Substack pricing
Free at any list size; you pay only when you earn, but 10% of paid revenue becomes expensive as a paid newsletter grows.
Watch out: Substack keeps 10% of paid revenue on top of card fees; it does not let you take your subscriber payments elsewhere without moving off the platform.
What Substack costs at your list size
| Your newsletter | Per month | How we got it |
|---|---|---|
| 1,000 subscribers | $0 | Free: $0. |
| 5,000 subscribers | $0 | Free: $0. |
| 10,000 subscribers | $0 | Free: $0. |
| 25,000 subscribers | $0 | Free: $0. |
| 50,000 subscribers | $0 | Free: $0. |
| 100,000 subscribers | $0 | Free: $0. |
| 5,000 subscribers · 250 paying $8/mo | $200 | Free: $0 + 10% of $2,000 paid revenue = $200.00. |
| 25,000 subscribers · 1,500 paying $8/mo | $1,200 | Free: $0 + 10% of $12,000 paid revenue = $1,200.00. |
Every Substack plan
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Free to publish at any size; Substack keeps 10% of paid subscription revenue |
Source: Official pricing page, monthly billing, read 28 Oct 2026 · Official pricing page
Substack vs the alternatives
Frequently asked questions
Does Substack have a free plan?
Yes. The Free plan costs $0: free to publish at any size; Substack keeps 10% of paid subscription revenue.
How much does Substack cost per month?
Substack is free to use. It keeps 10% of paid subscription revenue.
How much does Substack cost for 25,000 subscribers?
Nothing ($0) a month. Free: $0.
Does Substack take a cut of paid subscriptions?
Its pricing page lists: 10% of revenue. Card processing fees (Stripe) are separate.
What is the cheapest alternative to Substack?
At 25,000 subscribers, Ghost costs $166 a month, the lowest published price among the other newsletter platforms we track.