more limited features than Beehiiv.
What is the best Substack alternative for small business?
MailerLite is excellent for small businesses due to its affordable pricing starting at just $9/month combined with comprehensive features like landing pages, pop-ups, and e-commerce integrations. For businesses needing customer relationship management alongside email, ActiveCampaign provides integrated CRM functionality at a competitive price.
Is there a cheaper alternative to Substack?
Yes—MailerLite starts at $9/month compared to Substack's 10% revenue share on paid subscriptions, making it financially better for many publishers. GetResponse ($19/month) and Brevo ($25/month) also offer fixed pricing that may be cheaper depending on your subscriber count and revenue.