If you’re considering launching a newsletter, you may come across two prominent choices: Substack and WordPress. Although both platforms can effectively help you connect with your audience, they adopt fundamentally different strategies for establishing your online presence. One option confines you to a single platform with constrained growth potential, whereas the other provides a robust foundation that can support your ambitions for years to come.
This brief guide will compare WordPress and Substack to assist you in selecting the platform that best matches your long-term objectives as a creator.
Substack: Simple but Limited
Substack positions itself as a newsletter-focused platform, providing creators with a seamless means to compose, publish, and monetize their content.
Strengths of Substack:
- Easy setup: Launch your newsletter quickly, requiring little to no technical expertise.
- Built-in discoverability: Gain potential exposure through Substack’s recommendation features.
- Monetization ease: Simple setup for paid subscriptions.
Limitations of Substack:
- Dependence on the platform: Your entire operation is tied to Substack. Any unfavorable changes to pricing, features, or policies leave you with limited options.
- Costly revenue sharing: Substack takes a 10% cut of all subscription income, which can become quite expensive as you grow. For instance, a creator earning $5,000 would pay Substack $500 monthly.
- Minimal customization: Substack offers limited branding and design options, often resulting in newsletters that lack unique identities.
- Growth limitations: Although it has expanded offerings beyond newsletters, it mainly focuses on basic communication tools, making it difficult to sell products or services on the same platform.
- Shifting focus: Substack’s growing emphasis on social engagement features clashes with the initial purpose of newsletters, which was to build deeper connections.
WordPress: Designed for Ownership and Growth
WordPress, which powers over 40% of all websites, offers advantages that Substack cannot—full ownership and limitless growth potential. As the leading website software, it provides a solid foundation for creators wishing to establish a lasting presence.
Strengths of WordPress:
- Full ownership: You own your content, audience, and data, ensuring control over your business regardless of third-party service changes.
- Extensive customization: A plethora of themes and plugins enables you to realize your vision for your newsletter and website.
- Platform independence: Easily move your site between hosting providers or change themes without losing content, providing flexibility in operations.
- Enhanced SEO features: WordPress sites often rank higher in search engines. The clean code structure and available SEO plugins support better technical optimization and organic discovery.
- Infinite growth possibilities: Start with a newsletter and branch out into realms like:
- Full-fledged websites
- E-commerce solutions
- Online courses and memberships
- Podcasts and multimedia content
- Community forums
Limitations of WordPress:
- Requires some technical skills: Self-hosted WordPress involves understanding web hosting and maintenance. While many hosts offer easy installation, you must manage backups, updates, and security.
- Plugin and theme management: The sheer number of options available can be overwhelming, requiring careful selection to avoid conflicts that may slow down your site.
WordPress.com Newsletter: The Best of Both Worlds
The WordPress.com Newsletter combines the advantages of WordPress with a seamless user experience. Setting up a newsletter or a website is simple, enabling you to grow your audience and foster meaningful connections.
Advantages of WordPress.com:
- All WordPress benefits: Enjoy full ownership and customization without the technical complexities.
- Creator-focused pricing: Start free with unlimited subscribers and email sends, with options for upgrading at lower fees as you grow.
- A calm platform: WordPress.com focuses on meaningful connections without the distractions of social media pressures.
- Growth-oriented: Easily expand your newsletter into a full website, integrate e-commerce, or venture in various directions creatively.
Limitations of WordPress.com:
- Initial audience building: While it offers some discovery features, the capabilities are not as robust as Substack’s, necessitating active promotion and SEO efforts.
