Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups
Register | Login

Mailtrain VS Substack

Compare Mailtrain VS Substack and see what are their differences

Warmup Inbox
Warmup Inbox is a tool that automates the process of warming up your email inboxes, raising your sender reputation and inbox health automatically. sponsored
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.
Contents:
  1. ยป Base Details
  2. ยป Videos
  3. ยป Reviews
  4. ยป Alternatives

Mailtrain logo Mailtrain

Self-hosted open-source Mailchimp clone

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.
  • Mailtrain Landing page
    Landing page //
    2018-09-30
  • Substack Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-10-26

Mailtrain features and specs

  • Open Source
    Mailtrain is open source, meaning the source code is freely available. Users can modify and customize the software according to their needs without any licensing fees.
  • Cost-Effective
    As an open-source solution, Mailtrain can be a cost-effective choice, especially for small businesses and startups, since it does not require subscription fees typically associated with commercial email marketing services.
  • Self-Hosting
    Mailtrain can be self-hosted, giving users full control over their email marketing infrastructure and data, and reducing reliance on third-party services.
  • Feature-Rich
    Mailtrain offers numerous features such as list management, segmentation, custom fields, automation, and analytics, providing a comprehensive solution for email marketing campaigns.
  • Integration Options
    Mailtrain integrates with various services like Amazon SES and others, allowing users to leverage powerful email sending capabilities and improve email deliverability.

Possible disadvantages of Mailtrain

  • Technical Setup
    Setting up and maintaining Mailtrain can require a significant level of technical expertise, including familiarity with Linux servers, databases, and mail servers, which might be a barrier for non-technical users.
  • Maintenance Overhead
    Users are responsible for maintaining the Mailtrain installation, including updates, security patches, and backups, which can add to the operational burden.
  • Limited Support
    Being an open-source project, Mailtrain may have limited formal support compared to commercial email marketing services. Users might need to rely on community support or external consultants for help.
  • User Interface
    While functional, Mailtrain's user interface might not be as polished or user-friendly as those offered by some commercial email marketing platforms, potentially leading to a steeper learning curve for new users.
  • Scalability Concerns
    Self-hosting Mailtrain might present scalability challenges as the user base or email sending volume increases, requiring more robust infrastructure and more complex management.

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 Mailtrain

Overall verdict

  • Mailtrain is a good choice for those who want a cost-effective and flexible email marketing solution. Its open-source nature allows for a high degree of customization, making it an excellent option for developers and companies with specific needs that differ from conventional SaaS offerings.

Why this product is good

  • Mailtrain is an open-source self-hosted newsletter application that offers robust features for managing email campaigns. It is built on Node.js and uses a MySQL database, providing scalability and efficiency. Features such as support for multiple lists, custom fields, email templates, and advanced automation make it a versatile tool for businesses looking to have full control over their email marketing efforts. Being open-source, it allows for significant customization, which can be appealing to tech-savvy users who prefer to tailor their solutions precisely to their needs.

Recommended for

    Mailtrain is recommended for small to medium-sized businesses, developers, and organizations seeking a self-hosted email marketing solution. It is particularly suitable for those who have the technical expertise to manage and customize open-source software or those who want to keep their hosting in-house to ensure data privacy and minimize costs.

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

Mailtrain videos

+ Add

Review on the Austrains mailtrain pack

Substack videos

+ Add

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 Mailtrain and Substack)

Mailtrain

Substack

Email Marketing
100 100%
Email Marketing
0% 0
Blogging
0 0%
Blogging
100% 100
Newsletter Marketing
100 100%
Newsletter Marketing
0% 0
CMS
0 0%
CMS
100% 100

User comments

Share your experience with using Mailtrain 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 Mailtrain and Substack

Mailtrain Reviews

We have no reviews of Mailtrain 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.
Source: www.geeksforgeeks.org
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...
Source: www.authorityhacker.com
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?
Source: www.indiehackers.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Substack seems to be a lot more popular than Mailtrain. While we know about 102 links to Substack, we've tracked only 2 mentions of Mailtrain. 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.

Mailtrain mentions (2)

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 / about 1 month ago
  • Ask HN: What are your favorite blogs not about AI?
    Https://substack.com/@yelluwcomedy. - Source: Hacker News / about 1 month 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 / about 2 months 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 / about 2 months 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 / 3 months ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

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

Listmonk - Send e-mail campaigns from a powerful dashboard. High performance and features packed into one app.

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.

Sendy - Sendy is a self hosted newsletter app that sends emails 100x cheaper viaย Amazon SES

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

TinyLetter - Start writing your own newsletter instantly.

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

Loading...