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Postalion VS Substack

Compare Postalion VS Substack and see what are their differences

Postalion

A free newsletter plugin for WordPress. Lists, automatic emails and statistics included. No subscriber limits, no monthly bill, nothing sent to outside servers.

Rating
0 reviews
Pricing
Open source Freemium $59 / Annually (Pro, 1 website)
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Alternatives Is it good?
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
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Alternatives Is it good?
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.

Which is more popular?

Based on our record, Substack seems to be more popular. It has been mentioned 111 times since March 2021.

social mentions
0 vs 111
Self-Hosted Newsletter popularity
100% vs 0%
alternatives listed
14 vs 240+

Base details

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

Postalion
Substack
Website postalion.fantasythemes.net substack.com
Pricing
Open source Freemium $59 / Annually (Pro, 1 website) Official pricing
—
Platforms
Wordpress Web Self Hosted
—
Company 2026 Startup from the United States
Listed in
Email Marketing Self-Hosted Newsletter Email Newsletters WordPress Plugins Marketing Automation +2
Creators Blogging Paid Newsletters CMS +1

About Postalion and Substack

In their own words, as submitted to SaaSHub.

Postalion
Substack

Postalion sends newsletters from your own WordPress site. Your subscribers stay in your own database, there is no outside account, and the free plugin has no limit on subscribers or emails. What's in the free plugin Sign-up forms: block, shortcode, popup, slide-in and a form under posts, with...

Read more about Postalion

No description of Substack yet.

Features and specs

What each product offers, as listed by its team.

Postalion 11 features
Substack 6 features
  • Unlimited subscribers
    No limit on subscribers or emails in the free plugin
  • Self-hosted
    Your list stays in your own WordPress database
  • Sign-up forms
    Block, shortcode, popup, slide-in and a form under posts
  • Double opt-in
    Confirmation email and one-click unsubscribe
  • Lists and tags
    Lists, tags and custom fields for each subscriber
  • Email templates
    12 templates and a composer made for email
  • Automatic emails
    Welcome email, new-post emails and a weekly digest
  • Statistics
    Opens and clicks, counted on your own server
  • Imports
    From Mailchimp, MailPoet and the Newsletter plugin
  • Integrations
    WooCommerce, LMS, membership, donation and form plugins
  • SMTP
    Brevo, Amazon SES, Mailgun, Postmark, SendGrid or any SMTP
  • 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.

Postalion
Substack

No analysis of Postalion 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.

Postalion 1 video + Add
Substack 5 videos + Add

Postalion: the free newsletter plugin for WordPress, in one minute

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
Postalion
Substack
100% 100%
Self-Hosted Newsletter
0% 0%
0% 0%
Blogging
100% 100%
100% 100%
Marketing Automation
0% 0%
0% 0%
CMS
100% 100%

Questions & Answers

As answered by people managing Postalion and Substack.

What makes your product unique?

Postalion's answer

It is a complete newsletter tool that runs inside your own WordPress, with no outside account and no limit on subscribers or emails in the free plugin. Your list stays in your database, statistics are counted on your server, and nothing is sent to outside services unless you choose a sending service yourself.

Why should a person choose your product over its competitors?

Postalion's answer

Hosted services like Mailchimp charge more as the list grows and keep your subscribers on their servers. Other WordPress plugins often cap subscribers or sends in their free version. Postalion has no such limits, imports your list from Mailchimp, MailPoet or the Newsletter plugin in a few clicks, and works with the plugins you already run: WooCommerce, course and membership plugins, donation and form plugins.

How would you describe the primary audience of your product?

Postalion's answer

WordPress site owners who want to send newsletters without a monthly bill: bloggers, small shops, course creators, membership sites, nonprofits, local businesses and agencies that build sites for them.

What's the story behind your product?

Postalion's answer

It started as a plugin for a single site and grew into a full newsletter tool. It is made by Alex Gurghis at FantasyThemes and was released on WordPress.org in October 2026. The free plugin stays complete; an optional add-on, Postalion Pro, funds its development.

Which are the primary technologies used for building your product?

Postalion's answer

PHP and the WordPress APIs, with its own database tables for subscribers, lists and the email log. Sending runs in the background in batches through WP-Cron, via the site's mail function or any SMTP service. The sign-up form is a native block for the block editor, with elements for Elementor, Beaver Builder, Bricks and Divi.

User comments

Share your experience with using Postalion and Substack. For example, how are they different and which one is better?

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Reviews and articles

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

Postalion no reviews yet
Substack no reviews yet

We have no reviews of Postalion yet. Be the first one to post

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Social recommendations and mentions

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

Postalion 0 mentions
Substack 111 mentions

Tracking Postalion since Oct 2026.

  • UK Defence Startups Are Being Denied Banking Services Under ESG Rules
    Books have already been written on this, some as early as 1945 (That Hideous Strength, C.S. Lewis). Otherwise I can recommend basically everything by Curtis Yarvin and Kevin Dolan (https://substack.com/@exitgroup,... - Source: Hacker News / 18 days ago
  • Show HN: Sphinx – a hook that quizzes you on your AI agent's code before push
    We built something quite similar 6 months ago called PEAK (Proof of Effort And Knowledge). Blog post and YT video here: https://substack.com/@jeffksmithjr/p-195763168 Our version has its own TUI and was intended for semi-adversarial... - Source: Hacker News / 20 days ago
  • Why Isn't the Industry Freaking Out About DeepSeek 4.1 Flash?
    Https://substack.com/@rubenafo/note/c-332218129?r=26y5kn&utm_source=notes-share-action&utm_medium=web. - Source: Hacker News / about 1 month ago

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Alternatives to Postalion and Substack

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