Substack
Videos, writing & podcasts
How much does Substack cost?
Prices are current as of 5 Oct 2026.
10 subscriptions from $4.99
In the United States, Substack has 10 subscriptions priced $4.99 – 9.99.
| Subscription | Period | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Hung Up (Monthly) | Monthly | $4.99 |
| The Dworkin Report (Monthly) | Monthly | $4.99 |
| Ettingermentum (monthly) | Monthly | $5.99 |
| Isolation Journals (Monthly) | Monthly | $5.99 |
| Monthly | Monthly | $5.99 |
| What To Cook (Monthly) | Monthly | $5.99 |
| The Message Box (Monthly) | Monthly | $7.99 |
| House Inhabit (Monthly) | Monthly | $8.99 |
| Noahpinion (Monthly) | Monthly | $9.99 |
| Slow Boring (Monthly) | Monthly | $9.99 |
10+ alternatives to Substack
| Substack |   Washington Post |   Flipboard: The Social Magazine |   The Guardian - US & World News |   The Economist: News & Analysis |   Medium: Read & Write Stories |   The Atlantic Magazine |   Feedly - Smart News Reader |   NPR: National & Local News |   Ground News |   POLITICO | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rating / 5 | 4.9 | 4.7 | 4.6 | 4.8 | 4.8 | 4.8 | 4.9 | 4.6 | 4.6 | 4.7 | 4.7 |
| Reviews | 901K | 724K | 721K | 633K | 470K | 403K | 156K | 81K | 72K | 65K | 58K |
| Released | 2022 | 2010 | 2010 | 2011 | 2018 | 2014 | 2010 | 2010 | 2009 | 2018 | 2010 |
| Monthly price | $5.99 | $13.99 | — | $14.99 | $6.90 | $4.99 | $8.99 | $7.99 | — | $3.99 | — |
| Annual price | — | $139.99 | — | $129.99 | $249.00 | $49.99 | $89.99 | — | — | $39.99 | — |
The going rate for each plan in United States, in its own currency, shaded from the cheapest price on the row to the dearest. Plans fewer than four in ten of the priced apps sell are left out.
Substack reviews
4.9 out of 5, based on 901,036 reviews.
What people like
- Great mix of diverse viewpoints
- High quality thoughtful writing
- Feels like a real community
What they complain about
- App freezes and crashes often
- Hard to find your subscriptions
- Can’t easily cancel paid subs
- Too many distracting social features
Michael Moore
Pithy😊🤙
From Good to Terrible
Was good. Is currently trying to push social media-like garbage features. Including showing me random inflammatory posts in my subscription tab. Please stop the encrapification!
Giving It a Go
A little bit scared, but being brave and giving it a go. I honestly never thought I would be doing something like this, but I have decided to stop overthinking it and just tell the truth, share my journey and see where it takes me. So here I am bit scared, but giving it a go
Freezes often. Can’t wait for 65square
Just downloaded. It’s froze on my iPhone 14 Pro three times in 20minutes. Pure garbage. Looks and feels like if instagram spewed writers with web hosting aspirations but who don’t care to setup a website. Can’t decipher what the business model is… oh maybe it’s the billion paid subscriptions you sign up for.
Join it only if you’re an entrepreneurial writer.
