Terms
Most of you be aware the news that Revue an online platform that focuses on creating an audience via emails and publishing online is being shut down by its parent company Twitter. Revue was founded in the year 2015 and was acquired by Twitter in 2021.
15 December 2022 just a few days after newly appointed Twitter boss Elon Musk indicated desire to purchase Substack (another subscription platform), Twitter announced that they were phasing out Revue. Which newsletter platform alternatives are left?
In the beginning, what exactly is Substack?
Substack is a platform that has revolutionized the way independent writers and journalists monetize their work by allowing them to create and distribute newsletters and other written content.
The substack.com homepage (c) Substack
However, it is certainly not the only platform of its kind, and there are a number of Substack alternatives that have similar features. In this piece, we will take deeper review of several of the major opponents to Substack and compare their features and capabilities.
In this article, we'll take a deep dive into different newsletter software products in order to choose the one that best fits your specific needs. Also, we'll provide the cost of each platform.
Pricing models for Substack
There is no charge to publish through Substack, no matter the number of subscribers you've got. If you activate paid subscriptions and begin charging your subscribers, Substack takes a 10 percent fee for each transaction and their payment processing platform Stripe costs 2.9% + 30C/ transaction.
Ghost - great for blogging
One rival that is similar to Substack is Ghost, an open-source blogging platform. Ghost is like Substack in that it allows users to write and publish content, but it includes extra features Substack lacks that may provide a compelling alternative for established bloggers or smaller publications.
The ghost.org home page (c) Ghost
One of the main differences among Ghost and Substack is the degree of control users have in their own content. Ghost allows users to carry out more of the heavy lifting when it comes to customization, offering custom templates and themes to edit the look and feel of their publications, while Substack offers a less extensive range of options. Ghost is also able to support multi-authors, which allows multiple users to be able to make contributions to a single blog or website, which makes it an ideal choice for teams.
Ghost's pricing system
Ghost cost starts at just $11/month and $108/year for the Starter plan. This includes one staff user, free Ghost web themes as well as standard built-in integrations, and the possibility of having up to 500 members. There are three different tiers starting with the Creator plan which is 25 dollars per month for 1,000 members with additional features like custom integrations.
Medium - great for community publishing
Medium is another platform which offers similar features to Substack. It's a blogging and writing platform, which lets users share stories, and it is home to a huge community of readers and writers. Medium is well-known for its simple, clean interface, and its emphasis on content that is of high quality. It encourages readers to discover stories, thinking, and knowledge on any subject.
medium.com homepage (c) Medium
Medium is a great platform for writers and journalists seeking to connect with an active public, which is why it is easily a part of Substack's most popular competitors since it's got a readership built into the platform however, the audience is focused on online and the app, not in the form of email newsletters. Medium's membership plan and paywall option allows authors to earn money for their writing.
Medium's pricing strategy
There is no charge to publish on Medium, regardless of how many members or subscribers that you be able to. Medium earns its revenue by charging readers to read your stories and other people's stories, with a fee of $5/month, or $50/year.
In fact, writers on the Medium Partner Program can earn income via referrals. The successful referrals earn you the equivalent of half of a monthly subscription cost for a new member the duration of time they're a paying member, minus the usual 2.9 percentage plus $0.30 for processing costs. If you could get 100 members to sign up for the Medium monthly membership, you'd earn the equivalent of $227 per month.
ConvertKit is great for automatizing
ConvertKit is an automation and email marketing platform specifically designed to help creators like bloggers, journalists and podcasters. It's made to assist users create an email database and automate emails, and create segments for audiences to be specific marketing. ConvertKit includes features like the opt-in form, landing page, and email comms like other Substack rivals.
The IxT1XhZ5oqe1jmreBgs The converkit.com homepage (c) ConvertKit
One of the primary goals of Convertkit is automatizing the process of contacting new potential subscribers and nurturing the process of turning them into clients. Convertkit also includes a graphic automation builder that permits the creation of complex automation flows without coding. Additionally, it includes tools for managing affiliate relationships as well as providing exclusive content to paid subscribers.
Pricing model for ConvertKit's ConvertKit
New creators can take advantage of the free service. ConvertKit can be used for free, with as many as 300 users. For those with a growing audience, ConvertKit costs from $15/month or $108/year. Again, for 300 or more customers, however, it also comes with the ability to access email sequences, automation builders, and third-party integrations and the addition of a team members.
