OpenEMM vs Substack
OpenEMM
agnitas.de
Substack
substack.comSide by side
| Figure | OpenEMM | Substack |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Yes | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | — |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| iOS | — | Yes |
| Android | — | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 2 | 4 |
| Spec score · Email marketing tools | 8.5 (#48) | 9.2 (#8) |
| Spec score · Email Marketing Software | 8.5 (#50) | 8.6 (#41) |
| Company size | LinkedIn lists AGNITAS AG in the 11–50 employee range. | LinkedIn lists 51–200 employees, while Crunchbase lists headcount in the 101–250 range. |
| Email automation | Yes | Yes |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Integrations | The documentation identifies Make and n8n connectors, while the platform also supports data exchange through web services, HTTP endpoints, and imports or exports. | Official integrations include RSS, podcast distribution to Apple and Spotify, Google Analytics 4, Google Tag Manager, X and Facebook pixels, Google site verification, YouTube and LinkedIn account connections. |
| Privacy | AGNITAS describes OpenEMM as GDPR-compliant and says users choose where to operate it, with source-code access for security inspections and customization. | Substack's privacy policy says it endeavors to protect personal information but cannot guarantee complete security. |
| Purpose | OpenEMM is web-based open-source software for email marketing and marketing automation, including newsletters and transactional or date-driven emails. | Substack is a publishing platform for writers, creators, and subscribers. |
| Rating on G2 | 3.5 out of 5 from 1 review shown for AGNITAS; G2 says there are not enough reviews to provide buying insight. | 4.3 out of 5 from 17 reviews |
| Segmentation | Users can define target groups using recipient profiles, status, and behavior. | Yes |
| Support | Free help includes community forums, tutorials, manuals, and online help; AGNITAS also offers paid installation, configuration, and operational support. | 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
OpenEMM
OpenEMM is web-based open-source software for email marketing and automation, including newsletters and transactional or date-driven messages. Its tools include a campaign manager, calendar reminders and comments, responsive templates, recipient status history, and profile enrichment based on recipient reactions. It also provides bounce management, real-time opener and click statistics, behavior-based target groups, web forms, a multiqueue mail backend, web services, and a plugin interface. Integrations include Make and n8n, alongside HTTP request endpoints and import and export options. OpenEMM is self-hosted, with operation on a user's premises, through a hosting provider, or in a data center. The download page lists Linux servers and Windows or Mac servers via VirtualBox. From OpenEMM 2019 Spring, releases use the GNU AGPLv3 license. The plan costs nothing, with no limits on recipients, mailing lists, or dispatches. A three-day demo is available, but mailings cannot be sent from that account.
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.