What is the difference between ConvertKit and Substack?

ConvertKit is best for Creators and solo businesses who want simple, powerful email, while Substack is best for Writers who want to monetize with paid subscriptions. ConvertKit starts at $25/mo and Substack starts at Free.

Is ConvertKit or Substack cheaper?

ConvertKit starts at $25/mo with a free tier. Substack starts at Free and is free.

Is there a free alternative to Substack?

Both ConvertKit and Substack offer free tiers.

ConvertKit vs Substack

ConvertKit is email marketing platform built for creators — newsletters, automations, and digital products, while Substack is newsletter and publishing platform with built-in paid subscriptions. The biggest difference up front: Substack is free, while ConvertKit starts at $25/mo. ConvertKit is built for creators and solo businesses who want simple, powerful email, whereas Substack targets writers who want to monetize with paid subscriptions.

At a glance

	ConvertKit	Substack
Best for	Creators and solo businesses who want simple, powerful email	Writers who want to monetize with paid subscriptions
Starting price	$25/mo	Free
Free tier	✓	✓
Open source	—	—
Free tier available	✓	✓
Open source	—	—
Automations	✓	—
Community	—	✓
Digital Products	✓	—
Discovery Network	—	✓
Landing Pages	✓	—
Mobile App	—	✓
Paid Subscriptions	—	✓
Podcasts	—	✓
Sequences	✓	—
Tagging	✓	—

ConvertKit

Strengths

Built specifically for creators and solopreneurs
Excellent automation and sequence builder
Built-in landing pages and digital product sales
Tag-based subscriber management (no lists)

Weaknesses

Limited email template design options
More expensive than alternatives for large lists
Reporting is basic
A/B testing is limited

Try ConvertKit → Full review

Substack

Strengths

Free to use — takes 10% of paid subscriber revenue
Built-in discovery and recommendation network
Simple, distraction-free writing experience
Mobile app for readers

Weaknesses

10% revenue cut is steep at scale
Very limited customization
Basic analytics
No automation or segmentation

Try Substack → Full review

The bottom line

Pricing: Substack is completely free, which makes it the obvious pick if budget is the top concern. ConvertKit starts at $25/mo, but Free for up to 1,000 subscribers. That cost buys you a more polished or feature-rich experience, so it comes down to whether the extras justify the spend.

Feature gaps: ConvertKit offers Automations, Digital Products and Landing Pages that Substack lacks. Substack brings Community, Discovery Network and Mobile App that ConvertKit does not have.

Team fit: Both tools target individuals teams, so the decision hinges on features and workflow fit rather than scale.

Where each tool shines: ConvertKit's biggest strengths are: built specifically for creators and solopreneurs. excellent automation and sequence builder. Substack's biggest strengths are: free to use — takes 10% of paid subscriber revenue. built-in discovery and recommendation network.

Watch out for: With ConvertKit, users commonly note that limited email template design options. With Substack, the main complaint is that 10% revenue cut is steep at scale.

Choose ConvertKit if...

You need a tool built for creators and solo businesses who want simple, powerful email
You specifically need Automations and Digital Products
You care about excellent automation and sequence builder
The free tier works for you: free for up to 1,000 subscribers