Substack alternatives in 2026: 5 platforms compared (and when to keep Substack)

Full disclosure: we make Eden, which is first on this list, and we say plainly where the others are the better pick. Prices were checked on each company's site in October 2026.

What Substack does well

• Free to start. No plan fee and an unlimited free list.
• Discovery. Notes, recommendations from other writers, and the Substack app bring readers you'd never reach alone. Substack says its app now brings in over 30% of paid subscriptions.
• Everything in one place. A website, a public archive, comments, chat, podcasts, and video.
• Your Stripe. Paid subscribers pay into your own Stripe account.

Why people look for Substack alternatives

• The 10% never goes down. At $10,000 a month in paid subscriptions, that's $12,000 a year, before Stripe. See Substack fees explained.
• It only sells subscriptions. Courses, coaching, templates, and downloads live on another tool.
• No real sales emails. No sequences that start when someone downloads a freebie or buys, and no checkout recovery.
• Limited design and a substack.com sending address.

Or keep Substack and add what it can't do

Leaving isn't the only option. Many writers keep their newsletter on Substack, where the network works, and use a store for everything they sell. On Eden, signups from your store page are added to your Substack automatically, through the Eden desktop app or browser extension, which no other app does. Who goes where in Your store → Integrations sends newsletter signups to Substack and buyers and free downloaders to Eden's own list, where sequences sell to them. Your newsletter list stays clean, and your sales list does the selling.

The short version

Platform	Best for	Cost	Cut of paid subscriptions
Eden	A paid newsletter next to your store	$29/mo Starter, plus list size	5%, or 2% on Max
beehiiv	Growing a newsletter with ads, referrals	Lite from $59/mo at 1,000	0%
Ghost	Your own site and memberships	Publisher from $35/mo at 1,000	0%
Kit	Automations and a big free plan	Free up to 10,000	3.5% + 30¢, card fee included
Patreon	Fans supporting your work	Free	10% for new pages
Substack	For reference	Free	10%

Stripe's card fee (about 2.9% + 30¢) applies on top everywhere except Kit.

1. Eden

Eden is a creator store with email marketing and paid newsletters built in. A newsletter is a product, next to your courses, coaching, downloads, and Custom AI.

What it does well:

• Half Substack's cut. 5% of each payment on Starter and Pro, 2% on Max.
• Price it your way. Monthly, yearly, or both, a free trial of 1 to 90 days, or a one-time price for lifetime access.
• Issues by email and in an archive. Paying readers get each issue by email and read every past issue in Eden on web and phone. Each reader can turn emails off and read only in Eden.
• A page that sells. Your product page shows recent issues locked and one free sample anyone can read.
• Sales emails that know who bought. Sequences that start when someone claims a freebie or buys, stop when they buy what's being sold, and checkout recovery (Pro).
• Bring your back catalog. Upload old posts as Markdown, one issue each, or import your free list as a CSV.

Where it falls short: no public web archive (Google can't find your issues), no discovery network, no comments or podcasts, and issues send from Eden's address. Paid Substack subscribers can't be moved over automatically yet. Paying subscribers count toward your list size: 250 contacts are included, then from $15 a month for 1,000.

Best for: creators whose newsletter is one of several things they sell. See Eden vs Substack.

2. beehiiv

beehiiv is built to grow and earn from a newsletter: a website, an ad network, a referral program, recommendations, and 0% on paid subscriptions.

Where it falls short: it raised prices on October 1, 2026. Paid subscriptions start on Lite with one paid tier, and paid trials need Pro. See beehiiv pricing.

Price: Free up to 2,500 subscribers (no paid subscriptions). Lite from $59 a month at 1,000 ($139 at 10,000). Pro from $109 a month at 1,000 ($239 at 10,000).

Best for: newsletters where growth and sponsorships are the business.

3. Ghost

Ghost(Pro) gives you your own website, a newsletter, and paid memberships, with 0% taken.

Where it falls short: fewer growth tools than beehiiv or Substack's network, and the Starter plan has no paid subscriptions.

Price: Publisher (paid subscriptions) from $35 a month at 1,000 members ($29 billed yearly), $105 at 10,000 ($88 billed yearly). Free custom domain on every plan.

Best for: writers who want a real site they own, with 0% on memberships.

4. Kit

Kit (formerly ConvertKit) is a creator email tool with paid newsletters on every plan, including Free up to 10,000 subscribers.

Where it falls short: Kit takes 3.5% + 30¢ on sales (card processing included), sequences and automations need Creator, and there's no public archive network like Substack's.

Price: Free up to 10,000. Creator from $33 a month at 1,000 billed yearly, $116 at 10,000. See Kit alternatives.

Best for: creators who want automations and a big free plan.

5. Patreon

Patreon is built for fans who want to support a creator, with posts, tiers, and community.

Where it falls short: 10% for pages launched after August 4, 2025, the same cut as Substack, and email is not its strength.

Best for: creators whose fans want to back them, not just read.

Which one should you pick?

• Keep Substack if its network brings you most of your readers. Add a store for everything else.
• Pick Eden if you sell more than the newsletter and want a smaller cut and sales emails in the same place.
• Pick beehiiv if you want ads, referrals, and 0%, and don't mind the higher monthly bill.
• Pick Ghost if you want your own website and 0% on memberships.
• Pick Kit if automations matter most.

How to do it with Eden

1. 01

   Keep Substack connected

   In Your store → Integrations, connect Substack and turn on adding new signups. Use Who goes where to pick which people go to Substack and which to Eden.

2. 02

   Add your store

   Add your courses, coaching, or downloads in Products, and a signup block to your page.

3. 03

   Optional: sell the paid newsletter here

   Click New product, pick Newsletter, set a monthly and yearly price, add a few issues, and publish. Full steps in sell a paid newsletter.

Where Eden falls short

Eden is a store with email and paid newsletters, not a full publishing platform. There's no public web archive, no Notes or recommendations, no comments, podcasts, or video, and no sending from your own domain. If your writing is found through Substack's network, keep it there.

Frequently asked questions

What's the cheapest Substack alternative?

For the newsletter alone, Kit's free plan (up to 10,000 subscribers) and beehiiv's free plan (2,500, no paid subscriptions). For a paid newsletter, it depends on revenue: Substack's 10% costs less while you're small, and a monthly plan with a smaller cut costs less as you grow.

Which Substack alternative takes no cut?

beehiiv and Ghost take 0% of paid subscriptions. You pay their monthly plan and Stripe's fee. Eden takes 5% (2% on Max). Kit takes 3.5% + 30¢ with card processing included.

Can I move my paid Substack subscribers?

Substack lets you export your list. Some platforms can take over Stripe subscriptions. Eden can't yet, so paid readers would subscribe again. Your free list and old posts can come over.

Do I have to leave Substack to use Eden?

No. Keep your newsletter on Substack and use Eden for your store and sales emails. Signups from your Eden page can be added to your Substack automatically.

Want to keep Substack and sell everything else? Start Eden free and connect Substack in Integrations.