Substack vs The Newsletter Plugin
Substack
substack.comThe Newsletter Plugin
thenewsletterplugin.comSide by side
| Figure | Substack | The Newsletter Plugin |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | — |
| Android | Yes | — |
| API | Yes | — |
| Self-hosted | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 4 | 4 |
| Spec score · Email marketing tools | 9.2 (#8) | 7.5 (#140) |
| Spec score · Email Marketing Software | 8.6 (#41) | 7.4 (#148) |
| 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 plugin lists integrations with form builders, WooCommerce, Easy Digital Downloads, membership plugins, event managers, and external email delivery services. |
| Privacy | Substack's privacy policy says it endeavors to protect personal information but cannot guarantee complete security. | The pricing comparison marks GDPR compliance as included in the Free, Essential, Professional, and Agency plans. |
| Purpose | Substack is a publishing platform for writers, creators, and subscribers. | The WordPress plugin helps users build mailing lists and create, send, and track email campaigns from their WordPress website. |
| 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. | Paid licenses include one year of premium support via tickets, while the support site also directs users to a forum and self-service guides. |
Plans
Substack
- Free publishingFree
- Free to startFree
- Custom domain$50, paid once
- Paid subscriptionsPrice not published
The Newsletter Plugin
- FreeFree
- AgencyPrice not published
- EssentialPrice not published
- ProfessionalPrice not published
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.
The Newsletter Plugin
The Newsletter Plugin has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.