The best Substack alternatives2026
Substack makes starting a newsletter easy, but it takes a percentage of your paid-subscription revenue and gives you little control over design, automation, or owning the relationship with your list. Writers who want to keep more of their revenue and run real email automation often move to a dedicated platform. These alternatives are built for newsletters and creators, with their own paid-subscription and growth features. We compared them on free tiers, newsletter-native features, and pricing as your list grows.
Top alternative
beehiiv
from $43/mo · free tier
Stands out for built for newsletters with website + podcast hosting. Best for newsletter-operators, creators, media-publishers.
Read the full review →Substack alternatives at a glance
- 01beehiivfrom $43/mo
- 02Kitfrom $33/mo
- 03MailerLitefrom $12/mo
- 04GetResponsefrom $19/mo
Side-by-side comparison
| Tool | Starting price | Free tier | Key features | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| beehiiv | $43/mo | Yes |
| newsletter-operators, creators, media-publishers | Visit |
| Kit | $33/mo | Yes |
| creators, newsletter-operators, course-sellers | Visit |
| MailerLite | $12/mo | Yes |
| creators, small-business, ecommerce | Visit |
| GetResponse | $19/mo | Yes |
| small-business, course-sellers, ecommerce | Visit |
Prices are starting list prices and scale with list size. Confirm current pricing on each vendor's site before switching.
How each compares as a Substack alternative
beehiiv
Full review →- Best for
- Newsletter operators who want a built-in ad network, paid subscriptions with a 0% take rate on paid plans, and a recommendation network for growth — all within a platform designed specifically for newsletters.
- Not ideal for
- Creators who need only basic email sending and want to avoid paying $43/month once they exceed 2,500 subscribers, since that is where the free Launch plan ends.
- Best for
- Creators who want a generous free tier — up to 10,000 subscribers at no cost — combined with digital product sales and the ability to add paid newsletter subscriptions.
- Not ideal for
- Users who need unlimited automations without paying, since the free Newsletter plan includes only one basic automation.
MailerLite
Full review →- Best for
- Budget-conscious creators starting small who want digital product sales, a website builder, and a low entry price of $12/month once they grow past the free tier's 250-subscriber limit.
- Not ideal for
- Newsletter operators focused on audience growth tools like ad networks or recommendation systems, as those features are not listed in MailerLite's feature set.
GetResponse
Full review →- Best for
- Course sellers who want email marketing and an online course platform in one tool, available on the Creator plan at $69/month for up to 500 students.
- Not ideal for
- Writers who want a clean, newsletter-first experience, as GetResponse is oriented toward small business, ecommerce, and course selling rather than newsletter publishing.
Data sources
methodology →Pricing for each tool is taken from its official pricing page and refreshed automatically. Always confirm the current price on the vendor's site before signing up — pricing changes often.
- beehiivhttps://www.beehiiv.com/pricingchecked 2026-06-17
- Kit (formerly ConvertKit)https://kit.com/pricingchecked 2026-06-17
- MailerLitehttps://www.mailerlite.com/pricingchecked 2026-06-17
- GetResponsehttps://www.getresponse.com/pricingchecked 2026-06-17