Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Substack VS Next Episode

Compare Substack VS Next Episode 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.

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.

Next Episode logo Next Episode

Add your favorite TV shows to a Watchlist and let the site keep track for you: It'll show new episodes and will organize them in a TV calendar, will recommend for you some great TV series based on what you already watch, offers top charts - with traโ€ฆ
  • Substack Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-10-26
  • Next Episode Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-08-05

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.

Next Episode features and specs

  • Comprehensive Database
    Next Episode offers a large database of TV shows, making it easy for users to find information about a wide range of series.
  • Personalized Watchlist
    Users can create personalized watchlists to keep track of their favorite shows and receive notifications on new episodes.
  • User Community
    The platform has a strong community where users can engage in discussions, rate episodes, and share opinions.
  • Detailed Show Information
    Provides detailed information about each show, including cast, plot summaries, air dates, and trailers.
  • Episode Tracking
    Allows users to track episodes they have watched, helping them keep up-to-date with ongoing series.

Possible disadvantages of Next Episode

  • Limited Free Features
    Some useful features may be restricted to premium users, requiring a subscription for full access.
  • Occasional Outdated Information
    There can be instances where show information is not updated promptly, leading to discrepancies.
  • User Interface
    Some users find the interface to be outdated or less intuitive compared to other modern platforms.
  • Ads for Free Users
    The website displays advertisements to free users, which can detract from the browsing experience.

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

Analysis of Next Episode

Overall verdict

  • Next Episode is a good resource for TV enthusiasts who want to keep track of multiple shows. Its ease of use and comprehensive database make it a valuable tool for staying informed about television programming.

Why this product is good

  • Next Episode is a platform that offers comprehensive information on TV show schedules, episode guides, and release dates. It also allows users to track and organize their favorite series, ensuring they never miss an episode. The site provides a clean and user-friendly interface, making it easy to navigate and find relevant information.

Recommended for

    People who love watching TV shows, those who follow multiple series, and anyone looking to organize their TV watching schedule effectively.

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

Next Episode videos

The Long Ballad Review | MX PLAYER | The Long Ballad Review Next Episode | The Long Ballad In Hindi

More videos:

  • Review - Rang Mahal Next Episode | Mohsin Gillani Drama | Episode 35 Promo | Review

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Substack and Next Episode)
Blogging
100 100%
0% 0
Movie Reviews
0 0%
100% 100
CMS
100 100%
0% 0
Tool
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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

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

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?

Next Episode Reviews

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

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Substack should be more popular than Next Episode. 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.

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 / 17 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 / 23 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 1 month 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

Next Episode mentions (35)

  • Ask HN: What Are You Working On? (February 2026)
    Https://next-episode.net It's a (now more than 20 years old) TV tracking website and community. I've been using Claude 4.5 Opus (now 4.6) more and more these days modernizing and redesigning sections that haven't been touched for a decade or two. I don't trust LLMs much, but by breaking the work into small, self-contained tasks and testing constantly - I'm making surprisingly fast progress. - Source: Hacker News / 5 months ago
  • Ask HN: What Are You Working On? (Nov 2025
    20 years and counting, working on https://next-episode.net (it's a TV/Movies tracking website and community). I've dedicated this week to some maintenance tasks that are long overdue (mainly modernization of the code and the database), kinda delaying the inevitable (which is to work on a harder tasks - adding features to the mobile apps). - Source: Hacker News / 8 months ago
  • Ask HN: Is โ€œsign in with Facebookโ€ dead for indie developers?
    On my service - https://next-episode.net - along with signing in with username and password, there is an option to sign in with Google and Facebook. 3 days ago, I get this email from Facebook "Complete business verification for Next Episode" which notifies me that my Facebook app (which handles the Facebook login functionality) now needs to be connected to a verified business account. This is where they announced... - Source: Hacker News / almost 3 years ago
  • please repsond if you know
    Https://next-episode.net/ that you can find list of your fav shows. Source: about 3 years ago
  • [Project Share] Show Tracker 3.0
    Disclaimer : This project is not in any way endorsed or certified by https://next-episode.net. Source: about 3 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

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

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

Trakt.tv - Automatically track TV shows & movies you're watching.

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.

Simkl - Simkl is a TV, anime, and movie tracker that keeps a history of all the shows and movies you watch in one, central location. Itโ€™s a mobile app, a website, Google Chrome extension to keep track of everything you watch and integrates with many TV apps

Buttondown - Buttondown is the best way to start and run your newsletter

Showly - Showly is a free and open-source TV shows tracking application that is created with the help of TV show lovers.