News & Media · head to head
Substack vs Business Wire
Substack
News & Media
The newsletter platform for writers and publishers
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Business Wire
News & Media
Global news distribution and regulatory disclosure
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Substack has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- They diverge on capability: Substack covers Newsletter publishing, Business Wire covers News distribution.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Substack and Business Wire actually diverge.
| Attribute | Substack | Business Wire |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | On request |
| Pricing model | freemium | usage-based |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Platforms | Web, Mobile | Web |
| Founded | 2017 | 1961 |
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 Substack
- Newsletter publishing
- Subscriber management
- Paid subscriptions
- Email analytics
- Post scheduling
- Archive creation
- Free/paid tier split
- Comments & discussion
Only in Business Wire
- News distribution
- SEC/SEDAR filing
- Multimedia support
- Tradeshownews
- News analytics
- Bloomberg Terminal
- Thomson Reuters
- Google Finance
Both cover
- Web support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Substack
- Newsletter distributionnot Business Wire
- Reader monetizationnot Business Wire
- Community buildingnot Business Wire
- Subscriber managementnot Business Wire
Business Wire
- Earnings releasesnot Substack
- SEC filingsnot Substack
- Corporate announcementsnot Substack
- Product launchesnot Substack
- M&A newsnot Substack
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Substack
- Substack takes a 10% cut of subscription revenue (writers keep 90%), plus separate credit card processing fees
Business Wire
Nothing recorded yet. See the Business Wire review.
Pricing, plan by plan
Substack
Free- FreeFree
- Unlimited newsletters
- Basic design
- Archive access
- Pro$12/month
- Custom domain
- Advanced analytics
- Member chat
Business Wire
On request- US Local$525/one-time
- Local distribution
- Online posting
- Basic analytics
- US Regional$875/one-time
- Regional distribution
- Wire services
- Enhanced analytics
- US National$1525/one-time
- National distribution
- Full wire coverage
- Premium analytics
- GlobalFree
- International reach
- Translation services
- Custom circuits
Which should you pick?
Choose Substack if
- You need newsletter publishing.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Mobile.
- You also want subscriber management.
Choose Business Wire if
- You need news distribution.
- You also want sec/sedar filing.
Questions people ask
- Is Substack or Business Wire better?
- Neither clearly leads. Substack starts at Free and Business Wire at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Substack or Business Wire?
- Substack has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Substack and On request for Business Wire.
- Does Substack or Business Wire run on more platforms?
- Substack runs on Web, Mobile. Business Wire runs on Web.
- Can I use Substack for free?
- Yes. Substack has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Business Wire starts at On request.
- What is Substack best used for?
- Substack is most often used for newsletter distribution, reader monetization, community building, subscriber management. Of those, newsletter distribution and reader monetization are not what Business Wire is typically brought in for.
- What can Substack do that Business Wire cannot?
- Substack covers Newsletter publishing, Subscriber management, Paid subscriptions, Email analytics. Business Wire covers News distribution, SEC/SEDAR filing, Multimedia support, Tradeshownews. Both handle Web support.