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Software · head to head

Gumroad vs Substack

G

Gumroad

Software

Sell your stuff, see what sticks

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Substack logo

Substack

Software

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: Gumroad charges a 10 percent plus $0.50 transaction fee on direct sales, rising to 30 percent on sales made through its Discover marketplace; Substack substack takes a 10% cut of subscription revenue (writers keep 90%), plus separate credit card processing fees

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Gumroad and Substack actually diverge.

Attributes where Gumroad and Substack differ
AttributeGumroadSubstack
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebWeb, Mobile
FoundedUnknown2017

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

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 Gumroad

Nothing recorded that Substack does not also cover.

Only in Substack

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

What people use each for

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

Gumroad

No use cases recorded yet. See the Gumroad review.

Substack

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

Where each one falls short

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

Gumroad

  • Charges a 10 percent plus $0.50 transaction fee on direct sales, rising to 30 percent on sales made through its Discover marketplace

Substack

  • Substack takes a 10% cut of subscription revenue (writers keep 90%), plus separate credit card processing fees

Pricing, plan by plan

Gumroad

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Gumroad review.

Substack

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Gumroad if

Nothing in the data separates Gumroad from Substack on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Gumroad 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 Gumroad or Substack better?
Neither clearly leads. Gumroad starts at On request and Substack at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Gumroad or Substack?
Substack has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Gumroad and Free for Substack.
Does Gumroad or Substack run on more platforms?
Gumroad runs on Web. Substack runs on Web, Mobile.
Can I use Substack for free?
Yes. Substack has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Gumroad starts at On request.
What can Gumroad do that Substack cannot?
Substack covers Newsletter publishing, Subscriber management, Paid subscriptions, Email analytics.
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Related pages

More on Gumroad

More on Substack

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