Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Papyrus.so VS Substack

Compare Papyrus.so VS Substack and see what are their differences

Papyrus.so logo Papyrus.so

Create a privacy-first, beautiful, blazing-fast blog & newsletter with Papyrus

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.
  • Papyrus.so Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-05-12
  • Substack Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-10-26

Papyrus.so features and specs

  • User-Friendly Interface
    Papyrus.so offers an intuitive and easy-to-navigate interface, making it accessible for users with varying levels of technical expertise.
  • Collaboration Features
    The platform includes collaborative tools that allow multiple users to work on the same document simultaneously, improving team productivity.
  • Integration Capabilities
    Papyrus.so integrates with various third-party applications and services, enhancing its functionality and flexibility for different workflows.
  • Real-Time Editing
    Documents can be edited in real-time, ensuring that all collaborators see updates instantaneously, which can streamline the editing process.
  • Cloud-Based
    Being a cloud-based service, Papyrus.so enables users to access their documents from any device with internet connectivity, promoting easy access and convenience.

Possible disadvantages of Papyrus.so

  • Limited Offline Access
    Users may experience difficulties accessing documents without an internet connection, which can be a limitation for those needing offline capabilities.
  • Cost
    Some features of Papyrus.so might be limited to paid plans, which could be a drawback for users or organizations with limited budgets.
  • Learning Curve for Advanced Features
    While basic features are user-friendly, mastering more advanced functionalities may require additional time and learning.
  • Dependence on Internet Connectivity
    The platform's reliance on internet connectivity means that any disruptions can hinder document access and collaboration.
  • Security Concerns
    As with any cloud-based service, there may be concerns related to data privacy and security, which users need to consider.

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

Papyrus.so videos

No Papyrus.so videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

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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 Papyrus.so and Substack)
Blogging
11 11%
89% 89
Blogging Platform
22 22%
78% 78
CMS
0 0%
100% 100
Email Marketing
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

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

Papyrus.so Reviews

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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 Papyrus.so. While we know about 89 links to Substack, we've tracked only 5 mentions of Papyrus.so. 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.

Papyrus.so mentions (5)

  • Tell HN: There needs to be a โ€œright to speak with a humanโ€
    This would not help, since humans are trained to respond like robots. They vaguely understand your support request and then copy-paste a knowledge base support blog post at you. You explain you've read the support info and it doesn't apply to your case, at which time they're trained to say "I am so sorry, but that is all the support I am able to provide at this time". I had this exact experience with Tinder, when... - Source: Hacker News / over 3 years ago
  • I moved this blog from Medium
    > Another Medium alternative is Papyrus: https://papyrus.so. Right. But even ignoring all that NFT stuff, isn't that just somebody else's playground not owned by you? Whereas the author has gone for a setup that fundamentally they own: they could move it anywhere, not tied to any provider, pretty easily. There are a ton of options for hosting a jekyll blog. No disrespect to what you've built with Papyrus,... - Source: Hacker News / over 3 years ago
  • I moved this blog from Medium
    Another Medium alternative is Papyrus: https://papyrus.so. Privacy-first, simplicity and speed are the core tenets. Export posts at any time, send posts via newsletters, and no feature-bloat. Disclaimer: I built Papyrus because I was fed up with Medium, Wordpress and Substack. - Source: Hacker News / over 3 years ago
  • Guys whatโ€™s the best CMS for my NextJs app?
    Not sure if this is what youโ€™re looking for (itโ€™s not open source), but I built a NextJS/Tailwind-based blogging and newsletter platform and recently launched: https://papyrus.so. All pages statically generated, 100% free (until you start getting paid newsletter subscribers), data can be exported at any time, etc. Source: almost 4 years ago
  • Show HN: Privacy-first, minimal, fast blogging/newsletter platform
    React & a framework on top can be called minimal for a blogging platform? A blog entry[0] requires the transfer of 3.29MB (2.09MB of images with most which don't look web-optimised). [0]: https://papyrus.so/@PapyrusBlog/how-we-reduced-next.js-page-size-by-3.5x-and-achieved-a-98-lighthouse-score. - Source: Hacker News / almost 4 years ago

Substack mentions (89)

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What are some alternatives?

When comparing Papyrus.so and Substack, you can also consider the following products

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.

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

SENDER - Easy to use, powerful and affordable email marketing application.

WordPress - WordPress is web software you can use to create a beautiful website or blog. We like to say that WordPress is both free and priceless at the same time.

ConvertKit - Email marketing software for online creators. We help you earn a living online through an intuitive email marketing automation tool.

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