Softwr

Marketing · head to head

Postmark vs Substack

Postmark logo

Postmark

Marketing

No hidden fees, no guesswork. Just the features you need, at a price that makes sense

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Substack logo

Substack

News & Media

The newsletter platform for writers and publishers

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Postmark free tier caps at 100 emails per month with no overages allowed; 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 Postmark and Substack actually diverge.

Attributes where Postmark and Substack differ
AttributePostmarkSubstack
PlatformsWebWeb, Mobile
CategoryMarketingNews & Media
FoundedUnknown2017

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (freemium), 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 Postmark

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.

Postmark

No use cases recorded yet. See the Postmark review.

Substack

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

Where each one falls short

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

Postmark

  • Free tier caps at 100 emails per month with no overages allowed
  • Basic plan ($15/mo) includes 10,000 emails then charges $1.80 per 1,000 extra; Pro and Platform tiers have their own lower per-1,000 overage rates ($1.30 and $1.20), so cost scales per email beyond the included volume
  • Custom high-volume pricing above the published tiers requires contacting sales

Substack

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

Pricing, plan by plan

Postmark

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Postmark review.

Substack

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Postmark if

  • You want to start without paying.
Postmark 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 Postmark or Substack better?
Neither clearly leads. Postmark 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, Postmark or Substack?
Postmark starts at Free and Substack at Free.
Does Postmark or Substack run on more platforms?
Postmark runs on Web. Substack runs on Web, Mobile.
Can I use Postmark for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What can Postmark do that Substack cannot?
Substack covers Newsletter publishing, Subscriber management, Paid subscriptions, Email analytics.
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Related pages

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