Substack is a platform founded in 2017 that allows writers and creators to publish and distribute newsletters, podcasts, and videos directly to their audience. It bridges the gap between traditional blogging and email marketing, offering tools for publishing, payments, analytics, and community building. The platform aims to enable writers to make a living from their work, free from traditional media constraints. Subscribers can access content through the Substack app, in their browser, or directly in their inbox.
Key features of Substack include the ability to offer both free and paid subscriptions, with writers setting their own subscription rates. Substack provides tools for audience engagement, such as comment sections, notes, and subscriber chats. It also supports multimedia content, including podcasts and videos. For paid subscriptions, Substack typically takes a 10% cut of the revenue, in addition to payment processing fees charged by Stripe (approximately 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction). This makes the real cost of Substack around 13%-16% of the revenue. The minimum subscription fee is $5 per month. Despite the fees, Substack remains one of the most accessible newsletter platforms available in 2026.
