Substack
Newsletter, website and paid subscriptions for independent writers, in one publication
1/4Substack is a publishing platform where writers, podcasters and video creators run a newsletter, a website and a paid subscription business from one place, keeping ownership of their mailing list, their content and their subscriber payments. It is built for independent creators rather than marketing teams: publishing and email delivery are free at any list size, and Substack takes a cut only once a publication charges for subscriptions. Payments run through Stripe, posts can be imported from WordPress, Ghost, Medium and Beehiiv, podcasts distribute to Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and publications can use a custom domain alongside Google Analytics, native iOS and Android apps, and a built-in short-form feed called Notes.
- Posts, newsletters, podcasts, video, live streams and pages
- Paid subscriptions with free trials, gift and founding member tiers
- Notes, a built-in short-form feed, with restacks, chat threads and DMs
- Native podcast hosting with Apple Podcasts and Spotify distribution
- Live video streaming with real-time chat and a clipping tool
- Custom domain, visual site editor, and custom colors and fonts
- Recommendations and the Substack Network for finding new readers
- Import from WordPress, Ghost, Medium or Beehiiv; export everything
Based on what people have said
Every answer links back to the mentions it came fromWhat is the primary purpose of Substack?
Substack is a platform for writers, podcasters, and video creators to publish newsletters, long-form articles, and stories, while also offering tools to manage paid subscriptions. Some users view it as a repository for their content or a way to build an email list, while others see it as a social network due to features like Notes and video integration.
5 mentions · r/Substack · r/slatestarcodex · r/Substack · Aug 2026
How do people grow their audience on Substack?
Growth is generally described as a manual process that requires active promotion, as the platform does not automatically find readers for you. Many creators find success by engaging with other writers through comments, likes, and Notes, or by funneling an existing audience from other social media platforms. Some users report that Notes are a key discovery mechanism, though others find the algorithm unpredictable or ineffective at reaching new people.
9 mentions · r/Substack · r/Substack · r/Substack · r/Substack · r/writers · r/Substack · and 1 more · Aug 2026
What are the common complaints regarding the platform's user experience?
Users frequently express frustration with the comment interface and the mobile app, which is described as difficult for drafting or formatting content. Others report issues with information overload, a lack of native tools to organize subscriptions by category, and the inability to toggle off certain navigation features like podcasts. Additionally, some writers find the platform's focus on social features like Notes to be a distraction from its original purpose of long-form writing.
6 mentions · r/Substack · r/slatestarcodex · @cmuratori · r/Substack · r/Substack · Aug 2026
Is Substack effective for making money?
While some creators report earning significant monthly income, others note that the market is highly competitive and saturated. Success often depends on having an existing brand or audience, and conversion rates for paid subscriptions are typically low. Some users view the platform as a way to monetize an audience they have already built elsewhere, while others warn that it is not a 'set it and forget it' model.
7 mentions · r/Substack · r/Substack · r/Substack · r/writers · Aug 2026
How does Substack handle AI content and data training?
Substack states that it does not use creator content to train generative AI models and provides a toggle in settings that allows users to block third-party AI scrapers and crawlers from training on their publications. Despite this, some users remain concerned about the presence of AI-generated content, such as voice narrations or imagery, on the platform.
5 mentions · r/Substack · r/Substack · r/Substack · Aug 2026
These summarise counts and dates only. Read the quotes themselves under what people are saying.
What people are saying about Substack
42% neutral“Substack's native video player just doesn't have the discovery engine to bring in new eyeballs. If you want to grow your newsletter audience, you're way better off posting that video to YouTube first and then embedding it into your Substack post.”
“Substack doesn’t make that easy to check, so I built a small checker for myself.”
“If you launch a newsletter in 2026, expect to spend 18 to 24 months building before you clear $1,000 monthly. Expect to lose half your paid subscribers every year. And expect the top earners to keep taking the majority of platform revenue while you're still replacing the 25 subscribers who churned last month."”
“It seems to be a weird layout that doesn’t allow me to access anything. I can’t write, look at Substacks, or really do anything besides see one post. I don’t know how to fix it and I’ve searched all over, has anyone had any issues similar to this?”
“I had planned to upload art vlogs to YT and link to them in my newsletters until I saw that Substack can posts videos to YT too.”
“Wild guess here, but I think pushing glib 'advice' on how to get Substack subscribers on a platform almost entirely made up of people who want to get more substack subscribers may have something to do with it.”
“I wanted to try a new hobby, something calm since im having a really stressful period of time. Long story short, i decided ill try to write a substack article based on a conversation i had a few days ago.”
“Yes you can absolutely have fun in peace. Your substack success is whatever you want it to be. You don’t have to make money for you to consider it successful.”
“I've had my Substack for a little over a year, and it has grown at a decent rate. But starting this summer, I noticed that my rate of acquiring free subscribers stalled and now I've lost probably about 400 free subs the past two months, while my paid subscribers have steadily climbed.”
“It started great, amazing I would say, and then, it turned into a weird algorithmic space that feels odd.”
“Not a good place for avg joes even w great content. I stay away”
“I wanted to have the source to share the figures with someone who was helping me with my Substack strategy. Nothing more, nothing less.”
“Substack has really become the onlyfans for people who think they have something to say.”
“I just wrote my first note on Substack”
“Subscriptions are probably the worse way to monetise… I have around 25 subs at $19m/$99y but Substack overall generates 40% of my overall income which is a full time income that was me to live a decent lifestyle”
“I’m fairly new on Substack but I’ve done some research that indicates it’s a good idea to promote it on YouTube and/or LinkedIn, because those platforms have a special arrangement with Substack. I have also learned that both consistency posting and engagement with other users both help.”
“Hi guys, i started writing on substack yesterday and i have 3 articles written. i really want to get more followers to build a stable blog base, do you guys have any advice on how to grow your account quickly?”
“I'm fairly new to substack but have gotten a few new subscribers/followers within the past couple of days. I DM'ed one just to make a quick direct intro/connection (not asking/selling anything).”
“The goal should be - reach the substack and medium ecosystem.”
“People who are real writers, tastemakers, don't want to hang out there. I still do my Substack and make $ from it, but Notes is a waste. If you don't post bait, your stuff falls down a hole.”
“You’ll really have to work and standout on Substack if that’s your only channel.”
“Is there a way to make a new Substack chat thread show up as an alert in people's emails? The first one I ever did on Friday did and it got a engagement. But I tried to do another one next day and it fell flat (but then I realized they never got an email alert about it).”
“But it randomly says Taylor Tomlinson (1). Like, the comedian. And it links to her substack. Have you guys ever seen traffic recorded like that?”
“Substack doesn’t care what people do for the most part. A hammer manufacturer doesn’t care what you do with the hammer.”
“Good luck with your Substack by the way. Maybe a brainstorming session might help”