Substack vs TargetBay
Substack
substack.comTargetBay
targetbay.comSide by side
| Figure | Substack | TargetBay |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | $3.33/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | — |
| Android | Yes | — |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 4 | 10 |
| Spec score · Email marketing tools | 9.2 (#8) | 8.4 (#54) |
| Spec score · Email Marketing Software | 8.6 (#41) | 7.8 (#124) |
| Email automation | Yes | Yes |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Integrations | 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. | The integrations page lists Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Adobe Commerce (Magento), and partners including Alia, Bolt, and Canva. |
| Audience segmentation | Yes | Yes |
| Support | Substack directs users to its Help Center for FAQs and walkthroughs and handles subscriber support questions on behalf of writers. | BayEngage monthly plans include email support, knowledge-base access, and deliverability monitoring, while its annual Full Migration plan adds 24/7/365 priority support and a dedicated success manager. |
Plans
Substack
- Free publishingFree
- Free to startFree
- Custom domain$50, paid once
- Paid subscriptionsPrice not published
TargetBay
- BayReviews Starter (annual)$40 a year
- BayReviews Starter$49 a month
- BayReviews Growth (annual)$82 a year
- BayReviews Growth$89 a month
- BayReviews Plus (annual)$164 a year
- BayReviews Plus$199 a month
- BayReviews Premium (annual)$249 a year
- BayReviews Premium$299 a month
- BayReviews Enterprise (annual)$499 a year
- BayReviews EnterprisePriced on request
In their own words
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.
TargetBay
TargetBay is an eCommerce marketing suite combining email and SMS marketing, reviews, and customer loyalty tools. BayEngage supports campaigns with segmentation, AI-driven personalization, workflow automation, and deliverability features. Its AI Email Agent can create campaign copy, layout, and HTML in one step. BayReviews provides review management, moderation, insights, user-generated content, and syndication to TikTok Shop, Google, and Walmart.com. BayRewards supports loyalty and referral programs with points, earning and redemption rules, VIP tiers, and analytics. Listed integrations include Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, and Adobe Commerce; BayReviews also lists Magento, Shift4Shop, Volusion, and Ecwid as supported platforms. TargetBay is available on the web and through an API, with email automation, audience segmentation, and A/B testing. It launched in 2016. A free plan and 14-day trial are listed. BayReviews pricing includes monthly and annual options: Starter monthly is $49 a month and caps orders at 200; Growth monthly is $89 a month and caps orders at 1,000. Enterprise lists no price.