Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Substack VS Upvoted

Compare Substack VS Upvoted and see what are their differences

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.

Upvoted logo Upvoted

A news publication by reddit
  • Substack Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-10-26
  • Upvoted Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-14

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.

Upvoted features and specs

  • Unique Content
    Upvoted features content that is unique to its platform, leveraging Reddit's vast community for exclusive stories and articles.
  • Community Integration
    It integrates well with the Reddit community, sourcing popular and engaging content directly from Reddit itself.
  • Diverse Topics
    Covers a wide range of topics, providing readers with a variety of content to explore.
  • Editorial Quality
    Content is curated and enhanced by a professional editorial team, ensuring quality and credibility.

Possible disadvantages of Upvoted

  • Limited Interaction
    Lacks the interactive elements that make Reddit popular, such as upvoting or commenting.
  • Content Delay
    There may be delays in featuring content from Reddit, affecting its timeliness and relevance.
  • Overlap with Reddit
    Some content may overlap with what users have already seen on Reddit, reducing its novelty.
  • Monetization Focus
    Some users may feel that the platform's integration with advertising and branded content detracts from its authenticity.

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

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

Upvoted videos

r/pocketbuild Review (Most UPVOTED Posts) // Ep. 2

More videos:

  • Review - Top 10 Most Upvoted Reddit Posts of All Time - What is Reddit?
  • Review - Step by Step - UPVOTED Gelbreaker

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Substack and Upvoted)
Blogging
100 100%
0% 0
Reddit
0 0%
100% 100
CMS
100 100%
0% 0
Tech
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 Substack and Upvoted

Substack Reviews

25+ Medium Alternative Platforms for Publishing Articles
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 to monetize their newsletters. It is a service often favoured by readers because it’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 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 popular choice for indеpеndеnt crеators looking to connеct dirеctly with thеir audiеncе and turn thеir passion into a sustainablе incomе strеam.
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 we’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?

Upvoted Reviews

We have no reviews of Upvoted yet.
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Substack seems to be a lot more popular than Upvoted. While we know about 103 links to Substack, we've tracked only 3 mentions of Upvoted. 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 (103)

  • 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 can remove meaning which I feel is the most serious one [1] What are not valid - environmental like emissions and water usage - AI is useless and it will take the economy with it... - Source: Hacker News / 1 day ago
  • Writing by Hand is Good for your Brain
    It's ironic that the article that caused him to write this post (https://substack.com/@justindeschamps/note/c-261265212?utm_source=notes-share-action&r=7y05q) is written by AI. I see this style of informational writing all over the place now. - Source: Hacker News / about 1 month ago
  • Ask HN: What are your favorite blogs not about AI?
    Https://substack.com/@yelluwcomedy. - Source: Hacker News / about 1 month 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 / about 2 months ago
  • Financing the AI boom: from cash flows to debt [pdf]
    Manhattan Project: $36B, 5 years ▫ Apollo Program: $257B, 14 years ▫ Interstate Highway System: $620B, 37 years ▫ AI data centers: $930B, 6 years and still accelerating From: https://substack.com/@rubendominguez/note/c-244929068. - Source: Hacker News / about 2 months ago
View more

Upvoted mentions (3)

  • Happy Belated Birthday to Reddit!
    Founded as a website on 23 June 2005 in Massachusetts, USA, the site name is a play on the words "I read it" and the logo is a time-traveling alien called Snoo, who represents Reddit’s friendly, conversational community aspect. Reddit’s primary brand colour is Orangered, and despite my best efforts throughout this encyclopaedia to prove it otherwise, the name “reddit” is actually styled with a lowercase ‘r’. ... Source: about 4 years ago
  • admins respond to today's NoNewNormal protest
    Immediately following the Boston Bombing insanity here - you know.. Just after (and only after) the media caught wind of it, an admin posted a fluffy apology on https://redditblog.com. It hit all of the right PR notes. However, the very last line or two was the admin celebrating increased traffic numbers during that time. Source: about 5 years ago
  • CMV: Social media platforms can’t censor content and claim to be platforms at the same time
    Section 230 doesn't care about whether it's the individual user (say OP has other users comment with defamatory content, the OP is not responsible), or platform, or publisher, just that the publisher or platform is culpable with reasonable notification and removal thereof. Publisher or platform can delete anything they want from their platform, but if they risk being sued it's either their own account speaking for... Source: over 5 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Substack and Upvoted, 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.

Unreadit - Weekly newsletters with the best Reddit content

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

Reddit List - Tracking the top 5000 subreddits

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

The Outline - A new kind of publication for a new kind of human