Source-backed analysis7
Review basis
The AppDuo team prepared this review by analysing product features, official documentation and user feedback to help you understand its strengths, limitations and suitability for your needs.
7 reference sourcesInformation updated Nov 10, 2026
How we review
By AppDuo Editorial Team · Updated
- Web
- iOS
- Android
On this page
Decide at a glance
Our verdict
Substack suits writers, podcasters and video creators who want to sell subscriptions without building their own infrastructure, and readers who follow independent authors; its app rates 4.9/5 on both the App Store and Google Play. The trade-offs are a 10% revenue cut plus Stripe fees, and a 1.4/5 Trustpilot score driven by complaints about auto-renewal and support.
Best for: Writers who want to start a free newsletter and add paid tiers once they have readers
Skip it if: Anyone needing full control over design and subscriber data; the platform is closed and the policy is silent on data sales
Pros
- Free to publish; fees apply only once paid tiers are on, and writers keep 90% of revenue before payment fees
- Posts, podcasts, video, livestreams, subscriber chat, Notes and cross-publication recommendations in one place
- Per its about page, 30%+ of paid subscriptions come from within Substack's network
Cons
- Writers' total cost exceeds 10%: Stripe's 2.9% + $0.30 and the 0.7% Stripe Billing fee on recurring payments come on top
- Trustpilot 1.4/5 from 188 reviews (Substack does not invite reviews): complaints about auto-renewals and mostly chatbot-based support
All pros and cons · Who is it for?
Pros
- iOS app 4.9/5 (about 568K ratings), Google Play 4.9/5 (about 350K reviews)
Cons
- Direct messages are not end-to-end encrypted, and user data has been exposed more than once
- Google Play reviewers report bugs, slowness and no post editing in the Android app
Best for
- Podcasters and video makers who want to distribute to Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube from one place
- Readers who want to discover independent authors through recommendations and Notes
Skip it if
- Those uneasy with the platform's moderation record, which drew criticism over extremist content in 2023–2024
Experience & key features
What is Substack?
Substack is a publishing platform from Substack Inc. (San Francisco), founded in 2017 by Chris Best, Jairaj Sethi and Hamish McKenzie. Writers use it to send email newsletters, run podcasts and video, and get paid directly by subscribers. Its about page cites 5 million+ paid subscriptions and tens of millions of people reading, watching or listening each week.
Key features
Beyond the editor, Substack offers Notes (short social posts), subscriber group chat, livestreams, video, and podcasts distributed to Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube. Publications can recommend each other, and there are leaderboards, welcome sequences and win-back campaigns. Substack Defender gives legal support to writers facing defamation or copyright claims. Per the about page, more than half of new subscribers come through Substack's built-in network.
Pricing and real cost
Publishing is free. With paid tiers on, Substack keeps 10% of each payment, and Stripe charges 2.9% + $0.30 on US cards plus 0.7% for recurring billing; a custom domain is a one-time $50. Web readers pay the writer's price, but iOS in-app subscriptions may cost more to cover Apple's fee, depending on whether the writer raises in-app prices. Substack's 10% is always based on the web price.
More analysis
Compared with alternatives
Patreon centers on memberships for many kinds of creators, while Substack revolves around writing and email. Circle and Mighty Networks are stronger for courses and owner-run communities. Substack's edge is its shared discovery network; its weaknesses are poorly rated support and vague data policies.
Screenshots
Plans & pricing
Prices last verified Nov 10, 2026
Người đọc
Free
Creating an account and subscribing to free newsletters costs nothing. You pay only for a writer's paid tier, at the monthly, annual or founding-member price the writer sets.
Người viết
Free
Publishing is free regardless of subscriber count. Once paid subscriptions are on, Substack keeps 10% of each subscription payment and Stripe adds its own fees (2.9% + $0.30 per payment on US cards, plus 0.7% Stripe Billing on recurring payments). An optional custom domain is a one-time $50.
- Free plan limits
- Per the help center, publishing on Substack is free no matter how many subscribers you have; fees apply only once paid subscriptions are enabled.
- Free trial
- No free trial
Cancellation & refunds
AppDuo could not verify Substack's refund terms from an official page. On Trustpilot, many reviewers describe unexpected auto-renewals, charges after cancelling and trouble getting refunds.
