Substack takes a radically different approach to the other platforms on this list. It’s a publishing platform that doubles as both a blogging tool and a newsletter. Every newsletter automatically becomes a blog post, so you can leverage both email and SEO. Its dual publishing approach is a hit among independent journalists and authors, who get to own their audience segment without tying themselves to one platform.
Monetization is beautifully simple. When you’re ready to start offering paid subscriptions, just set your price. Substack handles everything else and takes a 10% cut of your earnings. It’s great for new creators who are just beginning to build an audience, since you don’t have any other fees or charges to deal with. But it can get expensive when you really rack up an audience.
Substack also removes all technical barriers to publishing, for better or worse. The writing interface is clean and distraction-free, letting you focus entirely on content creation. There’s no need to worry about design, hosting, or payment processing — everything just works. But if you want to have a really distinct brand aesthetic, this platform is not for you.
There’s no automation, A/B testing, or advanced segmentation. Analytics are basic compared to dedicated email platforms, though you can integrate with Google Analytics. There’s also a social discovery tool that lets creators and their audiences give likes, have conversations, or recommend each other. But on the downside, Substack is not the most SEO-optimized if you’re going to be serious about search.
Substack features: Paid subscriptions | Web publishing | Discovery network | Comments system | Podcast hosting | Mobile app | SEO optimization