Please don’t mistake this platform for just the writers. This is more like a Insta for writing entrepreneurs. You do need good entrepreneurial, and influencers skills to be successful here. Doesn’t matter how great a writer you are. And be prepared for a nagging pressure for constant posting (notes etc.), and engaging with the other writing entrepreneurs for visibility. Also if you’re a genuine writer, a doubt would keep lingering at the back of your mind, are my writings being liked for reciprocity sake, or genuinely? 🤔 For those after numbers, and followers or genuine community oriented people who love engagements, it’s great. It’s just in my experience that a genuine creator, or a writer, usually likes to live in his own world/zone for their creation to flower. Yes, people writing on politics or other current hot topics is a different thing. The ideal most way to Substack is this (for me, as someone described on Reddit): Consider it like a post office. Come here to post something new, or check your post, spending 30-60 mins everyday, and then go back to the woods for writing. Beautiful. 🌹 Just don’t expect much engagement, or following in this case since then you’re not working for the platform. You’re just working for you. The platform works on mutually beneficial basis: you spend time here, engaging, insta- ing, promoting the platform, and the platform would return the favours to you. And let nothing in my review suggest that you can be a not so good writer and succeed here purely on the influencers skills. You won’t. Then you need to join Insta or TikTok. Based upon six months of using this platform. Hope helps. 🙏🏼
Shaun Newman podcasts
It is very interesting and educational listening and watching Shaun’s podcasts. It’s really great to see the cross-section of people that he interviews being from all areas of life, whether it is business, farming, health sector, investment sector, sports, politics, trades people, ordinary working people, retired people, etc. Shaun is very down to earth with his questions that are realistic about what people across the country are wondering about, but most people don’t have the opportunity or platform to ask on. With the variety of questions it also gives everyone an opportunity to hear various viewpoints so that we can make an informed decision on the topics that are being discussed. Thank you Shaun for what you are doing both with the podcasts and being willing to get out there and meet the people where they are at. It’s important for people to hear the real stories of others. It gives us connection.
Clueless developers
Why on earth would you send me notifications about posts from creators I DON’T follow, and not give me a means to disable them??? What a farce.
Thoughtful pondering sometimes pandering
Substack is home to many different points of view. That is its primary strength. It is also its primary weakness as some people expound totally unhinged and inaccurate theories with little or no evidence or references and call that insightful rhetoric when, sadly it’s just steaming piles of cow dung. However the insightful, well researched and supported essays more than make up for the rubbish that shows up from time to time.
Frustrating
This could be so good, but I keep getting lost in the feed. I just want to read the articles I find helpful, but it is turning into twitter or instagram.
I already have an account and now I’m stuck on creating a new account
Even when I delete the app and reinstall it right back to creating an account
COAP
A well formulated news source which gives detailed information on regional and municipal governance in the Cowichan Valley. It’s an essential reference for residents who feel they only lend power to their respective councils.
Remboursement de 65$
! Je vous demande donc d’annuler mon contrat et un remboursement immédiat de 65$ payé par carte bancaire Visa RBC hier le26/08 C’est une erreur de compréhension de ma part ! Cordialement Annette Lavigne ( 80 ans )
Really don’t want to do this. I’ve been on here under a minute and it feels like harassment
See above
Update is so flawed I can’t use it without crashes
I love Substack, but the iPad updates are awful the last few months. In its current state as of July 7, 2026, it is unusable. Tried editing a post and all of a sudden, my content from halfway down disappeared and then all the buttons froze and I had to crash out. it’s impossible to use the chat feature because it freezes as soon as you type a sentence. Trying to post a note doesn’t work and you keep hitting the button thinking that nothing is happening and then you realize you’ve posted 14 notes. It’s just a flailing. S-show.
Subscriptions are annoying
Substack, I don’t want to pay 15 different people $15 dollars a month for a subscription. I would way rather pay $1-2 to read one article. I want to read diversely. I can’t do that if I’m tied to 3 paid subscriptions. Make it an option to do either
Top notch algorithm
My feed speaks to me directly.
One of best reading apps.
Thank you for keeping it free. Substack is a brilliant Application ❤️
Portal
States are made of stats or stars 🌙⚡️✨
Langue sur Substack
Pourquoi les textes des auteurs sont bloqués dans leurs langues … j’ai du mal à lire Dugin tout en anglais… le développeur devrait trouver un moyen
too complicated!
oft times wonderful content, but the app itself is dreadfully confusing to this 80yo mind
Stop asking me for reviews
I like the app. Now don’t ask me again.
Bias against India
Why can’t Indian writers get paid? Why don’t you support payments in India?
Loving Substack!
The articles and videos I’ve experienced have been thought-provoking, powerful and informative. It encourages respectful debate and encouragement. Completely different vibe from other platforms I’ve been on.
