PRICING VERIFIED MAY 2026

Best Substack Alternatives 2026: 8 Reviewed | AICores · AICores

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Best Substack Alternatives in 2026

We reviewed 8 alternatives to Substack. Pricing verified March 2026. No sponsored placements.

Why Look for Substack Alternatives?

Common reasons people switch from Substack:

✕10% revenue cut is expensive at scale
✕Virtually no email marketing or automation features
✕Zero customization — every Substack looks the same
✕Not ideal for marketers needing automation, segmentation, a/b testing, or custom design.

Top 8 Alternatives to Substack

ResendRecommended★ 4.5

From $20/mo (Pro, 50K emails) · Best for Developers who need a modern email API with excell

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BeehiivRecommended★ 4.4

From $49/mo (Scale) · Best for Newsletter operators building a media business wit

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ActiveCampaignRecommended★ 4.4

From $15/mo (Starter, 1K contacts) · Best for Marketing teams needing complex automation workflo

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Customer.ioSituational★ 4.3

From $100/mo (Essentials, 5K profiles) · Best for Technical teams building data-driven, multi-channe

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ConvertKitRecommended★ 4.3

From $29/mo (Creator, 1K subscribers) · Best for Content creators — bloggers, YouTubers, podcasters

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MailerLiteRecommended★ 4.3

From $10/mo (Growing Business, 500 subs) · Best for Small businesses and creators wanting beautiful em

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OmnisendRecommended★ 4.3

From $16/mo · Best for E-commerce stores wanting email + SMS automation

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LoopsSituational★ 4.3

From $49/mo (Starter, 5K contacts) · Best for Product-led SaaS companies who want email automati

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Resend — Best Email Marketing Alternative for Developers who need a modern email API w

Resend is the email API built for developers who care about developer experience. The API is clean and simple. React Email lets you build email templates using React components.

RecommendedFrom $20/mo (Pro, 50K emails)★ 4.5Read full review →

Beehiiv — Best Email Marketing Alternative for Newsletter operators building a media bu

Beehiiv is the newsletter platform for publishers who want to build a media business. Growth tools like the referral program (your subscribers recruit new ones) and recommendation network (cross-promote with other newsletters) are built in from the start — not afterthoughts.Monetization features include Ad Network (sell ads in your newsletter), paid subscriptions (built-in paywall), and boosts (get paid to recommend other newsletters).

RecommendedFrom $49/mo (Scale)★ 4.4Read full review →

ActiveCampaign — Best Email Marketing Alternative for Marketing teams needing complex automati

ActiveCampaign is the automation powerhouse. The visual automation builder handles complex, branching workflows that would be impossible in Mailchimp or ConvertKit. Conditional logic, wait steps, split actions, and goal tracking create sophisticated customer journeys.

RecommendedFrom $15/mo (Starter, 1K contacts)★ 4.4Read full review →

Substack vs Top Alternatives

	Substack	Resend	Beehiiv	ActiveCampaign
Price	N/A	$20/mo (Pro, 50K emails)	$49/mo (Scale)	$15/mo (Starter, 1K contacts)
Free Tier	✓	✓	✓	✓
Rating	★ 4.2	★ 4.5	★ 4.4	★ 4.4
Verdict	Situational	Recommended	Recommended	Recommended
API	✕	✓	✓	✓

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best free alternative to Substack?▼

Resend is the highest-rated free alternative to Substack. It offers developers who need a modern email api with excellent dx for transactional and marketing email. and has a 4.5 star rating from 89 reviews.

Why do people look for Substack alternatives?▼

Common reasons include: 10% revenue cut is expensive at scale. Virtually no email marketing or automation features. Substack is marketers needing automation, segmentation, a/b testing, or custom design..

Is Substack the best email marketing tool?▼

Based on our review, Substack is situational for writers who want the simplest path to publishing a newsletter with paid subscriptions.. However, Resend may be better for developers who need a modern email api with excellent dx for transactional and marketing email..

What is cheaper than Substack?▼

Omnisend starts at $16/mo compared to Substack. It has a 4.3 rating and is best for e-commerce stores wanting email + sms automation.

Related Comparisons

Substack vs Resend— Full Comparison →Substack vs Beehiiv— Full Comparison →Substack vs ActiveCampaign— Full Comparison →

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