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TechCrunch VS Substack

Compare TechCrunch VS Substack and see what are their differences

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TechCrunch logo TechCrunch

TechCrunch is a web publication that offers technology news and analysis, as well as profiling of...

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.
  • TechCrunch Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-19
  • Substack Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-10-26

TechCrunch features and specs

  • Up-to-date News
    TechCrunch provides timely and current updates on the latest trends and developments in the technology industry, ensuring readers are always informed.
  • Industry Insight
    TechCrunch offers in-depth articles and analysis on technology topics, which help readers gain a deeper understanding of industry dynamics.
  • Start-up Focus
    TechCrunch focuses heavily on start-ups and emerging companies, providing valuable exposure and resources for new ventures in the tech space.
  • Event Coverage
    TechCrunch organizes and reports on key technology events and conferences, offering summaries and insights from major gatherings like TechCrunch Disrupt.
  • Multimedia Content
    The platform includes a variety of content formats such as articles, videos, podcasts, and live streams, catering to different audience preferences.

Possible disadvantages of TechCrunch

  • Ad-heavy Layout
    TechCrunch's website can be cluttered with advertisements, which may detract from the user experience and make it difficult to focus on the content.
  • Subscription Model
    Certain content on TechCrunch is behind a paywall, requiring a subscription for full access, which might be a barrier for some users.
  • US-centric Content
    The majority of TechCrunch's coverage focuses on the American tech industry, which may limit the relevance for international readers.
  • Bias Toward Big Tech
    There can be a perceived bias towards larger tech companies and high-profile startups, potentially overshadowing smaller players and lesser-known innovations.
  • Comment Moderation
    The platform's comment sections are not always well-moderated, leading to a mix of high-quality discussions and low-value or off-topic comments.

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.

Analysis of TechCrunch

Overall verdict

  • Yes, TechCrunch is generally considered a reputable source for technology news.

Why this product is good

  • TechCrunch is a well-established technology news website known for its comprehensive coverage of the tech industry, startups, gadgets, and major tech events. It has a dedicated team of journalists and contributors who provide timely news, in-depth articles, and insightful analysis. The site is widely respected in the tech community and often features exclusive stories and interviews with industry leaders.

Recommended for

  • Tech enthusiasts looking for the latest news and trends
  • Entrepreneurs and startup founders
  • Investors looking for insights into tech startups
  • Professionals in the technology industry

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

TechCrunch videos

+ Add

comma.ai’s openpilot test drive experience | TryTech | TechCrunch

More videos:

  • Review - TechCrunch Reviews Pelican Backpacks
  • Review - Able Planet Headsets Review | TechCrunch At CES 2013

Substack videos

+ Add

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

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to TechCrunch and Substack)

TechCrunch

Substack

Startup Community
100 100%
Startup Community
0% 0
Blogging
0 0%
Blogging
100% 100
Startups
100 100%
Startups
0% 0
CMS
0 0%
CMS
100% 100

User comments

Share your experience with using TechCrunch and Substack. 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 TechCrunch and Substack

TechCrunch Reviews

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

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.
Source: www.geeksforgeeks.org
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...
Source: www.authorityhacker.com
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?
Source: www.indiehackers.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Substack should be more popular than TechCrunch. It has been mentiond 102 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.

TechCrunch mentions (46)

  • CopilotKit's $27M, Karpathy's skills repo, Vibedock — the week AI agents stopped being chatbots
    Seattle-based CopilotKit raised a $27M Series A led by Glilot Capital, NFX, and SignalFire (TechCrunch, 2026-05-05, techcrunch.com). Their AG-UI is an open protocol that standardizes how AI agents and UIs exchange streaming chat, front-end tool calls, and shared state. Per the article, combined install count sits at "millions per week", and Fortune 500 customers including Deutsche Telekom, Docusign, Cisco, and S&P... - Source: dev.to / 3 months ago
  • I Built an Instant SEO Audit API — Here's What I Learned About Technical SEO
    { "url": "https://techcrunch.com", "status": "pass", "score": 87, "checks": { "title_tag": { "status": "pass", "value": "TechCrunch – Startup and Technology News", "length": 43, "recommendation": "✓ Good" }, "meta_description": { "status": "pass", "value": "The latest news and analysis...", "length": 155, "recommendation": "✓ Good" }, ... - Source: dev.to / 5 months ago
  • Complete Guide to Unified Data Platforms for DeFi in 2025
    Adopting these best practices can lead to improved data management and more effective strategies in the evolving DeFi landscape, where data-driven decisions are paramount (TechCrunch). - Source: dev.to / 5 months ago
  • The web should be readable by machines. Here's a simple way to do it.
    Import { discover, fetchResource } from 'flyweb/client'; Const site = await discover('https://techcrunch.com'); Const articles = await fetchResource( 'https://techcrunch.com', site.config.resources.articles, { params: { tag: 'ai' }, limit: 10 } ); // Clean JSON. No scraping. - Source: dev.to / 7 months ago
  • Building for Impact: What Developers Can Learn from a $0.99 Safety App
    As TechCrunch has covered, indie developers are increasingly returning to paid-upfront models as subscription fatigue sets in. - Source: dev.to / 8 months ago
View more

Substack mentions (102)

  • 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
  • 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 Mussolini‘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 / 3 months ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

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

MakeUseOf - MakeUseOf is your guide in modern tech. Learn how to make use of tech and gadgets around you and discover cool stuff on the Internet.

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.

The Verge - From gadgets to startups, apps, and tech culture, The Verge has you covered with in-depth...

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

Gizmodo - Gizmodo is a blog on the technologies that change the way we live, work, love, play, think and feel.

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

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