- Beehiiv: for growth, ad revenue and an API.
- Ghost: for ownership, your own site and no revenue share.
- Kit: for creators selling products with automation.
- A custom stack: for full control of data, templates and pipeline.
Why publishers look for alternatives
- Revenue share. Substack takes a percentage of paid subscription revenue, which grows with you.
- Ownership and brand. Your newsletter lives inside Substack's design and network.
- Integrations. Without a full public API, automation and data syncs are limited.
- Sponsorships. Substack's own sponsorship program is curated. Selling your own placements, with booking and reporting, needs tools it does not provide.
The alternatives
Beehiiv
Best for publishers who want growth tools, an ad network, design control and an API, on a monthly plan rather than a revenue share.
Ghost
Best for publishers who want to own their site, members and data, with no cut of subscription revenue. Hosted or self-hosted.
Kit
Best for creators who sell digital products and rely on automations, sequences and tagging.
A custom stack (for example Resend)
Best for publishers who want full control of sending, templates, data and production, and who want software built around their workflow.
Newsletter infrastructure on Resend
| Topic | Beehiiv | Ghost | Kit | Custom stack |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue share | None (plan pricing) | None | Per-sale fee on Commerce (processing included) | None |
| Ownership | Medium | High | Medium | Full |
| API | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yours |
| Setup effort | Low | Medium | Low | High (built for you) |
| Best revenue fit | Ads and sponsorships | Paid memberships | Products | Any |
How to leave Substack cleanly
Export subscribers and posts, connect paid members through Stripe, redirect your archive and warm up sending on the new platform. Our migration guide walks through each step.
What most comparisons miss
You may not need to leave at all
If the problem is sponsorships or reporting rather than the platform, you can build those tools around Substack and keep its network.
Know where your growth comes from first
If the Substack network drives a large share of signups, plan how to replace it before you move, through referrals, recommendations or paid acquisition.
Paid members are the riskiest part
Treat paid subscribers as their own project, and tell them what is changing before it happens.
Platforms change their features and pricing often. Check each platform's current plans before you decide.