Pluckly
Comparison

Substack vs ConvertKit

Side-by-side comparison of Substack and ConvertKit for content creators.

Tool
Substack

Newsletter publishing and monetization in one place

ConvertKit

Email marketing built for online creators and writers

Starting price
Free
From $33/mo
Founded
2013
Pricing model
freemium
freemium
Free option
Free tier
Free tier

What they are

Substack

Substack is a publishing platform where writers host email newsletters and charge subscribers a recurring fee. Independent journalists, essayists, and niche experts use it to build direct audiences without relying on ad revenue. The platform handles payments, delivery, and a basic website automatically. Substack takes a 10% cut of paid subscription revenue on top of stripe fees, which becomes a real cost as an audience grows.

ConvertKit

ConvertKit is an email marketing platform aimed at bloggers, podcasters, course creators, and independent writers who need to grow and monetize a subscriber list. It combines email broadcasts, automated sequences, landing pages, and a paid newsletter feature in one place. The interface is simpler than enterprise tools like Mailchimp or ActiveCampaign, which makes onboarding fast but limits advanced design flexibility.

Which to choose

Full editorial comparison coming soon. For now, check the side-by-side data above and read the individual reviews for Substack and ConvertKit.