Free to start, and the platform takes a cut only once you charge. Substack is a media platform where writers, podcasters and video creators earn from subscriptions. Its About page says it is free to start and free to leave, with no platform fees, tiers or contracts, and that writers keep 90% of their revenue minus credit card fees. So a free newsletter costs nothing, and the 10% cut applies only when you charge for subscriptions. Community threads fill in the practical costs: a Reddit commenter puts Stripe at 3.25% on top of the 10%, writers have posted payout examples that came to close to 20% of a small subscription, and HN and Reddit commenters mention a one-time $50 fee for a custom domain. Subscribers and posts can be exported from settings, which matters if you ever move to Ghost or your own site. G2 shows 4.3 out of 5 from 17 reviews, and one reviewer's complaint is the ongoing 10% fee.
Free tier quotas
Cost to publish
Free to start. The About page lists no platform fees, tiers or contracts
Revenue share
Writers keep 90% of paid subscription revenue, minus credit card fees
Card fees
A Reddit commenter says Stripe takes 3.25% on top of Substack's 10%
Paid subscription price floor
A Reddit commenter says paid subscriptions have a $5 a month minimum
Custom domain
HN and Reddit commenters mention a one-time $50 fee on top of the domain cost (2023 and 2024 posts)
Export
A Reddit commenter points to an Import/Export tool in settings that downloads subscribers and posts
Leaving
The About page calls Substack free to leave
Last sniffed Oct 21, 2026. Always confirm on the official pricing page.
👍 Good boy
+A free newsletter or blog costs nothing, and the About page lists no platform fees, tiers or contracts.
+You pay Substack only when you earn: writers keep 90% of subscription revenue minus credit card fees, so there is no monthly bill to cover before you have paying readers.
+Export is built in. A Reddit commenter says the Import/Export tool in settings downloads your subscribers and posts in one click, and the About page calls the platform free to leave.
+Portability is the main argument on Hacker News. A writer with a popular newsletter said that with a custom domain you own the domain, the email list, exportable content and your Stripe subscriptions (April 2023).
+Network effects help new writers. The author of an April 2023 HN article said cross-recommendations and Notes can grow a subscriber list in a way his own self-hosted newsletter did not, which stalled at 25 subscribers.
+G2 shows 4.3 out of 5 from 17 reviews, and the reviewer titled their review as easy to start.
👎 Watch out
−The 10% cut is the most common complaint. A G2 reviewer titled their review around the ongoing 10% fee being frustrating, and r/Substack threads describe the fee as a long-running debate over fairness.
−Total fees can be higher than 10%. One writer posted a $4.02 payout on a $5.00 monthly subscription, a 19.6% combined cut (a 2023 thread).
−Stripe dispute fees worry writers. A r/Substack thread asked Substack to protect writers from a $15 dispute fee policy (a late 2023 thread, so check current Stripe terms).
−A custom domain costs extra. Commenters mention a one-time $50 fee on top of the domain registration, so the 'free' tier does not include your own address.
−A commenter on HN predicted that Substack would eventually lock down exports or raise costs as a venture-backed company. That is opinion, not something I saw happen.
−I found no developer documentation or API details in my research, so I cannot tell you what it offers for code blocks, theming or automation.
The catch
Free covers publishing, not earning. The moment you charge subscribers, Substack keeps 10% and credit card fees come out of the rest. A Reddit commenter puts the Stripe share at 3.25%, and a writer posted a payout that came to a 19.6% combined cut on a $5 subscription, so budget for roughly a fifth of small subscriptions.
A custom domain is not free. Commenters on HN and Reddit mention a one-time $50 fee on top of the domain cost, from 2023 and 2024 posts, so confirm the current price in your settings.
Export helps, but it does not guarantee the audience follows you. The HN thread I read is mostly about portability and Substack's network effects, which are hard to move.
I could not confirm what signup requires beyond an account, so card requirement is unknown.
What’s included
✓Newsletters, podcasts and video
✓Paid subscriptions with Stripe
✓Subscriber and post export
✓Custom domain
✓Notes and cross-recommendations between publications
✓No platform fee until you charge subscribers
Free tier value
Generosity
A
Estimated value
A free newsletter and blog platform with built-in subscriber export
Feature parity
No tiers to compare. The only charge is 10% of paid subscription revenue plus card fees.
Screenshots
Homepage
Paid plans
Paid subscriptions, 10% share
If you charge readers, Substack keeps 10% of that revenue and credit card fees are taken on top. The About page says writers keep 90% minus card fees.
Custom domain
Commenters report a one-time $50 setup fee plus your own domain registration. Check your publication settings for the current price.
Common questions
Is Substack free?
Yes to start. The About page says there are no platform fees, tiers or contracts. Substack takes 10% only if you charge for subscriptions.
How much does Substack take from paid subscriptions?
10% of revenue, plus credit card fees. Writer posts show combined cuts near 20% on small subscriptions.
Can I export my subscribers?
A Reddit commenter says the Import/Export tool in settings downloads subscribers and posts. The About page calls the platform free to leave.
Do I need a custom domain?
Not to start. HN commenters recommend one for portability, and mention a one-time $50 fee.
What do reviewers think?
G2 shows 4.3 out of 5 from 17 reviews. The complaint I saw quoted is the ongoing 10% fee.
Change history
Checked October 22, 2026
About page read. G2 rating and review title from search excerpts. Reddit and Hacker News commenters read as excerpts, several from 2023 and 2024. The help center article on costs returned a 404, so fee details come from the About page and commenters. Card requirement unknown.
