Home › Compare › Flodesk vs Substack
Flodesk vs Substack: cost and features compared (2026)
Last verified against official pricing pages · USD, monthly billing, excluding tax
Prices change often. Every price here was checked against the platform's official pricing page on the date shown, but plans, promos and taxes vary. Always confirm on the official site before you buy or switch. Not financial advice.
Quick answer
- Basic newsletter: Substack is cheaper at every size we checked.
- With automations: only Flodesk has a verified option at every size we checked.
- Paid newsletter: Flodesk is cheaper at 5,000, 10,000 and 25,000 subscribers; Substack is cheaper at 1,000 subscribers.
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Cost at 1k, 5k, 10k and 25k subscribers
Basic newsletter (no automations)
| Subscribers | Flodesk | Substack | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 | $25 (Lite) | $0 (Free + 10% of paid revenue) | Substack by $25/mo |
| 5,000 | $52 (Lite) | $0 (Free + 10% of paid revenue) | Substack by $52/mo |
| 10,000 | $72 (Lite) | $0 (Free + 10% of paid revenue) | Substack by $72/mo |
| 25,000 | $162 (Lite) | $0 (Free + 10% of paid revenue) | Substack by $162/mo |
With automations (welcome sequences, drips)
| Subscribers | Flodesk | Substack | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 | $25 (Lite, limited) | n/a | Flodesk (only option in our verified data) |
| 5,000 | $52 (Lite, limited) | n/a | Flodesk (only option in our verified data) |
| 10,000 | $72 (Lite, limited) | n/a | Flodesk (only option in our verified data) |
| 25,000 | $162 (Lite, limited) | n/a | Flodesk (only option in our verified data) |
Substack has no native automation builder in our data, so that scenario shows n/a.
Paid newsletter (5% of subscribers pay $8/mo)
| Subscribers | Flodesk | Substack | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 | $83.40 (Everything) | $69.40 (Free + 10% of paid revenue) | Substack by $14/mo |
| 5,000 | $254 (Everything) | $347 (Free + 10% of paid revenue) | Flodesk by $93/mo |
| 10,000 | $431 (Everything) | $694 (Free + 10% of paid revenue) | Flodesk by $263/mo |
| 25,000 | $992 (Everything) | $1,735 (Free + 10% of paid revenue) | Flodesk by $743/mo |
Switching? Flodesk → Substack cost · Substack → Flodesk cost · Best platform for your needs
Cheapest plan on each platform that covers the list size and required features. Paid totals = plan + platform cut + Stripe card fees (2.9% + $0.30 per payment, estimate) + Stripe's 0.7% Billing fee on recurring payments where confirmed (beehiiv, MailerLite, Ghost, Buttondown, Substack, AWeber and Flodesk); not added for GetResponse (not confirmed); Kit's 3.5% + $0.30 is all-in. How we model fees. "limited" = feature is capped on that plan. Run your exact numbers →
Key differences
| Flodesk | Substack | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | free plan has no email sending | free at any size |
| Fee on paid subscriptions | 0% platform cut + Stripe fees | 10% platform cut + Stripe fees |
| Cheapest plan with automations | Pro (from $28/mo) | not available |
| Cheapest plan with own domain | Lite (from $25/mo) | Free + 10% of paid revenue (free) + $50 one-time |
| Cheapest plan without platform branding | Pro (from $28/mo) | not available |
| Plans | Lite, Pro, Everything | Free + 10% of paid revenue |
| Prices verified | 2026-10-20 | 2026-10-20 |
Who each is best for
Flodesk is best for
Creators and small brands who care most about design (templates, fonts, link-in-bio) and want unlimited sends at a fixed tier price.
- Priced by active subscribers since December 2, 2025 (tiers from 1,000 to 255,000), with unlimited email sends on every paid plan. Members who were paying before then keep the old flat Unlimited plan. source
- The Free plan has forms, landing pages and link-in-bio but no email sending, so it isn't a free newsletter plan. source
- Lite stops at 25,000 subscribers and includes 1 workflow (a "limited time bonus"); unlimited workflows and hiding the Flodesk footer start on Pro. source
- Paid subscriptions only on Everything, through your own Stripe Standard account; Flodesk adds no transaction fee on top of Stripe. source
Substack is best for
Writers starting from zero who want $0 upfront cost and Substack's built-in network, and are fine giving up 10% of paid revenue.
FAQ
Is Flodesk cheaper than Substack?
It depends on your list and needs. In our data (monthly billing, 1,000 / 5,000 / 10,000 / 25,000 subscribers): basic newsletter — Substack is cheaper at every size we checked. With automations — only Flodesk has a verified option at every size we checked. Paid newsletter — Flodesk is cheaper at 5,000, 10,000 and 25,000 subscribers; Substack is cheaper at 1,000 subscribers. Prices verified 2026-10-20.
Which has the bigger free plan, Flodesk or Substack?
Flodesk: free plan has no email sending. Substack: free at any size. Free plans have feature limits — see the comparison table.
Do Flodesk and Substack take a cut of paid subscriptions?
Flodesk: 0% platform cut + Stripe fees. Substack: 10% platform cut + Stripe fees.
What do Flodesk and Substack cost at 10,000 subscribers?
On monthly billing, a basic newsletter costs $72/mo on Flodesk Lite and $0/mo on Substack Free + 10% of paid revenue. With automations: $72/mo (Flodesk Lite) vs n/a on Substack.
Sources
- Flodesk pricing (checked 2026-10-20)
- Flodesk: paid subscriptions
- Flodesk: help.flodesk.com/en/articles/8923841
- Substack pricing (checked 2026-10-20)
- Substack: substack.com
- Stripe pricing (card-fee estimate)
- Stripe Billing pricing (0.7% on recurring payments)
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Guides: Is beehiiv worth it in 2026 · Substack to beehiiv migration · Substack fees (2026)
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