- Choose for your business model first: subscriptions, sponsorships or commerce.
- Check who owns the Stripe account, the subscriber export and the sending domain.
- Test the export before you commit, not when you want to leave.
- Often the answer is to stay and build what is missing around your platform.
Start with how you make money
The single biggest factor is your business model. A newsletter funded by paid subscriptions needs great membership and payment tools. One funded by sponsorships needs clean ad placements and reporting. One that drives commerce needs tight links between sends and sales. Pick the platform that fits the money first, and features second.
The questions that actually matter
- Ownership. Can you export your subscribers, archive and payment data at any time?
- Revenue share. Does the platform take a cut of your paid subscriptions, or charge a flat fee?
- API access. Can you automate drafts, sync data and build tools on top of it?
- Deliverability. How much control do you have over your sending domain and authentication?
- Growth tools. Referrals, recommendations and paid acquisition support.
- Team workflow. Roles, approvals and how many people touch each issue.
The major platforms at a glance
| Platform | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Substack | Writers starting out who want simplicity and a built-in reader network | Closed platform with limited API access, and it takes a share of paid subscription revenue |
| Beehiiv | Growth-focused publishers who want referrals, ads and an API | Less control over the underlying infrastructure than self-hosted options |
| Ghost | Publishers who want an open-source site, memberships and full ownership | More setup and maintenance, especially if you self-host |
| Kit | Creators selling products and running automation-heavy funnels | Built for creator marketing more than editorial publishing |
| Mailchimp | Small teams that already use it for general email marketing | Costs and limits can climb as a newsletter list grows |
| Klaviyo | Publishers whose newsletter drives commerce | Commerce-first, so editorial workflows take extra work |
| Sailthru and Iterable | Media companies with data teams and personalization needs | Enterprise tools that need technical support to run well |
| Your own stack (for example Resend) | Publishers who want full control of templates, data and pipeline | You need software built and maintained for you |
Pricing changes often, so check each platform's current plans against your list size and revenue model before you decide. For head-to-head detail, read Beehiiv vs Substack, Ghost vs Substack, Substack alternatives and Beehiiv alternatives.
Signs you have outgrown your platform
- You are copying data between tools every week.
- The revenue share costs more than a platform that does not take one.
- You cannot automate the parts of production that eat your time.
- Sponsors want reporting or placements your platform cannot provide.
You do not always have to move
Often the right answer is to stay put and build the missing pieces around your platform: an outreach system, a sponsor portal, a production pipeline. When moving is right, plan it carefully. Our migration guide covers how.
What most guides miss
Lessons from systems we have built and run, not the usual checklist.
Run an exit test before you sign up
Export a test list, your archive and payment data in the first week. If any of it is hard to get out now, it will be harder in three years.
Find out whose Stripe account it is
Some platforms process payments through your own connected Stripe account, others do not. It decides how easily paying members can move later.
Check what is plan-gated in the API
Many platforms advertise an API but limit key endpoints, such as creating posts, to higher plans. Confirm the exact endpoints you need on the plan you will actually buy.
Revenue share compounds
A percentage cut feels small at launch and large at scale. Model it at the subscriber count you expect in two years, not today.
How we can help
We work across all of these platforms, with help, custom builds, integrations and migrations. Browse our platform pages, or start with a workflow audit for an honest recommendation.