Substack alternatives by price
Substack has no subscriber-priced plan at 5,000; see the table for each size.
Last checked 2026-10-17 on the official pages.
The cheapest paid plan of each alternative at each list size (yearly billing where the page states it), next to Substack's own price. Base plans only; features differ.
| Subscribers | Substack | beehiiv | Kit | MailerLite | Ghost (Pro) | Buttondown | Mailchimp | Brevo | Flodesk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 500 | no plan | $588 | $390 | $129.60 | $180 | $108 | $156 | $97 | $228 |
| 1,000 | no plan | $588 | $390 | $205.20 | $180 | $108 | $318 | $183 | $228 |
| 2,500 | no plan | $828 | $590 | $356.40 | $552 | $348 | $540 | $270 | $348 |
| 5,000 | no plan | $1,140 | $890 | $529.20 | $756 | $348 | $900 | $345 | $576 |
| 10,000 | no plan | $1,428 | $1,390 | $961.20 | $1,056 | $948 | $1,320 | $497 | $792 |
| 25,000 | no plan | $2,028 | $1,990 | $1,933.20 | $1,692 | no plan this size | $3,240 | $885 | $1,788 |
| 50,000 | no plan | $2,988 | $3,790 | $3,445.20 | $2,496 | no plan this size | $4,620 | $2,689 | $4,284 |
| 100,000 | no plan | $4,788 | $6,790 | $4,741.20 | $3,288 | no plan this size | $9,600 | $4,633 | $7,584 |
| 250,000 | no plan | $10,428 | $15,790 | no plan this size | no plan this size | no plan this size | no plan this size | no plan this size | $17,484 |
Disclosure: the beehiiv sign-up link is an affiliate link, so we may earn a commission if you subscribe through it. Prices, tiers and the cheapest-first ordering are calculated identically for every platform and never depend on affiliate status. Other platform links are plain.
Head-to-head: Substack vs beehiiv · Substack vs Kit · Substack vs MailerLite · Substack vs Ghost (Pro) · Substack vs Buttondown · Substack vs Mailchimp · Substack vs Brevo · Substack vs Flodesk
Your exact list size: use the calculator.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest Substack alternative for 1,000 subscribers?
Buttondown Basic at $108/yr ($9/mo billed monthly), from the official pricing page.
What is the cheapest Substack alternative for 10,000 subscribers?
Brevo Starter at $497/yr ($41.42/mo billed yearly), from the official pricing page.
What is the cheapest Substack alternative for 50,000 subscribers?
Ghost (Pro) Publisher at $2,496/yr ($208/mo billed yearly), from the official pricing page.
Is there a free alternative to Substack?
beehiiv: Yes, up to 2,500 subscribers.; Kit: Yes, up to 10,000 subscribers.; MailerLite: Yes, up to 250 subscribers. Free: 250 subscribers, 2,500 monthly emails.; Ghost (Pro): No. Ghost (Pro) has no free plan on its official pricing page.; Buttondown: Yes, up to 100 subscribers.; Mailchimp: Yes, up to 250 contacts.; Brevo: Yes, up to 300 subscribers. Free plan: up to 300 emails per day, so one send reaches at most 300 subscribers.; Flodesk: Not for sending. Flodesk's Free plan covers forms, landing pages and link-in-bio but does not include email sending, so a newsletter needs a paid plan (Lite, Pro or Everything).
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