Is Substack free?
Yes. Substack charges no subscription fee; it takes 10% of paid-subscription revenue, so a free newsletter costs $0.
Last checked 2026-10-17 on the official pages.
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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.
Free plans on every tracked platform
| Platform | Free? |
|---|---|
| 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. |
| Substack | Yes. Substack charges no subscription fee; it takes 10% of paid-subscription revenue, so a free newsletter costs $0. |
| 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). |
Frequently asked questions
Is Substack free?
Yes. Substack charges no subscription fee; it takes 10% of paid-subscription revenue, so a free newsletter costs $0.
Does Substack take a cut of paid subscriptions?
10% of paid-subscription revenue (writers keep 90%, minus card fees).
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