Creator tools
Substack: Substack is a newsletter and publishing platform where writers run free and paid subscriptions. These tools do a similar job: indie picks from our Friday drops and open source projects, each one chosen by a person.
Updated How we pick
4 alternatives to Substack
Built by small, independent teams
Minimal newsletter tool built for writers
Best for Writers starting a newsletter
buttondown.com ↗Free plan, paid plans
Free to use, and you can host them yourself
Publishing platform for blogs, newsletters and paid memberships
Best for Writers building a paid newsletter
Building an alternative to Substack?
Get it in front of people who want to try it. Free for makers.
Submit your toolFree, no-nonsense, super-fast blogging platform
Best for Writers wanting a tiny, fast blog with optional email subscribers
bearblog.dev ↗GitHub ↗Free; paid upgrade
Minimalist open source federated blogging platform
Best for Distraction-free blogging that federates to the fediverse
writefreely.org ↗GitHub ↗Free self-hosted; paid Write.as hosting
