Substack vs MailerLite
Substack is newsletter and publishing platform with built-in paid subscriptions, while MailerLite is email marketing platform with landing pages, automations, and a generous free tier. Substack is built for writers who want to monetize with paid subscriptions, whereas MailerLite targets small businesses and creators wanting simple email.
At a glance
|
Substack
|
MailerLite
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Writers who want to monetize with paid subscriptions | Small businesses and creators wanting simple email |
| Starting price | Free | Free |
| Free tier | ✓ | ✓ |
| Open source | — | — |
| Free tier available | ✓ | ✓ |
| Open source | — | — |
| Automations | — | ✓ |
| Community | ✓ | — |
| Discovery Network | ✓ | — |
| Email Campaigns | — | ✓ |
| Landing Pages | — | ✓ |
| Mobile App | ✓ | — |
| Paid Subscriptions | ✓ | — |
| Podcasts | ✓ | — |
| Surveys | — | ✓ |
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
MailerLite
Strengths
- Includes Email Campaigns as a core feature, purpose-built for email marketing workflows
- Includes Landing Pages as a core feature, purpose-built for email marketing workflows
- Free for 1000 subscribers — generous enough for most small teams to get real work done
- Established product with 16+ years on the market and a mature ecosystem
Weaknesses
- Free plan exists but key features are locked behind the paid upgrade
- Fewer built-in features means you may need additional tools to cover gaps
- Deliverability depends on your sender reputation, which takes time to build
- Limited team/admin features if your organization eventually scales up
The bottom line
Pricing: Both Substack and MailerLite are free. You can try both without spending a dollar.
Feature gaps: Substack offers Community, Discovery Network and Mobile App that MailerLite lacks. MailerLite brings Automations, Email Campaigns and Landing Pages that Substack 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: Substack's biggest strengths are: free to use — takes 10% of paid subscriber revenue. built-in discovery and recommendation network. MailerLite's biggest strengths are: includes email campaigns as a core feature, purpose-built for email marketing workflows. includes landing pages as a core feature, purpose-built for email marketing workflows.
Watch out for: With Substack, users commonly note that 10% revenue cut is steep at scale. With MailerLite, the main complaint is that free plan exists but key features are locked behind the paid upgrade.
Choose Substack if...
- You need a tool built for writers who want to monetize with paid subscriptions
- You specifically need Community and Discovery Network
- You care about built-in discovery and recommendation network
Choose MailerLite if...
- You need a tool built for small businesses and creators wanting simple email
- You specifically need Automations and Email Campaigns
- You care about includes landing pages as a core feature, purpose-built for email marketing workflows
- The free tier works for you: free for 1000 subscribers
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