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News & Media · head to head

Newswire vs Substack

Newswire logo

Newswire

News & Media

Affordable press release distribution for everyone

From
On request
Rated
-
Substack logo

Substack

News & Media

The newsletter platform for writers and publishers

From
Free
Rated
-

The short version

  • Only Substack has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Newswire priced per press release rather than a subscription: Starter is $399 for an estimated 6 to 10 million reach, Basic is $659, Feature is $965 for 150 to 200 million reach, and State Distribution is a separate $599 add on; Substack substack takes a 10% cut of subscription revenue (writers keep 90%), plus separate credit card processing fees
  • They diverge on capability: Newswire covers Press release distribution, Substack covers Newsletter publishing.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Newswire and Substack actually diverge.

Attributes where Newswire and Substack differ
AttributeNewswireSubstack
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelusage-basedfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebWeb, Mobile
Founded20042017

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

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 Newswire

  • Press release distribution
  • Media targeting
  • Social amplification
  • Analytics
  • SEO optimization
  • Google News
  • Yahoo News
  • Bing News

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.

Newswire

  • Product launchesnot Substack
  • Company newsnot Substack
  • Event announcementsnot Substack
  • SEO boostnot Substack
  • Brand awarenessnot Substack

Substack

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

Where each one falls short

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

Newswire

  • Priced per press release rather than a subscription: Starter is $399 for an estimated 6 to 10 million reach, Basic is $659, Feature is $965 for 150 to 200 million reach, and State Distribution is a separate $599 add on

Substack

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

Pricing, plan by plan

Newswire

On request
  • Essential$99/one-time
    • Online distribution
    • Google News
    • Social sharing
  • Professional$249/one-time
    • National media
    • Industry targeting
    • Enhanced analytics
  • Premium$549/one-time
    • AP wire inclusion
    • Full distribution
    • Journalist outreach
  • Enterprise$1299/one-time
    • Maximum reach
    • All features
    • Dedicated support

Substack

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Newswire if

  • You need press release distribution.
  • You also want media targeting.

Choose Substack if

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

Questions people ask

Is Newswire or Substack better?
Neither clearly leads. Newswire 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, Newswire or Substack?
Substack has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Newswire and Free for Substack.
Does Newswire or Substack run on more platforms?
Newswire 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. Newswire starts at On request.
What is Newswire best used for?
Newswire is most often used for product launches, company news, event announcements, seo boost. Of those, product launches and company news are not what Substack is typically brought in for.
What can Newswire do that Substack cannot?
Newswire covers Press release distribution, Media targeting, Social amplification, Analytics. Substack covers Newsletter publishing, Subscriber management, Paid subscriptions, Email analytics. Both handle Web support.

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