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Best Substack alternatives
We put Substack head to head with the 6 closest rivals we have tested, so you can switch on evidence, not a hunch.
Where Substack can fall short
6 alternatives worth your time
beehiiv
4.6 out of 54.6A modern newsletter platform built for growth.
beehiiv edges out Substack in our testing, scoring 4.6 to 4.3 overall.
- Well established product with an active user base
- Regular updates and clear roadmap
MailerLite
4.5 out of 54.5Clean, affordable email marketing for creators.
MailerLite edges out Substack in our testing, scoring 4.5 to 4.3 overall.
- Well established product with an active user base
- Regular updates and clear roadmap
Kit
4.4 out of 54.4Email and automation made for creators.
Kit edges out Substack in our testing, scoring 4.4 to 4.3 overall.
- Creator focused automations and tagging
- Free plan up to a real subscriber count
ActiveCampaign
4.3 out of 54.3Serious marketing automation with a CRM attached.
ActiveCampaign is the pick when you want businesses that want deep automation and segmentation, and it leads on features.
- Best in class automation builder
- Built in CRM and sales features
Brevo
4.2 out of 54.2Email, SMS, and CRM on a generous free plan.
Brevo is the pick when you want email, sms, and crm on a generous free plan., and it leads on ease of use.
- Well established product with an active user base
- Regular updates and clear roadmap
GetResponse
4.1 out of 54.1Email marketing with funnels and webinars built in.
GetResponse is the pick when you want email marketing with funnels and webinars built in., and it leads on ease of use.
- Well established product with an active user base
- Regular updates and clear roadmap
Substack vs the alternatives
| Tool | Our score | From | Free tier | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.3 | Free + 10% | Yes | Publish and monetize a newsletter with zero setup. | |
| 4.6 | $39/mo | Yes | A modern newsletter platform built for growth. | |
| 4.5 | $10/mo | Yes | Clean, affordable email marketing for creators. | |
| 4.4 | $0, paid from $25/mo | Yes | Creators and newsletters building an audience | |
| 4.3 | $15/mo | No | Businesses that want deep automation and segmentation | |
| 4.2 | $9/mo | Yes | Email, SMS, and CRM on a generous free plan. | |
| 4.1 | $19/mo | Yes | Email marketing with funnels and webinars built in. |
Switch to beehiiv
beehiiv edges out Substack in our testing, scoring 4.6 to 4.3 overall. It is the Substack alternative we recommend first for most people.
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Affiliate disclosure: We may earn a commission if you buy through the links on this page, at no extra cost to you. We only recommend tools we have tested, and commissions never change our scores or rankings. We currently track 218+ tools, including 9 across Email Marketing.