Curated vs Substack
Both are in Newsletter platforms. Here is how their plans, prices and features compare, taken from each vendor's own site.
The main differences
- Extra costs: Curated states none; Substack 10% of paid-subscription revenue, plus credit card fees.
| Curated | Substack | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free plan · from $39/mo | Not verified yet |
| Free plan | Yes | Not stated by the vendor |
| Free trial | Not stated by the vendor | Not stated by the vendor |
| Plans | Free ($0); 1,501 to 2,500 subscribers ($39/mo); 2,501 to 5,000 subscribers ($69/mo); 5,001 to 10,000 subscribers ($129/mo); Larger lists ($189 up to 15,000 subscribers, $299 up to 25,000, $399 up to 50,000; above that, contact sales) | Revenue share (10% of paid-subscription revenue, plus credit card fees) |
| Fees and pricing notes | $189 up to 15,000 subscribers, $299 up to 25,000, $399 up to 50,000; above that, contact sales | 10% of paid-subscription revenue, plus credit card fees |
| Best for | Creators | Creators |
| Key features | Save links with a bookmarklet, Chrome extension or secret email address; Import saved links into your next scheduled issue; Customizable email template with your own intro and commentary; Web version with searchable back issues, on your domain or Curated's | Newsletters with free and paid posts; Paid subscriptions set up in minutes; You own your content and subscriber list |
| Checked on | 2026-10-10 | 2026-10-02 |
Prices change; confirm on the vendor's site before you buy. Full details and sources are on each tool's page.
Curated
- Free up to 1,500 subscribers with every feature, including sending
- Every feature is on every tier; price depends only on subscribers
- No long-term contracts
Trade-offs
- Up to 31 sends a month
- Costs rise with list size, and lists over 50,000 need a sales call
- Built for curated link newsletters rather than general email campaigns
Substack
- No monthly fee is listed on the page
- Writers keep 90% of subscription revenue before card fees
- Set free or paid access post by post
Trade-offs
- Substack keeps 10% of revenue, on top of credit card fees
- The page does not list a plan comparison or feature tiers