Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Sendy VS Substack

Compare Sendy VS Substack and see what are their differences

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.

Sendy logo Sendy

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

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.
  • Sendy Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-20
  • Substack Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-10-26

Sendy features and specs

  • Cost-effective
    Sendy provides a cost-effective solution for email marketing by allowing users to send emails via Amazon SES, which is significantly cheaper than other email marketing services.
  • Self-hosted
    Since Sendy is a self-hosted application, users have full control over their data and server environment, providing better privacy and customizability.
  • High Deliverability
    By leveraging Amazon SES, Sendy offers high deliverability rates, ensuring that emails land in recipients' inboxes rather than spam folders.
  • One-time Payment
    Sendy requires a one-time payment for the license, making it a more affordable option in the long run compared to recurring subscription models.
  • Rich Features
    Sendy includes many features such as campaign tracking, list segmentation, autoresponders, and integration with other applications, making it a comprehensive email marketing solution.

Possible disadvantages of Sendy

  • Technical Setup
    As a self-hosted application, setting up Sendy requires some technical knowledge and can be challenging for users who are not familiar with server management and configuration.
  • Limited Integrations
    Unlike cloud-based email marketing services, Sendy offers fewer integrations with other third-party applications and services, which may limit its usability for some users.
  • No Built-in Customer Support
    Sendy does not offer dedicated customer support; users must rely on the community forum and documentation for troubleshooting and assistance.
  • Dependence on AWS
    Sendy specifically relies on Amazon SES for email delivery. If AWS services experience downtime or issues, Sendy's email delivery could be affected.
  • Initial Cost
    While Sendy is generally cost-effective in the long term, the initial license purchase might be a barrier for individuals or small businesses with very limited budgets.

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 Sendy

Overall verdict

  • Sendy is a solid option for businesses looking to save on email marketing costs and have the capability to manage their own hosting. It offers a good balance of features and simplicity for those who can handle a little technical setup.

Why this product is good

  • Sendy is often praised for its cost-effectiveness and simplicity, especially for small to medium-sized businesses looking to manage email campaigns. It integrates with Amazon SES, allowing users to send bulk emails at a reduced cost. Users appreciate its straightforward interface, performance reports, and the ability to manage multiple brands under one account. However, it requires you to have your own hosting, which could be a limitation for some.

Recommended for

    Sendy is particularly recommended for small to medium-sized businesses that have a tech-savvy team capable of handling hosting requirements, as well as those who are looking for a low-cost solution to send bulk emails efficiently.

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

Sendy videos

Email Marketing With Sendy - Review & Tutorial

More videos:

  • Review - Why I Decided To Get Rid Of Get Sendy.co & What I Use Now
  • Review - Sendy Review - Self Hosted Autoresponder, Affordable Alternative

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 Sendy and Substack)
Email Marketing
100 100%
0% 0
Blogging
0 0%
100% 100
Newsletter Marketing
100 100%
0% 0
CMS
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

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

Sendy Reviews

Cheap Email Marketing Services: 6 Great Budget Tools Compared
๐Ÿ’ธ cheapest Sendy: For a one-time fee, you can install the Sendy software on your own server and then affordably deliver emails via Amazon SES.
Source: themeisle.com
Any good Mailchimp alternatives?
Separately, been keeping a list of Mailchimp alternatives. Sendfox works pretty well, and I plan to try out Sendy sometime soon.
7 Cheaper Mailchimp Alternatives to Consider in 2019
Once you install Sendy on your own server, youโ€™ll connect to Amazon SES to send the actual emails, which costs just $0.0001 per email (maybe an easier way to look at that is $1 per 10,000 emails). Plus, thereโ€™s no cost for more subscribers, which makes it a great option for big lists.

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 Sendy. It has been mentiond 101 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.

Sendy mentions (45)

View more

Substack mentions (101)

  • Ask HN: What are your favorite blogs not about AI?
    Https://substack.com/@yelluwcomedy. - Source: Hacker News / about 16 hours 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 / 9 days 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 / 6 days 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 / about 1 month 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 / about 1 month ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

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

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

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.

MailerLite - Affordable Email Marketing Software. Get all features (Segmentation, Automation, A/B testing) for up to 1,000 subscribers & send unlimited emails for free!

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

GetResponse - Email marketing from GetResponse. Send email newsletters, campaigns, online surveys and follow-up autoresponders. Simple, easy interface. FREE sign up.

SendPulse - Maximizing e-mail marketing open rates automatically