MailerLite vs Substack
A side-by-side comparison of MailerLite and Substack — two options for brand, content & community. Pricing, features, and honest pros and cons.
Category
Brand, Content & Community
Brand, Content & Community
Rating
4.4 / 5
4.3 / 5
Pricing
Freemium / from ~$9/mo
Free (10% of paid revenue)
Best for
Funds running lean newsletters without marketing ops
Investors building an audience through consistent writing
Key features
- Drag-and-drop email builder
- Automation workflows and triggers
- Segmentation and interest groups
- Landing pages, popups and websites
- Paid newsletter subscriptions
- Email newsletter publishing and hosting
- Paid subscription infrastructure built in
- Cross-publication recommendation network
- Podcast, video and Notes formats
- Simple analytics on opens and growth
Pros
- Best-in-class value for money
- Interface stays simple without feeling stripped down
- Generous free tier for small LP and founder lists
- Zero cost and zero maintenance to start
- Recommendations deliver organic subscriber growth
- Reader network effects favor consistent publishers
Cons
- Fewer advanced CRM-style features than HubSpot-class suites
- Approval process for new accounts can delay sending
- Limited design control versus owned websites
- 10% fee stings if paid subscriptions get large
- Audience relationship partly mediated by the platform