Alternatives · Email Marketing
Substack alternatives
As of Nov 12, 2026, the highest-graded Substack alternative is Kit (2.6 GPA). It's also the best free one. The catch, in its listing's words: "Up to 10,000 subscribers."
Substack compared with 5 alternatives: beehiiv, Ghost, Kit, Buttondown and MailerLite.
Substack is free to use. 4 of the 5 alternatives are free or have a free plan. One more offers a free trial.
Listings checked up to Nov 12, 2026 · Where the facts come from
At a glance
| Tool | Price | Free plan | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|
| SubstackThis tool | Free | Free | Web, iOS, Android |
| beehiiv | Free plan · from $49/mo | Yes | Web |
| Ghost | Free trial · from $15/mo | Trial only | Web |
| Kit | Free plan · from $33/mo | Yes | Web |
| Buttondown | Free plan · from $9/mo | Yes | Web |
| MailerLite | Free plan · from $12/mo | Yes | Web, iOS |
Price against what you get
Substack has no paid plan and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. None of the 5 alternatives on this chart both scores higher and starts lower.
MailerLite scores higher without starting lower.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
How each one differs from Substack
beehiiv
Newsletter platform with paid subscriptions, ads, website and podcast
- beehiiv starts at $49 per month for up to 1,000 subscribers, billed yearly ($59 monthly).
- beehiiv lists no iOS and Android apps, which Substack has.
- beehiiv also covers marketing automation and forms.
- beehiiv does not cover community, which Substack does.
Suits: Writers building a newsletter they plan to charge for
Ghost
Open source publishing with newsletters and paid memberships
- Ghost starts at $15 per month for up to 1,000 members, billed yearly ($18 billed monthly).
- Ghost has no free plan, only a free trial, unlike Substack.
- Ghost lists no iOS and Android apps, which Substack has.
- Ghost is open source, according to its own site.
- Ghost does not cover community, which Substack does.
Suits: Publishers who want a website, newsletter and paid memberships in one product
Kit
Email marketing and paid newsletters for creators
- Kit starts at $33 per month for up to 1,000 subscribers, billed yearly ($39 monthly).
- Kit lists no iOS and Android apps, which Substack has.
- Kit also covers marketing automation and forms.
- Kit does not cover community, which Substack does.
Suits: Writers, podcasters and other creators growing an email list
Buttondown
Newsletter software priced by active subscribers, with add-ons
- Buttondown starts at $9 per month for up to 1,000 subscribers.
- Buttondown lists no iOS and Android apps, which Substack has.
- Buttondown also covers marketing automation.
- Buttondown does not cover community, which Substack does.
Suits: Writers and small teams that want to pay only for what they use
MailerLite
Email newsletters, automations, sites and paid subscriptions
- MailerLite starts at $12 per month for up to 500 subscribers, billed monthly.
- MailerLite lists no Android app, which Substack has.
- MailerLite also covers marketing automation and forms.
- MailerLite does not cover community, which Substack does.
Suits: Creators and small businesses sending a regular newsletter
Limits worth knowing in Substack
- Substack keeps 10% of paid-subscription revenue, and credit card processing fees come out of the writer's share as well.
- There are no paid plans or add-on tiers listed, so features and limits are the same for every publication.
- It is a publishing platform rather than a marketing-automation tool; the pages read do not describe drip sequences or list segmentation workflows.
Common questions
What are the alternatives to Substack?
The alternatives to Substack in this directory are beehiiv, Ghost, Kit, Buttondown and MailerLite. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with Substack.
Is there a free alternative to Substack?
Yes. beehiiv, Kit, Buttondown and MailerLite have a free plan alongside paid ones.
Is there an open-source alternative to Substack?
Ghost is described as open source on its own site.
When were these prices checked?
Each listing shows its own date. On this page they run from Oct 17, 2026 to Nov 12, 2026. Vendors change prices without notice, so confirm on their site before you buy.