Substack is the home for independent voices — publish a newsletter, podcast, or community and get paid by subscribers. If it doesn't fit your pricing, workflow, or feature needs, here are 3 alternatives worth comparing — including options with a free plan and open-source picks.
Looking for the original? See the full Substack listing.
| Tool | Best for | Pricing | Free plan | Open source | vs Substack |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 beehiiv | Newsletter creators and independent journalists | Freemium · from $39/mo | Flat monthly pricing with 0% revenue cut plus referral and ad-network growth tools built for scaling. | ||
| Serious publications with growing paid revenue | Freemium · from $9/mo | Open-source publishing on your own domain with 0% fees and full ownership, but bring your own audience. | |||
| Creators selling courses, products, or paid content | Freemium · from $25/mo | Creator-grade automation, tagging, and product selling that Substack's closed platform lacks. |
beehiiv is the top-listed Substack alternative on this page — flat monthly pricing with 0% revenue cut plus referral and ad-network growth tools built for scaling. The right choice depends on your budget, workflow, and required integrations, so compare the table above before deciding.
Yes. beehiiv offers a free plan, with paid plans from $39/mo. Other listings may also include free tiers — check the Free plan column in the comparison table.
Yes. Ghost is open source (source code available on GitHub), which makes it a good fit if you want self-hosting or full control.
Each alternative solves a similar core task and is an active listing in the directory. The one-line difference next to each tool summarizes how it diverges from Substack in pricing, focus, or capability.