Problemas con DMs
Cada vez que voy a enviar un DM o compartir un artículo con una amiga, la app se queda buggeada :/
update bug
New update prevents me from scrolling to see more on notes
Bad user experience
The user experience is bad in same cases. I can’t figure out what all my subscriptions are. It only shows 8 and I have a lot more than 8. Support is unresponsive. Why can’t I unsubscribe from emails. Why can only prefer app? And it still sends me emails. This app is not user friendly.
Poor UX/UI
This is easily one of the worst functioning apps I’ve used. Not at all intuitive, but my biggest issue is performance. I have a couple of podcasts that use this app, so I am forced to listen to them here. I live in a rural area and the rate at which the podcasts cut out is absurd. Doesn’t happen with the apple app or with Pocketcasts of course, just this one. I started downloading them since that is an available option, figured that would solve the issue. Nope. Even when apps are “downloaded” and thus should physically be ON my phone, they still cut out dozens of times over the course of an hour. Absolute trash product.
Substack Chat
Guys can you please fix the chat feature of substack, it’s so clunky and buggy. Sometimes the texts don’t show on my end, then photos don’t load. I love every other feature of your app, but guys can you please fix the chat system of your app
Extremely bad for writing articles on ipad os
It's completely bugged and instable for writing articles on ipad os. It keeps scrolling back up, everything is weird. I rarely hated an experience that much for writing. I guess its partly the fault of apple for doing such a bad job with the latest ipad os major updates, but I don't know. I have to go on desktop to write because its simply too horrid to use
A mostly-positive mixed bag- if you’re intentional in your use of it
My feedback is simple. While Substack provides lots of quality content, it suggests too much of it to be digestible. Whenever I log into an account (I have both a professional and personal account), it suggests additional accounts I should follow, which interfere with the content I’ve actually subscribed to. Speaking of subscriptions, I’ve had to unsubscribe from multiple newsletters I’ve never signed up for! A note to Substack, for time-limited folks like me: less is more 😉🙏🏼
Essential!
Excellent
UX painful
One day they will redesign it so users can actually find what they originally signed up for (following, reading and paying) the authors they find interesting. Until then prepare to be overwhelmed with people’s reposts & a reply-all style flow in your inbox, 3-4 log-ins when you choose to stop financially supporting an author(making you hesitant to ever sign up for any author) not to mention a very confusing “follow” function where you don’t get the things they wrote nor can you ever find a list of who you have followed. Good times!
I love this app more than sharks love bloos
I fell in love with the words here. You can easily find a great deal of hidden gems and that’s what I like about Substack. The way it hides all those beautiful unpublished pearls.
Impossible to cancel subscription
The subscription journey makes it impossible to cancel paid subscriptions
Crashed
I love substack but lately the app regularly freezes up when listening to audios and it's very difficult to get it back. I have to close out the app and restart, sometimes several times.
Best app ever
Literally the last bastion of free speech, rationality and thoughtfulness on the internet. Also, tons of stock memes
Fix didn’t work
This app used to be great, now nothing will play for more than a few seconds. Their fix did not work
Too good
This is so helpful
Too much notifications
Especially at 3 AM….
Traducciones
Me gustaría que hubiera la opción de leer los textos en varios idiomas. Ahora no es tan difícil! Gracias!!
I love Substack
I Using 0ne Your Now I Have Thiunfsand Of Poeple Related aidaince thanks Substack Love and respect
Good app but weak basics
Substack sent me a mail on February informing me about a massive data leak. Just so frickin casually . What followed was a threat email by a hacker group called Shiny something and I ended up deleting my substack account . Months of effort and hard work gone in the drain. Substack hasn’t reverted back ever since . Pathetic .
Best replacement of doomscrolling
Its the best site to explore ,to learn ,unlearn get information about various topics and become a better version of your self
Clunky
Feels clunky and not intuitive - needs more ease of engagement
Appreciation
Thank you for the thoughtful insight, I am always looking for a”voice of reason “. Especially thank you for the “plain speaking” that is refreshing and hard to find in this day and age. When something is broken you fix it or replace it, life is like that.
