An honest comparison. Substack is great for some writers. Here’s when to pick each.
At a glance
| Substack | LetterWP | |
|---|---|---|
| Where your newsletter lives | substack.com | Your WordPress site |
| Who owns the list | You can export it | It’s in your database |
| Cut of paid revenue | 10% | 0% (paid subscriptions coming) |
| Custom domain | Paid add-on | Your own, always |
| Design | Substack’s | Your theme |
| Cost at 10,000 subscribers | $0 + 10% of paid | $149/year + about $80/month to Resend |
Pick Substack if
- You don’t have a website and don’t want one.
- You want Substack’s network to recommend you.
- You need paid subscriptions today.
Pick LetterWP if
- Your site already runs on WordPress.
- You want readers, archive and search traffic on your own domain.
- You don’t want to give away a cut of what you earn.
Moving over
Import your Substack export and keep every reader. Move from Substack →