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Business Intelligence · head to head

Baremetrics vs Substack

Baremetrics logo

Baremetrics

Business Intelligence

Subscription analytics for SaaS

From
$75/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Substack logo

Substack

News

The newsletter platform for writers and publishers

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Substack has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Baremetrics priced on the revenue it measures, so the bill rises with your ARR rather than with usage: $75 a month up to $360K ARR, $255 to $3.6M and $1,152 above that; Substack substack does not publish pricing on its public pricing page
  • They diverge on capability: Baremetrics covers Revenue Metrics, Substack covers Newsletter publishing.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Baremetrics and Substack actually diverge.

Attributes where Baremetrics and Substack differ
AttributeBaremetricsSubstack
Starting price$75/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, ApiWeb, Mobile
CategoryBusiness IntelligenceNews
Founded20132017

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Baremetrics

  • Revenue Metrics
  • Forecasting
  • Benchmarking
  • Cancellation Insights
  • Email Reports
  • Braintree
  • Recurly
  • Apple App Store

Only in Substack

  • Newsletter publishing
  • Subscriber management
  • Paid subscriptions
  • Email analytics
  • Post scheduling
  • Archive creation
  • Free/paid tier split
  • Comments & discussion

Both cover

  • Stripe
  • Web support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Baremetrics

  • Subscription metrics and MRR reporting from Stripe and similar billing systemsnot Substack
  • Churn and retention analysisnot Substack
  • Failed payment recovery through the add-onnot Substack
  • Cancellation surveys to understand why customers leavenot Substack

Substack

  • Newsletter distributionnot Baremetrics
  • Reader monetizationnot Baremetrics
  • Community buildingnot Baremetrics
  • Subscriber managementnot Baremetrics

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Baremetrics

  • Priced on the revenue it measures, so the bill rises with your ARR rather than with usage: $75 a month up to $360K ARR, $255 to $3.6M and $1,152 above that
  • Payment Recovery and Cancellation Insights are separate add-ons at $129 a month each
  • The advertised prices assume annual billing with a discount of up to 35 percent
  • There is no free tier, only a trial

Substack

  • Substack does not publish pricing on its public pricing page

Pricing, plan by plan

Baremetrics

$75/month
  • Launch$75/month
    • Target $0-360K ARR
    • Single integration
    • Core analytics features
  • Growth$255/month
    • Target $360K-$3.6M ARR
    • Two integrations
    • Advanced features
  • Scale$1152/month
    • Target $3.6M+ ARR
    • Unlimited integrations
    • Enterprise features

Substack

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Unlimited newsletters
    • Basic design
    • Archive access
  • Pro$12/month
    • Custom domain
    • Advanced analytics
    • Member chat

Which should you pick?

Choose Baremetrics if

  • You need revenue metrics.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want forecasting.
Baremetrics review

Choose Substack if

  • You need newsletter publishing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile.
  • You also want subscriber management.
Substack review

Questions people ask

Is Baremetrics or Substack better?
Neither clearly leads. Baremetrics starts at $75/month and Substack at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Baremetrics or Substack?
Substack has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $75/month for Baremetrics and Free for Substack.
Does Baremetrics or Substack run on more platforms?
Baremetrics runs on Web, Api. Substack runs on Web, Mobile.
Can I use Substack for free?
Yes. Substack has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Baremetrics starts at $75/month.
What is Baremetrics best used for?
Baremetrics is most often used for subscription metrics and mrr reporting from stripe and similar billing systems, churn and retention analysis, failed payment recovery through the add-on, cancellation surveys to understand why customers leave. Of those, subscription metrics and mrr reporting from stripe and similar billing systems and churn and retention analysis are not what Substack is typically brought in for.
What can Baremetrics do that Substack cannot?
Baremetrics covers Revenue Metrics, Forecasting, Benchmarking, Cancellation Insights. Substack covers Newsletter publishing, Subscriber management, Paid subscriptions, Email analytics. Both handle Stripe, Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Baremetrics: How much does Baremetrics' Launch plan cost per month?

Baremetrics' Launch plan starts at $75 per month with annual billing, or $49 per month with annual prepayment (35% discount when paying yearly).

Source
Substack: How much does Substack cost?

Substack does not publish rates on its pricing page. The site emphasizes earning potential for writers with the tagline Make money doing the work you believe in.

Source
Baremetrics: What is the difference between Baremetrics plans?

Launch includes one integration and core analytics; Growth ($255/month) adds a second integration and advanced dashboards; Scale ($1,152/month) includes unlimited integrations and enterprise features.

Source
Baremetrics: What add-ons are available in Baremetrics?

Payment Recovery and Cancellation Insights are available as add-ons at $129 per month each to automate failed payment recovery and churn reduction.

Source
Baremetrics: Is there a free trial for Baremetrics?

Yes, Baremetrics offers a free trial available for new users to test the platform before committing to a paid plan.

Source
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