Substack is a creator-first email and publishing platform that lets writers, journalists, and independent voices connect directly with subscribers, through free and paid newsletters, without complex setup or design obstacles. In 2025, Substack’s paid subscription model and focus on authentic community have helped it pass 5 million paying readers, with leading publications earning millions annually.
Substack vs. Traditional Email Marketing: Core Differences
Substack is intentionally simple. Designed for creators, it offers an uncluttered interface for sending email posts, managing a branded web archive, and building real, loyal communities through comments, recommendations, and built-in discovery features. Creators keep full list ownership and 90% of all paid subscription revenue, with the platform handling all payments and technical overhead for a consistent 10% fee. There’s no A/B testing, automations, or heavy segmentation—just a “write and publish” system ideal for those focused on audience intimacy and regular storytelling.
Traditional email platforms like Mailchimp, ConvertKit, and Kit (formerly ConvertKit) have features designed for growth-focused brands and marketers: rich template design, automations, sales funnels, advanced CRM, custom analytics, and granular list segmentation. These tools are best for large-scale campaigns, deep analytics, direct response sales, and tailoring content to multiple segments all at once. They work for creators selling products or managing complex sequences, but require setup and expertise.
Why Creators Thrive on Substack
Substack’s discovery tools—like in-platform recommendations and post cross-pollination—let creators grow faster organically, much like a blogging or social network with built-in monetization. Substack is incredibly user-friendly, making it accessible even for those with little technical expertise. It also has a unique growth advantage: since it doesn’t feel like a traditional marketing newsletter, it’s easier to attract subscribers.
Open rates and paid conversions on Substack are industry-leading; the average Substack newsletter sees open rates above 50%, with many paid writers achieving five- or six-figure annual income through loyal niche audiences. Because readers opt in—often to support specific writers—community engagement is higher and audiences tend to stay invested over time. Substack’s ecosystem rewards independent thought, fosters debate, and supports creative risk-taking, making it especially attractive for journalists, critics, and thought leaders who might otherwise feel constrained in more commercial or corporate settings.
Where Brands and Larger Campaigns Still Win with Email Marketing
Email marketing services dominate when businesses require more than narrative: product launches, sales events, personalized offers, or CRM triggers all perform better in these platforms. Mailchimp and Kit, for example, offer hundreds of integrations, visual automation builders, and advanced split-testing. Marketers can send highly personalized offers to thousands—or hundreds of thousands—of list segments simultaneously and automate sequences based on behavioral triggers.
These systems make sense for e-commerce, recurring DTC brands, B2B lead generation, and marketers optimizing for conversion and retention, with companies able to make “millions of dollars per month thanks to personalized email flows”—the kind of results even Substack’s best-paid writers rarely see from subscriptions alone.
Which to Choose—Substack or an Email Marketing Platform?
- Use Substack: If you are a creator, writer, podcaster, or personal brand interested in simplicity, community, and direct monetization via paid content. Ideal for those seeking audience engagement and strong organic growth within the creator economy.
- Use Traditional Email Marketing: If you run an established business, frequently sell products/services, require segmentation or automation, or want to send large-scale, diversified campaigns.
In conclusion, Substack’s simplicity and focus on creators makes it the best option for building community and content-focused revenue. For brands that demand advanced digital marketing, traditional platforms remain essential—making Substack and Mailchimp less rivals, and more complementary options tailored to different stages of business and creator growth. In 2025, as both categories continue to evolve, many successful brands and creators find themselves leveraging both channels simultaneously to maximize reach, nurture relationships, and meet the evolving preferences of readers and buyers.