Privacy
The privacy policy lists collected data including name, email, phone number, date of birth, location, payment details, IP address, device information and direct-message content. Data may be shared with affiliates, service providers (payments, hosting, analytics, generative AI), writers when you subscribe or comment, and authorities when legally required. The policy does not say whether personal data is sold, gives no specific retention periods, and says Do Not Track signals are not honored. Direct messages are not end-to-end encrypted, and staff may access them for enforcement, security or support. Users can request access, correction or erasure, or delete the account in settings. On Google Play, Substack declares the app may share location, personal info and device IDs with third parties, encrypts data in transit and accepts deletion requests. Per Wikipedia, a breach dating from October 2025 and noticed in February 2026 exposed email addresses, phone numbers and internal metadata; in 2020, user emails were exposed after being placed in the cc field instead of bcc.
Substack alternatives
7.3/10Circle
Paid community platform bundling courses, events, payments and branded apps
7.0/10Patreon
Membership platform where creators earn directly from their supporters
Frequently asked questions
How much does Substack charge?
Publishing is free. With paid subscriptions on, Substack keeps 10% of subscription revenue, plus Stripe fees (2.9% + $0.30 on US cards and 0.7% Stripe Billing on recurring payments).
Do readers have to pay?
Not necessarily. You can subscribe to free newsletters and pay only when upgrading to a writer's paid tier, at the price they set. Some writers add sales tax or VAT on top.
Does Substack have an app?
Yes, on iOS (4.9/5) and Android (4.9/5, 10M+ downloads per Google Play). A beta Substack TV app for Apple TV and Google TV arrived in January 2026.
Are Substack messages private?
The policy states direct messages are not end-to-end encrypted and are no substitute for secure messaging; staff may access them for enforcement, security or support.
Review evidence & sources7
Scores
- Ease of use
- 8.0
- Features
- 7.9
- Value for money
- 7.3
- Performance
- 6.8
- Support
- 5.5
- Privacy & security
- 5.4
Why this score
4.9/5 in both app stores. Marked down because some Google Play reviews cite a buggy Android app that cannot edit posts, an English-only interface, and Trustpilot reviewers say cancelling or deleting an account takes several menus.
Why this score
Posts, podcasts, video, livestreams, chat, Notes, recommendations, welcome sequences and analytics. Less design flexibility and community depth than dedicated community platforms; courses are not mentioned in the pages read.
Why this score
No fixed fee, and the 10% applies only to actual revenue. Stripe fees, and Apple's cut when readers buy in the iOS app, push the total above 10%.
Why this score
No speed or uptime figures in the sources read. Some Google Play and Trustpilot reviews mention crashes, slowness and drafts not syncing; the app is updated regularly (latest Google Play update 8 November 2026).
Why this score
A help center and request form exist, but Trustpilot sits at 1.4/5 with many reports of chatbot-only replies and unresolved harassment reports.
Why this score
The policy is silent on data sales, gives no retention periods, ignores Do Not Track and leaves DMs unencrypted. Deletion rights exist, but a breach exposing emails and phone numbers was found in 2026.
What users say
- App Store (United States)4.9/5 · 568,000
- Google Play4.9/5 · 350,000
- Trustpilot1.4/5 · 188
Sources
- Vendor-providedSubstack about pageNov 10, 2026
- Vendor-providedHelp Center: How much does Substack cost?Nov 10, 2026
- Vendor-providedSubstack privacy policyNov 10, 2026
- storeApp Store listing (United States)Nov 10, 2026
- storeGoogle Play listingNov 10, 2026
- review-siteTrustpilot reviewsNov 10, 2026
- Community-reportedWikipedia: SubstackNov 10, 2026
Specs & compatibility
- Developer
- Substack Inc.
- Headquarters
- United States
- Launched
- 2017
- Category
- Community
Capabilities
- Mobile app
- AI features
- Integrations
- Real-time collaboration
Platforms
- Web
- iOS
- Android
Interface languages
- English
Integrations
- Stripe
- Apple Pay
- Google Pay
- Spotify
- Apple Podcasts
- YouTube
Support
- Live chat
- Help center
- Community forum
Change history
- Feature.Substack TV launches in beta for Apple TV and Google TV.
- Company.The New York Times reports Substack raising $100 million at a $1.1 billion valuation.
- Update.Reaches 5 million paid subscriptions.
Full change history (6)
- Feature.Livestreaming is added for creators.
- Feature.Notes, a short-form posting feature, launches.
- Feature.Substack Chat launches; the iOS reader app had launched earlier that year.