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Software · head to head

NewsBlur vs Substack

NewsBlur logo

NewsBlur

Software

A personal news reader bringing people together

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Substack logo

Substack

Software

The newsletter platform for writers and publishers

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: NewsBlur the free account is limited to 64 sites; Substack substack takes a 10% cut of subscription revenue (writers keep 90%), plus separate credit card processing fees
  • They diverge on capability: NewsBlur covers Intelligence training, Substack covers Newsletter publishing.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which NewsBlur and Substack actually diverge.

Attributes where NewsBlur and Substack differ
AttributeNewsBlurSubstack
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb, Mobile
Founded20102017

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (freemium), free tier (Yes), 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 NewsBlur

  • Intelligence training
  • Story sharing
  • Original site view
  • Text view
  • Blurblogs
  • Pocket
  • Instapaper
  • Evernote

Only in Substack

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

Both cover

  • Twitter
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

NewsBlur

  • Reading RSS feeds with training that filters by author, tag or titlenot Substack
  • Archiving full article content from followed sitesnot Substack
  • Following a large number of feeds with fast refreshnot Substack

Substack

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

Where each one falls short

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

NewsBlur

  • The free account is limited to 64 sites
  • Search and text view extraction require Premium at $36 per year
  • Premium is capped at 1,024 sites and Premium Archive at 4,096 sites
  • Full content archiving and the Daily Briefing require Premium Archive at $99 per year
  • The fastest 5 to 15 minute feed refresh and regex training require Premium Pro at $29 per month
  • Site following is capped at 10,000 even on the top tier

Substack

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

Pricing, plan by plan

NewsBlur

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 64 sites
    • Basic training
    • Web and mobile
  • Premium$36/year
    • Unlimited sites
    • Full training
    • Priority updates

Substack

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

Which should you pick?

Choose NewsBlur if

  • You need intelligence training.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want story sharing.
NewsBlur 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 NewsBlur or Substack better?
Neither clearly leads. NewsBlur 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, NewsBlur or Substack?
NewsBlur starts at Free and Substack at Free.
Does NewsBlur or Substack run on more platforms?
NewsBlur runs on Web, Ios, Android. Substack runs on Web, Mobile.
Can I use NewsBlur for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is NewsBlur best used for?
NewsBlur is most often used for reading rss feeds with training that filters by author, tag or title, archiving full article content from followed sites, following a large number of feeds with fast refresh. Of those, reading rss feeds with training that filters by author, tag or title and archiving full article content from followed sites are not what Substack is typically brought in for.
What can NewsBlur do that Substack cannot?
NewsBlur covers Intelligence training, Story sharing, Original site view, Text view. Substack covers Newsletter publishing, Subscriber management, Paid subscriptions, Email analytics. Both handle Twitter, Web support.
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