Substack VS Recurly

Compare Substack VS Recurly and see what are their differences

Rating: 0 reviews

Rating: 0 reviews

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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 a lot more popular than Recurly. While we know about 105 links to Substack, we've tracked only 5 mentions of Recurly.

social mentions: 105 vs 5
Blogging popularity: 100% vs 0%

Base details

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

	Substack	Recurly
Website	substack.com	recurly.com
Pricing	—	Official pricing
Company	Startup from the United States	—
Listed in	Creators Blogging Paid Newsletters CMS +1	Recurring Subscription Billing Recurring Billing Subscriptions Subscription Billing Subscription Management +2

Features and specs

What each product offers, as listed by its team.

Substack 6 features

Recurly 6 features

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.

Integrations
Recurly offers extensive integration options with various payment gateways, accounting software, and CRMs, which can streamline operations and enhance functionality.
Customization
The platform provides robust customization options, allowing businesses to tailor the subscription billing process to fit their specific needs and branding.
Analytics and Reporting
Recurly's advanced analytics and reporting features give deep insights into subscription metrics, helping businesses make data-driven decisions.
Dunning Management
The excellent dunning management system helps in recovering failed transactions automatically, reducing churn and improving revenue collection.
Global Reach
With multi-currency and localization support, Recurly is well-suited for businesses that operate internationally.
User Interface
Recurly's user-friendly interface makes it easy for businesses to manage subscriptions, analyze data, and configure settings without requiring extensive technical knowledge.

Possible disadvantages

Cost
Recurly can be expensive for small businesses or startups, as it includes a base subscription fee along with transaction fees.
Learning Curve
The platform has a steep learning curve, especially for users who are new to subscription management systems.
Limited Invoicing Customization
Some users find the invoicing customization options to be limited compared to other subscription management platforms.
Support for One-Time Payments
Recurly is primarily focused on recurring billing and may not be the best fit for businesses that need robust support for one-time payments.
Customer Support
Some users report that customer support can be slow to respond and not as helpful as expected, impacting issue resolution.
Compliance
While Recurly has good compliance features, some users might find that it lacks specific compliance certifications or requirements needed for their industry.

Analysis

An editorial look at what each product does well and who it suits.

Substack

Recurly

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

Overall verdict

Recurly is generally considered a good choice for subscription management and billing, especially for businesses that require a robust and scalable solution.

Why this product is good

Recurly is praised for its ease of use, flexibility, and ability to handle complex billing scenarios. It supports a wide range of payment gateways, offers robust analytics and reporting features, and provides excellent customer support. Additionally, its integration capabilities with other business tools make it a versatile option.

Recommended for

Recurly is recommended for SaaS companies, subscription-based businesses, and e-commerce platforms that need a reliable and scalable billing solution. It is particularly suitable for businesses looking to streamline recurring billing processes and those that require advanced subscription management features.

Videos

Walkthroughs and reviews on video.

Substack 5 videos + Add

Recurly 3 videos + Add

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

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

Substack

Recurly

100% 100%

Blogging

0% 0%

Recurring Subscription Billing

100% 100%

CMS

0% 0%

Recurring Billing

100% 100%

User comments

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

Reviews and articles

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

Substack no reviews yet

Recurly no reviews yet

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....

Top 20 Recurly Alternatives & Competitors in 2025
unibee.dev · Oct 2025

Navigating the world of Recurly competitors reveals a clear pattern: most platforms ask you to adapt your business to their system. You choose between the enterprise rigor of Zuora, the ecosystem lock-in of Stripe or...
Subscription Billing Solutions Comparison: Stripe vs Recurly vs Chargebee vs Rainex
rainex.io · Jun 2024

Recurly specializes in subscription billing management, catering to businesses with recurring revenue models. The platform is an all-in-one solution with flexible pricing shaped by the feature set you need. Extensive...
Payment Platforms Comparison: Stripe vs Chargebee vs Paddle vs Recurly
rainex.io · Mar 2023

Recurly subscription billing software is a cloud-based billing and invoicing solution. It’s an integrated subscription management and recurring bill monitoring platform. Recurly can be considered as a third-party...

Social recommendations and mentions

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

Substack 105 mentions

Recurly 5 mentions

Benchmarking Qwen3.8 27B quantizations: 4-bit holds up, 1-bit collapses
For anyone that would like to see more quantizations tested, I can highly recommend paying a few bucks for oobabooga's testing, which is published on his Substack: https://substack.com/@oobabooga. - Source: Hacker News / 13 days ago
Discovery of a new OpenAI agent message board
Reminds me of this meme: https://substack.com/@tomasbjartur/note/c-323840878?r=6cjtqn. - Source: Hacker News / 17 days ago
How accurate have Ed Zitron's AI skeptic predictions been?
Valid criticisms of AI - safety critics who think AI can take over the world like Yud (I find this the least credible but still valid) - Bernie type of critics who think AI can cause widespread job losses - Ruxandra Teslo who thinks AI... - Source: Hacker News / 20 days ago

Ask HN: What are some low cost payment processing alternatives to Stripe?
Https://recurly.com/ maybe, I can't find this in their pricing page, but from what I know it looks like this: revenue fee 0.500% transaction fee $0.08 and selected plan (there is free one); with your volume that would be around $3.2k a... - Source: Hacker News / about 3 years ago
API monetization using an API Management and a billing provider
Next, for your API monetization stack, you need a 3rd-party recurring billing solution, such as Stripe, Recurly, Hypercurrent, and many more. But again, we do not recommend any particular payment service in this post and leave the choice... - Source: dev.to / about 4 years ago
Anyone know a website builder that can do this?
And you can use Recurly for recurring payments. Source: over 4 years ago

Alternatives to Substack and Recurly

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

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.

Compare Ghost to Substack or Recurly:

Ghost vs Substack Ghost vs Recurly
Chargebee
Chargebee lets you manage subscriptions and payments at scale, handle custom recurring billing scenarios, reduce subscription churn and simplify accounting.

Compare Chargebee to Substack or Recurly:

Chargebee vs Substack Chargebee vs Recurly
Medium
Welcome to Medium, a place to read, write, and interact with the stories that matter most to you.

Compare Medium to Substack or Recurly:

Medium vs Substack Medium vs Recurly
Maxio
Chargify is the best online billing software for all of your Recurring Billing needs. Learn more about simplifying your Subscription Billing today.

Compare Maxio to Substack or Recurly:

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

Compare Buttondown to Substack or Recurly:

Buttondown vs Substack Buttondown vs Recurly
Stripe
Online payment processing for internet businesses. Stripe is a suite of payment APIs that powers commerce for online businesses of all sizes. Use Stripe’s payment platform to accept and process payments online for easy-to-use commerce solutions.

Compare Stripe to Substack or Recurly:

Stripe vs Substack Stripe vs Recurly