TL;DR
- Substack is free to start, no matter how many subscribers you have. It only takes 10% when you charge for subscriptions, plus card processing fees from Stripe.
- For writers in India, Substack currently doesn’t charge its 10% fee, though Stripe access in India can be invite-only.
- The app is the main growth engine. Substack says its app and network drive 50% of new free subscriptions and 30% of new paid ones.
- It’s worth it if you want to start free and grow inside a reader network. If you want lower fees on paid subscriptions, look at Beehiiv, which takes 0% of subscription revenue.
What is Substack?
Substack is a platform for writers and creators to publish newsletters. Your posts go to subscribers by email, appear on your own web page, and show up in the Substack app. Readers can follow you for free, and you can charge for paid subscriptions when you’re ready.
It’s no longer just email. Substack also has Notes, a short-post social feed inside the app, where you can post, reply and “restack” (reshare) other people’s posts. It also supports video, livestreams and podcasts, and in January 2026 it announced a beta TV app for Apple TV and Google TV.
It’s also big. Substack reached 5 million paid subscriptions in 2025, and raised $100 million in July 2025 at a $1.1 billion valuation.
What Substack costs
Starting is free. Substack says publishing is free “no matter how many subscribers you have!” You only pay when you earn:
| Cost | Amount |
|---|---|
| Publishing, free newsletter | Free |
| Substack fee on paid subscriptions | 10% of each transaction |
| Stripe card fee (US rates) | 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction, plus 0.7% billing fee on recurring payments |
| Custom domain (optional) | One-time $50 |
| Extra fees for readers | None; readers pay your price |
Stripe fees depend on the country of your Stripe account, so the card rates above are Substack’s US example.
A worked example (our own math, using the US rates above): say 100 readers pay $5 a month. That’s $500 a month. Substack’s 10% is $50. Stripe takes about $0.48 on each $5 payment (2.9% + $0.30 + 0.7%), or about $48 for 100 payments. You’d keep roughly $402 a month, before any taxes.
For writers in India: Substack currently doesn’t charge its 10% fee for creators in India and Brazil, so only Stripe’s fees apply. New Stripe accounts in India are invite-only, so some Indian creators may need to request Stripe access first. When Substack first opened paid subscriptions in India in 2020, it said the 10% fee would eventually apply, so don’t count on the waiver lasting forever.
How to start a Substack
The setup is simple. Substack’s help centre has a guide for each step.
- Create your publication. Sign up and set up your publication. Our tip: write a one-line description that says exactly who it’s for.
- Set up your Welcome page. This is the page new visitors see before subscribing, so say clearly what they’ll get and how often.
- Get the app working for you. Download the Substack app and set up your profile so readers can find you through Notes.
- Publish your first posts. Start with a free newsletter on a regular schedule. You can turn on paid subscriptions later.
- Connect Stripe when you’re ready to charge. Payments on Substack go through Stripe.
- Optional: add a custom domain for a one-time $50 fee.
- Check your SEO settings so your posts can be found on Google.
How to grow on Substack
Substack’s biggest advantage over a plain email tool is its built-in network. Substack says its app and network drive 50% of all new free subscriptions and 30% of new paid subscriptions. These are Substack’s own figures, and it doesn’t explain how it measured them. Here’s how to use that network. (Why a newsletter matters at all: HubSpot now gets most of its content leads from channels it owns, like its newsletter, rather than Google. We covered that in HubSpot Lost 80% of Its Traffic and Still Grew.)
1. Post on Notes, especially in launch week. Substack says writers who post three or more thoughtful notes during their launch week get “50% more total subscribers” than those who don’t.
2. Recommend other writers. Recommendations let you promote other publications. They’re shown to your new readers when they subscribe, on your homepage, on a Recommendations page and in digest emails. You can see how many free subscribers each recommendation sends. Substack describes the feature as a way for writers “to promote and support one another.”
3. Collaborate. Invite guest writers and share other writers’ work in Notes. One writer, M. E. Rothwell, has hosted more than 50 guest writers and attracted several thousand readers this way.
4. Share outside Substack. Post links and previews of your notes on X, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube.
5. Use subscriber referrals. Substack has a referral feature that lets readers bring in other readers.
6. Turn on Boost once you charge. Substack Boost automatically shows offers like discounts or free trials to readers most likely to upgrade, and offers a free month to some paid subscribers who start cancelling. You can turn it off at any time.
Is Substack worth it in 2026?
| Why it’s worth it | What to watch |
|---|---|
| Free to start with unlimited subscribers | 10% of paid revenue goes to Substack, plus Stripe fees |
| A built-in reader network: the app drives 50% of new free subscriptions, per Substack | Substack’s growth figures are its own and not independently verified |
| No 10% fee for creators in India right now | Stripe access in India can be invite-only |
| A brand sponsorship program, open to Bestsellers and publications with at least 100 paid subscribers | How sponsorship revenue is split hasn’t been disclosed |
The main alternative is Beehiiv. Its free plan covers up to 2,500 subscribers, and it says it takes “0% of your paid subscription revenue.” City AM reported in December 2025 that Beehiiv charges creators a flat fee and takes up to 20% of their ad revenue. Between April 2024 and 2025, 3,000 Substack writers moved to Beehiiv, and many reported higher revenue afterward.
Our take: Substack is worth it for beginners who want to start free and get discovered, because the app and Notes do work that a plain email tool can’t. If you already have an audience elsewhere and plan to earn mostly from paid subscriptions, compare Beehiiv’s plan fees with Substack’s 10% before you commit.
FAQ
Is Substack free? Yes, publishing is free no matter how many subscribers you have. Substack takes 10% only if you turn on paid subscriptions, plus Stripe’s processing fees.
Can I earn on Substack from India? Yes. Substack supports paid subscriptions in India and currently doesn’t charge its 10% fee there, but Stripe accounts in India can be invite-only.
How do I get my first subscribers on Substack? Post on Notes, especially in your launch week, recommend other writers, and share your posts on other social platforms. Substack says writers who post three or more notes in launch week get 50% more total subscribers than those who don’t.
Can I use my own domain? Yes, for a one-time $50 fee.
Substack or Beehiiv for beginners? Substack is free with a built-in reader network but takes 10% of paid revenue. Beehiiv’s free plan covers up to 2,500 subscribers and takes 0% of subscription revenue.