Every Substack fee, listed
| Fee | Rate | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Substack platform fee | 10% | Every paid subscription payment |
| Stripe card processing | 2.9% + $0.30 (US cards) | Every payment |
| Stripe Billing | 0.7% | Recurring subscription payments |
| Custom domain | $50 one-time | Optional |
| Publishing / free subscribers | $0 | Always |
Official sources, checked Nov 2026. Substack. Prices in USD unless shown otherwise. Vendors change pricing, so confirm on their site before buying.
Worked examples
Notice the $0.30 fixed fee hurts small monthly payments most, annual plans keep more of each dollar.
How to pay less
- Push annual plans, fewer $0.30 fixed fees.
- Compare flat-fee platforms once fees exceed a plan price, beehiiv (0% take on paid plans), Ghost (0% Ghost fee from Publisher) or Kit (3.5% + $0.30 all-in, available on its free plan).
- Run your numbers in our fee calculator.
| Tool | Pricing | Fees on sales |
|---|---|---|
| Substack | Free to publish; 10% of paid-subscription revenue | 10% Substack fee on each subscription payment + Stripe processing (2.9% + $0.30 US cards) + 0.7% Stripe Billing |
| beehiiv | Free up to 2,500 subscribers; paid plans from $49/mo (annual) | 0% of paid-subscription revenue on paid plans; Stripe's standard 2.9% + $0.30 still applies |
| Kit | Free up to 10,000 subscribers; Creator from $39/mo | Commerce (products & paid newsletters), 3.5% + $0.30 per USD transaction, all-in, on every plan including Free |
| Ghost (Ghost(Pro)) | From $18/mo billed yearly; 0% transaction fees on paid plans | 0% Ghost transaction fee on paid subscriptions (Publisher and up); payment processor fees still apply |
Official sources, checked Nov 2026. Substack · beehiiv · Kit · Kit help · Ghost (Ghost(Pro)). Prices in USD unless shown otherwise. Vendors change pricing, so confirm on their site before buying.
Substack’s real all-in rate is about 14 to 18% on typical monthly subscriptions
On an $8 monthly sub you keep about $6.61. That’s fine while you grow, but at a few hundred paid subscribers, a flat-fee platform can save thousands a year.
Substack alternativesbeehiiv vs Substack
Frequently asked questions
What percentage does Substack take?
Substack takes 10% of paid subscription revenue. Stripe also charges 2.9% + $0.30 per US card payment and 0.7% for Stripe Billing on recurring payments.
Is Substack free?
Yes, publishing and free subscribers cost nothing. Fees apply only to paid subscriptions, plus an optional $50 custom domain.
Do free subscribers cost anything on Substack?
No. Substack only takes fees from paid subscription payments.
Keep comparing
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