Substack vs Kit (ConvertKit)
A head-to-head comparison for 2026 -- pricing, features, and which is better for different use cases.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | Substack | Kit (ConvertKit) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free (10% on paid) | Free–$29/mo |
| Free Plan | Yes (full product) | Yes (1,000 subs) |
| Paid Subs | Yes (10% fee) | Yes |
| Custom Domain | Yes | Landing pages |
| Discovery | Substack network | Creator network |
| Best For | Writers who want simplicity | Creators selling products |
Substack -- Overview
Substack is a publishing platform focused on newsletters and paid subscriptions. The writing experience is clean and distraction-free. Built-in discovery through the Substack network helps new writers find audiences. The 10% revenue share on paid subscriptions is the business model.
Substack is intentionally simple. No complex automations, no landing page builders, no product sales. Write, publish, optionally charge. The simplicity is the product.
Kit (ConvertKit) -- Overview
Kit (ConvertKit) is a full creator marketing platform. Visual automation builder, landing pages, subscriber tagging, digital product sales, and the creator network for cross-promotion. It's designed for creators who sell courses, downloads, and services alongside their newsletter.
At $29/month (1,000 subscribers), Kit costs more than Substack for free newsletters but takes 0% of revenue. The free tier covers 1,000 subscribers with limited features. Kit's strength is the complete creator workflow -- email is one piece of a larger business.
Key Differences
Newsletter platform vs creator business platform. Substack does newsletters. Kit does newsletters plus automations, landing pages, product sales, and tagging. If your newsletter is your entire business, Substack's simplicity is appealing. If your newsletter feeds into courses, products, or services, Kit's broader toolkit supports the full funnel.
Automation depth differs fundamentally. Substack has no automation beyond basic welcome emails. Kit has a visual automation builder with conditional logic, tagging, and multi-step sequences. For creators who want to segment subscribers and deliver different content to different audiences, Kit is in a different league.
Revenue model comparison. Substack takes 10% of paid subscriptions. Kit charges a flat monthly fee and takes 0%. Additionally, Kit lets you sell digital products with built-in checkout -- courses, ebooks, templates -- diversifying revenue beyond subscriptions alone.
The Verdict
Choose Substack for a simple newsletter with built-in discovery and no setup complexity. Best for writers focused on writing. Choose Kit for a complete creator business platform with automations, product sales, and landing pages. Best for creators who sell products or services alongside their newsletter.