Bugs and lack of options
Substack is so buggy. I lose audio constantly and the (paid for)episode shows it keeps playing with time increasing and close captions. Also theres no quality options or even audio is eating my data away. I should at least have the transcript of the episode (all closed captions) available so I can just read it instead of dealing with so many things. It should be available as an option. Sometimes I wish the creator I subbed too would use a diff platform
Muy buena
Ideal para pasar un rato en calma
De pago
A veces bien a veces mal
Substack price by country
A monthly subscription costs $5.63 in Canada and $15.07 in Colombia — 3× more for the same thing. Below is the going rate for each plan in every country that sells it — the middle price of what the app charges there, in the country's own currency with the dollar equivalent beneath it.
| Country | Monthly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Albania | $12.00 | $129.99 |
| Algeria | $10.00 | $104.99 |
| Angola | $10.00 | $104.99 |
| Anguilla | $10.00 | $104.99 |
| Antigua And Barbuda | $10.00 | $104.99 |
| Argentina | $10.00 | $104.99 |
| Armenia | $11.99 | $129.99 |
| Australia | A$12.99$9.02 | — |
| Austria | €9.99$11.24 | €119.99$134.97 |
| Azerbaijan | $12.00 | $129.99 |
| Bahamas | $10.00 | $119.99 |
| Bahrain | $7.99 | $79.99 |
| Barbados | $12.00 | $129.99 |
| Belarus | $12.00 | $129.99 |
| Belgium | €7.99$8.99 | €69.99$78.73 |
| Belize | $10.00 | $104.99 |
| Benin | $12.00 | $129.99 |
| Bermuda | $9.99 | $104.99 |
| Bhutan | $10.00 | $104.99 |
| Bolivia | $10.00 | $104.99 |
| Bosnia & Herzegovina | €10.00$11.25 | €119.99$134.97 |
| Botswana | $10.00 | $104.99 |
| Brazil | R$39.90$7.64 | — |
| British Virgin Islands | $10.00 | $104.99 |
| Brunei Darussalam | $10.00 | $104.99 |
| Bulgaria | €9.99$11.24 | €114.99$129.35 |
| Burkina Faso | $10.00 | $104.99 |
| Cambodia | $7.99 | $79.99 |
| Cameroon | $12.00 | $129.99 |
| Canada | CA$7.99$5.63 | — |
| Cape Verde | $10.00 | $104.99 |
| Cayman Islands | $10.00 | $104.99 |
| Chad | $10.00 | $104.99 |
| Chile | CLP 9,990$10.17 | CLP 99,990$101.82 |
| China | CN¥68.00$10.12 | CN¥698.00$103.87 |
| Colombia | COP 49,900$15.07 | COP 499,900$150.95 |
| Congo | $10.00 | $104.99 |
| Congo, Democratic Republic | $10.00 | $104.99 |
| Costa Rica | $10.00 | $104.99 |
| Cote Divoire | $12.00 | $129.99 |
| Croatia | €9.99$11.24 | €119.99$134.97 |
| Cyprus | €10.00$11.25 | €149.99$168.72 |
| Czech Republic | CZK 249.00$11.46 | CZK 2,790.00$128.39 |
| Denmark | DKK 59.00$8.87 | DKK 499.00$75.04 |
| Dominica | $10.00 | $104.99 |
| Dominican Republic | $10.00 | $104.99 |
| Ecuador | $6.99 | $69.99 |
| Egypt | EGP 499.99$9.57 | EGP 5,999.99$114.88 |
| El Salvador | $10.00 | $104.99 |
| Estonia | €9.99$11.24 | €119.99$134.97 |
| Fiji | $9.99 | $104.99 |
| Finland | €9.99$11.24 | €119.99$134.97 |
| France | €9.99$11.24 | — |
| Gabon | $10.00 | $104.99 |
| Gambia | $10.00 | $104.99 |
| Georgia | $12.00 | $129.99 |
