“Substack — best for getting started quickly”
“Free to publish.”
“Very easy to set up paid subscriptions.”
“Built-in reader and recommendation network.”
“Takes 10% of your subscription revenue, plus payment processing.”
“beehiiv — best for newsletter growth”
“0% platform fee on paid subscriptions.”
“Newsletter referrals and growth tools.”
“Advertising and sponsorship opportunities.”
“More focused on email publishing than a traditional writing website.”
“The Scale plan starts at $43/month billed annually. Stripe processing fees still apply.”
“For a solo writer who wants to charge readers for subscriptions and keep as much of the revenue as possible, I'd recommend Ghost.”
“Ghost is particularly attractive because it charges 0% transaction fees on paid subscriptions (although payment processing fees still apply).”
“Your own website and email newsletter.”
“Free and paid memberships.”
“You control your branding and subscriber relationships.”
“No percentage cut of subscription revenue.”
“The Publisher plan starts at $29/month when billed annually. You'll also pay Stripe processing fees.”
“Note that the cheaper Starter plan doesn't include paid subscriptions.”
“Patreon | 10% for new creators | Free to start | Memberships and fan communities”
“Patreon | 10% for new creators | Free to start | Memberships and fan communities”