Platform comparison

Substack Alternatives: What the 10% Fee Costs You at Every Revenue Level

At $2,000/month in subscriber revenue, Substack's cut is $2,400/year — before Stripe fees. Platforms like Writizzy charge a flat monthly fee instead, regardless of what you earn.

Where each platform shines

Both are solid choices. The right one depends on what matters most to you.

Writizzy does this well
Full design control
Multiple themes, custom colors, typography, and dark mode. Your blog looks like yours — not like everyone else's Substack.
0% platform fee
Writizzy charges a flat monthly fee based on subscriber count. As your revenue grows, your platform cost stays the same.
Markdown-native editing
Write in Markdown with a full-featured editor. Your content stays clean, portable, and easy to export.
Easy migration
Import your existing content from Substack, Medium, Ghost, or WordPress in a few clicks. Your audience comes with you.
Substack does this well
Established discovery network
Millions of active readers, cross-publication recommendations, and Substack Notes — a growing social network built into the platform.
Mobile app for readers
Readers can follow and read all their Substack publications from a dedicated mobile app — something Writizzy doesn't offer yet.
Podcast & video support
Native support for audio and video content, beyond written posts and newsletters. A good fit for multimedia creators.
Free until you monetize
No monthly fee. Substack only charges 10% when you activate paid subscriptions, which can make sense early on.

How pricing works on each platform

Substack charges nothing upfront but takes 10% of your revenue. Writizzy charges a flat monthly fee based on subscriber count, with no commission.

How much could you earn?

Adjust the sliders to match your situation. Platform fees and Stripe fees are both included.

500
105,000
€10
€3€30
Substack
€50,460
/year after fees
Gross revenue€60,000
Platform fee (10%)−€6,000
Stripe fees−€3,540
Writizzy
€56,370
/year after fees
Gross revenue€60,000
Platform fee (annual plan)−€90
Stripe fees−€3,540

You'd earn €5,910 more per year with Writizzy.

Writizzy uses annual billing (10 months charged, 2 free). Stripe fees estimated at 2.9% + €0.30/transaction. Writizzy's plan tier is based on total subscriber count (free + paid), which may be higher than paid subscribers alone. Pricing data verified as of April 2026.

Full feature comparison

Feature Writizzy Substack
Writing & Publishing
Blog posts
Native Markdown editing
Block editor only
Newsletter sending
4/month
Unlimited
Drafts & scheduled publishing
Tags
Basic
Import from Medium, Ghost, WordPress
Design & Customization
Multiple themes
Several free themes
One design for everyone
Colors & typography control
Dark mode for readers
Custom domain
Paid plans
Paid plans
Monetization
Platform fee on revenue
0%
10%
Paid memberships
Paywalled posts
Gifted / complimentary access
Subscriber import
Community & Discovery
Discovery network
Growing
Millions of readers
Comments
Reactions
Social feed (Notes equivalent)
Mobile reader app
Content Types
Text blog & newsletter
Podcast
Video

When Substack is the right choice

Substack built the modern newsletter category and remains a strong platform for many creators.

  • You're just starting out — no monthly fee until you monetize means zero risk while you build an audience.
  • Discovery matters to your growth — Substack's recommendation network and Notes can drive meaningful new subscribers, especially in popular niches.
  • Your readers use the mobile app — Substack's dedicated reader app is a real engagement advantage that dedicated platforms don't offer yet.
  • You publish podcasts or video — native audio and video support make Substack a better fit for multimedia creators.

The 10% fee becomes harder to justify as your revenue grows. Most creators start evaluating alternatives once they cross $1,000–2,000/month in paid subscriptions.

Important before you switch: Stripe subscriptions are tied to Substack's account and cannot be transferred. Paid subscribers will need to manually re-subscribe on your new platform — expect some churn. The earlier you switch (before building a large paid base), the smoother the migration.

How to migrate from Substack

4 steps. Your posts and free subscribers transfer automatically.

  1. 1
    Export your Substack archive
    In your Substack dashboard, go to Settings → Exports and click "Download export". You'll receive a ZIP file containing all your posts, drafts, and metadata.
  2. 2
    Import posts into Writizzy
    In Writizzy, go to Dashboard → Import, select Substack, and upload your ZIP file. Posts, drafts, tags, and publish dates are transferred automatically.
  3. 3
    Export your subscriber list
    In Substack, go to Subscribers → Export to download a CSV of your subscriber list including email addresses and subscription status.
  4. 4
    Re-import subscribers
    Upload the CSV in Writizzy's subscriber import tool. Free subscribers are added immediately. Paid subscribers will receive an email to re-subscribe on your new platform.
Try Writizzy for free

Start free. See if it feels right.

Free up to 100 subscribers. No credit card required. Upgrade when you need to, at a flat rate.

Start writing on Writizzy

Frequently asked questions

How much does Substack take from creators?

Substack charges a 10% platform fee on all paid subscription revenue, on top of Stripe processing fees (~2.9% + $0.30 per transaction). On $5,000/month in revenue, that's $500/month — $6,000/year — going to Substack alone, before payment processing.

Does Substack own my content?

No — you retain ownership of your content. However, your subscriber list and their payment details are managed by Substack, which creates a practical dependency. Exporting your list is possible, but re-importing paid subscribers to another platform requires them to re-subscribe.

What are the best Substack alternatives?

The main alternatives are Ghost (open source, self-hosted or cloud, 0% fee), Beehiiv (newsletter-focused, 0% fee on Scale plan, strong email tools), and Writizzy (0% fee, flat monthly rate, full design control and blog features). The right choice depends on whether you prioritize email tools, design flexibility, or cost.

How do I migrate from Substack to another platform?

Go to your Substack dashboard → Settings → Exports, then download your archive ZIP. Most platforms accept this format directly for post import. For subscribers, export your list as a CSV from Substack and re-import it. Free subscribers transfer immediately; paid subscribers need to re-subscribe on the new platform.