| Germany | €8.99$10.11 | — |
| Ghana | $12.00 | $129.99 |
| Greece | €9.99$11.24 | €119.99$134.97 |
| Grenada | $10.00 | $104.99 |
| Guatemala | $9.99 | $104.99 |
| Guinea-bissau | $10.00 | $104.99 |
| Guyana | $10.00 | $104.99 |
| Honduras | $10.00 | $104.99 |
| Hong Kong | HK$88.00$11.21 | HK$788.00$100.38 |
| Hungary | HUF 4,490$13.71 | HUF 49,990$152.65 |
| Iceland | $11.99 | $129.99 |
| India | ₹999.00$10.37 | ₹14,900.00$154.64 |
| Indonesia | IDR 169,000$9.45 | IDR 1,699,000$94.98 |
| Iraq | $10.00 | $104.99 |
| Ireland | €6.99$7.86 | — |
| Israel | ₪34.90$11.44 | ₪349.90$114.72 |
| Italy | €9.99$11.24 | €59.99$67.48 |
| Jamaica | $10.00 | $104.99 |
| Japan | ¥1,500$9.50 | ¥15,000$95.04 |
| Jordan | $10.00 | $104.99 |
| Kazakhstan | KZT 5,990.00$13.48 | KZT 49,990.00$112.52 |
| Kenya | $7.99 | $79.99 |
| Kosovo | €10.00$11.25 | €119.99$134.97 |
| Kuwait | $9.99 | $104.99 |
| Kyrgyzstan | $10.00 | $119.99 |
| Lao Peoples Democratic Republic | $10.00 | $119.99 |
| Latvia | €9.99$11.24 | €119.99$134.97 |
| Lebanon | $10.00 | $104.99 |
| Liberia | $10.00 | $104.99 |
| Libya | $10.00 | $104.99 |
| Lithuania | €9.99$11.24 | €119.99$134.97 |
| Luxembourg | €9.99$11.24 | €119.99$134.97 |
| Macao | $10.00 | $104.99 |
| Macedonia | $10.00 | $104.99 |
| Madagascar | $10.00 | $104.99 |
| Malawi | $10.00 | $104.99 |
| Malaysia | MYR 59.90$14.68 | MYR 499.90$122.52 |
| Maldives | $10.00 | $104.99 |
| Mali | $10.00 | $104.99 |
| Malta | €9.99$11.24 | €119.99$134.97 |
| Mauritania | $10.00 | $104.99 |
| Mauritius | $10.00 | $104.99 |
| Mexico | MX$199.00$10.93 | MX$1,999.00$109.77 |
| Micronesia | $10.00 | $104.99 |
| Moldova | $12.00 | $129.99 |
| Mongolia | $10.00 | $104.99 |
| Montenegro | €9.99$11.62 | €99.99$116.27 |
| Montserrat | $10.00 | $104.99 |
| Morocco | $10.00 | $104.99 |
| Mozambique | $10.00 | $104.99 |
| Myanmar | $10.00 | $104.99 |
| Namibia | $10.00 | $104.99 |
| Nauru | $10.00 | $104.99 |
| Nepal | $12.00 | $129.99 |
| Netherlands | €9.99$11.24 | — |
| New Zealand | NZ$12.99$7.30 | — |
| Nicaragua | $10.00 | $104.99 |
| Niger | $10.00 | $104.99 |
| Nigeria | NGN 8,900.00$6.69 | NGN 149,900.00$112.69 |
| Norway | NOK 99.00$10.29 | — |
| Oman | $10.00 | $104.99 |
| Pakistan | PKR 2,900$10.48 | PKR 29,900$108.01 |
| Palau | $10.00 | $104.99 |
| Panama | $10.00 | $104.99 |
| Papua New Guinea | $10.00 | $104.99 |
| Paraguay | $10.00 | $104.99 |
| Peru | PEN 44.90$13.05 | PEN 499.90$145.32 |
| Philippines | ₱399.00$6.37 | ₱4,990.00$79.71 |
| Poland | PLN 49.99$12.85 | PLN 499.99$128.53 |
| Portugal | €9.99$11.24 | €119.99$134.97 |
| Qatar | QAR 39.99$10.99 | QAR 399.99$109.89 |
| Romania | RON 49.99$10.55 | RON 599.99$126.58 |
| Russia | RUB 899.00$10.77 | RUB 9,990.00$119.66 |
| Rwanda | $10.00 | $104.99 |
| Sao Tome & Principe | $10.00 | $104.99 |
| Saudi Arabia | SAR 39.99$10.66 | SAR 499.99$133.33 |
| Senegal | $12.00 | $129.99 |
| Serbia | €10.00$11.25 | €119.99$134.97 |
| Seychelles | $10.00 | $104.99 |
