What is Substack used for?

Substack is a publishing platform where independent writers and creators send newsletters, build subscriptions and earn money from their work. It is a good fit for independent writers launching a newsletter, creators monetizing through subscriptions and readers following several publications in one place.

Is Substack open source?

No. Substack is proprietary (closed-source) software and can't be self-hosted. Open-source alternatives to Substack include Ghost, Markdown Ninja and WriteFreely.

What are some alternatives to Substack?

Substack competes with beehiiv, Buttondown and Medium. For open-source options, see Enlisted's ranked list of open-source Substack alternatives.

Substack: features, pricing and alternatives

About Substack

Substack is a commercial publishing and subscription platform for newsletters and other writing, built around independent voices. Writers start a publication, send posts by email and on the web, and can charge readers for access to some or all of their content.

The home experience resembles a feed, with tabs for subscriptions, chat, activity and explore, and readers can follow writers they enjoy from one app. Creators are invited to start a publication and make money doing work they care about. The service also supports community chat between writers and subscribers.

Substack is a hosted, proprietary platform and cannot be self-hosted. It handles hosting, email delivery and payments for creators and does not charge upfront to start, though pricing details should be checked on the vendor's site. It suits journalists, essayists and niche experts who want to reach readers directly rather than through advertising-driven platforms.

Key features

Newsletter publishing by email and web
Paid subscriptions for writers
Reader feed with subscriptions and activity
Community chat for subscribers
Discovery through an explore section
Mobile app for readers

Good fit for

→Independent writers launching a newsletter
→Creators monetizing through subscriptions
→Readers following several publications in one place

Tags: newsletters; publishing; subscriptions; creators; writing; email

Substack: questions and answers

What is Substack used for?: Substack is a publishing platform where independent writers and creators send newsletters, build subscriptions and earn money from their work. It is a good fit for independent writers launching a newsletter, creators monetizing through subscriptions and readers following several publications in one place.
Is Substack open source?: No. Substack is proprietary (closed-source) software and can't be self-hosted. Open-source alternatives to Substack include Ghost, Markdown Ninja and WriteFreely.
What are some alternatives to Substack?: Substack competes with beehiiv, Buttondown and Medium. For open-source options, see Enlisted's ranked list of open-source Substack alternatives.