Should You Choose Substack for Your Next Newsletter?

If you’ve been in the newsletter world for a while now, you’ll almost certainly have heard of Substack. This platform has become a go-to for many newsletter creators thanks to its simplicity and built-in monetization. However, its limited design control, basic email features, and challenges with content migration can quickly become obstacles for those looking to scale or maintain full ownership over their content.

Casey Newton’s decision earlier this year to move his high-profile Platformer newsletter away from Substack shows a growing trend among established publishers. As newsletters grow, the need for a stronger, more customizable alternative platform becomes evident.

TL;DR: Substack is great for small-scale newsletters, but enterprises and growing publishers may want to move to WordPress for better control, scalability, and lower costs.

What Is Substack and Why Is it So Popular?

Substack has rapidly cemented itself as a dominant player in the newsletter space, with over 3 million paid subscribers and over 35 million active subscriptions. This growth shows a broader market validation for the direct monetization of content. The likes of Margaret Atwood and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar all use the platform, showing its credibility among serious content producers.

People love its simplicity. With built-in payment processing, audience analytics, and minimal technical requirements, Substack allows creators to focus on their content without worrying about the intricacies of website management or payment systems. This, combined with its subscription-based revenue model, has disrupted traditional media revenue structures, allowing creators to directly monetize their work without relying on advertisers.

However, Substack is not without its limits for enterprise-scale publishers. While the platform is excellent for individual writers and small operations, it's not so good for companies needing advanced marketing tools, complex workflows, or greater customization. The lack of design flexibility and the basic email features often mean companies quickly outgrow Substack as their content operations scale.

Substack Review: The Pros and Cons

Pros and cons of Substack

✔️ Pros

Lots of people like Substack because it is easy to use, making it an attractive option for creators who want to launch newsletters with minimal technical setup. Users can start publishing newsletters immediately without requiring complex configuration and manage subscribers using built-in platform tools. This easy setup is a major selling point for independent creators and small businesses looking to get started quickly without getting too technical. 

The platform is also great for multimedia integration. It supports various content types, from podcasts and video embeds to interactive elements, all presented within a clean, user-friendly interface. This flexibility allows creators to diversify their content and engage readers differently.

Substack's reputation adds instant credibility for its users. Being on the platform is now seen as a sign of professional newsletter publishing, especially with its growing popularity among well-known writers, journalists, and thought leaders.

❌ Cons

While Substack is a strong fit for individual creators, its limitations become more apparent at the enterprise scale. One significant hurdle is the lack of integration with other community platforms. Building a community from scratch can be challenging for businesses or creators without an established audience. Substack’s community-building tools are basic, with limited engagement analytics and moderation features.

At scale, Substack’s cost structure can become very costly. The platform charges a 10% fee on all subscription revenue and an additional 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction processing fee. This can add up quickly for larger operations, and no enterprise pricing options are available.

Substack also falls short of enterprise-level marketing needs. It lacks advanced email automation capabilities beyond simple welcome sequences and does not support subscriber segmentation based on engagement or behavior. The platform’s basic analytics are insufficient for businesses that require custom reporting or more profound insights into subscriber interactions.

Customization options are another area where Substack is limited. With template-based designs and few modification choices, aligning the platform with a company’s brand can be challenging. There’s no ability to add custom CSS or JavaScript, and design flexibility is constrained by a limited selection of fonts and colors.

Last but arguably most importantly, SEO capabilities are another concern for enterprises. Substack lacks XML sitemap functionality, offers only basic meta tag controls, and has limited options for customizing URL structures – falling short of the standards expected from more advanced publishing platforms.

The WordPress Advantage: Full Control and Better Profit Margins

WordPress is an enterprise-grade solution for serious content creators that offers complete control over every aspect of the publishing process. Unlike Substack, which limits customization, WordPress, paired with enterprise email providers, enables sophisticated audience segmentation, advanced automation, and multi-channel content distribution. These features allow businesses to create personalized experiences and optimize engagement, capabilities that Substack just can’t do. 

When it comes to cost, WordPress offers a significant advantage. Substack takes a 10% platform fee plus Stripe’s 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction, which can become prohibitively expensive at scale. For example, with $100,000 in subscription revenue, Substack takes a hefty $12,900, while WordPress hosting and email provider fees are typically far lower, with greater flexibility based on the scale of operations. As your business grows, this difference compounds, allowing more revenue to stay with you.

WordPress integrates with marketing automation platforms, CRM systems, and analytics tools, giving CMOs access to advanced reporting and data ownership. This integration is essential for informed decision-making, driving more effective strategies across all channels.

WordPress also opens doors to diverse revenue streams. Beyond subscriptions, businesses can manage sponsored content, programmatic advertising, paywalled content, and even multi-product sales within one platform. While WordPress may require more setup and technical expertise upfront, the long-term benefits make it the smarter choice for enterprises.

How Multidots Handles Your Platform Transition

At Multidots, our enterprise migration framework makes moving from Substack (or any platform, for that matter!) to WordPress a smooth experience. We start by assessing your content structure and mapping subscriber data to make sure you don't lose any engagement along the way. Our priority is keeping SEO value intact and maintaining those important subscriber relationships.

On the technical side, we also handle everything from API integrations to custom field mapping and set up a redirect strategy to keep traffic flowing without interruption. Plus, we focus on performance optimization and address enterprise-level issues like user permissions. Our team works closely with you to make sure the new platform aligns perfectly with your business goals!

Start Your Newsletter Independence with Multidots

Transitioning to WordPress with the help of Multidots gives you the freedom to control your content and subscriber relationships while enhancing your email marketing capabilities.

WordPress, paired with email service providers like ActiveCampaign or ConvertKit, offers the same core functionality as Substack – without the limitations. You'll gain:

• Full ownership of your subscriber data and content.
• Advanced segmentation for targeted email campaigns.
• Complete design control for better branding flexibility.
• SEO optimization for improved content discovery.
• Lower transaction fees with direct payment processing.

With Multidots' proven expertise in complex WordPress implementations and platform migrations for major publishers, we can guarantee you a pain-free transition while preserving your subscriber engagement.

Contact Multidots to find out more today!