Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

pixiv VS Substack

Compare pixiv VS Substack and see what are their differences

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pixiv logo pixiv

pixiv is an illustration community service where you can post and enjoy creative work. A large variety of work is uploaded, and user-organized contests are frequently held as well.

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.
  • pixiv Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-15
  • Substack Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-10-26

pixiv features and specs

  • Diverse Art Community
    Pixiv hosts a vast and diverse community of artists from around the world, providing a wide range of art styles and genres for users to explore.
  • Multi-Language Support
    Pixiv offers multiple language options, making it accessible to a global audience and allowing users from various regions to navigate the platform more easily.
  • Interactive Features
    The platform includes features such as comments, likes, and the ability to follow artists, enabling user interaction and community building.
  • Variety of Content
    Besides illustrations, Pixiv also supports other content types like manga and novels, providing diverse creative content for different interests.
  • Tag-Based Search
    Pixiv employs a robust tag-based search system, making it easier for users to find specific types of art or themes they are interested in.

Possible disadvantages of pixiv

  • NSFW Content
    Pixiv contains a significant amount of adult content, which may not be suitable for all audiences and can be a concern for some users.
  • Complex Interface
    The platformโ€™s interface can be overwhelming and complex for new users, particularly those unfamiliar with the layout and features.
  • Freemium Model
    While Pixiv is free to use, certain advanced features and services, such as higher visibility for artists and ad-free browsing, require a paid membership.
  • Language Barriers
    Despite having multi-language support, some content and interactions are primarily in Japanese, potentially creating a language barrier for non-Japanese speakers.
  • Copyright and Art Theft Concerns
    As with any art platform, there are concerns about copyright infringement and art theft, which can be a significant issue for artists.

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 pixiv

Overall verdict

  • Pixiv is generally considered good for both artists and consumers of art due to its extensive collection of diverse artworks and active community. It is a valuable platform for artists seeking exposure and for art lovers looking for inspiration and new discoveries.

Why this product is good

  • Pixiv is a widely used platform that caters to artists and art enthusiasts. It offers a space for users to share and discover artwork, including illustrations, manga, and fan art. The platform supports a variety of art forms and provides robust community features, including comments, likes, and collections. It also offers opportunities for artists to connect with a global audience, enhancing exposure and interaction. Additionally, Pixiv often holds art contests and provides creative challenges, encouraging artists to grow and showcase their skills.

Recommended for

    Pixiv is best suited for digital artists seeking to share their work with a broader audience, people looking for art inspiration, and fans of manga and anime-style art. It's also ideal for those who enjoy participating in an interactive art community and engaging with creative content.

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

pixiv videos

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

Add video

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 pixiv and Substack)
Social Networks
100 100%
0% 0
Blogging
0 0%
100% 100
Designers Community
100 100%
0% 0
CMS
10 10%
90% 90

User comments

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Reviews

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

pixiv Reviews

13 Best DeviantArt Alternatives & Similar Sites
When it comes to the DeviantArt similar websites, Pixiv is definitely the closest. This platform was initially created for the online community of Japanese artists. Today, this site has become popular overseas too.
Top 10 Killer Deviantart Alternatives for Art Communities
Pixiv is an online community of artists and illustrators created in Shibuya, Tokyo, in 2007. It was relatively unknown to the western world until the beginning of 2010. So if you are familiar with the language, if you're interested in culture or what's happening in the Japanese art community, this is the place for you. Furthermore, Pixiv's goal is very similar to DeviantArt:...

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 should be more popular than pixiv. It has been mentiond 98 times since March 2021. 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.

pixiv mentions (24)

  • Why does cloudflare suck?
    The developers of pixiv.net blocked the country you're from. Source: over 3 years ago
  • If you'd like to see the fandom when it was most popular...
    Also most of the fanart is on pixiv.net , just type ใจใชใ‚Šใฎๆ€ช็‰ฉใใ‚“ on the search bar, there's like 3000 results. Source: over 3 years ago
  • messed with page source material on chrome and now I can't make it back to normal
    This is embarrassing, but I have no idea what I even did, I am not tech savvy, and I need help fixing it. I was looking online about how to block the premium "popular" search on pixiv.net. Someone said to just click "inspect" and delete the piece of code that contained the pop up. Sure, why not, I thought, and I clicked inspect, and hit "delete" on the portion I thought might be it. Now my page is permanently... Source: almost 4 years ago
  • Is it me or is Pixiv down again?
    I keep on getting an error code 520 and apparently, the host (which is pixiv.net) is not working? Anyone experiencing this too? Source: almost 4 years ago
  • Thinking of branching to VA
    Thanks and you're welcome ^^ As far as I know most VA's get the artwork either from pixiv.net, picrew.me (it's basically a website where you can find some presets for characters and play with the options a bit in order to get the look you want), maybe some other platforms or they even commission the artwork. Though most of the bigger VA's have their artwork commissioned because it's the safest and easiest way for... Source: almost 4 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 / 23 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 / 29 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 2 months 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 pixiv and Substack, you can also consider the following products

DeviantArt - deviantART was created to entertain, inspire, and empower the artist in all of us.

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

Behance - The Creative Professional Platform.

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.

Dribbble - Shots from popular and up and coming designers in the Dribbble community, your best resource to discover and connect with designers worldwide.

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