Substack vs Privy: Side-by-Side Comparison (2025)

Choosing between Substack and Privy comes down to your specific use case. Substack is built for writers monetising directly from subscribers, while Privy targets Shopify stores wanting email, SMS, and popups in one tool.

Quick Verdict

Overall winner
Privy
Better pricing
Substack
More features
Substack
For beginners
Substack
E-commerce
Substack

Feature Comparison

Feature Privy Substack
๐Ÿ’ฐ Pricing
Free Planโœ“โœ“
Starting Price$30/moFree
Free Trialโœ“โœ—
โš™๏ธ Features
Email Automationโœ“โœ—
Visual Workflow Builderโœ—โœ—
Landing Pagesโœ—โœ—
Built-in CRMโœ—โœ—
SMS Marketingโœ“โœ—
A/B Testingโœ—โœ—
E-commerce Integrationโœ“โœ—
Transactional Emailโœ—โœ—
Remove Brandingโœ—โœ—
๐Ÿค– AI Features
AI Subject Linesโœ—โœ—
AI Send-Time Optimisationโœ—โœ—
๐Ÿ›Ž Support
Email Supportโœ“โœ“
Live Chatโœ“โœ—
Phone Supportโœ—โœ—
Privy
โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜† 4.6/5
Substack
โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜† 4.0/5
Our verdict

Privy is best for Shopify stores wanting email, SMS, and popups in one tool.

Try Privy Free โ†’
Our verdict

Substack is best for writers monetising directly from subscribers.

Try Substack Free โ†’

Which Should You Choose?

Choose Privy ifโ€ฆ

  • You are primarily focused on writers monetising directly from subscribers
  • You value paid subscriptions
  • You prefer revenue-share pricing
Try Privy โ†’

Choose Substack ifโ€ฆ

  • You are primarily focused on Shopify stores wanting email, SMS, and popups in one tool
  • You value popups
  • You prefer freemium pricing
Try Substack โ†’

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Substack better than Privy?

It depends on your use case. Substack wins for writers monetising directly from subscribers, while Privy is stronger for Shopify stores wanting email, SMS, and popups in one tool.

Which is cheaper, Substack or Privy?

Substack starts at a lower price point. Pricing scales with subscriber count so total cost depends on your list size.

Can I switch from Privy to Substack?

Yes, switching is possible. Most platforms support CSV import/export. Plan time to recreate automations and templates.