Substack VS Udemy

Compare Substack VS Udemy and see what are their differences

Rating: 0 reviews

Rating: 5.0 · 1 review

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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, Udemy should be more popular than Substack. It has been mentioned 264 times since March 2021.

social mentions: 105 vs 264
Blogging popularity: 100% vs 0%

Base details

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

	Substack	Udemy
Website	substack.com	udemy.com
Company	Startup from the United States	Startup from the United States · 2010
Listed in	Creators Blogging Paid Newsletters CMS +1	Education Online Learning Online Courses LMS +1

Features and specs

What each product offers, as listed by its team.

Substack 6 features

Udemy 1 feature

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.

Headquarters
San Francisco, CA

Analysis

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

Substack

Udemy

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

Udemy is generally considered a good platform for casual learners and professionals looking to gain new skills or knowledge at their own pace. However, course quality can vary since anyone can create a course, so it's important to read reviews and check instructor credentials before enrolling.

Why this product is good

Udemy offers a wide range of courses across various subjects at affordable prices. It provides lifetime access to purchased courses, allowing for flexible learning. The platform includes features like progress tracking, quizzes, and certificates of completion. Many courses are taught by industry professionals, providing practical and up-to-date knowledge.

Recommended for

Individuals seeking affordable and diverse educational opportunities
Professionals looking to learn new skills or upgrade existing ones
Students who need supplementary material for their studies
Hobbyists interested in exploring new topics

Videos

Walkthroughs and reviews on video.

Substack 5 videos + Add

Udemy 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

Udemy

100% 100%

Blogging

0% 0%

Education

100% 100%

CMS

0% 0%

Online Learning

100% 100%

User comments

Share your experience with using Substack and Udemy. 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

Udemy 5.0 · 1 review

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....

Best online learning platform
SaaSHub review

· Jul 2025

Udemy is best for beginners who want to start their career. They have huge collection of courses to address each and every niche. The price tag is very low, so anyone can avail their services. Best online learning...
10 Pluralsight Alternatives & Competitors (2024) – Our Picks
missiongraduatenm.org · Jul 2024

Udemy is probably one of the best online learning platforms today. With a large number of courses in every possible category (writing, design, management, app development, and so on) Udemy has millions of happy users....
8 best Teachable alternatives for course creators (Features & pricing)
www.podia.com · Jul 2024

Udemy benefits: After you upload your course content, selling on Udemy is largely hands-off. This can be an excellent option for instructors who want to earn passive income on their courses without running their own...

Social recommendations and mentions

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

Substack 105 mentions

Udemy 264 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 / 14 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 / 18 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 / 21 days ago

AI and the Full Stack Developer in 2025
Enroll in online courses, attend workshops, and participate in hackathons to stay updated on AI advancements. Platforms like Coursera, Udemy, and Kaggle offer excellent resources. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
Day 1: Introduction to Terraform and Infrastructure as Code (IaC)
Exploring Infrastructure as Code (IaC) We also had a coupon code reducing the price of a course on Terraform on Udemy by Bryan Krausen and Gabe Maentz on Udemy, I gained insights into the core concepts of Infrastructure as Code. The key... - Source: dev.to / almost 2 years ago
🏅 Valuable IT Certificates And How To Achieve Them 🏆
Affordable Options: Udemy often runs sales, making their AWS courses available for under $20. Other affordable platforms include Tutorials Dojo and Whizlabs, which have practice exams and simulations for around $10-$30. - Source: dev.to / almost 2 years ago

Alternatives to Substack and Udemy

When comparing Substack and Udemy, 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.

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Coursera
Build skills with courses, certificates, and degrees online from world-class universities and companies

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

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Pluralsight
Pluralsight is a learning management system (LMS) that helps aspiring tech professionals learn the basics of the trade and lets established professionals expand their skill sets.

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

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Codecademy
Learn the technical skills you need for the job you want. As leaders in online education and learning to code, we’ve taught over 45 million people using a tested curriculum and an interactive learning environment.

Compare Codecademy to Substack or Udemy:

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