Substack VS Open Web Analytics

• 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.

• Open Source
  As an open-source platform, Open Web Analytics (OWA) allows users to access and modify the source code according to their needs, providing full control over the functionality and customization.
• Cost-Effective
  OWA is free to use, which can be very cost-effective compared to paid analytics platforms, making it suitable for small businesses and personal projects.
• Self-Hosting
  The ability to host OWA on your own server ensures complete data ownership and control, eliminating concerns around data privacy and third-party access.
• Comprehensive Features
  OWA offers a wide range of features including page view tracking, e-commerce tracking, visitor tracking, and click heatmaps, which can provide in-depth insights into website performance.
• Integrations
  OWA allows integration with other platforms such as WordPress and MediaWiki, making it versatile for various types of websites.

Possible disadvantages

• Technical Barrier
  Setting up and maintaining OWA can require a certain level of technical expertise, which might be challenging for users without a technical background.
• Resource Intensive
  Operating OWA on your own server can consume significant server resources, affecting the performance of the website, especially for high-traffic sites.
• Complexity
  The extensive features and customization options can make OWA complex to navigate and configure, which can be overwhelming for beginners.
• Limited Support
  As an open-source project, OWA lacks the comprehensive customer support available with commercial products, meaning users might have to rely on community forums and documentation for troubleshooting.
• Updates and Security
  The frequency and reliability of updates might be a concern, as well as ensuring that the software remains secure against vulnerabilities, requiring constant monitoring and maintenance.

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

More videos

Open Web Analytics | You Need to Watch This Video

More videos

• 25+ Medium Alternative Platforms for Publishing Articles
  forgefusion.io · Dec 2023

  Substack offers writers of all experience levels the ability to write an email newsletter that’s profitable through subscriptions. Substack provides purpose-built web and newsletter publishing tools to enable writers...

• 10 Best Medium Alternatives for Reading and Publishing
  www.geeksforgeeks.org · Nov 2023

  What sеts Substack apart is its sеamlеss intеgration of contеnt crеation and subscription-basеd monеtization. Substack’s usеr-friеndly intеrfacе, distribution tools, and support for various contеnt formats make it a...

• 9 Best Medium Alternatives for Making Money With Your Writing in 2023
  www.authorityhacker.com · Sep 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....

View more

• Top 5 Self-Hosted, Open Source Alternatives to Google Analytics
  zeabur.com · Dec 2023

  Open Web Analytics offers a comprehensive set of features, rivaling commercial analytics tools, with the flexibility of open source.

• Top 5 open source alternatives to Google Analytics
  opensource.com · Oct 2020

  In addition to the usual raft of analytics and reporting functions, Open Web Analytics tracks where on a page, and on what elements, visitors click; provides heat maps that show where on a page visitors interact the...

• Best Google Analytics Alternatives
  mofluid.com · Jun 2018

  Open Web Analytics ranks over Google due its self hosting property and additional features like Heatmap, DOM clicks tracking and mouse movement (recording and playback) tracking.

View more

• Ask HN: What are you working on? (November 2026)

  A free comedy newsletter that has nothing to do with technology yet mentions it from time to time. https://substack.com/@yelluwcomedy. - Source: Hacker News / 2 days ago

• 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 / 21 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 / 23 days ago

View more

Tracking Open Web Analytics since Mar 2021.