Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Change.org VS Substack

Compare Change.org VS Substack and see what are their differences

Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

Change.org logo Change.org

We live in an amazing time, when the opportunity to make a difference is greater than ever before.

Substack logo Substack

With Substack, anyone can start a publication that combines a personal website, blog, and email newsletter or podcast. It's quick and simple.
  • Change.org Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-19
  • Substack Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-10-26

Change.org features and specs

  • User-Friendly Interface
    Change.org offers an intuitive and easy-to-navigate platform that allows users, regardless of their technical expertise, to create, sign, and share petitions.
  • Global Reach
    The platform has a worldwide audience, enabling petitions to gain international attention and support.
  • Social Impact
    Change.org has facilitated numerous successful campaigns that have led to policy changes, increased awareness, and reform in various sectors.
  • Cost-Free Access
    Creating and signing petitions on Change.org is free, making it accessible to a wide range of users.
  • Community Building
    The platform helps like-minded individuals connect, fostering communities around shared causes and interests.

Possible disadvantages of Change.org

  • Limited Direct Action
    Signing a petition may not always result in direct action or change, as the target of the petition is not obligated to respond or act.
  • Petition Saturation
    With numerous petitions created daily, it can be challenging for individual petitions to stand out and gain the necessary traction.
  • Verification Issues
    The platform has faced scrutiny regarding the verification of signatures, which can lead to questions about the authenticity of the petitionโ€™s support.
  • Privacy Concerns
    While Change.org has privacy policies in place, users may be concerned about how their personal data is used and shared.
  • Potential for Misinformation
    As an open platform, there is a risk of petitions being based on incomplete or inaccurate information, potentially misleading signatories.

Substack features and specs

  • Ease of Use
    Substack offers a user-friendly interface that makes it easy for writers to publish and monetize their newsletters.
  • Built-in Monetization
    Writers can easily charge readers for subscriptions, allowing for straightforward monetization.
  • Direct Audience Connection
    Substack allows writers to build a direct relationship with their audience via email, which can lead to a more engaged readership.
  • Discovery and Community
    Features like staff picks and recommendations help writers get discovered by new readers.
  • No Upfront Costs
    Substack does not charge upfront fees; instead, it takes a percentage of subscription revenues, making it easier to start.
  • Content Ownership
    Writers retain full ownership of their content, giving them more control over their work.

Possible disadvantages of Substack

  • Revenue Share
    Substack takes a 10% cut of subscription revenues, which can add up for writers with a large subscriber base.
  • Limited Customization
    The platform has limited customization options compared to building a custom website or using more flexible CMS options.
  • Dependency on Platform
    Relying on Substack means depending on its policies and infrastructure, which could pose risks if the platform changes its terms or features.
  • Competition
    As more writers join Substack, it can become challenging to stand out amidst the growing competition.
  • Email Deliverability
    Writers may face issues with email deliverability, as some newsletters may end up in spam folders.
  • Payment Processing Fees
    Besides Substack's fee, payment processors like Stripe also take a percentage, further reducing net earnings for writers.

Analysis of Substack

Overall verdict

  • Substack is a good choice for writers seeking autonomy and a straightforward way to monetize their content. However, it may not be the best fit for those who prefer working within the framework of a larger publication or those unfamiliar with the challenges of building and maintaining a subscriber base.

Why this product is good

  • Substack is a platform that allows writers, journalists, and content creators to publish and monetize their newsletters. It is praised for its ease of use, built-in subscription system, and direct-to-consumer model which enables writers to retain control over their audience and content. The platform has attracted both independent writers and established journalists seeking the freedom to monetize their work without traditional media constraints.

Recommended for

  • Independent writers and journalists
  • Content creators looking to monetize their work
  • Individuals seeking a direct relationship with their audience
  • Those who appreciate simplicity in publishing

Change.org videos

The Truth About Change.org

More videos:

  • Review - I HATE CHANGE.ORG
  • Tutorial - How to Start a Petition on Change.org

Substack videos

Monetizing Podcasts and Newsletters - Chris Best of Substack and Jonathan Gill of Backtracks

More videos:

  • Review - E1016 Substack CEO Chris Best empowers writers via email newsletter platform, raised $15M from a16z
  • Review - Why EVERYONE should be on Substack | What it is, How it Works, $$$
  • Review - Beehiiv vs Substack (2024) - Which is Better?
  • Review - My Experience with SUBSTACK: An Honest Review of Substack

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Change.org and Substack)
Crowdfunding
100 100%
0% 0
Blogging
0 0%
100% 100
Communication
100 100%
0% 0
CMS
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

Share your experience with using Change.org and Substack. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
Log in or Post with

Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Change.org and Substack

Change.org Reviews

We have no reviews of Change.org yet.
Be the first one to post

Substack Reviews

25+ Medium Alternative Platforms for Publishing Articles
Substack offers writers of all experience levels the ability to write an email newsletter thatโ€™s profitable through subscriptions. Substack provides purpose-built web and newsletter publishing tools to enable writers to monetize their newsletters. It is a service often favoured by readers because itโ€™s a convenient all-in-one solution for writing a successful podcast that...
Source: forgefusion.io
10 Best Medium Alternatives for Reading and Publishing
What sะตts Substack apart is its sะตamlะตss intะตgration of contะตnt crะตation and subscription-basะตd monะตtization. Substackโ€™s usะตr-friะตndly intะตrfacะต, distribution tools, and support for various contะตnt formats make it a popular choice for indะตpะตndะตnt crะตators looking to connะตct dirะตctly with thะตir audiะตncะต and turn thะตir passion into a sustainablะต incomะต strะตam.
9 Best Medium Alternatives for Making Money With Your Writing in 2023
Substack and Medium differ primarily in their monetization methods. Medium pays creators based on reader engagement, while Substack enables writers to monetize directly through paid subscriptions to their newsletters. This business model allows Substack users to build a direct relationship with their readers via their email inboxes, whereas Medium interactions primarily...
11 Patreon Alternatives for Audience Monetization in 2023
Like a few of the other platforms weโ€™ve looked at, Substack takes a cut of your earnings rather than charging a 10% platform fee.
Source: www.uscreen.tv
Any good Mailchimp alternatives?
My question for you is, what is keeping you from making $31 per month from your list? Are you using any feature that Substack (free until you get paid) can't handle?

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Change.org seems to be a lot more popular than Substack. While we know about 2482 links to Change.org, we've tracked only 98 mentions of Substack. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Change.org mentions (2482)

  • SoCal fundies are harassing a pagan group and the group asking for help on TikTok
    Do change.org petitions ever really accomplish anything? Serious question. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Extensive List of Resources
    Where's the change.org petition that cancel exams? Source: over 2 years ago
  • Petition: Implement Online Decrease of Allocated Storage in AWS RDS
    A change.org petition is going to be useless, instead talk to your account manager about a feature request. AWS drives their development directly from user feedback. They're not going to look at a change.org petition. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Change.org Petition to put Titles in Abeyance
    Beware change.org. When I signed that petition I was led through unnecessary BS. It may have changed, but I'm sorry I ever let Lady C. Talk her viewers into it. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Petition to stop smoking on CTA trains (please sign and share)
    It's not rude or dismissive to direct them to additional resources and point out the actual scope of the issue. I don't like being on a train car with a lot of smoke! I want this issue solved! And I want OP to be able to do help! But has a change.org petition ever resulted in policy change? (This is a genuine question; I haven't seen it happen, but I don't know, and I would hope that someone who is trying to use... Source: over 2 years ago
View more

Substack mentions (98)

  • SpaceX to buy Cursor AI coding agent operator Anysphere for $60B
    The thing is, even the center of the road academics who refrain from such comparisons are noting the similarity. The MAGA movement meets the traditional defining characteristics of fascio. We can be rigid and say that only Mussoliniโ€˜s political movement can be properly be called fascist. But if we call Hitler and the Nazis fascists as well, then we open the door to any movement that meets the criteria. And Trump... - Source: Hacker News / 19 days ago
  • AMA: I'm Eric Ries (The Lean Startup) & Author of New Bestseller Incorruptible
    Yes, it's much different in other countries. See https://substack.com/@doks/p-198191751. - Source: Hacker News / 25 days ago
  • Show HN: Playing with genomics foundation model tutorial/explainer article
    Hi folks, I got curious about how genomics foundation models work and wrote an article explaining how they are trained + can be used. Feel free to use the following as learning resources if you wish to jump into ML for comp bio stuff, it may help: - Code: https://github.com/dillondesilva/nt-promoter-region-classification - Article/Tutorial:... - Source: Hacker News / about 1 month ago
  • CBP Directive 3340-049B: Border Search of Electronic Devices
    The vast majority of people from the developed world have no problems going through any border in the developed world. Your experience is probably representative, but that's not what we're talking about. My understanding is that de facto you have no rights at all in China. The Americans take this sort of thing very seriously, which is why it's in the news and talked about. Some guy gets imprisoned for 37... - Source: Hacker News / about 1 month ago
  • GitHub โ€“ DOS 1.0: Transcription of Tim Paterson's DOS Printouts
    There was never a serious claim DOS copied CP/M code. The controversy was mostly about legality of reimplementation of the API, plus some pretty vague claims about copying the design: https://substack.com/@nemanjatrifunovic/note/p-178321556. - Source: Hacker News / 2 months ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Change.org and Substack, you can also consider the following products

AVAAZ.ORG - Check out this amazing movement to create a better world -- www.avaaz.org ...

Medium - Welcome to Medium, a place to read, write, and interact with the stories that matter most to you.

Odysee - Launch your own channel | Watch and share videos

Ghost - Ghost is a fully open source, adaptable platform for building and running a modern online publication. We power blogs, magazines and journalists from Zappos to Sky News.

SumOfUs - SumOfUs.org is a new world-wide movement for a better global economy.

MailChimp - MailChimp is the best way to design, send, and share email newsletters.