Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

figshare VS Substack

Compare figshare VS Substack and see what are their differences

figshare logo figshare

Securely store and manage your research outputs in the cloud, or make them openly available and citable.

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.
  • figshare Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-21
  • Substack Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-10-26

figshare features and specs

  • Open Access
    Figshare allows researchers to make their data, results, and publications freely accessible, promoting transparency and enhancing the visibility and reach of their work.
  • Versatility
    It supports a wide range of file types and formats, which makes it versatile for different types of research outputs from datasets to videos and presentations.
  • DOI Assignment
    Figshare assigns a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) to every uploaded item, ensuring that users receive a permanent, citable link for their work.
  • User-friendly Interface
    The platform has an intuitive interface that makes it easy for users to upload, manage, and share their research outputs without technical difficulties.
  • Embeddable
    Research outputs on Figshare can be easily embedded into other websites and platforms, enhancing their visibility and ease of access among various audiences.

Possible disadvantages of figshare

  • Storage Limitations
    While Figshare offers free storage, there are limitations to the amount of data a user can store without incurring costs, which might not suffice for large datasets.
  • Cost for Extended Features
    Some advanced features and larger storage require payment, which can be a barrier for individuals or institutions with limited funding.
  • Limited Customization
    Users may find the level of customization for their data presentations limited compared to other specialized repositories.
  • Data Privacy
    Due to its open access nature, sensitive data needs to be properly anonymized or withheld, which could be a concern for certain types of research.
  • Competition and Redundancy
    With many other repositories available, there might be redundancy in data sharing, and some users may prefer platforms that are more specific to their research field.

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

figshare videos

Figshare for Institutions Admin User Guide Video: Reviewing Items

More videos:

  • Review - Figshare for Institutions โ€” The All in One Repository
  • Demo - Figshare repository demonstration

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 figshare and Substack)
Research Tools
100 100%
0% 0
Blogging
0 0%
100% 100
Education
100 100%
0% 0
CMS
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

Share your experience with using figshare 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 figshare and Substack

figshare Reviews

We have no reviews of figshare 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, Substack seems to be a lot more popular than figshare. While we know about 102 links to Substack, we've tracked only 3 mentions of figshare. 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.

figshare mentions (3)

  • 1,600 Days of a Failed Hobby Data Science Project
    I'll put a shoutout for https://zenodo.org/ and https://figshare.com/ as places to put your data, where you'll get a DOI and can let someone that's not a company look after hosting and backing it up. Zenodo is hosted as long as CERN is around (is the promise) and figshare is backed by the CLOCKSS archive (multiple geographically distributed universities). - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • My super useful websites collection for you all!
    -Crystal growing information Http://xrayweb.chem.ou.edu/notes/xtalgrow.html Https://www.chemistryviews.org/details/education/2538901/Tips\_and\_Tricks\_for\_the\_Lab\_Growing\_Crystals\_Part\_2.html Free science Figures Https://smart.servier.com/ Https://phil.cdc.gov/ Databases of molecules and data Https://www.ebi.ac.uk/chembl/ - database of bioactive molecules with drug-like... Source: almost 5 years ago
  • Want to post my research
    I am a PhD student and conducting a clinical trial in eczema. I have used figshare.com to make my work public, which is used by many universities and academics to disseminate their work for free! No doubt that publishing in journals is the best way to reach your target audience, however there might be cost implications. Source: almost 5 years ago

Substack mentions (102)

  • Writing by Hand is Good for your Brain
    It's ironic that the article that caused him to write this post (https://substack.com/@justindeschamps/note/c-261265212?utm_source=notes-share-action&r=7y05q) is written by AI. I see this style of informational writing all over the place now. - Source: Hacker News / 17 days ago
  • Ask HN: What are your favorite blogs not about AI?
    Https://substack.com/@yelluwcomedy. - Source: Hacker News / 21 days ago
  • Kids (With Phones) Are Alright
    Sure there was basically a cartel in social media. You saw coordinated censorship campaigns to ban the former president of the United States for example. But I wouldn't discount the amount of political interference there as well. The last administration admitted to flagging individual posts for the social media companies. But it's also true there is a lot of coordinated censorship even without state interference.... - Source: Hacker News / 30 days ago
  • Financing the AI boom: from cash flows to debt [pdf]
    Manhattan Project: $36B, 5 years โ–ซ Apollo Program: $257B, 14 years โ–ซ Interstate Highway System: $620B, 37 years โ–ซ AI data centers: $930B, 6 years and still accelerating From: https://substack.com/@rubendominguez/note/c-244929068. - Source: Hacker News / 26 days ago
  • 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 / about 2 months ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing figshare and Substack, you can also consider the following products

Zenodo - Network & Admin and Remote Work & Education

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.

Open Science Framework - Open Science Framework provides project management with collaborators, and project sharing with the public.

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

ORCHID - Platform is a flexible, business application development tool to quickly create web business...

Buttondown - Buttondown is the best way to start and run your newsletter