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Podcasting · head to head

Glow.fm vs Substack

Glow.fm logo

Glow.fm

Podcasting

Premium podcast subscriptions made simple

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Substack logo

Substack

News

The newsletter platform for writers and publishers

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Glow.fm the Internet Archive's capture of Glow's pricing page on 6 December 2021 listed Basic starting at $0/month plus $0.55 per listener per month or $2 per one-time purchase, and Professional starting at $300/month for unlimited listeners with podcast hosting capped at 150,000 downloads per month; card processing adds $0.30 plus 2.9% per transaction on both tiers.; Substack substack does not publish pricing on its public pricing page
  • They diverge on capability: Glow.fm covers Private RSS feeds, Substack covers Newsletter publishing.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Glow.fm and Substack actually diverge.

Attributes where Glow.fm and Substack differ
AttributeGlow.fmSubstack
Pricing modeltransactionfreemium
PlatformsWebWeb, Mobile
CategoryPodcastingNews
Founded20192017

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Glow.fm

  • Private RSS feeds
  • Any app support
  • Tiered subscriptions
  • Payment processing
  • Analytics
  • All podcast apps
  • Email platforms
  • Private feeds

Only in Substack

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

Both cover

  • Subscriber management
  • Stripe
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Glow.fm

  • Premium podcastsnot Substack
  • Subscriber contentnot Substack
  • Membership tiersnot Substack
  • Direct monetizationnot Substack

Substack

  • Newsletter distributionnot Glow.fm
  • Reader monetizationnot Glow.fm
  • Community buildingnot Glow.fm
  • Subscriber managementnot Glow.fm

Where each one falls short

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

Glow.fm

  • The Internet Archive's capture of Glow's pricing page on 6 December 2021 listed Basic starting at $0/month plus $0.55 per listener per month or $2 per one-time purchase, and Professional starting at $300/month for unlimited listeners with podcast hosting capped at 150,000 downloads per month; card processing adds $0.30 plus 2.9% per transaction on both tiers.

Substack

  • Substack does not publish pricing on its public pricing page

Pricing, plan by plan

Glow.fm

Free
  • StandardFree
    • Private RSS feeds
    • Any podcast app support
    • Subscription management

Substack

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Glow.fm if

  • You need private rss feeds.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want any app support.
Glow.fm review

Choose Substack if

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

Questions people ask

Is Glow.fm or Substack better?
Neither clearly leads. Glow.fm starts at Free and Substack at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Glow.fm or Substack?
Glow.fm starts at Free and Substack at Free.
Does Glow.fm or Substack run on more platforms?
Glow.fm runs on Web. Substack runs on Web, Mobile.
Can I use Glow.fm for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Glow.fm best used for?
Glow.fm is most often used for premium podcasts, subscriber content, membership tiers, direct monetization. Of those, premium podcasts and subscriber content are not what Substack is typically brought in for.
What can Glow.fm do that Substack cannot?
Glow.fm covers Private RSS feeds, Any app support, Tiered subscriptions, Payment processing. Substack covers Newsletter publishing, Paid subscriptions, Email analytics, Post scheduling. Both handle Subscriber management, Stripe, Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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.

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