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Muck Rack vs Substack

Muck Rack logo

Muck Rack

News

The new standard in PR software

From
On request
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: Muck Rack no specific prices published; all pricing is based on customized proposals based on team size and user count; Substack substack does not publish pricing on its public pricing page
  • They diverge on capability: Muck Rack covers Media database, Substack covers Newsletter publishing.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Muck Rack and Substack actually diverge.

Attributes where Muck Rack and Substack differ
AttributeMuck RackSubstack
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Browser-extensionWeb, Mobile
Founded20092017

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

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 Muck Rack

  • Media database
  • Journalist profiles
  • Media monitoring
  • Pitching platform
  • Coverage reporting
  • Slack
  • Salesforce
  • Google Analytics

Only in Substack

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

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Muck Rack

  • Finding and pitching journalists from a media databasenot Substack
  • Monitoring coverage and measuring PR resultsnot Substack

Substack

  • Newsletter distributionnot Muck Rack
  • Reader monetizationnot Muck Rack
  • Community buildingnot Muck Rack
  • Subscriber managementnot Muck Rack

Where each one falls short

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

Muck Rack

  • No specific prices published; all pricing is based on customized proposals based on team size and user count
  • Starter plan has limited features compared to Standard and Premier (no podcast monitoring or curation engine)
  • Sentiment analysis on Starter uses basic NLP, while Premier uses AI-powered analysis

Substack

  • Substack does not publish pricing on its public pricing page

Pricing, plan by plan

Muck Rack

On request
  • ProFree
    • Media database
    • Media monitoring
    • Pitching tools
  • EnterpriseFree
    • All Pro features
    • Team management
    • SSO integration

Substack

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Muck Rack if

  • You need media database.
  • You work on Web, Browser-extension.
  • You also want journalist profiles.
Muck Rack 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 Muck Rack or Substack better?
Neither clearly leads. Muck Rack 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, Muck Rack or Substack?
Substack has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Muck Rack and Free for Substack.
Does Muck Rack or Substack run on more platforms?
Muck Rack runs on Web, Browser-extension. Substack runs on Web, Mobile.
Can I use Substack for free?
Yes. Substack has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Muck Rack starts at On request.
What is Muck Rack best used for?
Muck Rack is most often used for finding and pitching journalists from a media database, monitoring coverage and measuring pr results. Of those, finding and pitching journalists from a media database and monitoring coverage and measuring pr results are not what Substack is typically brought in for.
What can Muck Rack do that Substack cannot?
Muck Rack covers Media database, Journalist profiles, Media monitoring, Pitching platform. Substack covers Newsletter publishing, Subscriber management, Paid subscriptions, Email analytics. Both handle Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Muck Rack: How are Muck Rack plans priced?

Muck Rack pricing is not published. The platform offers three tiers (Starter, Standard, and Premier) with customized pricing that depends on several factors including team size and number of users. Interested customers must contact sales for a personalized quote.

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
Muck Rack: What features does Muck Rack Standard plan include?

Muck Rack Standard includes media monitoring and alerts, podcast monitoring, AI visibility badges, AI journalist recommendations, full media list exports, and NLP-based sentiment analysis. It is marked as the most popular plan on their pricing page.

Source
Muck Rack: What is unique about Muck Rack Premier plan?

Muck Rack Premier is the highest tier and adds the Curation Engine and AI-powered sentiment analysis (versus basic NLP). It includes Muck Rack API access and is targeted at enterprises and advanced teams.

Source
Muck Rack: What add-ons are available for Muck Rack?

Muck Rack offers multiple add-ons with pricing not specified: Print and Broadcast Monitoring, Social Listening, Press Release Distribution, Muck Rack API (Premier tier), Media Intelligence Services, and Generative Pulse.

Source
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