Head-to-Head Comparison
| Feature | WordPress.com Newsletter | WordPress | Substack |
|---|---|---|---|
| Setup Difficulty | Easy | Moderate | Very Easy |
| Ownership | Complete | Complete | Limited |
| Customization | Extensive | Extensive | Limited |
| SEO Capabilities | Strong built-in SEO | Strong built-in SEO | Limited |
| Monetization Fees | 0-10% (decreases with paid plan) | Depends on plugins | 10% of revenue |
| Growth Potential | Unlimited | Unlimited | Limited to communication |
| Technical Requirements | None | Hosting, plugins | None |
| Content Portability | Complete | Complete | Exportable but requires new platform |
| Discovery Options | WordPress Reader, SEO, social | SEO, social | Substack network only |
When to Choose Each Platform
Opt for Substack if:
- You prioritize rapid setup
- You are comfortable with long-term platform reliance
- You’re okay with paying 10% of your revenue indefinitely
- You do not plan on expanding into e-commerce or additional services
- You accept limited customization options
Opt for WordPress if:
- You want total ownership of your platform and audience
- You prefer long-term savings over short-term conveniences
- You envision growing beyond simple newsletters
- You desire exceptional SEO capabilities
- You seek maximum customization
- You appreciate the flexibility offered by platform independence
- You are comfortable with some basic technical maintenance
Specifically choose WordPress.com Newsletter if:
- You want WordPress without technical hassle
- You require professional newsletter features at reasonable prices
- You wish to start free and scale affordably
- You prefer a calm platform devoid of social media style noise
- You want your online presence managed on a single platform
Setting Up Your Newsletter with WordPress
Option 1: WordPress.com Newsletter (recommended for most creators)
- Go to WordPress.com/newsletter and select “Start my newsletter.”
- Follow the onboarding checklist to complete your newsletter setup.
Option 2: WordPress + Jetpack Newsletter
- Choose a hosting provider like Pressable or Bluehost.
- Install WordPress (most providers offer one-click setup).
- Install and activate Jetpack, which provides similar benefits to the WordPress.com Newsletter.
- Configure Jetpack settings for your newsletter.
Option 3: Add Newsletter to an Existing WordPress.com Site
- Add a Subscribe Block or Newsletter Subscription pattern to your current site.
- Update your newsletter settings according to your preferences.
Importing from Substack to WordPress.com
If you’re prepared to transition from Substack, moving to WordPress.com is quite straightforward:
- Export your content and subscribers from Substack.
- Access the content importer via Tools > Import.
- Import your content to WordPress.com.
- Import your subscribers to WordPress.com.
- Update your newsletter settings as needed.
Your Questions Answered
How does the cost of WordPress.com Newsletter compare to Substack? WordPress.com Newsletter begins free with unlimited subscribers and sends, with paid plans lowering transaction fees to as low as 0%, unlike Substack’s 10% share of revenue.
What does it mean to own your content and subscriber list? This means your content and audience data are entirely yours. You can switch platforms or hosting at any time without losing your audience or content. With Substack, your relationship with your audience is dependent on their platform’s policies.
Can I customize my WordPress newsletter? Yes, WordPress provides a vast range of themes and customization options, allowing you to create a unique brand presence.
How reliable is WordPress for email delivery? WordPress.com sends over 20 million emails daily and maintains excellent deliverability rates due to over 17 years of infrastructure refinement.
Is it easy to migrate from Substack? Yes, the process supports both content and subscriber migration, typically completed in hours, although customization may take longer.
Can I start free and introduce paid subscriptions later? Definitely. Starting with a free plan allows you to build your audience, and you can add monetization later at a much lower cost.
Your Newsletter Deserves a Lasting Home
Choosing a newsletter platform isn’t just about the present; it’s about your future. While Substack may offer rapid deployment, WordPress provides a reliable foundation for your evolving needs.
WordPress embodies a philosophy of ownership: instead of leasing space on someone else’s platform, you’re creating your own long-term home on the web, where you establish the rules, retain more of your income, and avoid the unpredictability of platform changes.
Whether you decide on WordPress.com Newsletter for an ideal balance of simplicity and power, or choose a self-hosted version with Jetpack for maximum control, you are opting for ownership, flexibility, and unlimited growth potential.
Your brand deserves a platform you truly own.
Reliable WordPress Development Support
If you’re working on newsletter-related projects and need dependable WordPress development support, WordPressOngoing can help. We focus on building long-term partnerships by delivering high-quality work, fast solutions to issues, and consistently responsive communication—so your team can move forward with confidence.