Quick glance: Letterpal, Beehiiv, Ghost, ConvertKit, MailerLite, EmailOctopus, Flodesk, Brevo, GetResponse, Buttondown, Sendy, and Mailchimp each offer unique advantages over Substack. Read on for pricing, killer features, and who should switch.

Substack popularised the paid‑newsletter boom by making publishing, paywalls, and community chats friction‑free. But by mid‑2025, some creators feel boxed in by its 10% revenue share, limited design control, and missing automations.

Whether you’re tired of handing over a chunk of your subscription income or simply want deeper marketing tools, the following platforms provide compelling exits—each with fresh functionality Substack hasn’t shipped yet.

Criteria for Picking These Substack Competitors

• Monetisation flexibility—support for free, paid, and tiered newsletters.
• Ownership levers such as custom domains, exporting subscribers, and HTML/CSS control.
• Deliverability metrics from 2024–2025 independent inbox‑placement reports.
• Road‑map momentum—looked at features shipped in the last 12 months.

1. Letterpal

What Makes Letterpal a Strong Substack Alternative

• AI‑powered content engine. Instead of basic rewrite prompts, Letterpal scouts trending stories in your niche and drafts full articles inside its editor.
• Keep 100% of revenue. No transaction tax—just straightforward SaaS pricing.
• Reliable delivery. Letterpal follows industry standards and best practices to make sure your newsletter reaches your audience.
• Everything you expect. Embeddable signup forms, analytics, subscriber management, welcome emails, and more.

Pricing: $39/mo base + scaled sending packages.

2. Beehiiv

Why Beehiiv Beats Substack for Growth

• Boosts referral marketplace exposes your newsletter to tens of thousands of readers.
• Powerful audience segmentation (interests, activity, custom properties).
• Flat monthly fee—no revenue share.

Pricing: Free tier up to 2.5 k subs; paid starts $49/mo for Scale (up to 10 k subs).

3. Ghost (Pro)

The open‑source CMS turned membership engine.

Highlights

• Full website plus newsletter—ideal if you want long‑form articles, podcast RSS, or docs behind a paywall.
• Native memberships & Stripe payments without a revenue cut.
• Theme marketplace for complete design control.

Pricing: Starts $29/mo for 1 k members.

4. ConvertKit

A decade‑old favourite of creators who sell products in addition to newsletters.

Stand‑outs

• Visual automation builder lets you tag and upsell readers based on behaviour.
• Built‑in ecommerce for digital downloads and mini‑courses.

Pricing: Free up to 1 k subs; $29/mo Creator plan onwards.

5. MailerLite

Budget‑friendly with solid deliverability.

Why Switch

• Drag‑and‑drop editor for both newsletters and websites.
• Flat fee—no revenue share and cheaper than Substack once paid subs exceed ~$300/mo.

Pricing: Free 1 k subs + 12 k emails; paid from $15/mo.

6. EmailOctopus

Low‑cost, high‑volume sending thanks to Amazon SES.

Pros

• 2.5 k free subscribers.
• Generous email quota, perfect for daily senders.

Pricing: $12/mo for 1 k subs (Pro).

7. Flodesk

Design‑forward newsletter builder.

Perks

• Unlimited subscribers on all paid plans.
• Stylish checkout pages for paid newsletters.

Pricing: $35/mo flat.

8. Brevo (Sendinblue)

Omnichannel capabilities beyond email.

Key Features

• Send newsletters, SMS, WhatsApp, and push notifications from one dashboard.
• CRM and live chat baked in.

Pricing: Free up to 300 emails/day; paid $25/mo for Starter 20 k emails.

9. GetResponse

For creators ready to branch into webinars and funnels.

Upsides

• Integrated webinar rooms (100 attendees standard).
• Advanced auto‑responders & AI subject‑line suggestions.

Pricing: Free 500 subs; paid $19/mo for Email Marketing plan (1 k subs).

10. Buttondown

Minimalist, developer‑friendly alternative.

Why People Love It

• Markdown‑first editor and a clean reader experience.
• API hooks for static sites like Hugo or Next.js.

Pricing: $9/mo for 1 k subs; scales to $29/mo at 10 k.

11. Sendy (Self‑Hosted)

DIY solution for technically inclined creators.

Strengths

• One‑time $69 licence + pennies per email via Amazon SES.
• Full control over data and backups.

Challenges: You manage updates, deliverability, and server security.

12. Mailchimp

Yes, the OG ESP is still here—and just added a paid‑newsletter toggle in early 2025.

Reasons to Consider

• Mature automation journeys & audience analytics.
• E‑commerce integrations (Shopify, WooCommerce) for creators selling physical products.

Pricing: Free 500 contacts; Essentials $20/mo @ 2.5 k contacts.

Should You Stay on Substack?

Stick with Substack if the recommendation network drives a large chunk of your growth, community comments are central to your brand, and you’re okay with revenue sharing. Otherwise, running the math on a flat‑fee platform typically pays off after $1,000–$3,000/mo in subscription revenue.

Migration Game Plan

1. Export your Substack CSV (free + paid subscribers).
2. Clean your list—remove bounced & dormant emails.
3. Import into your new tool, preserving tags for free vs paid if possible.
4. Set up DKIM & SPF to protect deliverability.
5. Point your custom domain (or subdomain) to the new platform.
6. Announce the move 7 days in advance, then again on launch day.

Final Word

Substack sparked the creator‑newsletter renaissance. But in 2025, you have a buffet of platforms optimised for AI content, automation, full‑stack marketing, and zero revenue tax. Test two or three contenders—most offer free trials—and go with the one that feels invisible while you write.

Happy publishing!

‍