| Sierra Leone | $10.00 | $104.99 |
| Singapore | SGD 9.98$7.80 | — |
| Slovakia | €10.00$11.25 | €119.99$134.97 |
| Slovenia | €9.99$11.24 | €119.99$134.97 |
| Solomon Islands | $10.00 | $104.99 |
| South Africa | ZAR 199.99$12.00 | ZAR 1,999.99$120.05 |
| South Korea | ₩15,000$11.12 | ₩149,000$110.48 |
| Spain | €9.99$11.24 | €179.00$201.35 |
| Sri Lanka | $10.00 | $104.99 |
| St. Kitts and Nevis | $10.00 | $104.99 |
| St. Lucia | $10.00 | $104.99 |
| St. Vincent & The Grenadines | $10.00 | $104.99 |
| Suriname | $10.00 | $119.99 |
| Swaziland | $10.00 | $104.99 |
| Sweden | SEK 119.00$11.85 | — |
| Switzerland | CHF 6.00$7.24 | — |
| Taiwan | NT$390.00$12.24 | NT$2,990.00$93.88 |
| Tajikistan | $10.00 | $119.99 |
| Tanzania | TZS 29,900.00$11.29 | TZS 299,900.00$113.22 |
| Thailand | THB 399.00$11.89 | THB 3,990.00$118.89 |
| Tonga | $10.00 | $104.99 |
| Trinidad and Tobago | $10.00 | $104.99 |
| Tunisia | $10.00 | $104.99 |
| Turkey | TRY 499.99$10.17 | TRY 4,999.99$101.75 |
| Turkmenistan | $10.00 | $104.99 |
| Turks and Caicos | $10.00 | $104.99 |
| Uganda | $11.99 | $129.99 |
| Ukraine | $12.00 | $129.99 |
| United Arab Emirates | AED 29.99$8.17 | AED 229.99$62.67 |
| United Kingdom | £5.99$7.92 | — |
| United States | $5.99 | — |
| Uruguay | $10.99 | $104.99 |
| Uzbekistan | $10.00 | $119.99 |
| Vanuatu | $10.00 | $104.99 |
| Venezuela | $10.00 | $104.99 |
| Vietnam | ₫249,000$9.60 | ₫2,999,000$115.61 |
| Yemen | $10.00 | $104.99 |
| Zambia | $12.00 | $129.99 |
| Zimbabwe | $12.00 | $129.99 |
Substack FAQ
- Is Substack free?
- Yes. The app and its basic features are free, in all 174 countries it sells in. Premium features are paid: they start from $4.99 (US), across 10 subscriptions.
- How much does Substack cost per month?
- Ettingermentum (monthly) is $4.99 – 9.99 (US).
- Does Substack have a free trial?
- No. None of its offers (US) come with a free trial.
- Where is Substack cheapest?
- A monthly subscription costs CA$7.99 (≈$5.63) in Canada and COP 49,900 (≈$15.07) in Colombia, its cheapest and dearest countries.
- What are the best alternatives to Substack?
- Washington Post (4.7 from 724,335 reviews, premium from $3.99), Flipboard: The Social Magazine (4.6 from 720,819 reviews) and The Guardian - US & World News (4.8 from 633,102 reviews, premium from $6.99).
Substack download
Last updated 9 days ago.
Substack sells in 174 countries. It was released 4 years and 7 months ago, on 8 Mar 2022. It holds a 4.9 rating from 901,036 reviews.
Supports 18 languages: English, Arabic, Catalan, Danish, Dutch, French, German, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian Bokmål, Polish, Portuguese, Chinese, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish.
How much does Substack make?
Third-party estimates for the last 30 days, worldwide — not the store's own figures, which Apple publishes for nobody.
Revenue by plan
- Monthly 99%
- Annual 1%
Revenue by country
- United States 73%
- United Kingdom 5%
- Canada 4%
- Australia 3%