Patreon vs Substack
Patreon
patreon.com
Substack
substack.comSide by side
| Figure | Patreon | Substack |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 4 | 4 |
| Spec score · Membership Site Platforms | 9.4 (#1) | 9.4 (#2) |
| Spec score · Newsletter Publishing Platforms | 8.7 (#2) | 8.7 (#3) |
| Spec score · Publishing and Subscriptions Software | 9.0 (#3) | 8.7 (#5) |
| Spec score · Podcast Monetization Platforms | 9.0 (#6) | 8.6 (#10) |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Integrations | The app directory lists integrations and partners including Vimeo, Discord, ConvertKit, Discourse, Wix, and Zapier. | 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. |
| Mobile apps | The Patreon app is available on iOS and Android. | Native iOS and Android apps provide reading, subscriptions, push notifications, saved posts and mobile earnings or statistics views. |
| Security reporting | Patreon offers a bug bounty programme and accepts security reports at [email protected]. | The vulnerability program covers substack.com, reader.substack.com and the iOS app, asks researchers to email [email protected], and promises acknowledgement within 72 hours; it offers no monetary bounty. |
| What it does | Patreon lets creators build communities, share exclusive work, and earn through paid memberships or digital shops. | Substack is a publishing and subscription platform for writers, podcasters, video creators and media companies, combining content creation, email distribution, payments, community and analytics. |
Plans
Patreon
- StandardPrice not published
- Standard Patreon pricingFree
- Free to startFree
- Patreon platform fee$10 a month
Substack
- Free publishingFree
- Free to startFree
- Custom domain$50, paid once
- Paid subscriptionsPrice not published
In their own words
Patreon
Patreon lets creators build communities, share work, and earn through memberships or digital shops. Creators can offer monthly or annual subscriptions, tiers, one-time payments, and free work before adding paid options. Content tools cover audio, images, rich text, video, livestreams, and email newsletters. Community features include chats, direct messages, comments, and exportable email lists; growth tools include analytics, free trials, discounts, and sales. Podcast tools support importing, syncing, multiple podcasts, Spotify, Synced Feeds, and RSS. Patreon offers mobile apps for iOS and Android, and its app directory lists integrations including Vimeo, Discord, ConvertKit, Discourse, Wix, and Zapier. It is free to start. Patreon charges 10% of income earned on the platform, with payment processing, currency conversion, payout fees, and applicable taxes potentially added. Patreon says it handles chargebacks, disputes, fraud, and most applicable tax collection and remittance. Its public API v1 is scheduled to stop working on October 7, 2026, with integrations directed to API v2.
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.