Software Alternatives & Startups

PermitCore.dev VS Substack

Compare PermitCore.dev VS Substack and see what are their differences

PermitCore.dev

Create, implement, manage, and sell software licenses—with an API, 8 SDKs, a built-in Store, and 0% commission.

Rating
0 reviews
Pricing
Freemium Free trial €29 / Monthly (Starter plan)
Substack

With Substack, anyone can start a publication that combines a personal website, blog, and email newsletter or podcast. It's quick and simple.

Rating
0 reviews
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.

Which is more popular?

Based on our record, Substack seems to be more popular. It has been mentioned 106 times since March 2021.

social mentions
0 vs 106
License Management popularity
100% vs 0%
alternatives listed
7 vs 240+

Base details

Website, pricing, platforms and company facts side by side.

PermitCore.dev
Substack
Website permitcore.dev substack.com
Pricing
Freemium Free trial €29 / Monthly (Starter plan) Official pricing
—
Platforms
Web
—
Company — Startup from the United States
Listed in

About PermitCore.dev and Substack

In their own words, as submitted to SaaSHub.

PermitCore.dev
Substack

PermitCore is a software licensing platform for independent developers and software teams. It covers the complete create → implement → sell workflow in one place. Teams can create and manage license keys, devices, activations, entitlements, expiration, revocation, subscriptions, and offline or...

Read more about PermitCore.dev

No description of Substack yet.

Features and specs

What each product offers, as listed by its team.

PermitCore.dev 6 features
Substack 6 features
  • Complete licensing lifecycle
    Create, implement, and sell software licenses from one platform.
  • Built-in License Store
    Sell licenses directly with Stripe automation and no PermitCore sales commission.
  • Flexible license models
    Online, offline, floating, node-locked, subscription, metered, and perpetual licensing.
  • Reseller Program
    Give resellers a dedicated dashboard to track customers, sales, and earnings.
  • Customer Portal
    Customers can view and validate licenses, manage devices, and handle access without contacting the vendor.
  • REST API and eight SDKs
    Integrate licensing with .NET, Node.js, Python, Java, C++, PHP, Go, and Unity.
  • 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

  • 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

An editorial look at what each product does well and who it suits.

PermitCore.dev
Substack

No analysis of PermitCore.dev yet.

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

Videos

Walkthroughs and reviews on video.

PermitCore.dev 4 videos + Add
Substack 5 videos + Add

Presentation

More videos

  • - Add License Validation to a C# App with PermitCore
  • - Create a product
  • - Add licence validation

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

More videos

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

Category popularity

How often each product is chosen within a category, 0–100% relative to the other.

Score bands 0–20 21–40 41–50 51–60 61–100
PermitCore.dev
Substack
100% 100%
0% 0%
0% 0%
100% 100%
100% 100%
0% 0%
0% 0%
CMS
100% 100%

Questions & Answers

As answered by people managing PermitCore.dev and Substack.

What makes your product unique?

PermitCore.dev's answer

PermitCore gives software teams one complete path from creating licenses to implementing licensing and selling their product. Developers can generate and manage licenses, integrate them through the REST API or SDKs, and sell licenses directly through a built-in Store without paying PermitCore a commission. It also supports online and offline licensing, floating and node-locked licenses, device limits, entitlements, subscriptions, customer and reseller portals, and Stripe automation. Underneath that workflow is a security model where license keys are encrypted in the browser before storage and usable keys are never persisted in plaintext. A permanent free plan is available for indie developers.

Why should a person choose your product over its competitors?

PermitCore.dev's answer

Choose PermitCore when you want one platform for the full licensing lifecycle instead of several disconnected tools. You can create and manage licenses, implement licensing through the REST API or SDKs, and sell licenses directly through a built-in Store. PermitCore takes no commission on those software sales. It also covers device management, online and offline use, floating seats, entitlements, subscriptions, customer and reseller portals, and Stripe automation. Browser-side encryption keeps usable license keys out of plaintext storage. PermitCore is EU-hosted, supports Enterprise self-hosting, includes a permanent free plan, and gives every paid plan a three-month free trial.

How would you describe the primary audience of your product?

PermitCore.dev's answer

PermitCore is primarily for indie developers, SaaS founders, small software teams, agencies, and established software vendors that want one complete path from creating licenses to implementing licensing and selling the finished product. Teams can create and manage licenses, integrate them through the REST API or SDKs, and then sell licenses directly through the built-in PermitCore Store without paying PermitCore a commission on those sales. It supports desktop applications, APIs, developer tools, plugins, and other paid software, with online, offline, floating, subscription, metered, and perpetual licensing. The permanent free plan helps developers get started, while larger teams can grow into reseller management, self-hosting, and custom roles.

What's the story behind your product?

PermitCore.dev's answer

PermitCore started from a problem we kept running into while building our own software. Adding licensing looked simple at first, but it quickly became another product to maintain: secure key storage, validation APIs, device limits, offline use, subscriptions, customer access, payments, and support all needed their own infrastructure. We built PermitCore so developers could handle that complete journey in one place: create and manage licenses, implement them through an API or SDK, and sell them directly through a built-in Store with no commission taken by PermitCore. What began as an internal solution became a developer platform designed to let other teams focus on the software they actually want to build.

Which are the primary technologies used for building your product?

PermitCore.dev's answer

PermitCore is built on .NET 10. The backend uses ASP.NET Core, Entity Framework Core, and PostgreSQL, while the administration panel and public website use Blazor WebAssembly. Valkey handles caching and distributed coordination, and the platform is deployed with Docker and Nginx. Stripe powers subscription and Store payment automation. For licensing security, PermitCore uses established cryptographic primitives including AES-256-GCM for browser-side encryption, HMAC-SHA256 for validation, and Argon2/PBKDF2 where appropriate for key derivation and credential protection. Client SDKs are available for .NET, Node.js, Python, Java, C++, and PHP.

Who are some of the biggest customers of your product?

PermitCore.dev's answer

PermitCore is an early-stage startup, and we do not publish customer names without their explicit permission. Our current users include indie developers, SaaS founders, agencies, and software vendors using PermitCore to create licenses, integrate licensing into their products, and sell licenses through their own built-in Store.

User comments

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Reviews and articles

External articles and on-site reviews we used to compare the two products.

PermitCore.dev no reviews yet
Substack no reviews yet

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Social recommendations and mentions

Recommendations tracked on public social media and blogs since March 2021.

PermitCore.dev 0 mentions
Substack 106 mentions

Tracking PermitCore.dev since Sep 2026.

  • Sync any blog via API to Substack in one-click
    Name Type Required Description Cookie String Yes Substack.sid= (browser session cookie) Accept String Yes Application/json Origin String Yes Publication origin, e.g.... - Source: dev.to / about 20 hours ago
  • Benchmarking Qwen3.8 27B quantizations: 4-bit holds up, 1-bit collapses
    For anyone that would like to see more quantizations tested, I can highly recommend paying a few bucks for oobabooga's testing, which is published on his Substack: https://substack.com/@oobabooga. - Source: Hacker News / 21 days ago
  • Discovery of a new OpenAI agent message board
    Reminds me of this meme: https://substack.com/@tomasbjartur/note/c-323840878?r=6cjtqn. - Source: Hacker News / 25 days ago

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Alternatives to PermitCore.dev and Substack

When comparing PermitCore.dev and Substack, you can also consider the following products.