Apostrophe vs Substack
Apostrophe
apps.gnome.orgSubstack
substack.comSide by side
| Figure | Apostrophe | Substack |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | — | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| iOS | — | Yes |
| Android | — | Yes |
| API | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 4 |
| Spec score · Writing Apps | 7.9 (#73) | 9.4 (#4) |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Purpose | Apostrophe is a distraction-free Markdown editor designed to help users focus on writing. | Substack is a publishing platform for writers, creators, and subscribers. |
| Support | Users can report issues or suggest ideas through the app’s issue tracker. | Substack directs users to its Help Center for FAQs and walkthroughs and handles subscriber support questions on behalf of writers. |
Plans
Substack
- Free publishingFree
- Free to startFree
- Custom domain$50, paid once
- Paid subscriptionsPrice not published
In their own words
Apostrophe
Apostrophe is a free Linux desktop Markdown editor built around focused writing. Its interface includes a distraction-free mode, with dark, light, and sepia themes. A live preview updates while a document is written, and built-in tools include spellchecking and document statistics. The app exports to PDF, Word or LibreOffice, LaTeX, and HTML slideshows; ODT is also listed as an export format. The TexLive plugin enables PDF export and formula display in the inline preview. Apostrophe is available for Linux, and the maker directs users to Flathub for the latest version. Users can report issues or suggest ideas through the project issue tracker. The listed Free plan costs nothing and describes a Markdown editor for Linux desktop. The Apps for GNOME page lists version 3.5, released on 2026-10-08, and names Manuel Genovés as maintainer.
Substack
Substack is a publishing platform for writers, creators, and subscribers, bringing posts, newsletters, podcasts, video, live streams, and pages into one publishing flow. Its editor supports scheduling, autosaved drafts, version history, templates, SEO metadata, and headline A/B testing. Creators can offer free or paid posts, subscriptions, trials, gifts, and group plans. Discovery tools include recommendations, Notes, leaderboards, referrals, and search; audience segmentation and email automation are also available. Podcast episodes can be distributed automatically to Apple Podcasts and Spotify, while video can go automatically to YouTube and LinkedIn. Publishing is free. When creators enable paid subscriptions, Substack keeps 10% of subscription revenue, and Stripe charges payment processing fees. Creators own their intellectual property and mailing list and can export their data. Substack serves writers, journalists, podcasters, video creators, experts, educators, and media companies. It is available on the web, Android, and iOS. Substack directs users to its Help Center and handles subscriber support questions on behalf of writers.