MailChimp is a great email service.
Mailchimp is an email marketing platform which allows organizations and businesses to design and distribute emails to (often huge) audiences. Mailchimp offers the ability to design custom email templates that can be segmented and targeted to your audiences, measure the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns, and also integrate with other applications and tools to create the performance of a Substack competitor.
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home page. The mailchimp.com home page (c) Mailchimp
Through Mailchimp You get analytics and tracking tools to help you understand the effectiveness of your campaigns and take data-driven decision making. It's less focussed in publishing and more geared towards emails that are CRM-related or for e-commerce, as such it provides integrations with website builders, platforms for e-commerce, and other tools that automate making and sending emails.
MailChimp's pricing model
Mailchimp provides a no-cost package that allows you to use most of the fundamental features up to 2,500 emails sent for up to 500 recipients using basic reporting. Plans that are paid for to have greater lists and better features cost from $20/month and go up to up to 6000 emails sent with up to 500 users.
Patreon - great for creators
Patreon allows independent creators like musicians and writers to receive financial support by their supporters, which helps finance their efforts and to create new material. Creators set up a page in the Patreon platform and patrons, also known as "patrons," can choose to help them by making a regular monetary contribution. Patrons in return receive exclusive content and/or benefits.
The patreon.com homepage (c) Patreon
Patreon runs on the basis of subscriptions, which means users are charged a fixed amount over a regular basis (usually every month). Creators are able to provide various levels of support, with various rewards at each level, so patrons are able to donate either a small or large amount depending on their budget and the degree of engagement they're hoping for. It allows independent creators to create content and not being obligated to advertisers or traditional gatekeepers.
Patreon's pricing model
Patreon Lite costs 5% of your monthly earnings that you make on Patreon as well as payment processing fees,and offers an artist page, communications tools, as well as accessibility to Patreon workshops. Its Patreon Pro plan takes 8 percent of your monthly earnings that you make plus processing fees and provides more membership levels, analytic and insight, as well as a tool for running promotions.
SendFox - great for campaigns
Sendfox is a platform for software that allows users to create, send, and track campaigns for email marketing. It offers a variety of options, including templates for emails and automation as well as segmentation, segmentation and analytics. Sendfox is designed for businesses of all sizes and can be used to market products and services, grow customer relationships, and increase conversions.
0. 0yeAR0hSBm3pjHsWmX The sendfox.com homepage (c) SendFox
There's a no-cost version of SendFox which allows sending newsletters to 1000 contacts with the SendFox brand and without automations. Its Lifetime Plan costs just one payment of $49 (not ongoing) and allows as many as 5000 members with limited SendFox branding and unlimited automatizations. It could be the most affordable among all Substack competition.
The pricing model used by SendFox
The Sendfox free plan allows for unlimited email sending for up to 1,000 users, but the emails have SendFox branding. This Lifetime Plan costs just $49 for a single payment - which is currently lower than $480. The plan also includes up to 5,000 subscribers and increased delivery capabilities.
- great for membership
We'd be remiss not to mention us! is membership management software that lets creators manage their membership programs with custom price tiers as well as access levels to make their content monetizable. Works well for online courses (eCourse) creators, podcast hosts, and other content creators who want to increase their reach.
The .com homepage
Particularly relevant here is our Posts feature that replicates Substack's 'combined email and online' approach! allows you to publish only to members via newsletters or a hosted website. The user can include text as well as images, pick the members you want to target, and make the article public or plan the post for the future. Check out our help documentation for more information.
's pricing model
The Starter plan is free with a 10% fee on transactions. You can create two membership plans with unlimited members, and website-only integrations. If you want to use Posts, our Posts service, you'll need the Pro plan at $25/month (or the Premium plan which costs $100/month but the transaction fee decreases to 4.9%. It also grants unlimited plans and unlimited members, plus all integrations as well upgrades such as the ability to sell private podcasts.
Conclusion
There's a great choice to anyone looking for Substack competitors: there's raft of platfroms that let you publish and distribute email ewsletters for an audience, as well as to create revenue for doing so.
If you're interested in a platform that concentrates on email or the concept of community publishing, or membership or something else, is contingent on the kind of content that you'd like to create and other factors such as the frequency publication and the desired amount of customisation.
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